Urban Garden Paradise: It is Time

This weekend I was basking in the glorious weather, when I realized that it was time. Time to begin cultivating my urban garden paradise this year!

Saturday I spent time digging in the dirt and cleaning out my containers of any debris from last years plantings. I mixed up the dirt between containers to give the dirt a more rounded nutrient base. I also found out that the containers that I created last year had rotted out through the winter, and so I had to get rid of them :( Sad times. But now I will be on the lookout for more alternative planters. Niki and I saw these really cool cement block planter wall, but we do not have any where to put something this big.

image from pocketgrow.com

My friend Melissa bought us some radish, carrot, squash, and marigold seeds. I planted the radish seeds on Sunday, because they are the only ones that can be planted outside right now, because of the temperature and time of year. I hope to also plant tomatoes, cucumbers, beans of some kind, basil, and cilantro. While unveiling my planters, I saw that the blueberry bush my friend Casey gave me last year was totally green and growing as well! That is exciting and  I cant wait until we get some berries from that!

Last year I did a lot of composting, but this year I am still unsure where I will be living so I might not be able to take that route (I doubt the campus residence halls would be in favor of my composting in my room). But I would encourage anyone who is doing their own garden to compose. It is a helpful and healthy way to feed your plants, reduce waste, and cut down on chemical fertilizers ending up in land fills.

Ive been using this really helpful guide from the University of Illinois called Watch Your Garden Grow and it basically has helpful information about planting veggies, including when to plant, spacing and depth, care, harvesting, common problems and even recipes!

I would also recommend these websites for more information about back yard gardening/urban gardening:

• Urban Farmer: What To Plant Now
• Planet Green: 15 Homemade Organic Gardening Sprays and Concoctions That Actually Work
• Planet Green: 75 Things You Can Compost That You Thought You Couldnt
• Local Harvest: find a local CSA, farmer's markets, etc

Do you have any resources to share? Are you going to be growing a garden this year?

Urban Garden Paradise: Tips and Tricks

Ok, so I've started reaping from my sowing! Look at these beauts'. Not that I am the most proficient green thumb (oops I forget to water kind of a lot), but I figured I would share some of my tricks and tips for urban balcony gardening learned along the way (read: so I don't forget next year).

1. Garden Smoothies- when I water my plants, I make a "garden smoothie!" Combine chopped oranges, coffee grounds, and other biodegradable material in your watering pitcher. (like apple peels, coffee filters, garlic skin, lettuce leaves, carrot shavings, decaying leaves, etc) Pour into pots and stir in for a nutrition infused soil!

2. When planting tomatoes, eat bananas and put the peels at the bottom of your soil before the seedling goes in. This will create an infused soil right off the bat.

3.  Mix coffee grounds in with tomato soil, for acidity. They like that.

4. DONT FORGET TO WATER- especially if its going to be a hot day.

5. Keep a compost pile going and hot for some on hand fertilizer for your potted plants- they soak up all the dirt's goodness real fast and need some food every so often!

6. Prune smaller leaves at the bottom of the plant near the base, as well as random stems that arent doing anything. This will allow your plant to concentrate its efforts on fruit bearing and not maintenance of smaller random leaves. (Don't go too crazy with this.)

7.  Rearrange plants for best sunlight. After a while you will notice what spots get the best sunlight for your plants!

8. Enjoy your garden and its glory.

9. Take pictures and document the process!

10. Read your Bible and pray every day, and you'll grow, grow grow!

Any tips you would like to share with us? 

Urban Garden Paradise: Update

Wow, so I guess its been a little bit since I updated about my wonderful garden. For some reason, I am awake at 5am this morning, and have the chance to sit on my lovely balcony and enjoy the most delightful morning. Breezy and sunny, the best time to enjoy the garden.

Ive made some new additions to the family, either from purchase of already grown plants, or from my friend Casey, so the list is now quite extensive. I have strawberries, blueberries, cucumbers, zucchini, beans, peppers, lillies, tomatoes, cilantro, and basil!

The tomatoes already have little green balls growing, and have been given their own cages, the strawberries are already forming. My zucchini who once were seedlings, are now blossoming into full size planthood.

It's magical and rewarding.

I think my next post will be some unique tips based on what I think I am doing right.

How does YOUR garden grow?

Your Garbage, My Treasure: Planters

Walking down the street to catch the bus, a typical daily activity, I came across two stereo speakers that were clearly not work able and clearly in the trash pile. I saw their potential right away and hoped that they wouild still be laying there upon my return from work.

In my head they automatically looked like garden planters, and I knew it could be done. Thankfully they were there on my walk back, and I eagarly lugged them back to my apartment!

After evaluating the situation, the realization came that some major hacking had to be done. The nails were hidden, so I had to take a hammer to the wood and just pound out the speaker casing in order to have a box that was open on the top. After removing all debris and cutting out the wires, I took some nails and created drainage holes on the bottom of the boxes. Dirt was added along with the plants and viola!

 Perfect boxes for my cucumber seedlings!

Have you ever taken anything fron the trash and made a treasure?! Tell me about it!

Urban Garden Paradise!

Wowzers. Remember that post a few weeks back about how I just had no clue about how to garden? Well, I still don't have a clue.

But I have started a garden! It started when I bought a pretty full grown tomato plant from Stop and Shop, and my roommate bought a basil plant. Then a co-worker gave me some tomato seedlings. Then I acquired some seeds of various sorts.

Now VOILA:

All my plants are in various stages, but it will be a fun journey!

From doing some research online, I discovered that tomatoes LOVE coffee grinds, so Ive been drinking coffee every morning for the sole purpose of feeding my tomatoes.

Im concerned that the seeds I planted this afternoon wont get enough sun or something. But my balcony gets tons of sun, so hopefully that works out.

My friend Casey is bringing me up some more awesome plants. Cant wait!

Anyone else enjoying a garden this summer? What's in yours?

I Have a Confession

Last year I saved all the seeds from the apples that I ate. I thought I would be able to plant them and grow apple trees. Needless to say, my plan didnt exactly work out.

Then my friends moved into an apartment with a spacious backyard garden area. My green thumb was itching.

My friend Casey has become a gardening fool this year. Im pretty sure she accidently is growing 300 plants.

I've been following some local Rhode Island CSA's and other gardeners on twitter and google reader.

Those arent my connfessions, but this is: I am DYING to garden. Except I have NO CLUE how to garden. I just want to start off with a few plants. Tomatoes, cilantro, cucumbers, squash. What else can you grow? I have a glorious balcony that YEARNS for a little garden. Is it too late to start when I get back to Rhode Island at the end of May? Please tell me its not.
Where the heck do I start?! HELP!
Anyone else here garden? Know a thing or two? Please Share!