Savvy Gardening: Garden Ideas, Tips, Pictures, and More » Annuals

Unusual Containers

Sirena Van Schaik — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 01:28:31 +0000

Last year as I was wandering around my local garden center, I spotted the most unusual container that was an immediate must have for me. I quickly went and picked up the container, hoisted it to a worker to get the price, only to find out that the containers were made special for a client. I was heartbroken and just as I was getting ready to leave, the worker came up to me and said she had found one extra that I could have. I was overjoyed and took my little planter home and gave it a place of honor amongst my other planters.

It wasn’t that the planter was particularly beautiful with a black plastic that looked like several small tires stacked on top of each other but it was the original idea behind it. I had actually gone on the sole purpose of finally buying the impatients in the hanging bag, something that I had wanted for several years but kept forgetting to buy, and it ended up that for another year I was missing out on the impatients. The newest container was done in a similar style to those of the impatients except it was a hard plastic tube like container that had holes cut out of it and a white pipe running down the center of it. Shooting out of the holes in black plastic was streptocarpella, also known as Lady Slippers, in a deep blue. It was a beautiful contrast of blue, green and black and made an excellent addition to my patio.

The white tube was perforated and you watered the container by pouring the water down the tube; the water then dispersed throughout the soil for complete saturation.

My garden center offers new plantings each year as long as I drop off the planter in the fall and pick it up in the spring. Unfortunately, fall is a busy time of year for me and I missed the deadline for the drop off. I also forgot to plant my own seeds in the spring (I know I was on the ball this year) so when I realized that I had this unique planter to play with, I was at the garden center picking out some annuals for the new season.

This is when I had a stroke of genius. The garden center didn’t have any Lady Slippers so I decided to buy some Lobelia and some miniature pansies. I filled the planter myself with the Lobelia coming out of the holes and the pansies finishing off the top. I was very happy with what I had finished with that I wanted to share.

If you would like to make one yourself, find a tube like container, or make one yourself and cut wholes around the width and up the length of it. Fill it potting soil until the lowest hole, put in a young plant of your choice, and secure it with more potting soil. When you get about 2 or 3 inches of soil, plant a white tube with holes drilled into it, in the center of the planter. Make sure you duct tape the bottom so it doesn’t fill up with soil. Continue to do fill in with soil and plants until all the holes are filled. Top it off with the same plant or another one.

After a while, the plant should spread out to cover the entire planter. The pictures that I took of mine are after only two weeks and they are starting to cover very nicely. Next year I will try to get it in in time or at the very least try for the Lady Slippers again since the effect was wonderful.

Happy Gardening

Sirena Van Schaik

Garden Center Deals

Sirena Van Schaik — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:15:33 +0000

Every year I tell myself that there is no way that I am spending more than $50 on some annuals to fill in around my perennials. I try to avoid the extra cost but once I get into the garden center, I often find one or two – okay, make it more like 5 to 10 - perennials that I could see fitting into a space in my garden. By the time I wander out of the garden center, I have spent much more than my budget and I hurry home to get the plants in the ground before my husband notices that instead of having a flat or two of annuals, I have filled up the minivan with flowers.

For this reason, I have found ways to alleviate some of the cost of my happy growers finger when I am at the garden center and thought that I would share them with you.

Timing: Although I am usually chafing at the bit to get growing sometime around mid-April (I know way to early) I will force myself to wait until the planting season is almost over. This can mean that the plants you are getting are not as great in quality but if you find a good garden center, you probably won’t have this problem. If you wait until early June, you will still have lots of time to get your flowers in and you will also be able to cash in on some deals. One of my favorite growers offers half off the second annual, the last week of May. This can usually equate to less cost but usually for me it equates to more flowers. (Hey, I never said my method was solid.)
Starting Small: I know that perennials can really add a lot to gardens and it is often very hard to wait for a small plant to grow large and lush. Many gardeners will purchase the larger plant so they have more coverage right from the start but plants grow very quickly and there really is no need to start with a 60 dollar plant when the exact same plant, although smaller, starts at 14 dollars. You will find that you can save money or as in my case, add more.
Return Trips: Go to the garden center, see what they have to offer and then leave. If you find a great deal, as I did with a braided Hibiscus this year, pick it up but if the prices still seem high or there isn’t anything that catches your eye, don’t bother shopping. You might drive the garden center crazy but it will give you time to plan, decide how many plants you need and what you want exactly. When you are ready to buy, usually when that sale is on, you can go back, fill your wagon and leave without overspending.

