container gardening in Texas

I’m no Juliet but sure enjoying my new balcony!

~ Becky Ross Michael ~ 50 Comments

Cool breeze, dappled sunlight, rustling leaves, cooing doves, and the aroma of popcorn from across the Square. Evening brings a view of the sunset and appearance of white lights tucked away in the trees. Most importantly, I now have my own outdoor space in which to exercise my hopefully still green thumb!

My sister surprised me by sending the great book, pictured below, as an “apartment warming” gift. Several of you offered helpful suggestions for gardening in a small space, as well, when I wrote about my impending move. With these resources and a few other books I have about container gardening, I’m making plans here in Texas!

Watching and waiting more than 3 years for “the right apartment,” my time has finally come. I’m all moved in and mainly have just books left to unpack (which is about half my possessions:) Even though I only moved to a different apartment in the same building, it was still a lot of work, of course. Happily, I managed to keep up with my editing for pay work (motivated by that pesky budget) AND managed to write a new section for a chapter book in progress (motivated by my wonderful critique groups).

Now, if I just could get these boxes of books unpacked and placed on the shelves…

 

 

 

In My Blood

~ Becky Ross Michael ~ 48 Comments
A Spring Favorite: Pulmonaria (Lungwort)

Gardening can be a pleasant diversion, economic necessity, motivating challenge, or even somewhat of an addiction. As mentioned in a previous post, my childhood was surrounded by lovely gardens that produced both beauty and bounty. In adulthood, I slowly grew into my own on the gardening front.

My Small Vegetable Garden in Michigan

All of this stopped short when I moved from my home in Michigan and chose a “temporary” Texas apartment with no personal outdoor space. I hoped to get more creative with indoor gardening and had no idea to what extent I would miss having a garden area beyond my windows. After about three years, my plans and hopes to change all of this have finally come together!

Indoor Plants in Current Place

A move just one floor down in my apartment building offers me the balcony of my dreams. I’ll miss the direct view of sunrise and many moons rising, as well, but by moving to the other side, I’ll have sunsets and a lovely view of the Square. On the second floor, I’ll also be closer to tree level and sounds of birdsong. What will I grow in my balcony garden?

View of Square from Balcony

My gardening experience in Texas is limited, so research is in order. To further complicate matters, I move in mid-November, which isn’t peak season. As we all know, climate is quite unpredictable these days, but I’m gathering resources about year ’round container gardening in Texas. I’d like to have something that flowers (pansies?) and herbs or other types of plants that might come in handy for cooking. I’d love to try leaf lettuce in the spring! Covering plants during the winter for protection during frost or even bringing pots inside shouldn’t be too much of a problem. I’m excited! Looks like my hardiness zone is listed as 8a. I’d love to read ideas in comments if you live in a similar area and have container planting ideas to share!

Pansies

This new activity will certainly be a pleasant diversion to get me away from the computer on occasion. This could even save me money that might otherwise be spent on fresh herbs, which can be pricey. I’m definitely motivated and intrigued by this new challenge. As for the addictive part, only time will tell. Gardening is, after all, in my blood. That phrase reminds me of a  song I love, “You’re in My Veins,” by Andrew Belle. Hope you like it, too, and will give it a listen!