Self care by growing a garden

[eudemonism]

@Former-Member I'm in a high rain fall area for where we are. But the veggies and herbs and fruits trees need a little extra from the tap. I only have three thousand litres of rain water. Which is for drinking. Eude.

[outlander]

Hey all

I want to make my own little garden but they will have to be in pots due to limited spacing.
Can anyone reccomend what sort of flowers to grow?

[eudemonism]

@outlander there is a huge variety of plants. Ornamental or edible that can be grown in pots. It's a little different from growing in the ground. But basically the same thing. Good pots and potting mix or soil would be the place to start. Eude.

[Catcakes]

Hi @outlander,
I have had a lot of pleasure working out in my tiny courtyard over the last two days. You can grow lots of things in pots such as Daisy’s, geraniums, succulents and hens , even vegetables. I have got parsley, chives, basil and rosemary which I use in cooking but I have also grown cherry tomatoes, snow peas, beans, spinach and strawberries. You just need a sunny spot, good potting mix, pots need drainage holes and pay attention to the watering needs which is on the labels if you buy them.
I also like to grow things from cuttings.
I’m really pleased with how lovely my courtyard looks today after a few hours work and a few new plants. 💐🍃🌼☘️🌸🌿🌺🌱

[Smc]

@outlander, First thing is make sure the pots are a decent size. Anything smaller than 20cm diameter will probably be too small to support a good, deep root system, and also smaller pots dry out quickly.

Really tall growing things that get deep taproots (cone shaped roots that look like carrots) won't do well in pots, so big sunflowers are not a good choice, but a lot of the seedlings sold in nurseries will be fine in pots. If you plant two or three together the pot will look more filled out and pretty- for example, put a snapdragon plant with an alyssum plant. The snapdragon will grow tall, and the alyssum will cover the soil.

Possibly best if you list a few flowers you're interested in, and others in the group can tell you which would suit pots? There's so many choices, we could be here forever listing them. 

[Former-Member]

Just saw this thread for the first time - what a garden idea for self care! I will be moving soon and wish to establish a small garden so will be following this thread with interest. I will go back now and read all the posts. Anyone with suggestions of plants that would do well in pots by the seaside would be very much appreciated. My inground garden plot would be in sand - something different for me. Any advice on suitable fertiliser for such  to build it up would also be appreciated 

[outlander]

Thank you @eudemonism for the tips 🙂


@Catcakes your courtyard sounds beauriful! Ill def take all your tips into considerations. Ive never had my own little plants before, i usually just admire everyone elses


@Smc thank you heaps for the tips! Ill take a look and see which plants id like and get opinions thar way too. I hadnt thought of that! Ill find some pics and put em up

[Smc]

@Former-Member I haven't tried seaside gardening myself, but what I've read from other gardeners is that the biggest challenge is that everything you put into the soil quickly washes out again. I've heard of some gardeners adding clay soil to their beds to help hold water and nutrients, and as a short term measure, I've heard of people digging a pit, lining it with newspapers (to slow down the water) and then infilling with soil, compost, manures etc.

General rule would be to use things like manures for fertilising. Soluble fertilisers or liquid fertilisers would wash out too quickly. The fibrous stuff that is in the manures acts like a sponge to hold the nutrients in the plant root zones for longer.

Look for any plant that has "coastal" or "sea" in its common name. Seaside Daisy (Erigeron), Coastal Banksia, Sea Kale (a vegetable, but also gets spectacular white flower heads), Sea Lavender (a type of statice). Also, once you've moved, make a point of going for morning or evening walks around your area, and pay attention to what grows well in other people's gardens, and in public gardens. If there's a town botanical garden anywhere near the coast, that will be a jackpot of information, because usually they've got all their plants labelled. If they don't, you should be able to find a gardener to ask.

[Former-Member]

@eudemonism do you have town water too?

@Former-Member if you look around the new location you will be able to see plants that others have grown successfully. Raised veg beds are really good in sandy soil areas (also good for aging bods).

@outlander do you get frosts where you are?

[outlander]

Um not really we get quite alot of heat here esp this time of yr but in winter it can get pretty cold. Id have them on my front porch so can move them and in and out of the weather as i please @Former-Member