By Cindy Haas

A friend has begun making small themed gardens in planter boxes as gifts, and I was lucky enough to see one recently.

It was pretty and very much appreciated by its recipient.

The one I saw was a salad garden, and a planter box which was 2 feet by 8 inches wide grows enough lettuces to make a salad for two at least twice a week. Here’s what you’ll need to make your own salad garden in a box:

• an oblong planter box- the ones I have are plastic
• a mixture of potting soil and manure
• a combination of several or all of the following seeds: Read the rest of this entry »

By Cindy Naas

Last week, I was in an accident.

I was driving my children to a class when my brakes completely quit.

I ran two stop lights and a stop sign before being able to get my car under control again.

Luckily, no one was badly hurt. The car is already repaired, and my kids didn’t even notice what was happening- they cheered to see their boring old mom driving wildly. “Wow, you drove just like a race car driver!” my youngest said as he clapped. Children are so lucky, they see life in such uncomplicated terms.

After I got home that night, I was still very shaken, and so I went outside to recover from that incident. I did what I always find most comforting – I watered my garden. I wandered through Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

Mary C. writes: “I would like to plant a dwarf peach tree in a container and bring it indoors for the winter for year round peaches. Will this work? What size container? What kind of soil?”

Hello. I have some good news and some bad news.

You certainly can plant a dwarf peach tree in a container. Another possibility, depending on the height of your ceiling, could be one of the new columnar peaches, which grow in a very narrow, upright shape.

You would want to start with a container that is a few inches larger than Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

One of the most common problems in a garden is over-watering.

Even though one may have the best intentions, plants are usually given much more water than they really need. Here are some tips on how to save water in your urban landscape.

1) One of my most important rules is pretty simple : In the summer, don’t water between the hours of 10 am and 6 pm.

Why? During those times, it is usually hot enough that the water will only vaporize, and most of the water won’t reach the plants If you have plants that are wilting, you can certainly give them a good long drink. Otherwise, Read the rest of this entry »

By Cindy Haas

Growing herbs is a great way to add a fresh taste to your summer cooking, and even the smallest garden can provide enough room for a few favorites.

Here are some ideas for fitting an herb garden into your city garden:

Strawberry pot

If you have a very small space, growing a selection of herbs in a strawberry pot can be just the thing. Most strawberry pots have room for at least five small plants.

Choose herbs which have similar needs as far as light and water go, and you’ll be rewarded with some tasty herbs all summer long. Some good choices for a strawberry pot include:

• oregano Read the rest of this entry »