Wow, eoe, those pots are amazing! Are you afraid of the clay or the potential for pollutants? What's in the pot with the dark potato vine?
I'm afraid of the clay although I have planted hostas, two japanese maples, eucalyptus, lavendar, some roses, a few things, in the dirt. But mainly I go with pots.
That's an angels' wing begonia in the pot with the sweet potato vine. Haven't seen that flower this year at all.
It'd stand no chance of coming back here.....
I think you can search plants by soil type.
The dark potatoe vine is really nice. I did the lighter ones last year.
My yard is really odd. I can't get Gladiolus to come back and Clematis have all had a hard time too. I do get Morning Glory and Impatiens that come back though. Do do do do. Wierd stuff.
Even in my pots some of the so-called annuals do come back. Mostly the vines and stuff I bought as accents. My roses in pots have returned and another flower, a colorful petunia that's on it's 3rd year! But the begonias don't come back.
My hostas are looking very weak this year. I've had them for about eight years. Does anyone know if certain plants wear out or something after awhile?
I haven't been able to find the light potato vine this year. Against the dark flowers, it's so vibrant and punchy. I miss it.
Ya know, everyone who read the title to this thread probably thought the same thing, cj, but no one posted a stoopid graphic. What are you in second grade? That's the kind of thing I have to tell my special ed student to refrain from.
my pot plant just died fyi, a moment of silence please.
*silence*
thank you all
I bought a condo this month and wanted to start growing stuff on the balcony. So of course, everything has to be in pots.
I want some plants along the balcony fence for privacy, both mine and that of everyone at the pool that my dog barks at. I am waiting to find a good vine to grow on the fence (needs to have small leaves and flowers due to the chicken wire I put there to keep the dog and cat from jumping) but in the mean time I planted some Gladiolus bulbs (Traderhorn and White Prosperity).
None of the bulbs came through in the few weeks since I've planted them, and I'm beginning to think they won't. I may end up cheating and buying full-grown plants.
Any recommendations? I want to plant something relatively dense along the balcony so I don't have to put up curtains in the living room. Ideally it would be about a yard high and be able to grow in rectangular pots that are about 10 inches wide and deep. Flowers or a great smelling plant would be a plus.
Weather is around 70-80 degrees year-round.
OGIONIK wrote:my pot plant just died fyi, a moment of silence please.
*silence*
thank you all
I lost some petunias at some point last week. Don't know what happened. I'm kinda waiting for a rebound but it doesn't look like it's gonna happen.
Two moments of silence please.
Craven - the first thing I can think of is jasmine. And it's not just thinking, it's screaming JASMINE! Unfortunately, I don't know much about growing that plant. And, buying plants isn't cheating. Another interesting woody plant to grow: nandina, or heavenly bamboo. It has gorgeous foliage, and minor flowers. I believe it's invasive in some parts. Speaking of invasive, growing bamboo in pots is the safest way to grow it. It'd make a dense screen, but no flowers.
I just saw this thread. Agree with all littleK said, I too thought of jasmine first. Will have to double check which one I'm thinking of, haven't specified them in a while. I've had regular old golden bamboo in pots, and mine did shed leaves a lot.. but past that I liked it. Nandina, I agree and would use the species one, N. domestica, and not the varieties.. at least off hand. It wasn't invasive in my experience.
Will think some more, as there are other plants that could work.
Your gladiolas may still show up. My cannas took at least three weeks to peek out from their soil beds.
The jasmines I am most used to are Solanum jasminoides (potato vine) which in ground can get rampant.. check photos to see if leaves too big.
and Jasminum polyanthum. That would seem to be ok although you might have to trim it back. Anyhoo, look up both..
Another that might work is Streptosolen jasminoides - but in hottest climates Sunset says it needs partial shade.
I'm also used to Trachelospermum jasminoides (star jasmine, is not a true jasmine) but that can get rampant and has bigger leaves, and as I remember likes light shade in hottest climate. Vigorous, probably too vigorous. Strongly fragrant.
I'd mention Gelsemium sempervirens (Carolina jessamine), but all parts of plant are poisonous if ingested... so I won't.
Will add more to check out after I look at some lists.
You might look up the yellow flowering version of Tecomaria (tecoma) capensis (cape honeysuckle). Often grown as a vine or shrub, can be espaliered. Dunno about that as a choice.
Hmm, a tiny leafed ivy? The name I'm trying to remember might by Hedera helix 'Hahn's (English ivy var. Hahn's) Again, probably prefers shade in your area.
Another vine that could work - Pandorea jasminoides/Bignonia jasminoides. I like the white one, 'alba'. I gather there's another white one, 'Lady Di'.
I had 'alba' in Venice. It was pretty, did have small leaves. Not as vigorous as my Solanum jasminoides, but that might be a good thing.
On growing a vine on chicken wire, I dunno. Well secured, maybe. I can see cables... or bigger woven wire such as used in stronger fencing.
Back later on shrubs.
I am thinking about planting this in a large pot up front...
Carolina Jasmine
When it says "all parts of this plant are poisonous", that's just if you eat it right? I know that is a stupid question but we are in the middle of poison ivy here in our house...I just got over my first bout and my husband is in the middle of a pretty big one...poor baby...just don't want to plant one more thing that will make us miserable.
Yes, my book said "if injested". Dunno that doggies eat it... re Robert's question.
Best I've seen it was seemingly all over the Aventine Hill (Rome) in April, topping old walls...
somehow I doubt the roman cats or dogs ate it, but, really, I don't know.
Read another article mentioning Carolina jessamine this morning, in which the author exclaimed about how long it took her jessamine to blossom.. seven years.
Thinking of shrubs --
Hibiscus could be good, if it grows in your area. It doesn't like, I gather, soggy or compacted soil. There are zillions of kinds of gorgeous hibiscus, varities being of different heights.
On container plants in general,
'They' say to upsize from the pot size you get to a new planter by only one size, this having to do with the amount of wet/soggy soil a container holds. Me, I'd start fairly big with the initial plants, and then size up the container, and have lots of drain/weep holes. No worry about soggy if the drainage is good, other than your own watering practice. You can get some nurseries to drill more holes in a ceramic planter. Set the planter up on 'feet' so the water can get out.
You might want squarish versus angled type pots, just for doggie deterrence (that word looks wrong) - I'm not a big fan of square, but depending on the pot and the balcony, it could work. Or set the angled pots closer, or maybe some long thin pots, kind of like big window boxes. Indeed, you could build a box, long and thin, and put in your own lots of drainholes.
If I built one out of wood, I'd consider marine ply..
Anyway, vines don't cover uniformly or instantly..
People do balconies in various ways, as I'd guess you know. You can cover part of the area that is attractive to the dog with things like mosaic tiled art.. or various other creative stuff. Trick is making that all look ok from below as well as above.
There is a lot to be said for plastic pots on a balcony, re weight, as well as other reasons described re water retention -- when people want water retention. Also, light weight soil mix can be smart, or at least a big consideration in roof gardens.
Hmm. Your dog is short. Do Agapanthus grow where you are? (Lily of the Nile). I'm betting they do. If you'd pick Agapanthus, I'd do a whole row of them; there are lots of varieties, different colors, different heights, A. africanus being quite common. Anyway, a row of one variety.
Maybe with one tall plant..
