apartment gardening

[tulip]

Herbs would be good, and you can use them for cooking, too. Tulips are bulbs that you plant in the fall, and they come up in the spring for a short time. You could do that in the fall in a large pot, and leave the pot on the balcony in the winter. You'll get tulips in the spring.

The pink shrubs are probably azaleas. Not great in pots.

I suggest that you go for some herbs and annuals--plants grow for one season and do not come back (the ones that come back are called perennials). Here are some suggestions:

Herbs: rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley (just because of the song, you know). Basil-needs frequent watering. You can bring the herbs (not basil--it's an annual) inside in a sunny spot for the winter.

Annual flowers: sweet potato vine, zinnias, petunias, coleus, begonias, some ornamental grasses. Look at books for ideas about composition in pots. Use large pots; small ones will dry out too fast. Use good potting soil.

Enjoy your garden!

[spokewench]

Whoa people. Look at where our thread starter lives; she lives in Phoenix. I doubt the pink shrubs are azaleas.

You will need to get drought tolerant and heat tolerant plants for your patio in Phoenix. The summertime is really, really hot and some flowers, even geraniums will stop blooming because it is too hot. Water is really essential; cause the pots will dry out really quickly! I hope you have some shade on your patio cause you are going to need it in the summer to keep anything going.

I would go to a nursery and describe your situation and the place you are planting and ask a phoenix expert what to plant. I would say cacti and succulents, but they don't bloom all that much in the summer. The cacti will bloom in the Spring. Penstemon do well (don't know about how they do in pots).

[tulip]

Ah, somehow I thought she lived in Maryland. Never mind.

[Kim1976]

No, Tulip is correct! Just moved to Maryland in December... I thought I had saved my settings in my profile!

[tulip]

Whew, I thought I was going batty. Never mind the nevermind, then. But it is a good idea to ask at a nursery in your area (not really a big box nursery, but a real nursery--they are full of helpful people who know their stuff and like to help people).

[spokewench]

Okay, that makes more sense now! I see you have now changed where you live. So, everyone just ignore my post about Phoenix. AZ - you can grow a lot more things in Maryland.

[Kim1976]

I guess it never changed b/c I never answered the questing regarding the stem of a bicycle, which I had to google!

[Kim1976]

Okay, that makes more sense now! I see you have now changed where you live. So, everyone just ignore my post about Phoenix. AZ - you can grow a lot more things in Maryland.

But, I still miss AZ! I'd much rather have the heat, than the cold :* Oh, well ... I guess I have to suck it up for the next 4 years!