Rock Star

I probably shouldn't feature this plant on a blog called The Edible Balcony Garden because (#1) it's inedible and (#2) it's not even in my garden. This Lewisia cotyledon forma alba is happily soaking up the sun and heat in my Mom's south-facing rock garden. But I'd like to write about this "happy camper" anyway because it's exactly that: the right plant in the right place. This is an important concept that's taken me many growing seasons to accept because...

...My favourite ornamental plants are full or partial shade dwellers. And no matter how often I water or try to shelter them from mid-morning to late-afternoon sun, they do not thrive on my south-facing balcony with its heat absorbing deck. I learned this the costly, disappointing way a few years ago when I tried to grow native woodland plants. The experiment, not surprisingly, failed -- unless you considering adding more plants to the compost a goal. Put the wrong plant in the wrong place and you will use far too many inputs to keep it barely alive, effort contrary to a low-impact garden. So last year, I finally gave in to my habitat, even if it's not my first choice. The new attitude I'm trying to cultivate is the gardener's equivalent of "if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with." 

This season I'd like to add sun-seeking, drought-tolerant succulents to the hayrack planters and hanging baskets at the front of my balcony. But now I have doubts about including Lewisia. In doing research for this post, I learned about its growth requirements and I'm not sure I can create rock garden-like conditions. According to one reference, "brought down from their subalpine heights to sea level gardens, they easily fall prey to root-rot." That doesn't sound good! I really don't want to stress another plant or myself by trying too hard to make something work. 

For now I can be quite happy enjoying alpine plants by visiting this botanical garden more often. And I will continue to take photos and make plans for my future rock and shade gardens.

But if you are seeking a showy specimen to fill a bare spot in your rock garden, you may want to consider this pure white-flowering Lewisia with its abundant blossoms.

From 10 commandments to "factor inputs and externalities"

Just after I finished writing the previous post, I visited my favourite urban gardener's blog (she's my inspiration to keep trying to grow my own, albeit on a much smaller scale) and read a complementary post that also really challenges my thinking and way of doing things.

Please do check out Gayla's thoughtful analysis. I agree all gardeners need to consider these "factor inputs and externalities" -- they really are the key part of the equation. I myself admit to being more focused on the ouput.

10 Commandments of Eco-Gardening

Photo credit: MEC's Green Roof

Today, via Treehugger, always an abundant source of green advice, I discovered the Times Online's 10 Commandments for Eco-Gardeners. Here is the short form of the list:

1. Thou shalt conserve water.
2. Thou shalt put the right plant in the right place
3. Thou shalt not use peat.
4. Thou shalt recycle garden waste.
5. Thou shalt reuse non-biodegradable products.
6. Thou shalt minimise the use of chemicals.
7. Thou shalt leave a messy bit.
8. Thou shalt use hard landscaping with sensitivity.
9. Thou shalt use lighting responsibly.
10. Thou shalt teach thy children where food comes from.

Easiest commandment for me to keep: #6.
I don't use any chemicals and I don't mind delight in squishing aphids between my thumb and finger (eeeewwww) and am thrilled when ladybugs take up residence on my balcony.

Hardest for me to keep: #2.
I have a south-facing balcony but my favourite plants are ones that thrive in shady, moist conditions. I wish I had this view from my balcony window.

Most rewarding commandment to keep: #4
There's nothing to compare with the black gold created by vermicomposting. Harvesting this compost is a bit labour intensive and keeping the worms warm (and therefore alive) in the winter months is challenging on the balcony, but I think the results are worth the efforts. I'm going to share my personal experience with "red wigglers" in a future post.

Commandment in which I have a special interest and therefore am pleased to see: #10.
(Disclosure statement: I am a dietitian and want to learn more about how I can support school gardening in my community.)

What I'm reading

Books and websites such as these (1, 2, 3) have inspired me to try to eat seasonally, locally, mindfully and sustainably by transforming my balcony from an ornamental to an edible garden and myself from a gardener to a farmer (although I think I can be both).

I have so much to learn. In my quest for knowledge and guidance, this week I returned to a trusted source of wisdom on how to live with nature: Orion Magazine. Here are links to a couple of articles I'm reading in the online version:

Stalking the Vegetannual by Barbara Kingsolver
Grace Before Dinner by Deborah Madison