Rain Barrel Planter Renovation!

One of the first garden improvement projects I did after we bought our condo was to install a rain barrel that looks like a rock in my front yard. I figured (correctly) that if my rain barrel looks more like a lawn ornament I wouldn’t get the stink eye from my neighbors or my Homeowner’s Association.

But mostly I wanted something that looks nice since I have to look at it.

The only downside is that the rain barrel is one solid piece and almost impossible to clean when leaves and whatnot block the spigot from the inside of the rain barrel. After many years of service, the rain barrel started to leak. Instead of trying to repair it again, I decided to replace it with this exact decorative rain barrel planter that is easier to clean and winterize. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links for your convenience.)

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DIY Outdoor Plant Hanger

I have a bunch of pea seeds left from last year’s garden by design. I need to find a better way to plant them so the vines don’t take over my small patio container garden like they did last summer.

The heavy duty plant hanging eye bolt similar to this kind I used years ago and largely ignored gave me the inspiration to try growing peas in a hanging planter. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links for your convenience.)

Spoiler alert: All of the hanging planters I found were so high off the ground they required my short little self to pull out a step stool to water them. I hate dragging out a step ladder to store things normal people can reach. That’s why anything above my head is dead to me – including hanging plants.

I considered a macrame plant hanger but I wasn’t sure how well cotton or jute cording would hold up outside. And again, the hangs the plant too high and over my head thing.

The only solution was to make an outdoor plant hanger myself. 

 

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New Self Watering Patio Vegetable Garden Tour

Every year my husband and I come home from the nursery with more plants and seeds than we have pots in our container garden even though we swear we aren’t going to do it this year. 

Honest. 

Promise. 

We swear.

And totally ignore when we are buying plants and seeds. 

At least we are consistent.

We really don’t use the patio for anything other than a few potted plants.I finally made peace with myself that we will never be a hanging out on the patio around a fire pit kind of family (sad face.) Since our eyes and shopping cart are always bigger than our space and with supply chain issues and inflation we decided to turn the entire patio into a vegetable garden which more than doubled the amount of room we have to grow vegetables in a small space.

 

 Patio container garden BEFORE

How to Prevent Cabbage Worms and Garden Pests the Easy Way!

For the 2023 gardening season depending upon how it goes in 2022

One summer, my husband and I tried growing a cabbage from its stem. Once it grew a good set of roots, I planted it outside in our container garden. 

Where we learn just how much cabbage worms love cabbage. We vowed never to plant cabbage again. 

 

We were successful growing the cabbage and Romain lettuce. The celery failed us.

So what did I do? I decided to grow broccoli, kohlrabi, and bok choy thinking the seeds would be a better gardening investment because those fresh vegetables can be on the more expensive side in the grocery store.It was only after I got home that I learned I bought a bunch of seeds in the brassicas (cabbage) family.

We were right back where we started. Because not only do cabbage worms like to eat and destroy cabbage plants, they also like chowing down on broccoli, kohlrabi, and baby bok choy.

Fortunately there is an easy one and done way to prevent cabbage worms from wreaking havoc on your vegetables: use floating row covers. 

How to Use Floating Row Covers on Container Garden Flower Pots and Planters

Easy Self Watering Patio Herb Garden

At first my husband and I grew the typical basil, oregano, etc. we'd buy at the grocery store after the growing season. Then we started adding a couple of "I wonder what that bougie herb tastes like" plants  for fun. It turned out to be a tasty budget living hack because I use this exact Nesco dehydrator to dry my fresh herbs and use during the rest of the year for free instead of paying a much higher price at the fancy grocery store. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links in this post for your convenience.)

  We. Need. More! 

Insert Mad Scientist laugh here: Mawhaha! 

Living in a condo my vegetable gardening space is limited to my small patio. It took a bit of a think until I realized the same indoor small indoor space organizing idea can also be applied to outdoor spaces. If you can't build out, build up!

I got the ball rolling last year, when I scored this metal plant stand for 5 bucks at Goodwill last summer. Since most herbs like cilantro, dill and the like grow tall, I wasn't sure how to mange growing herbs on the second shelf and gave it a test run with  the current pots last season.