Patio Gardening: Planning, Prep & Play
I went looking at planters and baskets Saturday with Kate. I got some ideas and picked up some seeds to experiment with. I’m primarily interested in vegetables, fruits and herbs. Ornamentals aren’t in the mix right now with such a limited space to work with. Today I went back out to pick up some test planters, hardware and peat pods.
After getting back to my studio, I took some more patio and rail measurements, trying to decide what would fit best where and how much partial and full sunlight space I would have. Afterwards, I divided up my list of things I would like to grow to try to see where various plants might grow.
The long list (work in progress):
Partial Sun*: Onions, Leaf Lettuce, Brussel Sprouts, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Leafy Greens, Scallions, Beans, Spinach, Cabbage, Parsley, Catnip (Nepenta cataria), Thyme, Jasmine
Full Sun*: Potato, Tomatos, Squash, Cucumbers, Onions, Bell Peppers, Chillis, Melon, Strawberry, Okra, Basil, Rosemary, Oregano, Lavender
I have several growing areas plotted out. On the top and bottom outside rails I will have 30″ planters. This size allowed me to break up the outer edge most efficiently from the various planter sizes I could find. Four of these qualify as full/direct sun. Additionally2-4 more 30″ rail planters of this sort qualify as partial/indirect sunlight. I have room for two hanging pots along the periphery of the patio that are full/direct sun as well as 1-2 more spots of hanging pots that would be in partial/indirect sun. Finally, I have floor space for two large pots; one direct sun and one partial sun.
I’ve attached two of the aforementioned rail planters as a test (weight, stability, exposure and visual appeal). The bottom one mounted very nicely, but I’ll have to fiddle with the top one before I’m satisfied enough to repeat the process on the rest of the patio.
I plan to pick up seedlings of those plants that I can find. Species that I can’t find seedlings for, I will germinate indoors from seed and transplant them when they’re ready. As a preliminary test and practice, I have planted some seeds in peat pods to germinate.
* Many of the partial sun plants would grow better in direct sunlight, but this is a prioritized list and also modified to account for variant species that I’ve chosen to make the most of my limited sunlight and space resources.
Upside down tomato plants: http://www.minifarmhomestead.com/gardening/tomato.htm
I have mapped out a breakdown of seeds to start and will likely get those started today/tomorrow. I’ll be doing a mix of ornamentals and veggie/herbs from the stash of packets I already own. Not sure how well some of them will do, having been opened a year or more. We’ll see….
Awesome. I’m coming to envy your ownership over your deck… mounting the railing planters is proving challenging. Unlike the ceiling joints, the rails are not simply wood I can put screws into. Trying out some things with wire. Hard to explain, photos later.
You had a good selection of seeds. If half of them germinate, you’ll have a nice variety of plants. If I end up with any extra seedlings (I over-planted just in case of a high failure rate), you’re welcome to them.