Pretend Gardens: Indoor Hints for the Garden-Deprived
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- CarolWallace
- Cottage_Garden
- Deb_TT
- Gay_Klok
- CarolWallace
- Renie_Burghardt
- Liatris
- CarolWallace
- CarolWallace
This archived discussion is "read only".
» CarolWallace - What have you done to bring the garden indoors? Carol <a href
What have you done to bring the garden indoors? Carol virtually gardening-- posted by CarolWallace
» Cottage_Garden - Most years my kitchen is filled up with plants for the winter --
Most years my kitchen is filled up with plants for the winter -- not glamorous but it works. Amaryllis and jasmine and violas bloom along with whatever else I've dragged home lately -- some years African violets, or out of sync Christmas cactus or maybe some ivy topiaries or some polka dot plants (hypoestes).This year a couldn't resist a truly garish and wonderful "Chicken Gizzard" plant. I don't know if I liked the plant or the name better -- but definitely cheerful either way! 
Barbara Martin
Eco-Gardens Editor
-- posted by Cottage_Garden
» Deb_TT - We built the greenhouse and peer into it from the kitchen window
We built the greenhouse and peer into it from the kitchen window! I couldn't resist some lavender and pink Primroses (not hardy here) yesterday and picked up a few and placed them on the bench that is most viewed from the window. We have two frogs that live in the greenhouse so sometimes at night their croaking echos into the house. Every once in awhile they migrate indoors and sit on the window sill until we chase them back out to the greenhouse.For a long time the datura's bloomed and right now pelargoniums, various primroses are in bloom. The aloe vera look nice to view with the gray colored sedum at their base. Other tender plants are in there and still holding their leaves.
I am currently trying to figure out the mural in the bathroom that surrounds the tub. I hope to get it painted before I migrate outside for the growing season. I plan to do a twig ladder from the floor to the ceiling to hold towels on and a garden scene mural in the tub alcove. There is great light coming into the room and room for many plants. So my decision to make it a cottage garden or a steamy jungle is up in the air. I thought a Mediterranean look at one time and now I am not sure. One thing about painting if I change my mind -- just grab the paintbrush and redo.
Debra Teachout-Teashon
Contributing Editor
Pacific Northwest Gardening
There Is Life In A Winter Garden
-- posted by Deb_TT
» Gay_Klok - Fascinating, Carol. But we can't all be so talented as you are,
Fascinating, Carol. But we can't all be so talented as you are, even learning things from your great links.We have no reason to bring our plants into the house as they may remain out in the garden without harm during winter. Therefore I always try to plant the garden so the keen garden observer may look out the windows and see something to take their interest. I always stand with vacuum in hand, [revving away] and look out into the garden. Before being such a fanatical gardener, I used to read when cleaning the floors. Anyhow, at the Town House people do say that they think it is wonderful how I have brought the garden into the house. Kees only glares because of the rising damp I have caused!!
Its funny, when I am supposed to do something artistic [painting] with my hands, I am messy and have no patience. Yet, with gardening I have lots of patience. My 2 sisters were marvellous cake decorators and the year I had to give my mother a Christmas cake because my sister, who always did it, was sick, the almond icing covering got so dirty, I had to get out the vegetable dies and paint the Christmas scene
It wasn't bad and who likes almond icing, anyway? :-]
My Dutch in-laws cover all wide window sills with beautiful plants. The sills are usually marble and they are all kept spotless, plants, ceramic containers etc.
When they come to visit, I rush out and buy a few gloxinias or African violets to put on the marble window sill in the kichen of the town house. Otherwise, I fill all the vases in the house and put flowers in all the rooms, including the bathroom and lavatory.
My siters-in-laws coo and grab their video cameras to take films of the vases and say they wish they always had flowers to fill vases but when, in a few days I have to get up early to throw out the brown, wilted things in the vases and redo them, I would love to have their red azaleas on the free surfaces instead
-- posted by Gay_Klok
» CarolWallace - Debbie, I think frogs in the kitchen area wonderful touch! Wish
Debbie, I think frogs in the kitchen area wonderful touch! Wish I'd have thought of that one! Just close your eyes and you are definitely out in the garden. I think your mural has to be the sort of scene where frogs would be expected.And Gay, it doesn't take talent. Just an overhead projector. Stencils are easy, too -- I taught my husband in under 10 minutes; in fact once when I was rushed finishing a theater set I taught the producer's 6-year old son.
It's nice to hear of someone else who is an addictive reader!Although I've never read while cleaning floors -- probably because I so seldom clean them. I am waiting until they become good media for seed germination. ;-) Carol virtually gardening
-- posted by CarolWallace
» Renie_Burghardt - Pretend Gardens
Carol, I love my indoor garden! And this is a neat article. I wasn't here in 1998, and found it now. My garden room has one wall of eastern exposure windows (shown in the picture) and one, northern. I don't know if you can tell, but that's a small size redwood picnic table some of the plants are on. I also have a wrought iron, curved bench that I have plants on. I love to sit in this room, sorrounded by plants, and read. By the way, that large clump of lavender I dug up and brought inside finally bit the dust. But it lived for 2 months indoors!<img SRC="http://www.suite101.com/files/topics/470..."align=right>
-- posted by Renie_Burghardt
» CarolWallace - Re: Pretend Gardens
In response to message posted by Renie_Burghardt:I wondered how this old piece got resurrected! I have more of my garden indoors with me this year than ever, mainly because I had blithely ordered lots of tender stuff before we knew that my husband would be having open heart surgery - I was quite sure we'd have a greenhouse!
I never had much luck trying to bring lavender or rosemary indoors either.But it's nice to have them even for a little while. The problem I'm having now is with my lemon tree. No matter what I do, it just keeps dropping leaves like mad. And it will be months before I can take it outdoors where it will be happy! None of my purple fountain grasses look overjoyed to be indoors either - but at worst most of them are simply turning green.
But it IS nice to be able to be indoors in the dead of winter and still be surrounded by greenery, isn't it? And yours look very happy to be there. Your window exposure is a bit better than our room with windows - we have never figured out what the previous owners had in mind when they gave it a northern exposure!
-- posted by CarolWallace
» CarolWallace - Sure it qualifies!
In response to message posted by Gardenlady:We have a picture of that cabinet somewhere, don't we? I remember seeing it and wishing I could paint like that. My own venture is borrowed from an idea Robert showed us, using pressed leaves and flowers on the tall doors in my pantry.
-- posted by CarolWallace
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