Fabulous window sills

I've had a couple inquires about window sill gardening. So, when looking into it a little more, I learned that there are soooo many cute things you can do to have a simple window sill garden if you are sans balcony. 


Herbs can usually thrive indoors. Plants like chives, parsley, rosemary, lavender, basil, mint and thyme are all great choices. They all will require watering (duh), but be sure and don't over water! Herbs don't like sitting in water, and can easily develop root rot. A monthly fertilizer is a good idea too. Try to find some organic alternatives- there are plenty out there! My mom uses fish emulsion and turkey compost for her fabulous farm, Natural Springs Garden.


Here are some really cute ideas for window sill gardens! I {lurve} this idea and am going to plant some of the more fragrant herbs in my room! 

 from apartmenttherapy.com 


Or this simply chic, potted idea.

From the dailygreen.com

This mis-matched idea is a great way to recycle your extra bottles & jars! 

From bhg.com

UMTRYITKAY!!!

Gardening Gloves Galore

My sewing machine is currently broken. It's sad, but very true. As soon as it is repaired...or replaced, depending on the poor thing's situation, I will all over this adorable tutorial on how to make your very own pair of gardening gloves. It's so cute, I'm already lurking etsy for cute fabrics.  I am just too excited to not share it!! It is a *very* easy tutorial that anyone can do. I bet you could even use stitch witchery! Jump on this tutorial and show me your creation!

DIY gardening gloves tutorial!

The Dunk.

Sudden dead leaves?
Wilted plants?
It happens to the best of us. 
These Texas heat waves that occur after days of cool weather, or vice-versa, can brink shock to a plant. My basil, for example, looks beautiful one day and is wilting the next. My guess is it just can't do the 109 degree heat index, but after a sip of water it perks right back up. 
Sometimes plants need a little more than a drink of water though, and a "dunk" is needed! My mom has coined the term "dunk" in our family & surrounding friends. (Shhhh... don't let her know that I've outed her! She dunks!) It has become contagious and I find myself announcing that my pants need a dunk, and people look at me strange. This process consists of giving your plants a little boost when they need more than just a normal watering. 
Keep in mind, you should check out the soil's moisture content before you dunk your plants. Wilting and/or brown leaves can also be a sign of over-watering. So just stick your finger about 1 inch down into the soil. If it's wet below the surface, don't water. If it's dry, water. If it's so tough on top that you can't stick your finger in 1 inch, dunk away! 
Here's how:




This is of course only for plants in containers. First, fill your sink, bathtub or a large bucket up with water. I use my kitchen sink. Be sure and keep in mind that the water your tub or sink will displace a little when you put the plant in- so leave plenty of room! 

Next, take your sad plant and prepare him for dunk by picking off the wilted areas and dead leaves. Leaving dead leaves or blooms on your plants deprives them of nutrients. The plant will try to spread nutrients to these un-needed parts if you leave them there!

Now we're ready! Just stick the plant in the water. Press it to the bottom of the sink and let it soak. Let it sit in the water until it all the bubbles are through coming up. If your sink isn't full enough (or deep enough) to fully submerge the plant, add water straight into the pot. Having water in the sink will keep the water from draining straight out the bottom and give the plant a chance to soak up that water!

Anddddd we're done! This is my poor plant after his dead leaves and such were cleaned off. But, he'll be looking better in no time. (Yes... I say it's a him... mostly because it's a Habenero plant! Yes?) Once your plant stops bubbling, that means all the soil is nice and wet. Just drain the sink or dump your bucket. Let your plant sit for a while to avoid dripping when you take it back outside! 

*CUTE* garden accessories

I have barely gotten my garden situated and sprouting, but who's to say that it's to early to accessorize? One thing about having a little space to work with is that a few accessories will go a long way. In addition to a few cute pots, you can always add a few decorative yet functional items to your balcony garden. Here are a few *adorable* finds that I have on my gardening wish list! 

Garden Markers from Anthropologie for $28. These are made from vintage spoons and metal stamped with herb names. You can make your own markers with things like popsicle sticks, twigs or painted rocks.

Okay, so you probably don't need these for a balcony gardening, as all of your plants are probably in pots. But, they're quite fashionable and will save those freshly-painted nails! Again, this find is from Anthro for $20.

Perfect example of funcational decor. Who wouldn't want this pink swan watering can? This can is a steal at only $10 from modcloth.com.

