Garden With What You've Got

Part of the impetus for this blog is to inspire people to get their hands dirty and enjoy gardening, even if they don't have a large, walled garden with established trees and shrubs. Even if they have, well...see below. In time, I may also go around snapping pics of well potted fire escapes, garden rooms, and window sills--the idea is just to 'garden with what you've got.'


March, 2008


This photo was taken after I had dug up all the weeds along the borders and planted an azalea in the corner (more on that azalea later--I'm not thrilled with it even now). There were (and are) a nice pink rose on the left and yellow and blue irises. I dragged over those white trellises from the alley, but never managed to use them.


August 2009


I quickly discovered Morning Glory, and happily let it spread and spread...and spread...until it finally engulfed everything. One week away from home and this is what it looked like when I returned!

Since the Morning Glory wanted to grow up high, it began to crest and bunch up on top of itself, and eventually fell over. The 'wall of vines' you see in the back was about 4 1/2 feet tall, until it slumped inward.


April 2011

So this year I'm trying something new. These trellises are wired securely to the chain-link fence, and I plan to grow some Morning Glory from the hanging pots, high up. This way, the screening process can begin earlier than normal. Otherwise, my Morning Glory wouldn't reach 4-5 feet in height until mid July.

Further, when Morning Glory vines grow up from the ground, with their large, thick, heart-shaped leaves, air circulation is impeded, and I think this may have contributed to the horrific case of mildew and black spot my roses suffered two years ago.


Sometimes I wish I had just planted climbing ivy or grape vine on the chain-link fence when I first moved in. It would have covered every inch by now and would have provided a more permanent sort of coverage. I do like the way it looks (it is spreading across the house now), but I've always felt that it would be too permanent a step. With a very small garden, it can be almost too easy to finish a job quickly. And I personally prefer having the freedom to 'remodel' every year, and try all sorts of climbing plants--of which, I will say more in another post!