Whatcha got in your garden this year?? (Reston: HOA, townhouse)

[VRE332]

Normie and I are big gardeners, so to give us a brake on the other less interesting threads... ... I'm wondering what's everyone planting in their gardens this year?? We are huge Pesto fans, so this year we're planting 150+ basil plants, a couple rows of tomatoes, string beans, chives, garlic and onions. Also peppers grow great in this Nova soil.

[akorosdc]

I've got a 2.5-foot-tall kale right now...it used to be a normal decorative kale, but decided this past month that it would really rather be a tree. We're curious to see how tall it can grow (I also have no clue as to how to get it to settle down). The yellow flowers on top are pretty, although it's drawing all the bees to my balcony.

I'm planning to add some flowers, herbs, and tomatoes this weekend.

[springfieldva]

I'm going to plant some flowering herbs - like thyme and chives. We have a lot of shade in our backyard, but if I can get in some tomatoes that would be nice.

[normie]

I've got a little of everything. Herbs and small veggies in a kitchen garden. Roses in the back. The side garden that had all the daffodils is a crazy mixture of flowers. The daffs are going out after a 7-week display. Azaleas, roses, marigolds are coming in.

Every year different plants thrive or wane. It always changes, I guess due to the weather that year. This year the spectacular plant is going to be the irises. We have about 50 of them and they've never looked as healthy as they do right now.

I planted marigolds by seed for the first time under the guidance of paperhouse (on city-data's garden forum). Can't wait to take photos in another week and show him how well they turned out. He taught me well!

Also, the CD garden forum got me turned on to 4 O'Clocks. They're just sprouting, but when they hit their stride I'll post photos. And of course right we have dogwoods, wiegela, and all those other great spring plants.

[normie]

Originally Posted by juniperbleu

I've got a 2.5-foot-tall kale right now...it used to be a normal decorative kale, but decided this past month that it would really rather be a tree. We're curious to see how tall it can grow (I also have no clue as to how to get it to settle down). The yellow flowers on top are pretty, although it's drawing all the bees to my balcony.

I'm planning to add some flowers, herbs, and tomatoes this weekend.

LOL, a giant kale, how cool is that! If you take a photo, I hope you post it.

[EuroExpat]

It is my third year gardening our tiny townhouse backyard and this is what I have growing this year:

- bell peppers
- tomatoes (three different varieties)
- eggplants (my first year w/ eggplants)
- lavender
- basil
- rosemary

Oh and a bunch of flowers. Can't remember what kind, I just picked up too many from Home Depot but at least they make the deck colorful. I start all the veggies/edibles from seed and have been successful, especially with bell peppers and tomatoes so far.

[VRE332]

Originally Posted by EuroExpat

- bell peppers
- tomatoes (three different varieties)
- eggplants (my first year w/ eggplants)
- lavender
- basil
- rosemary

Oh cool. We grow the same rosemary year round, and use a bigger pot that can be transfered inside during the winter. Instead of buying flowers for my front yard, I mix in peppers and basil. The neighbors can't complain to the HOA because I am the HOA. During Halloween they all made nice comments on my hot peppers

[Flamingo13]

I haven't started the new stuff yet but I have my basil from last season, believe it or not, I brought two containers in and it's still hanging in there (not for long though I'm afraid), rosemary that is planted (finally found one that the winter wouldn't kill), also have the chives insides from last season.

I'll be putting in some tomatoes (I use containers so I can follow the sun, best spot to plant would be the front yard but we can't really do that ) - year before last the plants got over 10' tall and produced so much I had a hard time giving them away), I'll also grow some fresh basil, parsley, french tarragon, lemon thyme or verbena, probably thyme, verbena is too jagged - that's the food portion.

Returning are most of the other flowers (the four o'clocks don't start growing until it's warmer, but I have seeds I harvested from last year if I need to fill in)

[Caladium]

Those of you with the 4 O'clocks: is it true that they attract japanese beetles and then the beetles die?

I have some basil and mint, but I don't think I'm planting many vegetables this year. I didn't get much of a crop last year. Too many critters in my neighbrhood eat them before I get to them. Oh well, deer and rabbits are part of life in Virginia. Even though they eat my veggies I still think they're cute.

I have all kinds of flowers, but the one thing I really have a lot of is geraniums. I have all kinds, all colors. They're just so cheerful looking. And in the summer I like having a lot of cosmos. I like the way they blow around in the breeze.

BTW, cosmos are the wildflowers you see planted on the medians in Reston. If you drive around Reston in August you'll see quite a display.

[akorosdc]

Originally Posted by normie

LOL, a giant kale, how cool is that! If you take a photo, I hope you post it.

Haha, the rain made it tip over, so now I have it propped up with the back of a chair until I can get some stakes or something. Didn't seem to bother it much, since more flowers and sprouts came out this morning. I'll try to get a picture this weekend!