Author |
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Colossus
Member
10-04-2003
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 11:29 am
Hey Yankee; Put the large "well draining " containors on the outside perimeter of your deck. Water them every day and enjoy the esculating privacy.
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Jagger
Member
08-07-2002
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 11:34 am
Yankee what Colossus said, you could also build a window box the size of your deck, just be sure to put rocks or something in the bottom to allow for dranage ( and hope you don't have anyone else living directly below you) you could put in a trellis with a fast climbing flower and no more nosey neighbors.
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Yankee_in_ca
Member
08-01-2000
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 12:38 pm
I haven't really had luck getting climbers to grown in my containers, though I don't know if it's the containers I'm using or the fact that my deck gets direct sunlight from 1 in the afternoon until sunset in the summer. Very hot and sunny. I even tried Morning Glorys last summer (I love them -- heavenly blue) and had only moderate success. I'm going to try to post a few photos from my deck last year so you can see what I'm up against It's a concrete deck, not at ground level, very warm afternoon sun. I was just out there puttering around again, just dreaming about summertime
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Wink
Member
10-06-2000
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 12:41 pm
Here is a picture of one of my rose bushes from last year. It's a Morden rose, I think Blush. I had continuous bloom on this rose for at least five weeks.
Yankee even tho you're in Vancouver and usually have temperate winters, if you're going to plant shrubs in containers that are going to stay outside over winter you should probably line the inside of the container with 1 or 2 inch thick styrofoam to act as an insulator because most shrubs you would want for privacy will need to be a little larger which could be a costly loss if you end up with a bad winter. There are some really neat grasses that are not terribly expensive and look great in containers as well but probably wouldn't provide a very substantial noise barrier. You also have to consider the weight of containers if you're in an apartment with another deck or balcony below. If it's a condo or townhouse set up that shouldn't be a problem. After reading Jagger's post I'm not sure if your neighbours are noisy or nosey but I agree that if it's mainly privacy you're after a long planter with trellis would be an economical solution. Hyacinth bean seeds or morning glory seeds both sprout and grow quickly to cover any kind of trellis.
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Yankee_in_ca
Member
08-01-2000
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 12:56 pm
Wink -- I thought about using a bamboo screen, but I think it's too "flimsy." My neighbors are great people -- they are just noisy, and they seem to live outdoors in the summer, and entertain often. So I just wanted to put up some kind of a buffer, even if it only helps a little. Beautiful roses, by the way! I have much better pictures of my deck somewhere, but I can't find them now. I'll post this one, which is of only one side of my deck, and was taken VERY early in the season last year -- you can see my plants were very new and small. And of course as the season went on I changed things around, planted new ones, etc. By the end of the summer it was quite lush and lovely. Where the Japanese maple is (against the white wall) is where I set up my trellis and morning glories -- but they didn't grow over maybe 8 feet or so and weren't too prolific. Again, the caveat is that this was really early in the season. This is only so you can get an idea of what I'm up against:
I live in a townhouse, and this is just one of my decks (I have a small upstairs balcony off of my bedroom and a front deck that's as big as this one in the picture). I am on the second floor of my building, but there is no home below me -- in fact, directly below me (on street level) is a Starbucks and a grocery store It's the city, man! Everyone who has gorgeous yards, etc. in the suburbs and country are laughing at me right now, aren't you? Come on, admit it!! 
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Wink
Member
10-06-2000
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 12:58 pm
Yankee another suggestion might be butterfly bush. They love the sun and are very fast growing and you get the added benefit of butterflies if they can find you. I've never tried one in a container but it might be worth a shot.
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Wink
Member
10-06-2000
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 1:08 pm
Yankee no laughing here. Everyone needs to have a garden even if it's only on a kitchen windowsill. Your deck looks very inviting. Try some lavender in large pots. You could elevate them up to railing level by inverting an equal sized large pot. The sunnier the better for these babies. I have some lavender that reach about 2-1/2 to 3 ft. in height and you have the added bonus of great fragrance. Is that a concrete planter behind the railing? If so it would be beautiful filled with lavender and some moonbeam coreopsis(one of my favourite combos).
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Butrflynet
Member
12-29-2003
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 1:53 pm
Here's the container garden I created out on my apartment balcony last spring.
The slugs eventually won the battle and destroyed the impatients, but the rest of the flowers seem to have survived both the heat and cold wet winter in the Sacramento Valley. You can see more here
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Tagurit
Member
04-09-2003
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 2:04 pm
I love gardening. I love when it starts getting warm because that means I can start planting! I love having color all around. To me, it just makes everything seem so nice and bright. I have a rose garden on the side of my house. I love roses. I am looking to add to them this year. Has anyone gotten a rose tree? If so, any good? They look beautiful but I don't know if they have more of upkeep than rose bushes do. I even have the miniature roses. I think those are my favorite. I have lots of daylillies in the front of my walk way. I also do a lot of container planting for my porch. And, also hanging baskets to hang in the front. We've planted two forsythias, a crepe myrtle bush, an apple tree and two crabapple trees in our backyard. There is also a wisteria plant. I love the color it has. I have it so it is growing against my fence. I plan on adding more to the backyard this year. I have never tried growing flowers from seed but this year I have really been considering it. I like being able to chose from a vast array of seeds then get what colors the garden center has. I may even do some veggies this year from seeds. Yankee, I have two shrubs in containers on either side of my front door. I can't think of the name off my head. dang it. Anyway, they are doing well. I have them in big containers. ETA - Butrflynet, your balcony looks so nice and inviting!
