I have tried to grow a container garden for the last 2 years. Living on the uppermost floor of an apartment building, does not allow me much space or freedom to plant the herbs and veggies that I want.
I may advocate and live a green life, but that sure doesn’t include a green thumb.
This year I wanted a salad garden, minus the lettuce. You know a cucumber plant, a tomato plant, peppers and a few herbs. It was my belated Mother’s Day present from my Mother. She selected a full and healthy cherry tomato plant in a hanging basket, a very green and spiny cucumber plant with bright yellow flowers (I wasn’t even sure what it was at first), and a bushy oregano plant dug from her own garden as well as 2 jalapeño plants that had yet to bloom.
I promptly planted every plant in a prepared pot with soil and gave them a full drink of water. I watered them every day in the morning, misted their leaves. Watched as the tender leaves developed, a plump cucumber grew off the vine and yellow flowers turned to tiny round green tomatoes. The tiny tendrils wrapped themselves around the trellis and the dangling tomato plant.
Then the rains came…everyday for a week. My plastic pots flooded, the green leaves exploded. Then the drought came and I watered them twice a day and once with plant nutrients added. And the 90 degree plus temps and high humidity.
I guess I understand why it’s important for planters to have drainage holes. And how to kill a garden.
Thankfully I was able to save the tomato plant and it has provided numerous juicy cherry tomatoes, and I relished in the one cucumber I was able to harvest. The best news is that I saved one pepper plant and it is growing new green leaves that will hopefully yield a couple jalapeños too.
