Some few of you may recall that about this time last year I was excited with having moved into the new place with my lovely wife. You may also recall while there was not really a plot of land of do anything with there was opportunity to experiment with some smaller size container gardening. You may have noticed that there was not much follow-up over last summer and certainly not any astounding results reported. The reason is simple, there were none. That all aside, it is that time of year again, just past the first of May when most things I would want to grow in the containers can take off and to that end we spent some time early this afternoon kicking things off.

I did think that before I kicked off into what was completed today I should review a little bit of what was done last year and give my best guess as to why things failed. There were several flowers, that actually did pretty good up until later in the summer, though they did seem somewhat stunted compared to expectations. There were a few herbs, planted in smaller pots. Additionally, there were tomatoes, both in upside down self-made hangers and more traditional planters.

All of the plants, regardless of method took off with a huge spurt of growth and then stalled. I think the reason was largely less than ideal nutrition in the soil mixture that was used. In other words, I think with some additional attention and application of regular fertilizer we would have had better results. There was the additional fact that winds took down the smaller pots with the herbs, which did not go far, one of which never sprouted. The upside-down hanging tomatoes I think suffered from this even more, because the water ran through with what limited nutrients were available (I noted that some folks used a sponge at the mouth of the bottle around the plant stem). Lastly is the access to really only morning through just past midday sunlight, which is not something that can be helped give the way our deck faces and that it the only place we really have to try growing anything.

On to today and even a few days prior to this one and what we have planted. I had already acquired a few more traditional planters and have a somewhat healthy stand of four banana pepper plants and four heritage tomato plants, though those are slow right now because of the constant rain we have had. In addition to these, we have the little woody like foliage type plant that survived the winter already in place. Yesterday at the farmers market I acquired two more heritage tomato plants (Brandywine if I recall correctly) to put into some rather large planters that were given to us, which were awaiting transplanted and that was done today.

Today my wife got an assortment of flowers, that included some impatients and who knows what else. She put them in really nice arrangements in four and five-inch pots, along with some vine ground cover that looks nice. Combined with the really robust and brightly colored geranium already acquired on the wire stand makes for a lovely colorful mix. All of these were planted in a much richer potting soil mix that what was had last year and watered lightly with a fertilizer fortified mixture before final placement – in fact that was done with all the plants today.

I also put in some rather planters that were cheaply acquired and very colorful that have zucchini and cucumbers as well as an oblong planter with sugar peas. The former will have climbers add later, probably with upright sticks and jute twine ran between. The later, which I love the flower on will probably be just ornamental given the late date, but maybe they will profit. Regardless they are set to climb just the railing on deck.

Lastly, there is one other oblong planter destined for a second try at herbs. We ran out of the good potting soil and rain came. Planting will likely occur sometime between now and then, depending on when it is not raining and the time is had. Along this same lines, I am trying to decide if it is worth trying the hanging tomatoes again. Clearly I would have to get more potting soil then even the herbs would require and also the sponges. I am still debating this, but not sure given my less than anything resembling success last year with them.

Check back shortly, as I do have some pictures that I am going to do as an entry of what was planted and such and hope to follow-up with some beautiful pictures throughout the growing season.

** – Apologies, but image is from somewhere on the web and I have lost the specifics.