CasaSugar

Casa Quickie: Contain Yourself

CasaSugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:00:03 -0700

I know that many Casa readers are trying their hands at container gardening this Summer. Container gardening is a great option for those of us who live in urban areas or don't have any yard space. However, your soil requirements are a little different for containers than they are for regular garden plots. To get the most bang for your container buck, use soil that is light, well-drained, and retains moisture. You can specifically ask for a container mix at your local gardening store, or make your own blend using vermiculite or perlite, finished compost, and sphagnum moss. Want more tips? Check out Gardener's Supply's container gardening page.

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How-To: Create a Simple and Elegant Patio Garden

CasaSugar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:00:41 -0700

Short on space? That's no reason to forego a garden. This homeowner took advantage of a nook to create a container garden that's both soothing and elegant.
If you have a similar space that could benefit from a bit of greenery, start with beautiful pottery. Since this will be a container garden, your containers should be coordinated or complementary, since all eyes will be on the containers as well as the plants. Choose plants depending on how much light the space receives, but make sure they're no-fuss, low-maintenance plants. Succulents are a great choice. You can also add visual interest by playing with height and dimension. Try some fast-growing bamboo to train eyes upwards.

For my suggestions for simple patio containers, read more.

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In The News: Contain the Excitement

CasaSugar — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:30:37 -0700

Since I'm one of the lucky ladies who benefits from a year-round growing season here in the San Francisco Bay Area, it's easy to forget that other gardeners, especially those in the Midwest, aren't so lucky. Long, harsh winters often kill some perennials, and the six-months-or-less growing season is often spent in a harried planting state, trying to cram in as many plantings and colors as possible. Connie Price writes in her article "Contain Yourself," from the Minneapolis Star Tribune, about ways that gardeners can supplement the color and variety of perennial gardens by using trendier and more colorful plants in their container gardens.

Hanging containers and oversized terra-cotta pots are great ways to add some punch to your back porch or front doorway, but, as Price relates, it's sometimes hard to get the right mix. With this in mind, she enlists the help of three nursery owners to help gardeners get the most bang for their container-garden buck. You'll definitely want to check out the article, especially since there's a video tutorial and slideshow of containers included.
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Casa Quickie: Alternatives For Flower Pots

CasaSugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:00:14 -0700

The other day, when I was walking through the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, I saw the cutest flower display outside of an Italian restaurant. Blooming out of imported tomato sauce cans were gorgeous red geraniums. This is an easy, quick idea you can adapt, too. Just make sure to punch a few holes in the bottom of the can before planting your flowers in them. And unusual, imported tomato sauce cans will look infinitely better than your average Hunt's tomato sauce can. I'm imagining punchy colors and bright, big blooms looking best in these cans - marigolds, geraniums, and petunias would all look lovely.
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Garden Therapy: Stack and Grow Planter

CasaSugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 04:30:49 -0700

Since many of you have mentioned that you'd love to garden, but you're dealing with very little room for growing plants, I figured that the Stack and Grow Planter ($39) might be perfect for you small-space gardeners. This planter fits a lot of green into a tiny amount of floor space, with four levels that can hold up to 20 plants. This planter is made of UV-protected plastic, and is supposedly pretty durable while also fairly light (though once you fill it with soil and plants it'll definitely get heavier). Would you use it on your patio or fire escape?

DIY: Planting Your Garden Box

CasaSugar — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:00:12 -0700

Did you read my post on building a redwood planter box? If so, you're already halfway done. You still need to anchor the box, level it, fill it with soil, and plant it. Read on for my list of suggestions on how to do it.

Move your box to the area you want to permanently place it. Since the area in my yard was on a slight incline, I had to dig the box in further on one side than on the other. In any case, you're going to want to dig a perimeter trench for the box, and then place it in the trench.
Use a level to make sure that your box is sitting evenly.
You can stand on the four corners and jump up and down a bit to make sure it's anchored well, too.
Now, break the soil that you dug out of the trenches and use it to stuff into the sides of the box to fill in any holes.
Then, use a pitchfork or shovel to dig up and turn over the grass and soil inside the box.

For the rest of the directions, just read more.

Spread a layer of black and white (not colored) newspaper over the clods of dirt. This will suppress weed growth, and the newspaper will naturally decompose and enrich the soil.
If you have any compost that's pretty thoroughly decomposed, use it to cover the newspaper.

Next, cover the newspaper and compost with gardening soil. We hauled in four bags of Local Hero blend soil from American Soil in Richmond, which specializes in different soil mixtures for gardening and landscaping. If you're not sure how much soil you'll need, here's an easy way to estimate.

Smooth and level the soil.

Now you're ready to plant! I used a mixture of seeds and seedlings, and planted everything from a row of carrots to a a row of zinnias. I planted trellising plants, such as squashes and cucumbers, against the edge of the box. This way I can anchor a trellis outside of the box, which will give me more room for growing plants.

