As previously said, I am an amateur gardener (in the most generous sense). My grandfather was the real gardener in the family and among the books and plants I also inherited from him a green thumb, an inclination for trying new things and a stubborn head.
This past spring I planted seeds for the third time in my life. Amazingly, they grew! All credit goes to the mind blowing process that is seed germination. As the little plinfants grew and grew, they started to require some more room. (Kinda like crib to big kid bed! Yes. My plants are my babies. Also Yes. I foresee this being a traumatic allegory decision.)
Anyways. I started by harassing a friend with a car to drive me to a garden centre. Mission get my plinfants a big kid bed: initiate! I also got a lovely lattice for the balcony. Decorating with plants, check.
I filled the weighted planter with black dirt and potting soil (gloves not required!) and got my Sweetie tomato babies into their new home. Now, tomatoes aren't stand alone plants. They need cages. Like bars on the top bunk. (Oooo. Bunk bed analogy. 12 self-points.) Since my access to the garden centre was limited (Miss you Taylor!!) it was off to the dollar store to figure out a makeshift temporary cage. String stick cage = better than nothing!
Actually, I was really pleased with the dollar store's seasonal garden aisle, if I'm honest. I ended up buying bins to repot the Tiny Tims tomatoes, and later, actual metal cages.
So far so good! My plant babies were living full time outside and I bought some fertilizer to keep them growing strong. Unfortunately though, the weather was not cooperating. 4 days straight of cloud and rain make for very unhappy plant campers. Especially since they're stuck in planters. I did what I could to reduce the amount of water that deluged my plant babies, but weather is an unstoppable force.
My Sweetie's currently have some blight, which makes me cry a bit, but hopefully with some pruning, good weather and lots of sun they will feel better. They seem to still be pretty happy as they've fruited! Yay! The Tiny Tims are also flowering; Basil plants are getting woody; and Mint is bushing out. (Haha.) So far mission balcony garden is doing very well!
-knocks on wood-
-Andrea
The Half-Assed Hobbyist