Let's Talk About Plants

[SummerO]

I'm starting this thread to chat about plants.

I am too lazy to make a site especially for my plants right now and I grow them with my friend Bee who recently took some photos of them, my solution: A blogspot blog. Why? Because you can post to a Blogspot blog by just emailing it.

So I can update and log what's happening on my allotment by emailing the blog posts and keep track that way. I haven't really configured it or added a profile or anything but it serves as a place to look at the progress we're making.

You can visit this rough start of a blog here: https://allotment-diary39.blogspot.com/?m=1

If you do you will see a list of some of the plants that are currently seedlings and being prepared to go into some raised beds. Do you grow plants? Do you like specific ones? Tell me all about it.

[Pseu]

Hey Summer!
You are unbelievably locked in with your seedlings. It's interesting the difference in grow season between here in the Southern US and the UK! I am currently growing Idaho gold potatoes, habanero papers, bell peppers, romaine lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes. I still have a completely empty raised bed and I want to dedicate it to a couple fruits. Does anyone have any suggestions? What is your favorite fruit to grow?
Wanna see my garden?

[Onio]

I love seeing these gardens, man, you guys might inspired me to build one in the yard, I just have no idea where to get started!

[SummerO]

Pseu said: Does anyone have any suggestions? What is your favorite fruit to grow?

I don't know what my favourite fruit is to grow, maybe strawberries (I grew those as a child) or cherries (I have a plum tree now and the flowers are as good as the fruit on plums and cherries). Buuut, if I was in your position and had a raised bed to fill I might get some step over fruit trees to put in it because they're adorable.

Check this short video out: https://youtube.com/shorts/WyzFb1Q7tqQ? ... RvzFDT3ETO

You could fit a few self-fertile step over fruit trees in a single bed.

Onio said: I love seeing these gardens, man, you guys might inspired me to build one in the yard, I just have no idea where to get started!

I don't know what your garden looks like right now but if you make a raised bed and put some perpetual spinach in it that's a good place to start, it grows back for two years and you can cut it and eat it and keep coming back to the plant for more greens.

Or you could get a few little fruit trees.

[Pseu]

I think I am leaning more towards doing the berries. Gotta find some everbearing varieties. I really like the idea of step over fruit trees but I want to get some fruit out of them this year which is unlikely. Maybe some melons on the corners of the bed

[Pseu]

Update, I planted two watermelons and two cantaloupe yesterday!!

[SummerO]

Today has been a bit of a lazy/relaxation day for me but tomorrow I am going to my allotment to plant some seedlings. My friend Bee was there without me today and she planted purple climbing beans, yellow courgettes, ball courgettes, yellow tomatoes, a yellow chilli, a black one, two squashes that are flat like flying saucers, and some rainbow chard. I can't wait for them all to start growing and bearing fruit, so I can take photos to share.

Tomorrow we're digging some soil to plant some cranberries and a load of other things. I've been trying to recharge my battery for it.

[Karkalicious]

I want to grow plants so badly but someone I live with right now or something makes it difficult. Somehow even the succulents I try to grow don’t last; I’m partly convinced this is from my general area, and partly this other guy in my house who sprays way too much insecticide and just makes a mess of the yard. We used to be able to grow vegetable crops in the same yard, with the same guy just fine. It’s hard to know what went wrong.

Once I move to a better spot and way from this guy, I would like to grow rosebushes and other cat-friendly flowers. Monsteras look so cool and I always wanted one but I have to avoid them since they’re not cat-friendly! I’d love to have lavender, but it has a similar issue (technically dry lavender is okay and it’s the oil that’s bad for cats? It’s super toxic for them though so I’m not risking anything)

I had the chance to go to the Melbourne International Flower & Garden show this year. If you have a huge event like that I’d definitely recommend it, that was like a day-long holiday for me.

[SummerO]

Hi Karkalicious!

Your enthusiasm about plants is really infectious and I'm happy you want to grow roses. I saw some at the local garden centre (UK) recently that smelled just like rose turkish delight. So sweet and their colour was incredible!

I think you could plant some things in your current yard for your cat to explore and enjoy?

What about:

- Catnip (famously adored by cats, might even grow indoors on your windowsill)
- Marigolds (they look like sunshine bursts from the frilly petals)
- Catgrass
- Catmint
- Sunflowers
- Any types of daisy
- Rosemary (A good alternative to lavender)
- Zinnia

If the ground is not in good condition a couple of pots near a seating area would be good and could easily contain catnip.

I had the chance to go to the Melbourne International Flower & Garden show this year. If you have a huge event like that I’d definitely recommend it, that was like a day-long holiday for me. - Karkalicious

We have a few events like that in the UK, but my favourite places to go are National Trust properties (big private mansions with fancy gardens open to the public) or gardens like: https://www.westdean.ac.uk/gardens which is near to where I live and has a seperate kitchen garden and walking routes, as well as lots of well tended plants.

I'm going to my allotment this morning to plant some cranberries, herbs and some other things, so might post again later with an update on how it looks.

[rnottelovesowls]

so, you want to talk plants? ohohoho! one of my niche hobbies is taking photos and videos of flowers. there's something about their colors, shapes, and movements as they sway in the wind that captivates me. they're some of my favorite things to animate as a result. in this blog post, you'll find a few of my photos

i've been wondering about growing edible plants. it sounds like it'd be a lot of fun, and a good way to feed myself and save money, but my #1 concern is that it doesn't sound easy to do in an apartment room (which i'm planning on renting in the future). maybe i could get one of those devices that grows mushrooms, but does that really count?