Apartment gardening

[snowball]

love it Sandi so pretty.... yes we do need beauty in our world mostly we just have to look around for it .... and we can do our job to help it a long...
I love looking at what you all have done or do do to help add to the beauty of the world...
sheila

[Bethers]

I may need to do onions. I love green onions and always thought I should try them in the RV. Shirl, you might make a mini gardener out of me yet.

Sandi, I love the beauty of your garden.

[SoCalGalcas]

Sandi, love, love, love your patio garden. So bright and colorful. I am constantly having new ideas for my patio. Really like your water fountain.
Isn’t this a fun topic! Lyn

[Shirlv]

I love lilacs too. Think I will around looking for blooms. Will take my purple cane, wild socks , knock on the door , look pitiful and ask to buy a bloom. Think it would work?

[Colliemom]

Sandi, your deck is beautiful. Amazing how much beauty can go in a small space with the right combination of plants.

Shirl, in regards to one needles, they have too much acid In them for mulch. I get the bagged mulch if I want to use some

[Shirlv]

Thanks Sue, important info that I didn’t know.

[snowball]

shirl
now I've not thought this through but consider going to a landscaper and see if they would sell you enough mulch for what you need... or possibly Lowe's or the like might have a broken bag that they would consider selling some of it
sheila

[Shirlv]

Shelia, that is a good thought. Directions to make a compost bin say you can add paper to make good soil so I cut up strips of paper to lay around plants as mulch. One less thing for the dumpster.

[Shirlv]

The tomato plant seems to have survived the rain wind and cooler temperatures covered in a sheet. Didn’t cover the strawberries, herbs and geraniums and they look ok too.

[Irmi]

Shirl, that's a neat idea about using cut up strips of paper in the soil. That would probably help retain moisture, too, I would think. When I replant my tomato plants, I'll try that.

[Cudedog]

Shirl, in regards to one needles, they have too much acid In them for mulch. I get the bagged mulch if I want to use some

Well. . . maybe. I think it depends upon the plant. Some things do seem to like a more acid soil.

Last year, when I first put in my strawberry beds, I read up on them a bit. Some of the references I read said that they like a more acid soil, and "pine straw mulch" (aka, pine needles) likely would help them along.

My neighbor has a giganto pine tree (about 150 feet tall, at least) next to our shared fence in my back yard. This tree constantly sheds pine needles - and pine cones - all year - into my back yard, leaving a bit of a piney mess.

When I was getting the beds ready for the coming bare-root strawberry plants, I went out and raked up several huge piles of pine needles, and wheel-barrowed them back to my garden area (I have a large-ish back yard). Along with a bag or two of steer manure, I turned these un-composted, "raw" pine needles into the soil, leaving a thick layer of needles on top of the ground, then did the strawberry planting.

The rest, as they say, is history. . .

I now have about fifteen pounds of strawberries packed into my medium-sized freezer, which is now filled to the brim. I have no more freezer space - at all. And the strawberries keep coming. . . I think I will need to call my neighbor and see if she would like some. I HAVE to pick them, or they become covered with ants and slugs and pill bugs (and who knows what else) as the berries get over-ripe. Nasty!

I did consider your suggestion, Barbie, of a strawberry stand out front of my house, but sitting at a fruit stand for waiting for customers really isn't my thing. Thanks for the idea, though!

Anne

[Redetotry]

Sandi your flowers are beautiful. I'm surprised at how many you have in a small space. I love the way birds will get used to people and come near.

[Bethers]

Anne, I had neighbors who put a stand out with a donation box. They really didn't care if no one donated, but were pleasantly surprised to see how much they did get. You might want to try it. I'd sure hate to think of those strawberries going to waste.

[MandysMom]

Anne, you could also put a notice on your local NextDoor app, marking it for nearby neighbors only.
Velda

[JudyJB]

How about making some strawberry jam? That can be stored on shelves.

Also, I don't know if this is the same recipe, but many, many years ago I used to make a terrific strawberry ice cream topping with fresh strawberries. All I remember is that is required added sugar and some wine or brandy. https://makewithmara.com/strawberry-red-wine-sauce/ Personally, I would add more sugar than called for in this recipe, but I think it would depend on what wine you used. Would be fun experimenting, in any case?

Does anyone remember making a strawberry wine sauce way back when, and do you have the recipe??

You could also make a strawberry syrup for pancakes, without the wine, and being a little sweeter, maybe thickened with cornstarch. I make a blackberry sauce by cooking up frozen blackberries, adding sugar and a bit of cornstarch, and then using my hand blender to make it smooth when it is done cooking and slightly cooler. (Watch out because using a hand blender in a pan of warm fruit can send it all over your closing, so wear something white or hang a towel around yourself.) Much better for you than purchased fruit syrup which contains mostly corn syrup and not much fruit.