Practical advice & moral support for the small-scale gardener
Shade can feel like a limiting factor when choosing plants, but let me tell you as someone with a hot, sunny balcony — a little shade is a good thing for the container gardener. Even plants that prefer full sun in the ground do better with some shade in pots. Since their roots can’t dig…
September is the month of harvest, though that is perhaps too strong a word for what I do on my balcony. Without much premeditation, my garden has become quite fruit-forward — I have figs, woodland strawberries, lemons, and olives (yes, also a fruit) — and their production is comically small, both in terms of size…
It’s that time of year again: I’m heading off to Italy for a month and scheming about ways to keep my plants alive while I’m gone. Last year I semi-succeeded with a combination of DIY self-watering methods and the help of my neighbor, Vera. This year, Vera’s having some health issues, and I wanted a…
If you’re already thinking about fall color in your garden, I can’t recommend California fuchsia (Epilobium canum) enough. Its tubular bright red and orange flowers bloom in autumn and unfailingly attract hungry hummingbirds, while its soft silvery foliage looks nice all year round. And best news of all for us balcony gardeners: it thrives in…
If you’re a gardener, chances are you’ve got some seeds squirreled away that are past their prime. Maybe you’re overzealous with your seed orders every year (me), couldn’t resist a bunch of free but expired seeds at a garden event (also me), or can’t bring yourself to throw away a packet with pretty illustrations on…