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How Does Your Garden Grow?

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Started 3 years ago by chrisgillespie
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chrisgillespie
Short North/Victorian Village
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Or maybe, what does your garden grow? And, is it urban? In your yard, community garden, pots on the patio?

I'm in VV, in a yard 35 feet wide. The biggest problem I have gardening in my yard is heavy shade and a back yard that's on the north side of the house. However, I have a small herb garden outside the front fence, a small cut flower garden inside the front fence (where there is some sun), a front yard shade garden, a small salsa/vegetable garden, a woodland garden, a "blue" garden (blue leaved plants), and a butterfly garden. I have edible plants tucked in everywhere they will grow, mostly berries, so I call the yard grazeable.

I may have divisions of some perennials to share this spring (not lots, yet, though -- still filling in). Also, does anyone seed save?

Posted 3 years ago #
chrisgillespie
Short North/Victorian Village
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Here's what's in my yard:

trees/bushes/shrubs:

maple, 3 crabapples (1 weeping), serviceberry, 2 river birch, honeylocust, redbud, magnolia, White pine, hemlock, yews, juniper, cypress, holly, azalea, rhododendron, oakleaf hydrangea, lilac, rose, blackberry, blueberry

groundcover:

strawberry, wintergreen, vinca (only because I couldn't eradicate all of it, I prefer the wintergreen - tastes like was lips, really)

plants:

lavender, sage, thyme, ferns, hosta, heuchera/heucherella, tillium, shooting star, doll's eyes, bloodroot, calendula, jack-in-the-pulpit, mayapple, eastern bluestar, sky blue aster, great blue lobelia, woodland phlox, violets, catmint, penstemon, obedient plant, monkey flower, yarrow, garden phlox, shasta daisy, speedwell, coneflowers, cranesbill, threadleaf coreopsis, blanket flower, foxglove, daylily, rudbeckia, hybrid japanese anemone, pincushion flower, milkweed, meadow evening primrose, boltonia, lady's mantle, blue fescue, astilbe

vegetable/salsa garden:

tomatoes, peppers, onions, cilantro, broccoli, parsley, lettuce

None of these are big areas, but it gives the birds stuff to eat, and gets me lots of exercise when the weather is warm: rearranging, dividing, weeding...

Posted 3 years ago #
Anne
King Lincoln
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I am looking forward to planting some fruit trees, cherry blossom tree in our yard. and also some raised beds. But we need to come up with an overall design plan for our yard and implement it slowly.

Posted 3 years ago #
chrisgillespie
Short North/Victorian Village
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Yep. Starting slowly is the best. Build up the soil, first, and you'll have an easier time overall. If you have existing trees, I highly recommend having them looked at and pruned. They are big structure and investments, and a good starting point. Joe Russell (Russell Tree Service), has been working on my trees. I didn't even have problems with wind damage from Ike, since weak limbs had already been removed. Joe is fabulous. He even helped out at Goodale Park, and brought his trucks and chippers at no cost to us. I liked him before that, and mentioned we needed to prune some trees in the park, but was blown away at how he immediately jumped in to help...

Posted 3 years ago #
alexs
Limestone bluffs of the Scioto
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I'm back in the 1964 house I grew up in, on a suburban 1/4 acre lot. When Dad died I moved in to watch over Mom, and that means doing pretty much all of the gardening.

We have always grown a lot of the usual peppers, tomatoes, and other vegetables, and I want to do more growing/canning in the future. I love to pop open a jar and smell summer again.

I've gotten rid of the intensive chemical lawn care service. I've disconnected one downspout so far, and now the rear half of the roof drains to the back garden. I can not get permission from the family to install rain barrels. I'm cutting out invasive honeysuckle and using the straight cuttings as stakes (sometimes they sprout). I'm cutting garlic mustard, and digging chives and gaclic chives, and eating them. ("Think like an equine: Eat your weeds.")

While Mom is still alive she still calls the shots, but I'm steering the gardens to a more wildlife-friendly form. We are slowly losing our longstanding high-care plantings like rose bushes, that require a lot of chemicals and offer little to the critters. I'm leaving in place some large shrubs that have long been inhabited by a gang of cardinals. The downspout outlet serves as a birdbath at times, but I need a more reliable source of water for birds.

There are many websites with advice for making your yard more wildlife-friendly, or more suited for self-sustaining living, and managing runoff. The sweet thing is many of these things cost little or nothing, and some things like losing the chemicals can save money.

Posted 3 years ago #
joev
Merion Village
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I'm planning on starting a garden this spring. I've got a nice blank slate - 35' by 50', all grass and south of the house, but I'm getting a sort of writers (gardener's?) block on how to use the space. The neighbor has a huge old walnut tree that shades about 2/3 of the yard (and drops about 50 gallons of walnuts in my yard in the fall.

I think I want to focus on edibles in the short term, maybe two or three fruit trees, some blueberry bushes, rhubarb, currants and a vegetable/herb plot. I'll post updates and surely solicit tips as the year goes on!

