MENA Gardens

[Nasturtium 500]

My windowboxes are trailing nasturtiums and mara des bois strawberries.

and here are some table/rug shots..

I used some beach mats sewn together to make a reed rug for $2 lol. It's much better than the planks. I have some cute table cloths

I also have finally mounted my hanging baskets. They look empty, but there are hanging tuberous begonias in them.

last one! These are some shots from the ground. I'm up on the 3rd floor. This was obviously before I mounted the brackets for the baskets.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Julianna - it's absolutely lovely and so charming ! Did you make that seashell table ? I love the beach mat rug - I am planning to enclose or at least screen in my back porch, and that idea is perfect for it. What is that orange-flowered viney thing - it's beautiful.

[Nasturtium 500]

Julianna - it's absolutely lovely and so charming ! Did you make that seashell table ? I love the beach mat rug - I am planning to enclose or at least screen in my back porch, and that idea is perfect for it. What is that orange-flowered viney thing - it's beautiful.

Thanks! I can't wait for it to fill in. All of these things are perennial here except the tuberous begonias, nasturtiums, the gesneriad, and the ferns. So I have almost nothing to bring inside! I spent a lot of time, as some here know (because they had to listen to me lol), looking for inspiration and ideas. I really like this blog: http://66squarefeet.blogspot.com/ (on the left, under pigeon holes is the top tag for the terrace where you can see her amazing terrace garden!).

i did make the seashell table. I painted it my favorite blue and then mosaiced the shells on to it. You may remember my 400 other seashell items/fireplace, but I've since been forced to part with them. This is the beginning of round two lol.

The orange-flowered viney thing is Ipomoea lobata, or Spanish Flag/Firecracker vine. They sell it in a lot of stores as seed. I planted it, flying saucer morning glories, moon flowers, and thunbergia alata Spanish Eyes and figured whatever came up could compete for life in the pot. My seed was super old so I over-seeded. I have gotten 3 vines to emerge-- a moonflower (or morning glory-- it's small to be a moonflower but big to be a morning glory so I'll have to see it grow a bit more), a thunbergia, and this spanish flag. Here is a link to a more bloomy plant from someone else

http://media.photobucket.com/image/recent/itsnotworkitsgardening/October%25202010/IMGP6790.jpg

All of the above love sun, and of course I have shade. So it was really just an experiment.

My cheap wire windowbox hangers are because seriously, I am NOT paying $12 per bracket to hang those boxes. When the plants grow up more, they will hide that. My teeny balcony is 12x4. Ammar has no idea I've done this lol. We'll see what he thinks when he comes back since he was not in favor of a garden

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Thanks! I can't wait for it to fill in. All of these things are perennial here except the tuberous begonias, nasturtiums, the gesneriad, and the ferns. So I have almost nothing to bring inside! I spent a lot of time, as some here know (because they had to listen to me lol), looking for inspiration and ideas. I really like this blog: http://66squarefeet.blogspot.com/ (on the left, under pigeon holes is the top tag for the terrace where you can see her amazing terrace garden!).

i did make the seashell table. I painted it my favorite blue and then mosaiced the shells on to it. You may remember my 400 other seashell items/fireplace, but I've since been forced to part with them. This is the beginning of round two lol.

The orange-flowered viney thing is Ipomoea lobata, or Spanish Flag/Firecracker vine. They sell it in a lot of stores as seed. I planted it, flying saucer morning glories, moon flowers, and thunbergia alata Spanish Eyes and figured whatever came up could compete for life in the pot. My seed was super old so I over-seeded. I have gotten 3 vines to emerge-- a moonflower (or morning glory-- it's small to be a moonflower but big to be a morning glory so I'll have to see it grow a bit more), a thunbergia, and this spanish flag. Here is a link to a more bloomy plant from someone else

http://media.photobucket.com/image/recent/itsnotworkitsgardening/October%25202010/IMGP6790.jpg

All of the above love sun, and of course I have shade. So it was really just an experiment.

