My Small Space Container Garden


It's hard to believe that it was just over a year ago when I sent Fern Richardson photos of my balcony garden for her book, Small Space Container Gardens. It's even more unbelievable to see a full page profile of my very own balcony on page 137! While the book is a wonderfully inspiring treasure trove of eye candy, I can't in good conscience give a review since it would be a bit biased. Instead, I'll tell you how my balcony has changed and... what the heck. I'll give a copy to one lucky reader too!



If you like the neat little projects that I've been posting here at The Rainforest Garden, you just have to check out the lush ferns and bromeliads in the chapter devoted to vertical gardening. Or the chapter about succulents. Or edibles. I really do love the whole book, and not just page 137.

The photo of my balcony in Small Space Container Gardens was shot from a distance, and it gives a view of hanging baskets and tillandsias draping down and filling the space. The second photo isn't of my own balcony, but the Woolly Pocket surely wouldn't look out of place! I loved my balcony back then, but it's really come a long way in the last year. Let me give you the grand tour and I'll reward you at the end with a chance to win the book!



Present Day



While the plants are mostly the same, I have since moved the Tillandsias and many of the hanging baskets to let in more of that valuable light, and I've added heavy metal baskets to the ledge to organize and support my burgeoning collection of horticultural treasures.



I've also planted many of my bromeliads and saplings in the apartment complex. Since my mother was losing her home, our property manager was more than willing to let me add a garden of unusual tropical plants to the grounds. The area pictured is essentially devoid of any soil, since the tree's roots have filled every available space. Luckily, these bromeliads and ferns don't need soil! Dendrobiums perfume the air, epiphytic cacti and bromeliads surprise the residents with their sporadic blooms, and the nearby palms, gingers and Alocasias impart a lush tropical feel.




Most recent of the changes to my balcony was the addition of a huge hunk of driftwood which I've planted with an Ardisia, Rhipsalis and bromeliads. Two wall brackets hold the installation in place and evenly distribute the weight. The Ardisia rootball had already been growing sans-container wrapped in sphagnum moss, but now I've tied it to the driftwood and tucked in more moss between the spaces. Wrapping it all up with a bit of twine. Afterwards I tucked in a few bromeliads and checked the time. The whole project took less than thirty minutes, and I still had time to make another rainforest drop!


Okay, so you want to win the book? You don't have to jump through any hoops or anything, just leave a comment and I'll randomly draw a name on May 2nd. Even if you don't win, it's only $13.57 on Amazon, for those of you with both a small garden and a small budget.
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29 comments:

  1. I'm surprised that the Ardisia has been working, but I suppose your plants probably get watered more than mine do. Which would explain it.

    (I appreciate your not requiring a Facebook/Twitter/etc. to participate in the drawing, as I have neither.)

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  2. Believe it or not, it's been doing great! I just use a mister so that all of the water gets absorbed and even when I miss a watering it comes right back. Truth be told, it's so aggressive here in Florida that it sometimes pops up in trees via bird poop. Oh, and I understand the aversion to Twitter and Facebook. With everything that's been going on lately I've completely abandoned Twitter and only post occasionally on Facebook.

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  3. Your balcony garden is looking great, and I am glad you were able to move some of the plants over from your moms garden to the complex. I also "geurilla garden" in our complex! Congratulations on being included in the book - it looks like a good one.

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    1. HA! I love that you do a little guerrilla gardening yourself. Once the rains kick in I'll go out spreading some wildflower seeds!

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  4. Always enjoy your posts and love some of the ideas. Borrowed ones are always the best!

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    1. Thanks! Be sure to leave your name so I can announce it if you win!

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  5. Congratulations! Bromeliads, succulents, small spaces...looks like I'll definitely have to check out the book. Really like what you did with the bromeliads at the tree..they're perfect there and I bet an educational experience for others in the complex..and isn't that part of what gardening is all about? Sharing. Thanks to you for sharing. And please don't abandon FB, it's how I found you!

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    1. I love it when people ask me about the plants! I need to start doing Q and A posts or something. Anyways, I'm not abandoning Facebook like I did Twitter, it's just been hard to find the time with family emergencies going on! It's all about priorities...

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    2. You won! You won! Email your address to steve_asbell @ yahoo.com and I'll send you your copy!

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  6. I love your garden and I love reading about your Mom. What a wonderful lady.

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  7. I find much of what you do inspiring for my indoor collection. I live in the Pacific North West so it is a bit too cold to grow them outside, but I dry mounted orchids to cork and hung them on the wall.

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  8. I find much of what you do inspiring for my indoor collection. I live in the Pacific North West so it is a bit too cold to grow them outside, but I dry mounted orchids to cork and hung them on the wall.

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  9. I find much of what you do inspiring for my indoor collection. I live in the Pacific North West so it is a bit too cold to grow them outside, but I dry mounted orchids to cork and hung them on the wall.

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  10. Wow, that's great that your balcony was featured in this book! How cool is that!? I love that your landlord let you create gardens on the property, who would say no to that? I do a lot of container gardening myself even though I have a huge yard with lots of gardens. But I live in Minnesota, so my tropicals and other non hardy plants have to be portable so I can bring them into the house during winter. As always, I envy your collection - everything looks fabulous!

    Amy

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  11. Very very nice! Always nice to see what people can do of they really want to grow exotic plants. Here is South Africa they grow too easy so their almost are forgotten.

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  12. Congratulations on page 137 Steve!!! You always have the best ideas for gardening in small spaces and continue to be an inspiration.

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  13. Looks great, Steve! We don't do much with tropicals, simply because we don't have the right setup to overwinter them indoors (lack of window space and humidity). It's nice to see what others in different climates can accomplish with a little effort. Nice job!

    Tom/@SolakNC

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  14. Awesome. I love to see the changes and evolutions in people's gardens!

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  15. Looking wonderful, Steve.
    Susan McAllister

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  16. Congrats Steve on getting photos of your garden in a book...how exciting! Your balcony is looking lusher than ever and I like the broms around the tree.

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  17. Oh, congrats on having your balcony garden published! Everything is looking very happy in the current picture - even lusher. Very nice of you to relocate those plants and bring some color to your apartment complex.

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  18. Very pretty,love the displays.......I love flowers,big or small I love them all

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  19. Love your beautiful and healthy plants!! How fitting that
    your cool balcony was included in Fern's book!! Also I love
    what you are doing to your Apt.complex!! It looks so....
    'Natural' just like Mother-nature herself planted those
    plants!! Haha Keep us posted... it's so enjoyable to see
    the wonderful progress :)

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  20. How do the plants hold up in rain or windy weather? Also is that orange and yellow flowered plant a penta?

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  21. Wow, this is an inspiration! I live in a cooler climate so I don't know what I could get away with plant-wise, but I love all the different things you have incorporated to make it feel so inviting. I love driftwood so when Hurricane Irene came through New England, I ended up packing huge pieces of trees that I had previously admired from the street and brought them home so they wouldn't end up in the dumpster. Now they are with the bonsai trees. Your birdcage is definitely my favorite! Great work!

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  22. You have really made great use of a small area. So nice to have your efforts recognized in print.
    Janis M.

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  23. Fingers crossed. My girlfriend and I would put this to use.

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