Garden

Two years ago I had some success with my container gardens on our back porch. Last year I considered my container gardening and even some regular (flower) gardening to be quite awesome. This year I have no porch on which to put out containers. I am sad :-(

What I do however have is three smallish window boxes. And as they get some decent light all is not lost.

Originally I saw the brackets on the windows and anticipated that I would buy my own window boxes and fill 'em up. But after talking with my landlady turns out they had dirt filled boxes already. She said that typically she plants them and then asks the tenant to water as they are on a second floor so all but impossible to water from the ground. Then inevitably the flowers would die and it'd be a pity.

My plan: I love flowers and think that petunias are a summer must. And for a window box they are perfect. But I also have loved my success with vegetable growing. To balance everything out I've planted pink petunias on the sides of each box. And I've researched what veggies grow in a small box. I really wanted to do some peas which they say would be fine. The idea of a trellis balanced against the window/house with the peas growing up it is so much fun. But then I realized that the things grow quite tall and the fruit is at the top and I'd be trying to stand up while hanging out my window to pick snap peas. Not the best idea ever. So after visiting Lowes and getting some cheap seed so far I've planted two types of lettuce: Romaine and something I'm hoping is a loose leaf variety, Spinach, and Radishes. I still have plenty of space so I'd like to find some scallions and would be delighted with other options. But it will also work just as well to start more seed in 2 weeks or in hopes of a rotating harvest.

Or (typing this out has my brain growing) I really ought to just start up a mini indoor greenhouse. I can use plastic cups and grow seedlings that can be swapped out. This will enable me to have more usable space. Yup...I'm nuts.

Lastly I really really really want to have a tomato plant. My tomato plants have been my new favorite thing. As a slowly reforming picky-eater the discovery of tomato's as a delicious summer treat fresh from the garden is somewhat surprising. But last summer BLT's were pretty much the most awesome thing ever. So I'm quite set on getting one of those upside down plant hanger things and planting me a tomato plant inside (probably actually in the enclosed stair case) where I have a nice south facing window. It could be a most dreadful idea. Or it could work. Fingers crossed that it will rock :-)