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Garden Gate:  Patio Garden on the North Side??  |
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22angel
True Blue Farmgirl
498 Posts
Pam
Manitoba
Canada
498 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 09 2012 : 4:26:12 PM
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Hello Ladies
I live in a small apartment, and although my cousin & I are planning a garden again this year at her place, I want to grow some vegetables & flowers on my patio. It's a small-ish patio - 5 ft wide by 10 ft long. I live in Zone 3a/b (depending on where you look, there isn't that much difference between them honestly) in Manitoba (Canada).
I want to grow some peas (I have Wando, Norli & Karina, not sure which ones I'm going to try here & only a few plants, not the whole package!), Cucumber Armenian, Bean Contender (bush) & Spinach Bloomsdale. I also want some strawberries, but I'm going to buy a plant from the nursery.
So my question is, is it possible? Or worth trying? I think it would be a bit more protected from the strong afternoon sunlight, and they would still get morning & late afternoon/evening light. Is that enough? Will they grow, do you think? I've tried looking online but haven't found a whole lot, honestly. I would like other plants too, but my patio just isn't that big. (I also have some Morning Glory Tricolor Ensign Mix that I'm going to plant, but I'm not too worried about them.) Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Life isn't about finding yourself. It's about creating yourself.
"When I grow up, I want to be dirt." seen on a box through construction in Wyoming 2010 |
Edited by - 22angel on Apr 09 2012 4:33:00 PM |
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jan49829
True Blue Farmgirl
2428 Posts
Janet
Gladstone
Mi.
USA
2428 Posts |
Posted - Apr 09 2012 : 5:35:20 PM
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I am not sure, but I would say go for it and experiment and see what plants grow the best for you this year, then you will know more for next year. Give it a try and let us know how your plants are doing.
Janet
Farmgirl Sister #3340
http://hardatworkcrafts.blogspot.com
http://Jan49829.etsy.com
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Apr 09 2012 : 9:13:21 PM
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Foil around the base of the plants can provide more heat and light. We use it here for our tomatoes because we have a short growing season.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
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22angel
True Blue Farmgirl
498 Posts
Pam
Manitoba
Canada
498 Posts |
Posted - Apr 10 2012 : 7:30:43 PM
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Ok :). I talked to one of my friends tonight & she said that my vegetables would probably be ok on the north side :). Now to just wait until after May long to plant them...I'm thinking of starting them inside, but things tend to get moldy in my apartment (plants in particular). I'm not sure why. I don't know if it's just the combination of the heat and, yeah, it is a little damp-ish in here, but I don't notice it so much on anything except when it's really cold out & there's a bit of condensation on the patio door. But I don't want to go to the trouble of starting seeds inside only to have them go moldy or rotted before I get a chance to plant them outside. Should I just wait or try them inside?
Life isn't about finding yourself. It's about creating yourself.
"When I grow up, I want to be dirt." seen on a box through construction in Wyoming 2010 |
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acairnsmom
True Blue Farmgirl
1319 Posts
audrey
cheyenne
wy
1319 Posts |
Posted - Apr 14 2012 : 9:48:22 PM
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I say go for starting them indoors. Seeds are relatively inexpensive so give it a try. How about putting a fan on low near them when they have sprouted to keep the air a little dryer. We do that with our sprouts just to get them used to the winds we get out here. It helps strenghten their stems.
Audrey
.jpg) Good boy Hobbs! I love and miss you. |
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ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl
4745 Posts
Dawn
Naperville
Illinois
USA
4745 Posts |
Posted - Apr 15 2012 : 07:39:29 AM
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For the flowers, try begonias and impatiens. There are a lot of different varieties and they fill in so nicely that you don't need a lot in your containers.
Good luck on experimenting what works best in your Northern garden!
Dawn in IL |
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PatioFarmgirl
Farmgirl in Training
16 Posts
Nicole
Newark
DE
USA
16 Posts |
Posted - Apr 15 2012 : 5:59:23 PM
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| There was an article I read that said there are a lot of plants that grow well in shady spaces. Including salad greens, leafy greens, broccoli and cauliflower, peas, beets and radishes. The plus side is that a lot of these are cold weather veggies too so they'll probably do well in your climate! |
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22angel
True Blue Farmgirl
498 Posts
Pam
Manitoba
Canada
498 Posts |
Posted - Apr 16 2012 : 8:13:05 PM
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I don't want a lot of flowers (the screen patio door doesn't close properly, and I end up with wasps & hornets inside far too many times for my liking!), and I will likely get some pansies, but I will keep the begonias & impatiens in mind. So far, it's a cool spring - not many trees budding yet, and the grass is hardly green. Better wait a few more weeks....
Life isn't about finding yourself. It's about creating yourself.
"When I grow up, I want to be dirt." seen on a box through construction in Wyoming 2010 |
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Garden Gate: Patio Garden on the North Side?? |
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Patio Garden on the North Side??
