Garden Envy

[ButterflyGarden]

I love my containers, don't get me wrong. However, sometimes I look at the pictures of other people's gardens on the site and dream of having more space. Anyone else confined to growing edibles on a balcony and just crave dirt?

[SeanRP]

I just bought a large multi-family house a few months ago, and it's all house and no yard, so I feel your pain, lol. What little yard we do have in back is dedicated to our puppies, so were relegated to pots on our deck and side yard. I will say that I'm actually enjoying the two pots I've started this year (carrots and cucumbers) due to the extra utility of being able to move them around and see what there favorite spot is.

I've also got a small herb pot (Parsley, Basil and Chive) that I'll be able to bring inside in the fall, and that's going to be nice too.

I would love to be able to do a nice raised bed some day, but this works for now!

[Green Mantis]

ButterFlyGarden, I can really relate with you. We only have a flower bed in the front of our place, I was going to grow more in another area, but now we have the place up for sale. So I am reduced to a couple of containers and what I can get in the flower bed. I don't want to plant too much, because if we sell, it will all get left here. Some things I am taking with though. But I want to put things in permanently and watch it grow! Can't do that right now..........But I sure do love looking at other people's garden pictures! So beautiful. Maybe someday it will be our turn too!

[ButterflyGarden]

Enjoy your small spaces for now. Living in an apartment building I have absolutely no dirt space. I would love to have even a flower bed. I dream of moving to a garden apartment (which would have a tiny bit of space compared to most people on this server). My good friend has a lovely garden that was a completely neglected patch of land before they moved in. Now she and her husband have really turned it into something special. I love visiting her. ::sigh:: one day.......

[froggy]

Aye, first floor apt. but only a fairly large balcony (for an apartment that is).
I've got two 30"x72" tables just filled with containers. Most are my indoor tropicals out for the summer, but I just got myself a dwarf variety lilac and some tomato plants. There is also a bunch of lilacs (4" tall and growing), chives and some odds and ends I am trying to turn into bonsai (ha, I had a brain fart that it would use less space - lol only when they are 'finished'...)

[Green Mantis]

Froggy, Can you grow a dwarf type lilac in a container and get it to stay alive? Because if we sell, I have one of those and a few of the type that get huge, although they aren't yet, that I want to pot and take with.

I'm hoping a real big container will work?

Also taking my Jerusalem Artichokes, they luckily are in a contained area, as they are spreading like crazy.

[froggy]

I don't know about the lilac as of yet - I got a 2' dwarf Korean one like a month ago, it was pot bound, so I put it into a slightly larger pot - root pruning will have to wait until either fall or spring - I have yet to find out which will be better...

I am a beginner at bonsai, so that alone might prove fatal for the tree, but as I understand it, the basic techniques should be able to keep it alive - the main points are properly draining soil, and maintenance of the roots - whether you style the top or not, doesn't much change its living environment...

It bloomed quite well and lasted as long as similar ones in the neighborhood. I took cuttings and pruned it back quite heavily, just as it was done flowering (timing for that was suggested to ensure it flowering the next season - which would make DH happy), hoping that, if I kill it, I will have some cuttings to work with.

Whether it will survive will largely depend on the root pruning and how it is overwintered (it's supposed to be good for zone 3, but that's in the ground obviously).

Bug me in spring and I'll let you know how it's doing

If you're moving anyways, I don't see much harm in trying to take a few suckers along, even if the whole plant is too big for a container... The variety shouldnt matter too much, I got the dwarf variety because it has smaller leaves (considering the planned bonsai look)
Just separate the sucker from the mother plant by driving a spade inbetween them, and let it grow for a bit before removing it. - Depending on where you are they grow like weeds and you will have hard time killing them no matter what you do :p

good luck

[Green Mantis]

Froggy, Mine is about 2 1/2 feet tall, so we both have just about the same size trees. I think cynthia said we are in zone 1, ????? Must go back and look that up. Anyway, we are in Alberta towards Red Deer and it gets darn cold!!! Brrrrr.

Maybe if the container is big enough, and deep enough, it would work? I hope. Because I really want to take my outdoor plants with.

They do have a smaller leaf, mine is called KIM something or other??? I know it is a dwarf. The only reason I got it, was because they dropped the prices at WAl-Mart on the lilacs, dramatically and they just happened to have one there, so I bought it as well as a few others, at a real good price. As far as the garden staff was concerned, it was a lilac, didn't matter what kind and it was priced cheap. The leaves do come later on it than the regular ones.

I almost pulled it out as I thought it died, but it didn't want to come, so I left it, thinking I would get somebody stronger to yank it out later. Then I forgot about it (good thing) as awhile later I noticed buds coming on the branches.

Good thing I forgot, or it would have bit the dust.

[froggy]

I think that variety is little Kim. Or something like it... Yeah, it seems the dwarf varieties are a few weeks later in breaking dormancy than the regular ones. And they start blooming about when the others are done.
I was eyeing a neighbors (to nick some cuttings that came across the fence, but I ended up buying one) and at first I thought it was sick or something, then whoosh, there it was...
And if it survives Alberta winters, I don't think it'll be easy to kill

[Green Mantis]

Froggy, I was amazed it did survive the winter too, when I saw no leaves or buds, that's why I thought it was dead, but they definately are later.

Wish I would have written down how much later now. Well if your'e going to do bonsai, could be interesting? I know if it was me, It would die! But then I don't know anything about bonsai either???

I am glad that I found out you can take cuttings and they will actually grow, because I have seen some absolutely beautiful lilacs, and didn't know the variety. Would the cuttings be true to the bush they came off, if it was an old, NOT hybrid bush? Some of those old ones are so fragrant. I love the smell of lilacs. Mind you right now, we are getting so much rain, that you can't smell any of them anyway! This is ridiculus, All I want is some nice sunny days more than once a week, if that.

[froggy]

A cutting would be the same as the bush (exact same genetic material).
Wether it will grow and bloom the same will also depend on how happy it is in it's new location - I'd aim for similar conditions as the original bush is in...

[Green Mantis]

Good idea Froggy, Thank You.

[nasirahc83]

As a newbie to the gardening world, I actually love container gardening or at least the concept of it. I guess for a professional you will eventually want to expand your space.

[rainbowgardener]

You don't have to be a professional to crave more garden space! Watch out! It can happen to you too, once you get going on this stuff. The folks with containers start wanting a raised bed or two and the folks with the raised beds start wanting MORE GARDEN SPACE!!


I have a third of an acre (including my house) and I look at all the pictures here and I get garden envy too!

[froggy]

How about more space for containers?