Enjoy!

DIY: Build Your Own Garden Box

CasaSugar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 07:45:47 -0700

This weekend, I decided to expand my vegetable garden space by building another garden box. If you know how to operate a power drill, you can build this box, too. Here are some tips to make it easier: If you're a first-time builder, go to a small hardware or lumber store with a friendly clerk who can help you work out the details. Also, have the hardware store folks cut all of your lumber to the correct lengths; this will save you loads of time and headaches. Finally, remember: This is going to get filled with soil, so it doesn't have to look perfect! Tune in tomorrow, when I tell you how to securely place, fill, and plant your box.

Here's What You Need

4 longer pieces of redwood, cut to specified length (I used 8 ft lengths)
4 shorter pieces of wood for the ends, cut to specified length (I used 3 ft lengths)
4 4-x-4-inch square pieces of redwood cut to match the height of 2 boards (in my case it was 12 inches). You can also opt to cut your 4-x-4s to a slightly longer length (such as 2 inches longer). This way, you can use the longer length of the 4-x-4s to anchor your box when you have to dig it into the ground.
Galvanized 4 inch-long screws (galvanized screws will resist rust)
Power drill (preferably with other battery pack charged)
Flat, large surface for working, such as a patio, deck, or garage
A willing helper, who can hold ends of lumber and fetch tools as needed

To find out how to build this garden box, just read more.

Take two of your 4-x-4s and place them beneath each end of your long pieces of lumber. Line them up so the ends are flush.

Drill 2 screws into each end of the board, keeping the screw straight and screwing smoothly through both the longer piece of lumber and the 4-x-4 piece of lumber. As you can see from this photo, I had my 4-x-4s cut to a slightly longer length, which will help to anchor your garden box in the ground. However, if you do this, make sure to keep the longer ends of the 4-x-4s on the same side!

Repeat the prior step with the other 2 long boards.

Now, take your 2 long sides with the 4-x-4s screwed into them. Have your helper take one end, and you take the other. Now, turn each side on end, as if it was the wall of the garden box. If you have had your 4-x-4s cut so they are an inch or two longer than your other boards, have the longer end of the 4-x-4s sticking up in the air

With your helper, space the long ends so that they're about the same width as your short boards.

Have your helper lightly hold up the bottom corner of the boards, with the end of the short board and the long board flush in her or his palm. Screw the short board into the 4-x-4. Make sure to alternate your placement of the screw, so the screws won't overlap with the ones in your long board.

Repeat this process on the other corner. Then, stack your second short board on top of the first one use your power drill to screw it in. This is what it should look like.

Secure the other short boards on the opposite end.
You're done! Check in tomorrow when I tell you how to anchor, level, and plant your new container box.

Steal of the Day: Fleur-de-Lys Window Boxes

CasaSugar — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 08:15:32 -0700

I was just looking out my bedroom window the other morning and thinking about how a window box would improve the view. And since I'm also a fleur-de-lys fan, this Smith and Hawken window box offers me everything I could possibly want in a flower box - including a reduced price tag. These sturdy steel Fleur-de-Lys Window Boxes ($119-$159) would look great wherever they were placed, whether in a New Orleans Creole or a Cape Cod beach cottage. But wherever you put it, geographically, make sure to fill it with beautiful blooms.

Gift Guide: Patio Plants For a Happy Housewarming

CasaSugar — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:36:58 -0800

Whether someone on your gift-giving list has just bought a first home or recently moved into a sweet new rental property, one of the loveliest ways to say Happy Housewarming! is with a festive container plant.

For the aspiring small-space gardener, try this patio gardening seed mix ($14) from Seeds of Change. Pop these pretty packets in a beribboned-woven basket (which can then be used for harvesting peas, beans, and herbs), and present it to your newly moved pal. You can step it up a notch with some beautiful front-stoop cypress trees, like this set of three cypress trees ($39) from Smith and Hawken. And finally, for a truly unusual statement, present your new home dweller with this stunning wine-grape bonsai tree ($64.50) from Organic Style.

Creating Festive Winter Gardens

CasaSugar — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 10:00:54 -0800

Do you reside in a harsh Winter climate? Manitoba, perhaps? Vermont, Norway, or Minnesota? Don't worry - there are still some pretty Winter options for creating container gardens.

Small conifers, or needled evergreens, are great choices for hardy winter container gardening, and these dwarf trees come in a variety of shapes, including balls, cones, and columns, as well as varieties that trail, which will add variety to your container. Add some wintergreen to the container for a bright pop of color from its red berries. In the Spring, you can transplant directly from the containers into your yard for easy landscaping. Check in at Evergreen Plant Nursery for some evergreens.

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