# Any gardeners out there?



## holocron (Mar 12, 2006)

Hey there,

spending lots of time outside these days buying lots of pots for the balcony and growing some nice tomatoes n' cucumbers! Just wondering if anyone else here is into gardening? I am living in a condo so I do what I can with my balcony, can't wait to get a full on backyard! Any other green tumbs out there?

Here are some picts:


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## holocron (Mar 12, 2006)

here is a pict of a plant I have been try hard to grow. It's called 'bougainvellea' and it's from the tropics and won't handle a Canadian winter outdoors. I am hoping to raise it indoors in the winter and outdoors in thesummer. So far I am getting great growth. The flowers all dropped, but from what I read the flowers are on a spring/fall cycle. Here's hoping.

The mini roses I picked up across the street from the menagerie! That area is dangerous for plant lovers, I tell ya. 

here is a link to a full size plant/bush:
http://image07.webshots.com/7/8/50/58/89285058xZumoJ_ph.jpg

here is mine:  needs work


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## chompy (Mar 24, 2006)

My gf has been collecting plants as of late. We two spider plants, two geraniums, and a papyrus (don't know how to spell) which looks like fireworks. It does add a nice natural touch to the apt.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

OOhhh thats why i cannot wait to move to an apt with a balcony.. ^^

They look great matt. I love the little herb garden you have :3 Right now i have no plants other than bambo and the plants that are in my cham set up.

The cats eat everything i try to grow..>.>


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## jrs (Mar 18, 2006)

I got my hands on some seeds from tomatos that were grown in the International Space Station. They have started to grow but no aliens as of yet.


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## Canadiancray (Apr 27, 2006)

Yup I have a large Veggie garden in the backyard. 11X14 feet. Aswell as a large rock graden with pond & waterfall.


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## kweenshaker (Mar 11, 2006)

i love gardening too....but not the weeding part. 

bougainvelleas are sooo pretty. I have a big one with peach coloured flowers that I've been taking care of for about 6 years. It lives outside in the summer and comes in during winter.

Did you grow your stuff from seed?


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## Plant Crazy (Mar 24, 2006)

Hey Matt,

Your patio garden is looking really good. Seems like you've also got a green thumb (in addition to a wet thumb). The flowers and greenery can really spruce up a patio space. Once we move into our new house, we're going to start planting some new flowers in the backyard. I really want to get a Japanese maple for the backyard... absolutely gorgeous plant.

PS- I'd give it a week before you start a GTAgardener.com forum.


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## holocron (Mar 12, 2006)

lol Stan... trust me, I have thought about it. I think I'll stick to aquariums for now in that regard 

I am a HUGE fan of japanese maples.. beautiful tree. I was actually thinking of growing one in a box and keeping it 'bonsai' style. I am not sure if the roots will make it through the winter in a box. If I could only find a baby tree, most of the ones I see are already fairly big.

Look forward to seeing that garden! (inside and out)


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## holocron (Mar 12, 2006)

Canadiancray said:


> Yup I have a large Veggie garden in the backyard. 11X14 feet. Aswell as a large rock graden with pond & waterfall.


cray,

that's awesome. I only wish I had a backyard.. part of the trade-off living downtown I suppose. What do you got in there?

kween,

the only thing grown from seed were the herbs. The rest were sprouts.


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## Plant Crazy (Mar 24, 2006)

Hey Holocron,

Yeah, Japanese maples are great for bonsai. http://www.bonsai4me.com/SpeciesGuide/AcerPalmatum.html

This website has got some pics of some amazingJapanese maple bonsai:

http://www.hollowcreekbonsai.com/productCat25259.ctlg


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## holocron (Mar 12, 2006)

Stan... what are you doing to me...


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## kweenshaker (Mar 11, 2006)

If you can't do the Japanese maple thing (although with a heating cable in the soil, I think it would do fine in a large-ish pot) you could get a black lace...it's a non-woody perennial with jap. maple-style leaves that grows to be about 8 ft.


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## Canadiancray (Apr 27, 2006)

holocron said:


> cray,
> 
> that's awesome. I only wish I had a backyard.. part of the trade-off living downtown I suppose. What do you got in there?
> 
> ...


I am currently growing. Tomato, Snow peas, Beans, Cabbage, Broc., Celery, Beats, Peppers, Honey Dew Melon, Cantilope. THats all I can remember right now.


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

Canadiancray said:


> I am currently growing. Tomato, Snow peas, Beans, Cabbage, Broc., Celery, Beats, Peppers, Honey Dew Melon, Cantilope. THats all I can remember right now.


That is a lot of stuff for an 11 x 14 space. Mine is around 8 x 10, in 2 tiers. I only have Tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, habenaro peppers, and parsley. I did make some proper tomato cages (finally), using concrete reinforcing mesh, which has 6" x 6" grid, and comes in rolls 6' wide. There is a full 5' above the ground. The premade ones are way too short. I don't have to do any weeding, as I use lawn clippings to mulch around the plants. It cuts down on watering, as well as enriching the soil. Organic methods are certainly easier than conventional methods. I did have to replace the first parsley planting, as the resident cottontail ate them. The rabbits also preclude planting beans, which they love when they first come up. I don't plant beets anymore, since the voles pick away at them all season, and they look like an apple that has been eaten, come the end of the season. Besides, beets were $2 for 10 lbs, which makes them hardly worth growing, when you have a small space. Still, there is nothing like a ripe tomato, bred for the home garden, and grown without pesticides.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

OOhhh!!! i adopted a plant today! A ....cipos? somthing? 

not even 2 minutes in the door and the cat ate half of it.. LOL


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