My cheap wire windowbox hangers are because seriously, I am NOT paying $12 per bracket to hang those boxes. When the plants grow up more, they will hide that. My teeny balcony is 12x4. Ammar has no idea I've done this lol. We'll see what he thinks when he comes back since he was not in favor of a garden

You are so creative !

I have got to track down that Firecracker vine - I looked it up and it should be great for South Texas.

LOL you didn't tell your husband you turned the balcony into a farm. Well I think he probably has learned by now to expect this sort of thing from you

[Nasturtium 500]

You are so creative !

I have got to track down that Firecracker vine - I looked it up and it should be great for South Texas.

LOL you didn't tell your husband you turned the balcony into a farm. Well I think he probably has learned by now to expect this sort of thing from you

Well he knew it was headed south when I started picking up a few plants here and there this spring. On the bright side, I actually owned a lot of the pots and such so I mostly spent on plants and dirt. he knows about some of the plants too, as I forgot to delay their shipment until he was gone (I am sneaky). So I am sure he has sinking feelings about it lol. He's complain about it but ultimately, if it looks really nice, he'll get over it.

Try looking at Lowes even or HD.. or WM.. the seeds are pretty common and you can get them for under $2! I had never tried them before even though I thought they were looking pretty cute. I now feel I have missed out on years where I should have grown them! It's grown another 8 inches since I took that picture

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

The War on Bermuda Grass has Begun.

[Nasturtium 500]

The War on Bermuda Grass has Begun.

Bermuda grass is from Satan! Well, not really, but I hate it too. That is one advantage to a balcony-- no invasive weeds! My bulbs, tubers, etc are sprouting... little things peeking up over the soil!

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Bermuda grass is from Satan! Well, not really, but I hate it too. That is one advantage to a balcony-- no invasive weeds! My bulbs, tubers, etc are sprouting... little things peeking up over the soil!

I need one of these

Or napalm.

[Nasturtium 500]

I need one of these

Or napalm.

Maybe both!

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Maybe both!

I can see it now at HD...

Me: "I'd like some napalm, please"

Them: "Bermuda grass, eh ? It's now immune to napalm... "

[Nasturtium 500]

I can see it now at HD...

Me: "I'd like some napalm, please"

Them: "Bermuda grass, eh ? It's now immune to napalm... "

Or they'll tell you it really needs a 3-prong approach of napalm, agent orange, and a small hydrogen bomb.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

First tomato

Yellow cherry tomatoes

Lemons

Lots more blooms on the lemon tree

Crepe myrtle

Pentas (in pot), coreopsis, lavender

Texas pink evening primrose (volunteer)

Edited May 31, 2012 by wife_of_mahmoud

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Golden dewdrop... (named for golden berries that appear, but I think its tiny blue flowers are amazing) with pink rock rose in the background

Pink & rose salvias

[msheesha 548]

Beautiful.

I'm inspired by your green thumb.

Having a heck of a time with landscaping at the new house.

The hydrangeas are wilting. We planted them in a spot we had yuccas removed. I don't think all the yuccas roots were gotten up, and think they're sucking up any moisture the hydrangeas are needing. Sigh!

First tomato

Yellow cherry tomatoes

Lemons

Lots more blooms on the lemon tree

Crepe myrtle

Pentas (in pot), coreopsis, lavender

Texas pink evening primrose (volunteer)

Are those yellow flowers tickweed? We just put some in.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Beautiful.

I'm inspired by your green thumb.

Having a heck of a time with landscaping at the new house.

The hydrangeas are wilting. We planted them in a spot we had yuccas removed. I don't think all the yuccas roots were gotten up, and think they're sucking up any moisture the hydrangeas are needing. Sigh!

Are those yellow flowers tickweed? We just put some in.

Yes, coreopsis = tickweed. I love its happy yellow flowers. It's a great plant for us here in South Texas as it is quite drought- and heat-tolerant.

And thank you - it's my lil hobby. (F)

Edited May 31, 2012 by wife_of_mahmoud