What do you Grow?? The Garden Thread

Post Reply New Topic

^We always had that stuff around the house when I was a kid. Mom used to gather a big bunch of it each year, and keep it in a huge vase. It make for good decoration.

mm I like that grass.

I'm struggling because the wallabies eat anything you put in the ground. I put chicken wire around individual plants but they can trample that.

I'm doing some screening shrubs, mostly variations of 'bottle brush'. I have to grow stuff in pots up on tables to keep it away from the wallabies, so this year it was Roma tomatoes, mint, silverbeet, parsely. I hope to have a small area fenced off for next year, that's the only way to do it with all the critters round here.

English Ivy

In November of this last year, I suddenly realized that since my last cat had passed on (old age), I could now have plants. And thus started and obsession.

I'm in an apartment, so my growing space is somewhat limited.

In my window:

Cacti:
Mammillaria rhodantha, common name Rainbow Pincushion, my first cactus
Mammillaria vetula ssp. gracilis var. fragilis, common name Thimble cactus
Mammillaria bombycina, common name Silken Pincushion
Parodia (syn. Notocactus) either rutilans or roseoluteus -- I won't know which until it flowers

Succulents:
Kalanchoe marnieriana
Portulacaria afra, common name Elephant's Bush

Marjoram, grown from seed and not doing too well (I think it's too dry here for herbs)
And I'm also trying to start some Lavender and Lobelia seeds, but no germination yet.

Inside:

Dracaena marginata, common name Dragon Tree, my favorite plant
Dracaena demerensis 'Janet Craig' f. compacta
Bromeliad: Gumania 'Rana', dying but producing an offset

My window's getting full, so I don't plan to get any more cacti or succulents until the annuals die. I don't plan to grow any more annuals -- they're a little too thirsty for my growing conditions.

I'm concentrating on getting more tropicals that are tolerant of low-light conditions for the interior of my apartment. I really want a Pothos, but even though they're as common as dirt, I can't seem to find one in decent condition.

I’m into horticulture. I love to grow anything that smells nice or tastes good. I have many questions that I’ve been dying to ask anyone that might know.
1. Anyone have any idea why almost all nurseries insist on selling the same old bland plants when there is such an incredible diversity out there in nature? I mean it’s like they all made some kind of contract with each other to sell the same dull stuff. For instance I know there is a fragrant ice plant that almost nobody sells. I had to check out a dozen nurseries before I found one and guess what, it was the last one.
2. Why do people insist on buying fruit plants from the nursery when they could plant the seeds they get from the market? I know there are exceptions but generally it not only grows to be bigger but tastes better and it would be free since you’re going to throw out the seeds anyway.
3. Why do people insist on cutting their lawn as short as possible? If you cut it long it is healthier, needs less water and looks better.

I have lots more questions if anyone is interested.

I's feeling inspired by all this horticulture talk, I'm going to have a go at growing cherry tomatoes.

Not really related, but while rooting(!) around the gardening stuf I found an oldrecipe for elderflower sasperella so I might just give that a go as well whileI'm on this self sufficiency buzz.

lawn is very fragrant, especially at night, I love the smell of it.

I'm in Scotland so nothing too exotic growing here!

Here is (hopefully) a video from last year, I just grow veg, would like to be self sufficient one day...

(I remove my links after 1 week)


I'm away to move into the city soon, so have a shared garden which I'm hoping to turn into a little oasis in the middle of the concrete jungle!

Thank you so much, all, for your replies, pictures, thoughts and so on.
I'm glad to see there are so many other plant-minded aspergerish people out there.

I'll share a few pics, though they are from December, before we got all our bad freezes.
Most of my garden is just now starting to get green flowery again. I'll post some current stuff whenever I can get out there to take pictures.

Rose 'Blue Girl'


Blue Sky Vine, Thunbergia grandiflora


And lastly my namesake, the Acacia tree.
In this case, Acacia farnesiana or Sweet Acacia... a native of Florida and tropical America.

I planted some potatoes with my sister and dad the other day and I have a pot of mint in my room. I'll most likely plant some more things later.

I am necro-bumping this thread in the hopes we can get some gardening discussion going here again.

Karamazov and I started discussing gardens in the thread about happiness and I didn't want to hijack that thread anymore than we already had.

So, Karamazov said he wants to grow some things with edible seeds. I am cooking butternut squash today and compost the seeds. I know you can eat them, but I don't know how to make them tasty.

So, anyone know how to make squash seeds tasty?

Is there any squash with tastier seeds that other squash?

If you don't have an answer to this question, just tell us about what you have grown or already growing or planning to grow. It is spring after all, or at least time to be planning what you want to plant. I read through this old thread and it is pretty interesting.

Oooh! Necrobump: living dangerously

I agree it’s better to reuse this thread than clog up the happiness one: keeps everything nicely catalogued.

I don’t know about butternut preserving squash seeds as an edible, but I’d expect that lightly roasting them in the oven as one would with pumpkin seeds would be the thing... not 100% confident though.

he opens another tab to do a wee search in the issue

Yep, all edible squashes have edible seeds:

•Separate from pulp.
•Soak for 10min in warm water.
•Drain and pat dry with a tea-towel.
•Toss with oil in a bowl (at this point you can add salt or any other seasoning of your choice if you want them to be a snack)
•Roast in an oven set to 190C/375F/gas mark 5 for on a baking paper lined tray for 12-15mins.
•Leave to cool: they should last a week in a jar, or two months if you freeze them.



If you forget they’re in the oven it’s also a great way to check the functionality of your fire alarm

I mostly focus on the flowering and fruiting plants myself:
I have a Madame Isaac Perriere that’ll be having her second season since planting from bare-root I’m looking forward too.
Now I’m thinking of the coming season I’d better prune our Gingko & Fig while they’re dormant!
I’m also interested to see if this year is the year our climbing hydrangea goes from ‘healthy but unexciting’ to ‘world domination afoot’.
Also already looking forward to my dahlias flowering this August/September.