Gardening: the beets must go on

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Hobbies, Crafts, & Houses > Gardening: the beets must go on

Atahualpa: Aug 18, 2015; A lucky bird.

Is this the right thread for discussing planting flowers as well? Been trying to spruce up my balcony and so far everything's going smoothly, but I have concerns going into the summer when it'll be 100+ degrees here every day for 3-4 months straight.

GlyphGryph posted:

I accidentally posted that to the wrong thread on my first attempt, so I suppose its only fair I ask in return if any of you know if antimagic cones are blocked by obstructions.

Not sure about this, but I think it's generally recommended to remove the antimagic seeds from the cones before planting them anyway.

# ¿ Mar 24, 2024 18:04

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 15:19

Atahualpa: Aug 18, 2015; A lucky bird.

Orbs posted:

In my opinion, hell yes it is the right thread for discussing planting flowers. They are a valuable and beautiful part of any nature network.

Well, it's a work in progress, but here's what I've got now:

Left planter: lavender, mistflower (not yet blooming), lantana (blooming but you can't really see it here), and meadow sage. Pretty happy with this one.
Right planter: gaillardia, cineraria, and gerbera daisies. Probably will switch some of this out at some point; I originally intended to go with coneflowers instead of the daisies, and the cineraria is looking shaggy these days and was always meant to be a temporary placeholder.
Ground: Euryops, jasmine vine #1, coleus+jasmine vine #2, dwarf bottlebrush, and garden pansies to the right of the shelf.
Shelf: Oregano, thyme, spider plant.

I have an eastward-facing balcony that gets full sun all morning, and in the summer here it regularly gets up to 100+ degrees for 3-4 months straight while rarely dropping below 80 at night. My balcony avoids the worst of the afternoon sun heat but is concrete and frequently gets around 120 degrees when it's 100+ out according to the cheap thermometer in the picture.

Primary question: are there any of these I should plan to bring inside or take other measures to protect before we hit summer weather? I'm guessing I'll at least have to move the pansies, cineraria, and euryops.

Secondary question: any particular care advice for any of these? When and if to prune, fertilize, etc. I already messed up some things last year out of ignorance (e.g., the coleus, which was a gift and used to be much bushier with beautiful foliage), and while I've been doing more research this time around and have a clipboard with care instructions for each plant, any advice is welcome.

# ¿ Apr 2, 2024 01:14

Atahualpa: Aug 18, 2015; A lucky bird.

goatse guy posted:

I don't really have any advice since my plants live in the ground rather than in pots, but wanted to say that this is a lovely little setup. It looks so serene and peaceful.

mischief posted:

Yeah, it sounds silly but I miss everything being smaller and well maintained and rewarding.

"Gardening" here now feels more like an outtake from Apocalypse Now most days.

That is a beautiful setup and I am a little jealous.

Orbs posted:

I don't have any advice about the care questions, but thank you for sharing the pic. Those look awesome, and I'm glad they have a lovely view, plus a cat helper.

Arsenic Lupin posted:

First, that's absolutely exquisite and inviting, well done.

Pansies aren't perennials, and in anything but the most moderate of climates they'll stop blooming when the temperature rises. I used to live in the South, where they were winter landscaping, and you pulled them out and threw them away at roughly azalea season. Just enjoy them now and treat them as disposable. The cineraria need to come inside. I've never grown euryops, but Dr. Google says they love hot weather.

If it were me, I'd seriously consider putting up temporary shadecloth on the balcony around May or so. If you can, leave it up in the morning and evening, and down during the worst of the afternoon sun. It won't help with the air temperature, but it will help with the solar gain on the concrete.

Aw, thank you for all the kind words! I've been working on it in bits and pieces for a while as part of a larger project of trying to make my place feel like a home again after some major life disruptions a year ago that left me without much in the way of furniture/decor. Inviting, beautiful, and serene are exactly what I'm going for, so I'm glad it's hitting that way for others.

Thanks as well for the advice, AL. Not sure where I got the idea that the euryops prefer it cooler since everything I'm finding now suggests the opposite.

# ¿ Apr 5, 2024 00:41

Atahualpa: Aug 18, 2015; A lucky bird.

boofhead posted:

you're not gonna leave even a teeny little space for the cat to push its whiskers through the balcony fence and survey its domain?? or is there another, better vantage point for mr./ms. orange

Oh believe me, she finds a way. One of her favorite spots to hang out now is in the larger jasmine pot, where she either keeps an eye on people walking their dogs below, chitters at the birds on the feeder, or just curls up and enjoys the dirt.

# ¿ Apr 8, 2024 22:09

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