Category: Gardening

It’s finally spring in New York City and I have to accept the fact that the muscari bulbs that I planted–and that bloomed last year–froze during the winter and have no chance of coming back up again. This means the tulips from Amsterdam that I planted prior to them are definitely d-e-a-d.

For this season, I opted to spend more money but invested in plants and flowers that thrive in part- to no-shade because of the lack of sunlight on my terrace. I’m just hoping that the unpredictable weather does not bring me a heat wave before spring ends.

Here’s a list of plants that I planted that are also Zone 7 to Zone 9 friendly, or for the New York City area, but also do not need direct sunlight. A reputable nursery should have them available:

Peonies
Bleeding hearts, pink and yellow
Columbines
Elephant ears
Begonias
Impatiens
Japanese ferns
Euphorbias

So to start, I lifted up all the moss that grew in my planter during the off season using a small garden shovel and set them aside on a tray.

I then used a garden clawer to mix, till, and reinvigorate the soil using a lot of elbow grease. I made sure I switched from using my right arm to my left arm just to balance the soreness I will feel later with this workout. I poured in the new soil until there was enough to fill the planter near the brim again. I then continued mixing the two kinds of soil; this is to distribute the new soil’s nutrients to the old one.

Then I planned how the plants will go by arranging them in place while still in their pots. I even took photos to see if I wanted them symmetrical or not. The taller plants went on the back, while the smaller flowers went in the front. The softer plants went on the side, like the ferns and the euphorbias.

I started putting the plants in place. Since I decided on a symmetrical look, I worked from either side and then went towards the center. I was able to adjust the plants to a different position when it was necessary. When I was happy with the placement, I added more soil to top certain empty spots off and gently pressed down around the new plants to secure them in place. The taller plants like the elephant ears and the bleeding hearts needed to stand, so I added plant supports to hold them straight up.

I then filled in the empty spots with the moss. They made such a huge difference; they made everything more green and lush! I only watered the next morning to make sure the soil has settled and wouldn’t run off the top.

It’s been 4 weeks now and we’ve only had a couple of days warm weather so far which I prepared for by watering the plants in the morning before I left for work. Everything still looks great–cross my fingers–and the peonies are starting to come out.

Related post/s:
I high recommend these gardening tools:
– trowel or gardening shovel
– a garden fork or a claw rake
– or get the 3-piece gardening set
– you will need soft garden gloves; I like them better because I can feel the soil without dirtying my fingernails
– these plant supports are everywhere inside and outside my apartment

The city park across from my apartment threw this wooden palette away a few weeks ago. I walked past it while I was walking my dog, Atticus, and decided to come back for it after I dropped him off at home. I dragged it a block and a half home and there was no turning back after I leaned it against my terrace wall.

Look, I already know I have enough plants and planters, but since I decided to plant all tulip bulbs in my cedar box last October, there really isn’t any room for herbs this upcoming season.

The living wall planters from Woolly Pocket have worked well for me indoors, but I wanted to DIY this outside and not spend too much money. The non-woven felt I bought from Amazon.com was only $17 for the roll and because it’s non-woven, it will not unravel and should stand up to mold, mildew, and fading. You’ll need a staple gun here and some extra heavy-duty staples in case you get staple-happy like I did.

Brief interruption: here’s a photo of Atticus hiding in the hallway because he was scared of the loud thuds coming from my staple gun. He kept peeking to see if I was done. So friggin’ cuuuuute.

A regular wooden palette is 39 inches wide if you want it to stand on the shorter side. The roll of black felt I bought was 10′ x 4′. Using fabric scissors, I cut about 16 inches vertically for my first pocket so that when folded, the pocket depth is more or less 8 inches deep. The depth is up to you and may depend on how close the palette stripes are. Mine wasn’t evenly spaced, so as you can see, the third stripe is deeper just because it had to be stapled to a lower rung.

To make one rectangular pocket, I stapled the felt horizontally to the top edge of the first palette stripe, making sure there’s about 3 to 4 inches overhang on either side. I also stapled the bottom edge to make sure it holds.

I folded the vertical edges in and stapled them to seal the sides. Then I folded the rest of the felt up to make a pocket. At each vertical edge, I fanned out the felt and made a pleat to mimic an accordion before stapling along that edge. This gives you room for the soil and plants later.

I stapled the front middle lip to keep the pocket from sagging. Once I have the soil in place, I’ll decided whether I’ll staple more in the front to make smaller individual pockets. I think I’ll keep to 3 rows though because the lowest stripe is too low on the ground.

Come back to this post when I update it with soil and plants!

—

First update:
We didn’t have planting weather here in New York 3 weeks until I after I assembled this palette planter and even then, it wasn’t warm enough to actually start gardening. I did put down some seeds and there was a peep of life after it rained for 5 days straight.

Now, it has been an additional 3 weeks and these red kales are taking shape! The pocket below it also has some smaller sprouts, but the others are showing no signs of life. I’m still waiting though before I put Plan B in place, which is to buy herbs and replace them in those lifeless pockets.

Recommendations:
1. Black non-woven felt that will withstand the elements
2. A nice staple gun that you won’t be able to live without after your first project
3. Extra heavy-duty staples