Is this were we talk about our potted garden

NO not pot, containers
We are in Southern Ca and went water wise and ripped out our front lawn 3 years ago and put in gravel, I had saved my trees and had set up my irrigation to keep them but had this solid grey gravel expanse. Well it did not take the wife and myself long to plant a few succulents and cactus but I always had dreamed of having a pot garden, so we started experimenting with different plants that would look good in the pots, keep the general theme going and be able to survive the
amount of sun and heat we have here.
Now in it;s 3rd year our garden is really taking shape, we have included a bench, are looking for a unique fountain, spread among the potted plants are yard ornaments such as metal or concrete animals an a few dragons, other ornaments and some sun bleached animal bones fill in areas for points of interest. It has been fun. When we go to the nursery looking for a plant to pot we have a lot of fun trying to find unique stuff. At first we just got flowers and stuff but now we look for flowering shrubs that visually hold well in a pot, alone, and take on the area with out overpowering it, It has been a lot of fun to develop. I never imagined my self standing in the front corner of my yard with a puzzled look trying to decide if I moved this one here or do I need a little more height there. But I seem to do that now.
Jim

I would love to see some pictures of your potted garden if you have any

+1

Kay

Yes, please post photos! Your container garden sounds very interesting!

I will take a few this weekend and post them up

We are in Southern Ca and went water wise and ripped out our front lawn 3 years ago and put in gravel,

good for you I used to live in Oregon, and in a neighbourhood where almost everyone on the block had created gardens of some sort instead of lawns and it was the most beautiful and interesting neighbourhoods around.

Then we came here into central british columbia and bought an acreage, in the middle of winter, so it took until late spring to find out that all the other acreages around us had lawn nazis..... Totally obsessive!! Who would have thought....they compete..

Once again congrats

I have a small container garden located in the the tiny spaces next to my apartment.....its mostly herbs..... but it was looking a little bit green and lacking in color so I just potted a few new flowers to add to it today.....

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Daniel9999 wrote:I have a small container garden located in the the tiny spaces next to my apartment.....its mostly herbs..... but it was looking a little bit green and lacking in color so I just potted a few new flowers to add to it today.....

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Pretty! It's what even a little bit of color and green in a small, otherwise drab area can do! I am slowly working on my horror of a back yard. I hope to have a potted (not pot) garden on my patio by the summer.

GG

GG

GWN wrote:

We are in Southern Ca and went water wise and ripped out our front lawn 3 years ago and put in gravel,

good for you

Hubby keeps threatening to do this, but not because of water - he just hates MOWING! I would be more than happy to give up the lawn if he would let me put in boxes with nice walkways for the whole yard. Of course that would mean we would have to get our plot surveyed to find out where our yard ends and the neighbors' begin - I think my boxes may already be a few inches over the line (if not, they are close), but the owner of the rental next door doesn't seem to care!

GG

- he just hates MOWING

Now there is another perfectly good reason to rid oneself of lawn.
We live in one of those areas where everyone wants to live, but there is no work here and so most people have places here and drive back and forth from somewhere else, OR are retired. The place is very depressed economically.
I have one neighbour who lives in Vancouver and comes up on weekends (about a 5 hour drive). We live on a block that is all one acre lots, except for 3 of them, mine which is 1.8 acres, his about the same and one other.
HIS IS almost all lawn, and so he comes up from Vancouver to paradise and literally spends at least 3-4 hours mowing on one of the two days he is here. NUTS....
And worse... POOR ME, to listen to a lawn mower go for that long drives you batty....
If I were you I would take your hubby up on what he seems to be offering you.

Put me down in the I hate mowing category! I spent about 4 hours on the riding mower yesterday. Ugh! Takes a toll on your rump after awhile While I do love nice green grass and throwing the clippings in my compost pile, I hate mowing! I'm also not a big fan of watering either
I threaten every year to rip out about 95% of our grass and xeriscape at least the area around the house.

Well lawn is definitely easier, however the alternative is MUCH prettier, if you can pull it off. Then again buying veggies at the grocery store is also easier...
My goal is to have a very dense perennial garden that hopefully once I fill it, will be low maintenance.
I grew perennials in my greenhouse for this purpose this year.
Grape vines take up lots of room, and are pretty.
And of course long raised beds, fill up space,

And then this week a guy asked me if I would be interested in some VERY large rocks. He was in need of some fast cash and so these babies are going to decrease the "mowing potential" substantially.

Mmmhhhmmm! I love the big rocks!

RoOsTeR wrote:Put me down in the I hate mowing category! I spent about 4 hours on the riding mower yesterday. Ugh! Takes a toll on your rump after awhile While I do love nice green grass and throwing the clippings in my compost pile, I hate mowing! I'm also not a big fan of watering either
I threaten every year to rip out about 95% of our grass and xeriscape at least the area around the house.

I'm one of those that actually enjoys mowing. I don't bother watering the grass. Whatever happens, happens

ok guys
it seems I have not been here long enough to be able to post a slide show link'
I get a message saying I need to be a member for a week
so let us see if I can post pics

That looks great Subsonic.

Daniel9999 wrote:That looks great Subsonic.

I agree! I think it looks fantastic

in the fall hte strips up the walk will be converted to raised bed
I have done them in the old style of SFG just without grids, I would love to convert over

I like the look of pots. It looks very healthy.
Are those garlic alongside the sidewalk? Or onions?

GWN wrote:I like the look of pots. It looks very healthy.
Are those garlic alongside the sidewalk? Or onions?

garlic, planted in September
I call the strips my kitchen garden, lots of spices and peppers

when I rented my first apartment I got a duplex, the guy who had the other side was a retired farmer who had sold his land and was just enjoying retirement
he plated vegetables every nook and cranny he found
I think that attitude had a big effect on me
I see any bare land as a place to grow something
and figure that vegetables can be beautiful ornamentals
after all, ever notice ho pretty the huge yellow flower of a squash is, of how nice the huge leaves look?
well 30 some years later I teach my neighbors about growing food to eat anywhere you can

it can be fun to pop 2 tomatoes from a plant in the ow strip, rinse them off and take a big bite out of yours, watch his eyes pop as he bites his and gets the first fresh organic tomato taste in his life.
gardening is the only hobby you can sit in your garden and enjoy the time and beauty, and also be healthier with the exercise and fresh organic food you get from it. I never tire of it, My wife knows when I disappear she can find me on my knees pulling weeds, digging around, planting seed or harvesting something good to eat. Tonight I put 8 roma tomatoes, 2 tomatillos, 2 bell peppers, a lot of garlic, fresh oregano, an onion, and 4 chicken quarters in the pressure cooker and made dinner, that with some fresh baked yams and we had a feast. the chicken was the only thing I had bought. Tomorrow it is Pizza from the garden, the cheese and flower will be store bought, all toppings and sauce is from the garden.
Gardening and canning and I know where the majority of my food comes from and know I am not eating a lot of pesticides and chemicals