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Planting the Summer Windowbox

In my last post, I mentioned that I had planted my bungalow windowbox for the summer. For some reason the windowbox plants never grow as well as I expect them to, but by using a completely new selection of plants this year I hope my luck will change.

In the past Ms. Bungalow and I have agreed on classic annuals like geraniums, pansies and snapdragons for the windowbox. This year, I got to pick all the plants myself. I chose to highlight the color and texture of the leaves and just use flowers as an accent. The new book, Container Garden, Vol. 5, that I picked up from Taunton was a handy reference for plant and design ideas. (Props to local garden store star, Tangletown Gardens, for getting featured in the regional section of that book.)

My summer windowbox contains a textured mix of chartreuse, silver, and purple:

• Creeping Jenny- This chartreuse green trailing plant will soften the container edge and contrast with the brick.
• Flowering Kale- This is a popular container and landscape plant because of its dark purple, highly-textured leaves and robust size.
• Dusty Miller- Its light silver leaves are similar in shape to the kale, but the color contrast will help the windowbox pop.
• Flowering Sage- The tallest plant in the windowbox, this produces tall spikes of purple flowers over full green foliage.

The plants are small now, but I have been watering them faithfully (from the rain barrel, of course) and I hope it won’t be long before they fill up the windowbox. Light is a challenge in this spot because it receives full sun in the morning, but after noon, the sun has moved far enough overhead that the house and overhanging eaves completely shade the windowbox for the rest of the day. All the plants I picked require part sun, so I think they should do alright, but if these plants follow the pattern of windowbox disappointment from recent years, I’ll have to try a shade-loving arrangement next time.

Tags: garden, windowbox

Posted in Projects | 3 Comments »

Friends School Plant Sale

Friday’s foray to the Friends School Plant Sale in St. Paul went smashingly. I didn’t get there until around 1 p.m. and missed the worst of the crowds, though it was still plenty busy.

Shortly after I arrived, I connected with my garden master friends who were nearly ready to check out after three hours shopping. They were in the first 10 of over 900 early birds who received numbered wristbands for admittance when the sale opened at 10:00 a.m. They also won an award for their customized multi-tiered garden cart, which obviously put my wagon to shame.

Of the 30 or so items on my shopping list, only two were sold out, and one had suffered crop failure. I recall more unavailable items from 2nd day shopping in previous years. I spent only a couple minutes in line to enter the sale and just over ten minutes in line to check out, so the crowds were quite manageable, too. On balance, I am very happy with my decision to try shopping the first day of the sale this year. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: flowers, garden

Posted in Journal | 2 Comments »

Geared Up For The Friends Plant Sale

After pouring over the sale catalog, considering our garden needs, and preparing my shopping list, I am finally ready for the Friends School Plant Sale tomorrow.

This will be my first year going to the sale on Friday, its opening day, so I’m expecting that the crowds and craziness I have experienced in past years will be amplified considerably from Saturdays of previous years. Recognizing that I’ll need every advantage I can get in these conditions, I have prepared what is easily my best Friends Sale rig to date.

My first year at the sale, I just used a simple cardboard flat that I carried around in my arms the whole time. Brutal! Then, a year or two ago, I used a couple low crates tied to a furniture dolly. Because the dolly had swivel casters on all four corners, it never tracked in a straight line and was nearly impossible to maneuver through the aisles. This year I’m using the boys’ wagon, which I’ve accessorized with several bins that allow me to carry up to three layers of plants.

With my gear all set, I just need to get some sleep so I’ll be as ready to roll as the wagon is when it’s time to go to the sale tomorrow.

Tags: garden, Tools

Posted in Journal | 6 Comments »

Weekend Discoveries

Every old house owner gets surprised now and then. Sometimes the surprises are bad, like when you discover a broken drain pipe. And sometimes the surprises are good, like when you find buried treasure in your yard. If you’re lucky, the good surprises outnumber the bad.

I can’t claim to be keeping strict accounting of my old house surprises, but after a weekend that included four good discoveries, it sure feels like the good side is ahead in the ledger. Specifically, my weekend discoveries included something old, something red, something ugly, and something unbearably cute. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: antiques, fauna, found in house, roof, Wallpaper

Posted in Journal | 6 Comments »

Locally-Sourced All-Natural Pigeon Control

Some fellow Minneapolitans may have found the answer to my pigeon problems. Best of all, this pigeon control solution is completely green, VOC-free, locally-sourced and all-natural.

It’s a predator!

This video was shot by netclift about a mile from my place:

And Lost Forest After Dark shows what happens when a pigeon meets a hawk.

This isn’t a very selective pigeon-control treatment, so populations of squirrels, rabbits, and smaller birds might also decline after introducing a predator. Nevertheless, if a fake owl can be good pigeon control, a real owl must be fantastic!

Tags: green, Local, Pests

Posted in Ideas | 7 Comments »