Anyone a gardener?

[to_hope 0]

I trust the advice on here:

I'm moving in with my husband this weekend (hurray!). We have a medium size porch (uncovered) off the back of our apartment. I bought a fairly large metal planter to add some greenery back there, but I don't know what to plant in it. The planter is 3 feet high and about 2.5 feet wide. It can be placed in mostly shade or a mix of sun and shade.

My husband and I will be gone from our home in the end of May until the start of August. Someone will be looking after our apartment, but I don't want to plant anything that is high maintenance. And I also want something that I can enjoy through August and into September.

I love sunflowers but don't know if that would work? Any suggestions?

[SonoranSongbird 3]

I planted sunflowers once and they did quite well. And I am not a particularly good gardener. They did get to be VERY TALL so if you have very limited space, they may not be the best idea.

If you want to plant vegetables as well as flowers, marigolds are supposedly a very good flower to have alongside the vegetables.

You might also want to consider asking at local nurseries.

[mr and mrs 187]

I trust the advice on here:

I'm moving in with my husband this weekend (hurray!). We have a medium size porch (uncovered) off the back of our apartment. I bought a fairly large metal planter to add some greenery back there, but I don't know what to plant in it. The planter is 3 feet high and about 2.5 feet wide. It can be placed in mostly shade or a mix of sun and shade.

My husband and I will be gone from our home in the end of May until the start of August. Someone will be looking after our apartment, but I don't want to plant anything that is high maintenance. And I also want something that I can enjoy through August and into September.

I love sunflowers but don't know if that would work? Any suggestions?

i am! i actually work at a garden center so this is a common question.

1. where do you live? that will play some part in the equation.

2. you have a LOT of space and soil. you could do almost anything. my inclination would be to plant a mixture of herbs and flowers so you can get twice the fun from it. (and i love how herbs look in planters)

3. you can do sunflowers. as long as its not terribly windy, because they can get knocked down, or they can flip the container.

4. you could do late blooming dahlias. i had mine into october last year, and i live in vermont.

5. ask your local garden center! they can talk to you about what is appropriate for your area and can also tell you what they have to offer you.

lets see here are some other suggestions:

most annuals will provide color all season long until a frost.

tall grasses look nice in containers.

(wave) petunias (thats their name) produce masses of flowers all summer

in a shady spot you could plant coleus (a foliage plant with lots of different colors) and begonias (beautiful, floopy, romantic)

how exciting for you! a move AND a gardening space!

now youve got me excited about my containers! ive in a second/thrid floor apartment and do a lot of container gardening. look!

containers on my front porch from 2 years ago.

[Reba 2]

If you're not even going to be home to water anything for 4 months, I wouldn't advise planting anything until you get back, and then plant some annuals that'll bloom thru the fall. Containers need extra care and watering, as they will dry out quicker than planting in the ground. Unless you're somewhere that will get regular rainfall, and whoever is minding your apartment will make sure the plants are not getting blown over or drying out or crowded out by weeds, I don't think much of anything will survive in a container for 4 months without care.

[Krikit 1,163]

containers on my front porch from 2 years ago.

Ohmygoodness, that is so beautiful! And I love the building and the area, too. So un-apartment like. Just lovely.

[mr and mrs 187]

i really like where i live. burlington, vermont. come visit! im really excited to have my fiance come and be here. will make me love my city even more! (plus he should be here just in time for gardening season. that means help with weeding!! woohoo.)

and i think the OP said she would have someone taking care of the place, and unless they HATE gardening (which some people do), im sure they could water 2 or 3 times a week. with a metal container that large its not going to dry out as as quickly as say a hanging basket or a 10" terra cotta pot. but if the watering is a possible issue, then i agree. wait and plant annuals in the fall (they will be on sale!)

[Kathryn41 3,205]

A lot will depend on where the OP lives. Here in Georgia I have to water my container plants every day during the heat of the summer, even the ones in the shade of the porch, unless it has rained that day.

[Wis-Can 0]

Container gardening does require maintenance that your not going to be able to give if your not home. They do dry out quickly in the heat of the summer. There are some varieties of hosta's that might work well. The ornamental grasses are nice and come in alot of varieties and look so pretty grouped together. I am an avid gardener myself. Can't wait to get to my new house and start flower beds. Good luck!

[to_hope 0]

Thanks for the advice! I can honestly say by reading these posts my knowledge of gardening has increased probably a hundred fold!

As for the questions- I am moving to Michigan where the summers are hot and humid. Where I will live there is a lot of Lake effect precipitation, but the pot would have to be watered beyond natural rainfall. The person who is looking after our apartment is not a gardener so maybe I should wait until I get back. We are not gone for 4 months though- just under 10 weeks. Is that still too long to have no care (except being watered). I am just so excited to have a place of my own! haha.

Mr and Mrs- your pots are gorgeous! I hope I can make mind look like that some day.

Anyone else have pictures of their gardens to inspire me?

Edited April 3, 2009 by to_hope

[Reba 2]

Even gone for 10 weeks, planting anything in a container would just be a waste of money IMO. Wait until you get back and can enjoy the blooms first hand.

[Krikit 1,163]

i really like where i live. burlington, vermont. come visit! im really excited to have my fiance come and be here. will make me love my city even more! (plus he should be here just in time for gardening season. that means help with weeding!! woohoo.)

I've been to Burlington, VT! I used to live across the border in NB so we'd go there shopping.

Even gone for 10 weeks, planting anything in a container would just be a waste of money IMO. Wait until you get back and can enjoy the blooms first hand.

I agree. I had someone watering my containers while I was away last summer and everything was dead when I got home. I've even left my husband in charge of watering my plants while I've been away and they've STILL been neglected and died!!!!! No one really cares as much as you do, I find. But here's a link to a homemade irrigation system if you're interested: Garden Drip System