MetaChat - What should I plant in my pot garden?

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28 March 2006

What should I plant in my pot garden? No, silly, not that kind of pot!→[More:]

I'm moving soon and will have a nice yard to putter around in. I don't think the ownwer will let me do actual beds, but I think he'll let me put out a buncha pots in the middle of the back yard.

I'm thinking:

peppermint
basil
oregano
Thai basil
Thai peppers
anaheim chilies
tomatoes
zucchini
cilantro
rosemary
chives
nasturtiums
lavender
daisies
lobelia
dhalias
ranunculus

What else?

Let me know what your experiences with this kind of gardening has been.

I can't wait to get my hands in the dirt!

post by: Specklet at: 18:16 | 17 comments

cilantro!

posted by matildaben 28 March | 18:17

Coriander.

posted by seanyboy 28 March | 18:19

basil!
you can make so much with it. Just the joy of fresh pesto alone is worth it! (and it would cost a small fortune to buy enough basil to make pesto)

posted by kellydamnit 28 March | 18:21

I like freesias for the scent and they grow ok in pots. Also, don't forget the parsley!

posted by nomis 28 March | 18:25

Cilantro and basil are already on my list! And fresh coriander IS cilantro!

I love freesias!

The only thing I use parsley for is tabouleh... Don't know if it's worth it.

posted by Specklet 28 March | 18:27

aloe (bring it inside for the fall/winter/spring)

those little edible flowers they put in salads sometimes?

do a bunch of diff varieties of tomatoes (i eat tomatoes like others eat apples--you can send me some) : >

posted by amberglow 28 March | 18:31

Nasturtium flowers go great in salads.

posted by nomis 28 March | 18:33

Opium poppies.

posted by delmoi 28 March | 18:36

Oh, I just saw the coriander thread, seanyboy. I get it.

posted by Specklet 28 March | 18:38

Nice choices, Specklet. What's your planting zone? I've grown dahlias in pots with some success (zone 8a and wet as hell in winter)--they've overwintered well in foam-core pots, not as well in regular pots.

Bay Laurel is lovely, and it's evergreen. I'm also fond of my aztec dwarf mock orange, which is also evergreen and smells yummy in spring. Lavender does well in pots, in my experience. So do sage, thyme, and (so far, fingers crossed) even roses. Peppermint is better in pots anyway, as it'll take over everygoddamnedthing given half a chance.

Good on you--I agree, playing in the dirt is fun!

posted by elizard 28 March | 18:38

I'm in Portland, Oregon, elizard. I know the lavender and rosemary will take off, they love it here. Dahlias too...

Is bay laurel the same thing as tea olive?

posted by Specklet 28 March | 18:53

You mean those famous boobies are as close as Portland? My oh my.

Bay laurel is the plant from which comes bay leaves. Mine's in a pot and it's about 5 freaking feet tall at this point, so it should love it where you are as well. I hadn't heard of the tea olive before, but it sounds like something I'd like to try if it would survive--I love plants that stink pretty.

posted by elizard 28 March | 19:03

Ahhh, I didn't realize bay laurel was the bay leaf used for cooking. That would be awesome!

I'm adding:

bay
aloe
sage
star jasmine
freesias
and maybe tea olive if it'll grow here.

Tea olive is an evergreen, grows more in southern climes. It's blooms are tiny and white and smell like apricot honey. The only thing that smells better is winter daphne. They used to plant it in amongst camellia bushes, since their foliage is similar and the poor camellias have no scent.

My boobies are but a few precious miles away.

posted by Specklet 28 March | 19:13

Mmmm...sounds lovely.

Another one that worked in a pot here was chocolate cosmos. I mean, a flower that smells like chocolate--how can you go wrong? Plus they're a beautiful rich reddish brown.

Say hello to your boobies for me.

posted by elizard 28 March | 19:28

No strawberries?

posted by jrossi4r 28 March | 19:34

Strawberries! Of course! With chocolate cosmos! Mmm. And some sweet alyssum for the beeeees!

This is gonna be a big project. I better start saving up.

My boobies do not talk, but they jiggle hello.

posted by Specklet 28 March | 20:02

You can grow lettuces in a pot. Sometimes you can find mesclun mix seeds for a nice variety. I love arugula, and hate paying for a bag of it when I only use a small handful per salad or sandwich, so it's a natural. Tomatoes need a good-sized pot, but will do okay. I grow cherry tomatoes in pots, and pick them every morning when I take the dog out, which is a nice start to any day. Nasturtiums are easy to grow and pretty.

posted by theora55 28 March | 22:14

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