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Yankee_in_ca
Member
08-01-2000
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 2:05 pm
Wink, do you have a recommendation for type of tall lavender? Anything I should know about pot size, soil type, etc.? I had some lovely English lavender last year, but only one pot. Would like more this year. That IS a concrete planter behind the railing (it separates my deck from my neighbor's deck -- in that pic, you're looking towards the non-noisy neighbors!). However, the planter is considered part of the building's responsibility, and they have planted an evergreen shrub and ivy in it. I'm not allowed to plant in it, though I can run pots along the lip of the planter, just behind the top of the railing. Wink, where in Canada are you, BTW? Butrflynet, your balcony looks like a nice place to sit and enjoy the afternoon! And, I wanted to say, this is fun! Thanks for starting the thread, Lkunkel!
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 2:13 pm
Right now, I'm not far enough along to have any nice pictures. The Dwarf Bonanza Peach tree is in a large pot--about 2' in diameter--and is in the corner of the balcony. We are on the second floor, but I use the styrofoam peanuts to provide drainage, and they are fairly light--as opposed to rocks and gravel. Also, to prevent the soil leaving with the water, I line the bottom of the container with coffee filters. I still need to get the containers for the tomato/pepper combo. Actually, I have a lot of garden shopping to do this week.
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Wink
Member
10-06-2000
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 2:32 pm
Yankee there are quite a few different lavenders but two I have used often and very successfully are Munstead and Hidcote. They are both fragrant and can be dried easily. . I prefer the Hidcote just because it is a deeper shade of purple and more striking than the Munstead. I think the most striking lavender is Spanish but it only blooms in the spring so I haven't tried that one. I would do them in at least a 12" pot because they will really spread and I think regular container soil should be fine. Just don't overwater. They like it hot and dry. I am in the Southern part of Ontario Yankee. Butterfly your balconey looks like a wonderful retreat. I love your Kitchen Window garden and Herman and the big Ape as well. Tagurit I think further back in the thread Weinermr said he had rose trees. Lkunkel I also use the styrofoam peanuts in some of my larger planters and in most of my annual pots. They really help keep the pots lighter for moving and save on container soil.
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Weinermr
Member
08-18-2001
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 2:46 pm
Tagurit, I have two rose trees. They are no more upkeep than rose bushes are, in fact maybe less. And they are beautiful, and grow very well. The only thing you have to be careful of is the wind. Be sure the plant is supported very sturdily. That's the biggest danger.
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Yankee_in_ca
Member
08-01-2000
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 2:47 pm
OK I'm completely sorry to hijack this thread today, but I have one more question for Wink -- do you ever use seed or do you buy your annuals as plants? And do you know of any good Canadian seed/plant catalogues? Styrofoam peanuts -- I hadn't used those, but it sounds like a great idea! Are these possible in containers -- Rose trees, peonys, hydrangea? Wish I could do wisteria ... along with double peonys, it's my favorite.
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Wink
Member
10-06-2000
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 3:12 pm
Yankee I use some seeds - things like cosmos, nigella, batchelor buttons, coneflowers most of which would be considered wild flowers. I just work a few handfuls of each into flowerbeds with bare spots. I've also grown a lot of sweet peas from seed. I always collect seeds from all of those at the end of the season and every two or three years buy some new packs just cause some of them seem to get tired after two or three years and don't look as good as the originals. The bulk of my annuals and perennials I buy at garden centres but I do ordering on line as well. One of my favourite places to order from is Hole's Greenhouses in Alberta. They have an online catalogue at www.holesonline.com. They carry annuals, perennials, vegetables and seeds. Shipping east is a bit pricey but wouldn't be too bad for you. William Dam Seeds and Vesey's seeds are two other Canadian catalogues I've used but these days most garden centres have a large selection of seeds so unless you're looking for something exotic you can probably find everything you need there. One of my favourite annuals I've ordered from Holes because I can't find them locally are trailing snapdragons. They come in 5 or 6 different colours and look great in sunny windowboxes and planters. They grow a lot of their annuals in jumbo six-packs and ship everything in stryofoam so free peanuts as a bonus. I've used the peanuts in all my containers just to lighten them and to save on soil. As far as I know there's nothing in them that would be hurtful to plants. Of course they don't biodegrade so they'll be there forever.
