There are many things we welcome with the warm weather in Chicago, but the main one is being able to use
our 'additional outdoor room'. Outdoor space is highly coveted in the city, and somehow we are able to coordinate lounge space, dining area,
movie theatre, grill, mini-herb garden and pitbull hang-out onto one tiny deck.
But I've been most excited to start our mini-herb garden. My favorite part of summer is being able to just walk out and snip fresh basil for our pasta, chives for our potatoes, and whip up some
impromptu peach mojitos with our fresh mint.
We've always had our herbs in a larger planter on our deck, though I've been slightly obsessed with finding a better solution. Not only has the big planter become cumbersome for all of us hanging out, but Miss M is much like a cat who choose to "play" with our chives. This year we decided to try planting them in individual pots to be able to move things around at whim.
We picked up the
Skurar plant pot from Ikea which are perfect for pooches because it's actually made of metal; they can't break if they topple them. I actually like how decorative they look. I bought our cilantro and parsley inside where it's almost like a sunroom, but they won't dry out from the direct sun. I'm not sure if I'll have to plant them in a bigger container once they grow, but they seem ok for now. And all gussied up in their fancy pot, once they become more full I think they can rival any flowers we've had on the table:
Plus, somehow Miss M can differentiate and she knows she is not supposed to touch any of our indoor plants:
I'm not the greatest green thumb, so it's really me and not the pooches who's to blame. Anyone else have dog and garden issues?
20 comments:
Love the new pots! Any time you want to invite us to dinner, let us know! :)
If I can keep my flower pot on the balcony alive, Im graduating to herbs, which is what I REALLY want. I dont know how you got those awesome pics, but Mr. B licking his lips and Miss M not even looking at the herbs is cracking me up. We have a bamboo plant in the house which I put on our new Ikea coffee table and left the house. Havi never shows interest in anything, so I didnt think twice. Except when i came home and Havi had knocked over the glass vase and scratched the 24 hour old table. Luckily, Ikea is replacing it. But definitely need to work with Havi on that!
For some reason, Turk and Rufus have never been interested in any flowers or herbs we have in the house. We actually have several plants in pots on the floor that the dogs avoid entirely. This is a welcome change from our family dogs growing up, who loved to dig up gardens, eat house plants, and steal potted herbs. Cute pots, by the way! I saw those when we were in Portland and really wanted to take some home but we didn't have any room in our suitcases. Oh well, maybe next time we head to the Bolingbrook IKEA we can pick some up!
Maisie eats grass constantly, so I'm sure she'd do the same with plants if given the opportunity. Chrissy and I discussed possibly planting mint around the deck since it apparently would take over the weeds that usually grow there (and smell good too). we just haven't gotten around to it yet!
http://maisieme.blogspot.com/
We've never had a problem with the
Dogs and plants other than keeping them out of
The garden. This year, however, we had our starter plants on the back porch waiting to be planted and my
Husband put some fish food on the plants. I guess they thought we hid their fish treats in the plats because down they all came from the ledge....and off to the nursery we went to buy new ones.....
We love having herbs and being able to make pesto. And salsa. And mojitos.....
I have garden issues for sure! The dogs are good. In fact, if they could drag a hose, they'd probably do a better job than I would of caring for our sad collection of plants and flowers.
Mom & Dad have a theory - if it can survive in our yard, it gets to stay. Otherwise . . . So we've basically got heat and pee resistant tropical plants, mostly perennials :) Mom would really love some herbs, basil, dill and cilantro are her faves! She's got a basil plant on the back deck in the shade. She hasn't been able to find cilantro or dill. Everyone tells her it's too hot to grow it here. Indoor might work - IF she remembered to water it! BOL
Those are great pots! And LOVE the pic of Miss M looking coyly over her shoulder!
The Road Dogs
you say dog-proof, I say no way ;)
Kari
http://dogisgodinreverse.com
Last year I had two tomato plants in containers on our patio. I couldn't figure out why the cherry tomato plant kept flowering but there were never any tomatoes... until cherry tomato plants started to sprout in Emmett's favorite poop spot.
when sweet lily fireworks (then lollie wonderdog) moved to her new home, the FIRST THING she did when she went out in her new yard was to pee in the herb garden! so embarassing!
I adore the photo of Miss M with the pot. She is like, "get this away or mom'll be MAD."
Love that rug on your deck!
We have lots of herbs growing outside! But I ususally stay away from them...
-Corbin
I undertook a couple raised garden beds in our backyard a few years ago. Two minutes after building, mixing soil and getting the beds all ready for starts and seeds, I was triumphantly washing my hands in the kitchen. I looked out and there was Maggie, on her back, wiggling in the dirt. As proud as I was at undertaking my first garden, she was equally thrilled with the fresh dirt. The very next day, we put a small fence around our garden and until Hurley, that worked well. Now the little bugger can squeeze through the fence. I'm counting on him growing super fast to take care of that problem!
I love those pots!
Fortunately, our dogs don't have access to our garden. I love tomatoes, and the plants are toxic for dogs. I've had varying degrees of luck with herbs. I had a giant tarragon plant that kept coming back out in the little herb garden I had outside the kitchen window, but it got so beastly, I had to pull the whole thing out. I do love having fresh herbs around, though!
How exactly do you hd ack Ms M? My Lily wants to eat the dirt out of some of mom's plants. Your outdoor room is so cool
Benny & Lily
I wonder if dogs really like the taste of most herbs? I honestly don't know... That's so great that you've found a durable pot for them!
Funny question...where do I start...LOL!
(Today's answer: I should not use bone meal fertilizer, the dogs dig up everything it is around)
Always loved your outdoor space and it is looking good this year!
Wyatt's Mom
We do love the picture of Miss M looking over her shoulder like: it was and has always been the plant who started it!
I do know how to pull that face too not for plants but for SKETCH books!!! YESSSS! And newspapers and toilet-paper... Actually just paper in general :)
Slobbers Master T.
PS: from T's mum: he is not doing that anymore and my approach was not to change a thing! Ok, I lost a couple of sketch books on the way and did a fair bit of cleaning while ignoring Teal'c but as an result he lost interest in paper :) Win - Win!
Fresh herbs are the best! Good idea with the metal pot :) Mom has helped me understand what areas I can't go into. Like, I know not to go into the raised veggie bed even when the lizards hide out there. Frustrating! And I know to leave the potted plants alone. But if a plant is growing straight out of the ground and there's no fence around it, it's fair lizard hunting area :D That was the compromise Mom and I made :)
Waggin at ya,
Roo
PeeS: Great photos of Ms. M :)
Well, Penny doesn't dig up our garden - except if she's on the track of a rat (yes, we have them in our yard, sigh...)
Oh, and if she has a bone to bury. Lately she's been burying them in the big pot that has the hippeastrums I grew from seed - seed I gathered from my uncle's plants just after he died - seeds I treasure...
But in general she's pretty good.
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