container gardening plus!, the second year

potatoes and onions

Last summer, I grew potatoes on my back porch. They didn't turn out quite like I was hoping (and we didn't even end up eating them) but I'm trying again this year!

This time, I've tried to grow quite a few more things, too. So far, I planted red, white, and sweet potatoes and white onions from sprouted produce, and beefsteak tomatoes, spinach, chives, cilantro, oregano, basil, parsley, lavender, wild flower mix, shasta daisies, and pansies from seeds.

tiny lavender plants

I did all this gardening one day (a Tuesday) in an attempt to speed up my labor. It didn't work, but I sure got a lot done that day!

Well, we had a really wet first couple of weeks in June, and then it got very hot and dry, so some of my plants didn't make it, and others aren't doing that great. If I was a more fastidious gardener these things wouldn't have affected my plants.

herbs!

As it is, I accidentally bought decorative pots (with poor drainage) for a couple of my containers so those plants were too wet, and I planted my tomato seeds in pots that don't hold moisture, so they dried up. I really just haven't had the time to pay a lot of attention to these plants, so they've had to fend for themselves. The herb seeds didn't take off, so that planter is totally empty now. My spinach bolted, so it had to be pitched. The sweet potatoes never did sprout, and the wildflowers were washed out with the rain.

before

after

However, there were several plants that were successful. My white and red potatoes are doing pretty well, and the onions are also growing. Our yard now has daisy and pansy starts planted in it, but neither of those has flowered yet. The lavender has been very resilient and is growing well in the yard also.

My lovely in-laws are in town right now, and they helped (read: did most of the work) weed and plant more things in our front yard and parking strip. I now have lettuce, beets, zucchini and acorn squash seeds planted out there. They also bought us basil, oregano, and parsley in a planter at the farmers' market the other day. I am so grateful for some herbs that are already thriving! (Now I just have to try to keep them alive.)

Do you (attempt to) garden? Have any tips for me in my efforts?