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Bigd
Member
09-13-2001
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 3:35 pm
Growing up and living most all of my adult life in Louisiana and now living in Wisconsin, I have experienced tremendous frustration with gardening since the season is so short here. I have also had the frustration of too much shade (that is not really a complaint) although the shade does present limitation, especially with tomatoes. Anyway I have a newfound excitement this year since the house next door was redone. They cut down two trees and seriously trimmed 3 others and then we trimmed a few trees and I have considerably more sunshine so I am anxious to try it out and see what I can get going this year. It is unfortunate I have to wait till late April to start.
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Tagurit
Member
04-09-2003
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 4:11 pm
Weinermr, sorry I missed it in your previous post that you had tree roses. Thank you for the info. I guess I shouldn't put the money into them as I live where hurricanes like to visit. I am so glad I asked about the trees before I went and purchased any! Thanks again!
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 4:14 pm
I'm still debating the seeds versus buying an herb. But a lot of the herbs I want to grow require seed starts--I don't see my local nursery carrying mugwort. Actually, I've decided that a lot of the herbs I don't use for cooking, I'll likely order dried. It's silly to have an herb growing that I don't need to use fresh. So, that said, I need to revise some of my herb list.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 5:17 pm
Wink, we are same climate as Yankee. The first winter we were here (well, actually we weren't here, but our stuff was here), we gave some friends our plants to keep over the winter. They kept them outside, the numbskulls. One of them was an orchid. It survived the winter just fine. Yankee, there are a whole bunch of nurseries in Vancouver area. There are some sizeable ones near the border, Abbottsford comes to mind, probably Surrey too. Just Google Vancouver area nurseries. They can give you all sorts of suggestions for container-grown and strong afternoon sun AND of course sell you the plants. It might not be too early to start things now. Bigdog is out there messing around in the backyard right now with transplanting strawberry plant runners. Bigdog's crocuses are blooming strong right now:

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Biloxibelle
Member
12-21-2001
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 5:22 pm
Oh these picture are great. Your gardens are beautiful. I wish I had the talent I am seeing here. Jagger, I have a tulip question also if you don't mind. Tulips are one of my favorite childhood memories. My dad always had them in our front garden but we lived in Ohio where it got cold. Do they have to have X amount of cold weather to come up in the spring? How many years will a bulb reproduce? Lastly do the bulbs multiply? Jagger that looks like 3 questions so I'll add one more if I fail again at tomatoes what will it take to get a shipment of yours to MS? LOL, seriously though that is one thing I have noticed since moving here is the produce leaves a lot to be desired. I went to the farmers market here and was so disappointed. Horse corn that was all they had. In the north I can remember waiting until July 4 for the silver queen that was out of this world. Oh well I am here now and keeping a close eye on this thread for great garden ideas. I will post a picture of my blank canvas aka garden and maybe get some help. PS GAL I will trade you a bee for a split tomato (unripened)
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 6:13 pm
Biloxi: I found some sites that might help: Backyard Gardener The Plant Expert I like the Plant Expert site. The site helped me with my African Violet...at least until Speckle decided to dig it up and scatter it from one end of the apartment to the other.
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Butrflynet
Member
12-29-2003
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 6:26 pm
Yankee, Some things for you to check out... Planter brackets and hooks If you find some brackets and hooks to hang your planters from, you could attach them to the top rail of your balcony fence and get a good head start on the height of plants. You might also borrow from a neighbor of mine. She turned her balcony into a tropical patio by putting up the cheap bamboo mats as curtains along the railing and using tiki torches in the corners and along the length of the railing to anchor things. The bamboo mats will give you some privacy. Next time I'm out for a walk, I'll take a picture of her balcony for you to see.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 11:04 pm
Biloxibell, I lived in the south for twenty years (Tampa, Miami, Houston), and you can't grow tulips down there because they do need the cold. Well, let me back up and say you can grow them, but it takes a lot more work. You have to dig them up and refrigerate them over the winter.
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Secretsmile
Member
08-19-2002
| Monday, February 23, 2004 - 6:03 am
Biloxibelle, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I buy my eggs in card board containers. They have styrofoam but they aren't good for re-planting. I went to the dollar store and found cheap tin cake size pans that have plastic lids. I just fill each egg pocket with soil, add 3-4 seeds, add water, put the whole carton in one of the tins and cover. I set up a card table in my sunniest window and ignore them. LOL, OK, not ignore, I check them a couple of times a day 'cuz I'm a kid at heart. But I don't have to do any more watering or fussing with them. When it comes time to plant them outdoors, just cut the egg cartons apart and put the whole thing in the ground. This type of container is biodegradable.
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Secretsmile
Member
08-19-2002
| Monday, February 23, 2004 - 6:18 am
GAL I use these wasp traps around my patio and porch to keep pests from ruining our outdoor living area. They are attractive and cheap. LOL, I love cheap. http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.asp?page=10298&category=2,2190,33120&abspage=1&ccurrency=2&SID=
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