Posted 3 years ago #
alexs
Limestone bluffs of the Scioto
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Walnuts will be a problem, they are toxic to many plants.

Posted 3 years ago #
joev
Merion Village
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alexs wrote >>
Walnuts will be a problem, they are toxic to many plants.

I'm hoping raised beds will help keep things away from the roots of the walnut tree. The walnuts themselves I've been picking up before they get gooey and leak their jugluone everywhere. About 3/5 of the yard is outside the tree's drip line.

Posted 3 years ago #
Mercurius
First Avenue
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chrisgillespie wrote >>
Or maybe, what does your garden grow? And, is it urban? In your yard, community garden, pots on the patio?
I'm in VV, in a yard 35 feet wide. The biggest problem I have gardening in my yard is heavy shade and a back yard that's on the north side of the house. However, I have a small herb garden outside the front fence, a small cut flower garden inside the front fence (where there is some sun), a front yard shade garden, a small salsa/vegetable garden, a woodland garden, a "blue" garden (blue leaved plants), and a butterfly garden. I have edible plants tucked in everywhere they will grow, mostly berries, so I call the yard grazeable.
I may have divisions of some perennials to share this spring (not lots, yet, though -- still filling in). Also, does anyone seed save?
I'm in about the same boat as you. I have a intensive agriculture garden that I double dig that is 10ft x 20ft (I had tomatoes, beans, lettuces, peppers, onions and eggplant last year in it. Along the house I have a shade garden with all ohio native plants (the button bush is my favorite.) Along the fence I have mostly day lillies,herbs and a few asparagus and rhubarb. I also own a 1/12 interest in about a half an acre and am trying to convince the other 11/12th to put a big garden in there.

Posted 3 years ago #
mitchellosu
Merion Village
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...badly. But when it does grow, it's in a 20' by 6' plot in my back yard. I'm only a couple of years into gardening, so I stick to simple and delicious things like tomatoes, peppers, carrots, onions, peas, etc.

Posted 3 years ago #
wargarden
King Ave
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Anne wrote >>
I am looking forward to planting some fruit trees, cherry blossom tree in our yard. and also some raised beds. But we need to come up with an overall design plan for our yard and implement it slowly.

you could start with some graph paper, colored pencils, and a seed catalog or two. draw in you beds and then choose plants from the catalog. draw in you plants using the pencils to match and contrast plants as they appear in the catalog. consider flowering and fruiting stages for contrasts. this is fun way to be creative with the garden while developing a solid plan. there are a number of good seed companies. i prefer organic and biodynamic seeds. seeds of change, johnny's seeds, territorial seeds are a few to get you started. there are also a number of good nurseries for trees and bushes.

also consider irrigation and fertilizing strategies i.e how do you intend to water and feed your garden. you are welcome to use Jennifer Bartley's Designing the New Kitchen Garden which I have at the restaurant as a resource for design and planting. I would be happy to lend you a copy.

Posted 3 years ago #
wargarden
King Ave
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chrisgillespie wrote >>
Yep. Starting slowly is the best. Build up the soil, first, and you'll have an easier time overall. If you have existing trees, I highly recommend having them looked at and pruned. They are big structure and investments, and a good starting point. Joe Russell (Russell Tree Service), has been working on my trees. I didn't even have problems with wind damage from Ike, since weak limbs had already been removed. Joe is fabulous. He even helped out at Goodale Park, and brought his trucks and chippers at no cost to us. I liked him before that, and mentioned we needed to prune some trees in the park, but was blown away at how he immediately jumped in to help...

I recommend cordon and espalier for the fruit trees, especially for small spaces, many benefits including increased fruit production.

Posted 3 years ago #
chrisgillespie
Short North/Victorian Village
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alexs wrote >>
We are slowly losing our longstanding high-care plantings like rose bushes, that require a lot of chemicals and offer little to the critters.

I love roses, and the petals and hips are edible (well, you can make tea with the hips), and are high in vitamin C. My love goes back to when I was a child and an old neighbor used to give me cuttings of his roses. I've also gardened organically for 25 years (except for 1 time 20 years ago using an herbicide to kill some vegetation in my yard and year before last using Miracle Gro on a rose I moved -- because of the amount of root I had removed). I never use chemical insecticides. I've grown roses for 20 of these years. The trick is getting disease and pest resistant varieties (think old, especially climers, NOT hybrid teas). And, then having very good cultural practices: position appropriately, do not overfeed, do not water the leaves, pick off or pick up any diseased leaves immediately, hand pick any bugs, etc.

I'm still in the early stages of developing this yard, but have a nice example of one old rose bush that was already here that has no problems whatsoever...and huge hips. I also have embarrasing examples: one of another rose bush that I had to move (I know it is insect and disease resistant for this area, so I took a chance, but it's still recovering from the massive damage the move inflicted), and another of 2 bushes that I bought that reminded me of roses I'd had success with, but that are LOVED by aphids on the new growth. My success with roses in the past was trial and error: I'll baby them the first year or 2, but then if they aren't thriving - I yank 'em....Ultimately, and by reading information on varieties, I'll have a few that I love and that are easy to grow in this yard again, too...

