Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Yes, there are a few marigolds in there, but pay attention to the Gazanias!

The problem with most window boxes is that it's hard to maintain plants in such a small amount of soil. While the more elegant solution is to use larger boxes, that's not always possible. Over the years I have found this plant, Gazania, to be one of the best; it flowers all summer without any lulls, it's cheery, and it never needs water more frequently than every 3-4 days despite being in a 6" window box. Petunias are beautiful but most cycle their bloom, many require occasional cutting back, and they eventually outgrow bigger containers than a 6" window box. Portuaca sounds like a good solution but somehow comes up short: many flower only on sunny days, and all of them seem to eventually resent the aging of the soil that takes place over even one season. Perhaps this latter complaint could be addressed by increasing drainage though my few attempts have been less than successful. The is a native plant, that is, native to South Africa. Oh well, its not hardy here, so we're okay for now but the way things are going climatewise, I expect we might have to worry sometime soon.

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