Thursday, April 26, 2007

How does your garden grow?

One of the great things about the official start of spring & the warming weather is thoughts about what I will plant this year. We are blessed to have had some nice landscaping to begin with, but I have really enjoyed adding my own personal touches. Since I love to cook, herbs are a must. Last year I transplanted chives from my grandma's garden and they grow like weeds. Really. If you want some, let me know. You can have 'em! I bought rosemary and thyme plants this season and have planted them in hanging planters on my deck. Now all I need is basil!! {Basil is my favorite herb. I think I may try to plant several varieties if I can find them.} I have strawberry plants that I transplanted from my grandma as well and they seem to be doing quite nicely, already having sent out runners and forming two more little baby plants. I have yet to decide what to do with my flower bed off of my patio. Last year I did annuals, but I am wondering if perennials mixed with a few annuals might be better for me. If you want a great plant that flowers throughout the summer & spreads very nicely, get a Wave Petunia. I loved how they overflowed the bed and spilled out onto the patio.

What are you growing {or planning to grow} this season? Here are some resources that I have been using lately to research plants:

Backyard Gardener

Gardenweb Forums

Illinois Best Plants

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Alicia and I are actually going to grow a vegetable garden, with all the trimmings, peas, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, peppers I don't know if there was anything else but we are so excited and can't wait to not only save money but watch our garden grow!!!!

jori

Hollie said...

Beth and I have come to the conclusion that we are both not the best at keeping things that come from the ground alive so we will be planting fake flowers between our houses! Ha… just kidding! I wish I had a green thumb but I don’t! Oh well! Can’t wait to see the pictures of your garden!

Rebecca said...

Jori: If you haven't already, you can plant those things indoors & then transplant them when the weather warms up. I know my grandma already has tomatoes & peppers planted indoors. Sounds like an ambitious plan! Can't wait to hear how it turns out ;>)

Hol: I've actually heard of someone doing that. No need to weed or water!!! I didn't think I had much of a green thumb either. Even when we lived in our apartment, I had cherry tomatoes & basil & they grew so well without much care.

Beth said...

As Hollie already said, I basically kill everything that grows out of the ground. But, my little Kate talked me into getting a bunch of different kind of flowers and planting them for Dan on his birthday. They add a lot to the front of the house. I took out a bush to make more room...it was ugly anyway. She is the one that reminds me that we have to water them so it's fun for her and Landon. But we are definitely doing the fake flower thing in the back, right Hol! :-)

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know how to make wood grow?

Hollie said...

The lady who lives next door to my parents actually puts fake flowers around her mail box every year! We would laugh at her, but now it's not sounding like such a bad idea! I have been wanting to plant some flowers in the front of my house along the walk way to my front door. Any ideas on flowers that would need morning sunlight and shade in the afternoon?

Rebecca said...

Hollie: If you get perennials, they'll come back year after year. Just plant 'em then sit back & enjoy. Here are some ideas:

Tulips ~ too late for this year, but you could plant them in fall for next

Dianthus

Daisies

Pansies

Or just go to your local WM/HD and pick out some already flowering annuals. Plant. Repeat next year. ;>)