What's in your Garden (& Indoor Plants)

Tom L.

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The previous garden thread was started back in 2017, and had several good years. I figured it was time to start a new one. I thought maybe this time it should be a year-long thread, at least: I remembered we have some members in the Southern Hemisphere; also, it could be fun to discuss our endeavors with indoor gardening.
So, then:

A few years ago, I had a community garden plot ~2 miles away from my home. I was one of maybe 10 people who had plots there. Someone planted kale in their plot and didn't harvest one of the plants; that winter turned out to be uncommonly mild, and it survived. The next spring it reumed growing and we had a 6-foot-tall kale plant blooming its little sprays of tiny yellow flowers and setting seeds. I collected some seeds, and have been growing The Descendants Of Mighty Kalezilla since then. Last year's kale didn't survive the winter, though- so if I want to keep this strain going, I'll have to overwinter a few plants indoors this year. The seeds are sprouting, but the germination rate seems quite poor and I don't think the seeds will be viable beyond this year. (Fortunately, they haven't been growing nearly as big at my place. I wonder if there is radioactive waste or something buried in that community garden plot?...)

I also have been growing Romano-style pole beans. Not only are those thick pods delicious- you can let them ripen fully, harvest, and dry them as a sort of navy-type bean, saving some for planting. I bought some sweet corn seeds for the beans to grow with, as well as hot chili seeds. Bush-type black beans and garlic will round things out.

For perennial herbs, I have peppermint and chives growing in-between the house foundation and the surrounding sidewalk. If the chives bloom again, I might collect some of the seeds and try to start some of them to grow indoors, although the clump in the yard has been doing well. Peppermint needs hardly any care- except maybe to be picked when it starts trying to take over the yard. It smells nice and makes a great tea, though. Also, mice are supposed to dislike it. I don't have a mouse problem... yet...
 
I have always posted in the previous thread. I have had some successes and lately more failures! I just wasn't in the mood this year for my gardening. Last year I spent way too much money and then the extreme weather pretty much ruined things. So not much enthusiasm this year. I do have a few flowers and herbs but no vegetables. The parsley seems to be growing and a couple of the variety pods have started. I don't think I got the pods started early enough as the flower ones don't seem to be doing anything. I ordered these online from Free the Ocean and they looked like a good idea. So here are pictures of what I have. I bought some native plants locally that I hope survive!

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This is a variety of sunflower. I don't remember the name of it.

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These are the native Florida plants. The one with the little white flowers is a variety of milkweed.

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These are the herbs. You can see the popsicle stick which the pod of seeds is attached to. It looked like an easy idea to get things started and the sticks are labelled.
We shall see how things grow.
 
That sunflower looks beautiful!

I love native wildflowers, but sometimes they need a little TLC. A native milkweed popped up in my yard a few years ago, and I've been making sure not to pull it up accidentally, hoping a Monarch Butterfly would lay some eggs on it- but so far, no Monarchs have taken me up on the offer. I also have some native Forget-Me-Nots ("Lesser" I think- Myosotis laxa), which have been in my yard since I bought my place. I transplanted a few of them from the lawn to that foundation strip I mentioned, where they wouldn't get mowed. There are also Peonies and Lillies-of-the-Valley (the latter might or might not be native).

I had some African Marigold seeds and tried to start them early indoors, but they haven't come up yet. They might need more time to germinate.

Even weeds can be fun to have around. Dandelion annoys some homeowners, and I can see how some folks might like a lush, green carpet of grass- but I always thought Dandelions were attractive with those bright, yellow flowers and toothed leaves. Also, I can and do eat them! They're not my favorite weed to eat, though- a bit on the bitter side. The invasive Garlic Mustard tastes better- a lot like Mustard Greens (yum!). There are a few of them here and there in my yard; my neighbor has them growing on their side of the fence and some of their seeds invasively snuck through the fence onto my property. Almost no insects or other animals seem to eat them. But I do, and their days are numbered. :drool:

There's another low-growing weed in the Mint family- Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)- which I've been pulling up from the lawn and transplanting to the strip of ground in-between the sidewalk and curb. Some time ago, the utility company had to do some work in my area and the grass growing there (which wasn't doing very well, anyway) got killed off. The Ground Ivy actually looks better than grass, especially since it's blooming now; my neighbors have commented on how attractive it is, but I've warned them how stubbornly persistent and invasive it can be if it gets into your lawn and you don't want it there. Supposedly it has medicinal/herbal uses, but I haven't tried to use it.
 
I spend a lot of time at the beach in Rhode Island, so I don't garden much, but I do grow basil on my deck every year. I mostly make tons of pesto with it and freeze it for the winter. Last year's plant didn't do so well because we had such a wet/cloudy July, though I still got about 10 or 11 batches (half-cup each). I usually get at least 15 and sometimes more. It rained for 22 days in July! I think it's finally warm enough to plant the basil, so I will likely do that this week.
 
I think it's a rhododendron or an azalea; they're in the same family. (I don't know how to tell them apart, except that I think azaleas are potted house plants that can't survive outdoors in my area, while rhodos are bigger and hardier... )
I’m not sure. I have both an azalea and rhododendron, both outdoors. This is definitely different. But could be a variety of either.
 
I think it's a rhododendron or an azalea; they're in the same family. (I don't know how to tell them apart, except that I think azaleas are potted house plants that can't survive outdoors in my area, while rhodos are bigger and hardier... )
Rhododendron! That's it! They're popular around me. I have azaleas, different leaves. They're in full bloom now-pink. Both hardy outdoor bushes
 
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I’m not sure. I have both an azalea and rhododendron, both outdoors. This is definitely different. But could be a variety of either.
Oh not rhododendron? That's what comes up in google lens
 
I definitely do not know my plants/bushes. I’m only familiar with the big ugly rhododendron with the ugly leaves. Beautiful when it’s in bloom but not so much when the flowers are gone. IMO of course. I just never liked them.

This other flowering bush is more like a hedge. It has smaller leaves and single flowers, unlike the typical rhododendron that has clusters of flowers. But now that I’m looking more closely it could very well be a variety of rhododendron. I definitely like it better than the rhododendron that I’m more familiar with.

Rhododendron from Google.
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The unknown bush behind the hanging plant.
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This is my rhododendron…it has lots of blooms that haven’t opened yet.
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