Alright, so this is a more extravagant garden purchase, but I plan to keep an eye out for my own wicker or wrought iron chairs and spray them each with different colors. This one is found at...surprise!!.... Anthropologie for $298 per chair. 

A hammock is a neat addition to any small outdoor space. We have this beautiful, hand-dyed, hand-sewed one from Whole Earth Provisions for $95. It's perfect because we can stretch it out when we want to lounge in it, and then quickly unhook it and stow it away when we need our patio space back. :)

Garden shrooms! Although the vendor on Etsy has sold out of these, these are too cute! Some of the other ones have creepy little aliens with them, but the mushrooms themselves are soooo Mario Brothers & would be really cute sitting in one of my potted veggies!

Found your own garden finds? Post them! I don't hate comments. ;)

Baker's Rack Style

We have had WEEKS of a cycle of rain, horrible humidity and then extreme heat. I peeked out @ the balcony garden today and was startled to see quite a few wilting leaves on several plants- mostly the tomato plants and the Basil. :( So, I decided that my balcony needs to be carefully arranged in order for each plant to get the amount of sun, heat and water that it needs! 
With that, I arranged a baker's rack (a Goodwill find for $18, re-painted from gold to periwinkle!) to suit a few of the plant's needs. The baker's rack system is great so far! It's so easy to create space with shelves, and it took care of the problem I was having watering, where all my water would pour out of the bottom of my pots and onto the balcony below me (and probably the balcony below them, too! oops!) This way, I can water on the upper shelves and the plants on the shelves below drink up the water that trickles through, minimizing the amount that hits the balcony floor. Perfecto! Here's a quick peek:

If you choose to use a baker's rack system, be sure and check the soil before watering all plants. You don't want to over-water! (Wilting leaves often are a sign of over watering.) Use the finger test - stick your finger 1 inch deep into the soil. If the soil at the tip of your finger feels wet, don't water. If it's dry, water away! In this photo, I had removed some plants that didn't need watering and set them off in the shade while the other's got a drink. 

Here are some facts I put together about the plants I'm growing, to help you (and me!) arrange the baker's rack according to each plant's sun and water needs. 

**Happy growing!**

****HAPPY PLANTING!****

What's growing!

So, with huge support to get this garden guide going, my mom and mother-in-law started me off with snippets & full plants of nearly every vegetable and herb that I was wanting to grow! So here's a little inventory of what I'll be starting out with!  Click the images for a large view, if needed! :)

I am so excited about growing my balcony garden! It will be interesting to begin this learn-as-you-go process. My plants are all still babies, but they will be fruiting in no time! I definitely recommend starting out with herbs in your garden. This may just be the part of me that needs instant satisfaction, but it has so far been nice to be able to step outside and snip some rosemary or basil to cook with while I'm waiting on the other plants to get bigger before they yield anything!

The next step for these guys is new pots! I will be re-vamping some moldy old pots that were given to me. Stay tuned!

From balcony to Garden; the beginning.

You roam about town for farmer's markets.

When you see good produce, you buy it in bulk and freeze some.

You are envious of your friend's yard space, and annoyed that she uses none of that space for gardening. I know the feeling.

After years of shuffling around from apartment to apartment and only dreaming of a yard full of cucumbers and onions, I thought, why can't I just grow stuff on my balcony? Flowers grow in pots, why can't vegetables? So here I am, ready to dive in and transform my 5 x 10 foot balcony into a garden. A real one. I am ready to discover (much by trial and error, and much by suggestions) gardening techniques that require no yard. We'll find the best organic ideas for pest control, fertilizing, and of course, the best deals around for cute planters and alternative ideas for just about everything. (And yes, we'll figure out how you can get around those pesky property rules!) This will be a start to finish endeavor (an amateur one, at that) of the transformation from my boring balcony now: 

to a functional, eclectic balcony garden. 

Check out these beautiful balcony gardens that others have created:

 

 Now keep in mind... I am no pro. In fact, my mom gives me plants from her CSA (shout out to Natural Springs Garden!) in Austin, Texas and then days later calls in to check on them. She often reminds me to water, and then she is there when they aren't doing so well. I have, on more than one occasion, dropped potted plants off to her to "doctor" so that she can return them to me when they are blooming again.

I would like to think that some of her gardening talents have been passed on to me. I plan to turn my thumbs green and utilize all the space I have. If you're interested, please follow along. If you're brave, join the adventure. Feel free to send me your photos and tips to contribute! Together, we will be picking cherry tomatoes and snipping rosemary in no time!