Hot Pots For Cool Spaces

Retro Bullet Planters by Hip Haven

Shop Grounded $144.99

16 inch Jardiniere Pots by Bauer Pottery Company

Shop more colors Bauer Potter Co. $220

White Ceramic Midori Planters

Shop Sprout Home $20.65 small $64.00 Large

22″ Aqua Oil Jar

Shop various sizes & colors Bauer Pottery $132-$550

Faux Cement Planters

Shop Smith & Hawken $69 small $119 Lg

Sea Holly For Northwest Agave Fans

What do you do when you desire the architectural rosettes of Agave but live in the Northwest? Substitute Agaves for the sword-shaped leaves of ERYNGIUM Agavifolium (Agave-leaf Sea Holly).

Potted arrangements are an alternative, but containers have their own maintenance requirements, like over-winterizing, routine watering, and not to mention expensive.

Agaves are not native to the Northwest and don’t like our cold, wet winters. Introducing non-native, non-hardy plants to your borders can become hosts for unwanted pests and disease. Who wants to work that hard? Look for cold-hardy plants that have the same characteristics of the plants you love and save you, and your plants, a lot of hardship.

• More Sea Holly info and photos at www.greatplantpicks.org

• Cold hardy Agaves at High Country Gardens

Spring Garden Photos

I finally emptied my camera’s storage card to take some pics of our yard. We went from winter to summer in 24 hours. Two days ago there was frost on the roof, and yesterday a toasty 84°F.

Click the links for plant information and mature plant photos

EUPHORBIAS are sporting their new chartreuse blooms. Just to the left of Bob, our garden Buddha, you can see IMPERATA cylindrica ‘Rubra’ (Japanese Blood Grass) starting to sprout up. We plan to plant Bamboo in the galvanized containers this spring to hide the ugly gray fence. I leveled the containers. The fence is just that crooked. NASSELLA tenuissima (Mexican Feather Grass) is the transition to our xeriscape garden. The bamboo poles mark the, barely visible, ECHINACEA purpurea (Coneflower).

Sprouting here is ASTILBE (False Spirea). I think this one has pink plumes. Just out of the picture, we have another variety that has white plumes.

I tried to focus in on the flower bud of our ALLIUM tuberosum (Garlic Chives). These plants doubled in size since last year.

TIP: When planted close to Chives, carrots will tend to grow larger

This area is located in the complete opposite end of the yard. The fence is part of the dog run I built a couple of years ago.

A. Neighbor’s Bamboo B. ACER circinatum (Vine Maple) C. RUDBECKIA hirta (Black-Eyed Susan) D. Japanese Iris E. SPIREA ‘Goldflame’ F. NANDINA domestica (Heavenly Bamboo)

Modern Pots for Tasty Herbs

Add style to your kitchen by growing some of your favorite herbs in these modern, self-watering pots by Grobal. Depending on the plant, you only have to water every 3-4 weeks. Grobals balance water and nutrient supply by using a unique capillary action.

FACT: Many plants die of over-watering!

Many other houseplants can be grown in your Grobal, succulents look especially stylish. You can even start from seed, check out the Baby Grobals. The one downside I see is that regular houseplant fertilizer is not recommended, but Grobal makes their own Grobal Food. However, this is a minor trade-off for a pot that regulates water and nutrient supply with minimal effort.

How do they work?

Herb Salt Recipe From The Garden

There are many culinary uses for herbs, whether dried or fresh. One of my fellow bloggers from Austrailia has a great recipe for Herb Salt. Trudi uses the salt for salad dressings, soup stock, or anything she deems appropriate. Her favorite herbs for the recipe are Celery Leaves, Parsley, Summer Savory, and Tarragon. Basically, any herb at her disposal. To add some color interest to her salt, Trudi mixes in a little Chilli Powder, Calendula and Borage Flowers.

IMPORTANT: Remove all moisture from you herbs

Tips For Growing Herbs

Herbs are a great way for beginners to get their hands dirty in the garden. In my opinion, herbs are easy and one of the most useful plants you’ll ever care for. Whether you’re thinking about potting culinary favorites or incorporating ornamental varieties into your landscape, here’s just a few things to consider:

• Exposure - most herbs like to be placed in a sunny part of the yard, or at least 6 hours out of the day. Sun lovers include chives, oregano, thyme, sage, and rosemary. However, there are those that prefer a little afternoon shade like lemon balm, parsley, rosemary, basil, mint, and mustard to name a few.
• Soil - Compost based products are recommended for landscape and potted herbs. Potted herbs need soils that help retain moisture, and landscaped herbs prefer compost rich, water-draining soil.
• Water - Most herbs become drought tolerant after a year of routine watering. Soak your potted herbs in the morning to help them get through a hot summer day, especially if they’re positioned in the sun.
• Feed - Weekly feedings during the growing season (March through September) helps plants produce leaves and stay healthy after routine cuttings. Any product that boosts leaf production is sufficient.