Originally published at The Suburban Garden. Please leave any comments there.

I got the idea for these fabric planter bags from someone who was using old burlap potato bags as hanging planters.  They are extremely simple to make, and require just a few items.

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Originally published at The Suburban Garden. Please leave any comments there.

Today all of the seeds and seedlings found homes in our backyard.

Our peppers are still very small, so I kept the hot hats on them for at least another week.  We planted White Habaneros, Peruvian Purples, Bulgarian Carrots, and Sunrise Orange Sweets.  Upon close inspection, you can see the Peruvian Purple at the back left, which has been growing since November 2012.  Around the pepper plants are Jumbo Nasturtiums, which not only produce beautiful blooms, but are also great in salads.  The leaves have a wonderful peppery taste.( Read the rest of this entry » )

Originally published at The Suburban Garden. Please leave any comments there.

I just ordered a variety of 10 new air plants – it should include a few yellow ones and a few red ones.  I’m looking forward to the search for the “right” glass container in which to build my air plant garden!  Also hoping to find some nice rocks and small pieces of driftwood to add to the mix while I’m visiting beautiful Nova Scotia this summer.

Originally published at The Suburban Garden. Please leave any comments there.

Just got back from doing some community planting in an area with a very large, long fence.  It was refreshing to get rid of some old seeds, and I look forward to going back in a month and seeing what was successful!

We scattered morning glories, blue butterfly delphinium,  cosmos, zinnias, and columbine, to name just a few.  Most flower seeds were contained in jiffy pods, while the morning glories (which are very hardy) were put right into the ground along the fence.

We covered about half the fence length today, and I’ve already started more pods to do the other half in about a week’s time.

Originally published at The Suburban Garden. Please leave any comments there.

Sumisoil is a planting medium composed of small terracotta beads filled with charcoal.  These little beads hold up to 70% of their volume in water.  They can be mixed with other soil to help the soil retain water, or you can plant your seeds directly in the medium, using liquid fertilizer to feed the seeds / plants.  When you pre-soak the beads, you can hear a “fizz” sound as they soak up all the water.  The best part is, they can be baked in the oven (to sterilize them) and reused.  This planting medium costs approximately $19 for a 1kg bag.( Read the rest of this entry » )

Originally published at The Suburban Garden. Please leave any comments there.

Disclaimer:  Guerilla Gardening is an illegal act, and involving yourself in such activities is at your own risk.  In choosing to guerilla garden, you are running the risk of being charged with tresspassing, mischief, and/or property damage.

WHAT IS GUERILLA GARDENING?
The textbook definition of guerilla gardening is to garden on someone else’s land without permission.  This can be personal property or city property.  The idea of guerilla gardening is to plant items (established plants or seeds) without being seen.

The earliest community garden in New York City is the Liz Christy Community Garden, started by Liz Christy and a group of activists called the Green Guerillas in the Manhattan community in 1973.  The garden is still in use, and features a pond with year-round habitants, wooden furniture, wild flowers, trees, vegetables, berries, and herbs.( Read the rest of this entry » )

Originally published at The Suburban Garden. Please leave any comments there.

Having just emptied my compost bin into the garden, I thought this time of year might be right for posting about compost.  Whether you are in an area that has organic waste pick-ups or not, if you have a garden, you can benefit from a compost bin.

Composting is a very simple process, but producing  good compost does require a little know-how and effort.  This post will give you all the information you need to start a compost bin in your back yard.

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Originally published at The Suburban Garden. Please leave any comments there.

Over the weekend we installed our first weed barrier.  Certified for organic production in Norway, this particular variety is made from corn products, and starts to break down within two months of putting it in the soil.

The primary purpose of this film is to keep weeds from growing while you’re establishing seedlings.  However, it also offers the added benefit of warming your garden beds before planting, and guarding against digging pests who may be after your bulbs.

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