Posted 3 years ago #
chrisgillespie
Short North/Victorian Village
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joev wrote >>
I'll post updates and surely solicit tips as the year goes on!

Sounds like you're doing your research, knowing about the walnuts and all. Can't wait to hear more! I hope you'll keep us posted on what you decide :)

Posted 3 years ago #
chrisgillespie
Short North/Victorian Village
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Mercurius wrote >>
I'm in about the same boat as you. I have a intensive agriculture garden that I double dig that is 10ft x 20ft (I had tomatoes, beans, lettuces, peppers, onions and eggplant last year in it. Along the house I have a shade garden with all ohio native plants (the button bush is my favorite.) Along the fence I have mostly day lillies,herbs and a few asparagus and rhubarb. I also own a 1/12 interest in about a half an acre and am trying to convince the other 11/12th to put a big garden in there.

Sounds like we have similar taste, altho you have a much larger ag garden (I just have a little spot by the house, and even it isn't truly full sun).

Let me know if you end up with available divisions on Ohio natives - I'd provide a trade, if desired. I've bought quite a few native plants from the students at OSU in the spring, but have a ways to go to fill in the woodland garden in the back -- especially since an order of Trillium from a catalog came dead last year(they were super cheap - and I found out why).

Baker's Acres carries a large number of natives, and I'm hopeful to put in requests so they will have bring some of the natives I'm wanting to the Urban Jungle for me this spring (I haven't stopped in yet, but plan a visit soon). If we have some similar requests, we could put in together, and maybe have them grow a flat? Let me know if there's some beauties you've been hankering to try...

Posted 3 years ago #
alison

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Wow -- sounds like folks are putting their acerage to good use!

I've got very little space at home; I've been nibbling around the edges of my little apartment building for years. Small beds in the partial shade in the back, 6-8" wide strips along the alley, tons of stuff in pots on both porches. But I always grow lots of annual and perennial herbs, several roses (I'm growing into the rugosa/climbers as well, chris!) several tomatoes, beans and eggplant every year. Last year was the first year I got a good crop of figs -- keeping my fingers crossed for this year.

At work we also have an urban garden with self-seeding annuals or hardy perennial flowers, a few peach trees, blackberries and grapes. This summer we'll have more edibles and (if I have the energy) more flower space.

This morning I was making a list of "biggish" things I need to do for all the gardens; replace some trellises, edge and turn over another bed, and build a little retaining wall around a peach tree on a slope, plant some summer bulbs....

If I can figure out how to post pictures, I've got some nice shots of really urban gardens I've admired around Victorian Village.

Posted 3 years ago #
joev
Merion Village
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Please tell me more about how you grow figs. Potted, outdoors? Pest control, fertilization, how long until they bear fruit, etc. From what I've heard, we're in a very marginal climate for them. But they're so very delicious.

Posted 3 years ago #
alison

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I have two Celeste figs that I bought in the summer of 2006. (My Petite Negra from the summer of 2004 was broken and died last winter) They're about 3' tall, and grow in 18" pots. I put them in an enclosed but unheated stairwell in the fall, once they've lost their leaves. They stay above freezing there, but just barely -- so they stay in hibernation. I water them 2-3 times over the winter -- (usually I just dump a tray of ice cubes on them!) and bring them out once they start to unfurl new leaves.

I haven't done anything with special fertilizer (other than some marble chips in the mulch) and this variety doesn't need special pollenization.

And that's the extent of my fig knowledge! I've been told that it's possible to overwinter hardy varieties like Chicago (something-or-other) outdoors here, if you trenchy them, or mound up protection around them. Especially if you have a hospitable urban micro-climate with windbreaks, lots of brick, etc. But I'm too lazy for that, not to mention that, being a renter, I don't want to get too heavily invested in non-moveables.

I remember lots of old Italian families growing figs in Chicago when I was a kid, so I imagine it's not prohibitively difficult. The fig forum on GardenWeb is a good resource -- lots of people into breeding new varieites and all sorts of heavy techincal stuff, but very helpful to newbies who just want to make their own fig newtons!

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/fig

Posted 3 years ago #
joev
Merion Village
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Thanks, Alison! I'm going to give that a shot. I've got a nice mudroom taht would be perfect for overwintering.

Posted 3 years ago #
chrisgillespie
Short North/Victorian Village
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alison: I'm totally jealous that you garden at work. I'd love to see your pictures of gardens around VV. I think there are free flickr accounts still available, if you want to post them there and then send a link...

I'm starting to plan garden to do's, too. All the catalogs are coming in, and it's making anxious for spring.

The fig growing is impressive. Thanks for the info.

Posted 3 years ago #