I know that I should probably have a few more tips on saving money at the garden center but it really only comes down to the last three. To stay on budget, you could bring cash so you don’t over dip into the bank account but it is up to you. Another money saving tip is to never bring kids with you to the garden center. This is the one advice tip that I never follow and I can usually add on a good dozen plants that the kids just had to have.

Happy Gardening!

Sirena Van Schaik

The Rented Garden

Sirena Van Schaik — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:56:31 +0000

When I first moved out on my own, at the young age of 17, I moved into a large 3 bedroom house with a beautiful yard, full mature trees and large patio for parties. I, and my two roommates, thought that we had moved into heaven and for a first time rental, it was a very good deal for what we got.

I didn’t think much about gardening at that point, really at 17-18 the big draw are the patio parties, but I did wonder if it would be okay to plant a few flowers in the planters available. I didn’t though partly because I wasn’t sure what plants to use, partly because I was a young and poor and partly because I wasnt’ sure if it was okay to do so.

Since then, I have found that planting a garden in a rental property is something that many renters wonder about. I have met many avid gardeners that are just waiting to sign the dotted line on their own mortgages so they can get out into the yard to start setting up the garden they have been dreaming about. This very same gardeners that have been keeping flowers to a minimum, mostly in planters, and are always in despair at how sparse their rented yard looks.

When it comes to a rented house, there really is no reason why you should avoid the joys of having a rented garden. Most rental boards have a policy that property should be enjoyed as though it is yours and not a rental, barring major redesigning however. Most rental properties have flower beds already dug into them and some even come with an assortment of perennials already in place. There is nothing hindering a renter from moving into those flower beds and creating a whole new theme.

About 10 years ago, I moved into another beautiful 3 bedroom house, I preferred 3 bedrooms for some reason. Anyway, this house was set in an older Italian neighborhood and every yard had full gardens, fruit trees, flower beds and grass to make even the most cared for golf course envious. I jumped into the fact that I now had places to plant flowers, fruit trees to tend to and an assortment of other ideas to put into place. I was still very hesitant about starting new projects but I enjoyed the rose bushes that were already in place and the space that was provided. As I became more comfortable in my rented space, I began adding flower beds to the yard and quickly started designing a garden I could enjoy completely.

And that is what every gardener who rents should know. It is okay to add flower beds and other garden areas. If it is a big project, such as a pond or walkway, I would strongly suggest speaking to the home owner before you do. More than likely, they won’t have a problem but in the off chance that they do, you won’t risk eviction by talking to them first.

When you decide to plant your rented garden, I would recommend a few things to alleviate any worries or potential problems.

Ask the landlord: I already mentioned this but if you are adding anything, it doesn’t hurt to ask or even just to mention that you are planning to expand the flower beds.
Plan for leaving: As with all rented spaces, there will be a time when you will move. This may not always be in the summer so if you don’t want to loose money on perennials, stick to annuals instead. You can have very nice gardens with only annuals and although it can cost you more money in the grand scheme of gardening, you won’t have to worry about losing an $80 perennial. If your lease runs from summer to summer, plan to use perennials that can handle being transported.
Make the garden easy to use: Although we all have ideas of what we want in a garden, it is important to create a garden that can be up-kept with relative ease. The next renters may not have any interest in gardening and if it can be taken care of with very little effort, the landlord will appreciate you all the more and will send out great references if you are renting again.
Don’t think of it as rented: Don’t spend all your time thinking about the garden as rented. Simply enjoy it now and put in the things that you want in it. Sure you may leave it behind but you can always look forward to a new blank canvas to try new ideas.
Make use of containers: Yes, I know that not everyone wants to stick with containers but it can minimize the amount of money you are putting into a rental. When you move, if you have cared for your containers, you can gather up your pots and keep a piece of your investment when you leave.

So these are only a few tips but the main point that I am trying to get across is that you do not need to feel stuck with no gardening enjoyment if you rent. Maybe you won’t be able to do as much as home owners but you can still have magnificent gardens that have guests and passer-byers whispering, “I wish my garden was like that.”

Sirena Van Schaik