Tuesday Garden Party - Earth tainer

I was going to feature my container flowers, but upon seeing how well my daughter-in-laws tomatoes plants are doing in her Earthtainer this year I was motivated to share.

My son made it last year and it grew the biggest tomato plants on the property with tomatoes hanging on till frost..

We started all our seeds at the same time and depending on the soil and subsequent transplanted area, the plants now range between 1 and 4 feet high. The 4 ft. high ones are the plants in the EarthTainer.

Here is her Earth Tainer

close up of the healthy plants

           EarthTainer this year

This is a picture of Ray Newstead's container garden.
courtesy of  slate.com 

The price to construct one varies, depending on what the price of your supplies are. Hers cost around 45.00 last year.

If you can do it though it is well worth it.

What is an EarthTainer?
Best described on its web site:
"The EarthTainerTM Project is intended to bring sustainable, organic gardening to both rural and urban gardeners worldwide with a 100% self-contained eco-system design that does not waste water.  The closed-loop watering system concentrates all of the water to the plant - and not to weed production nor run-off.  Water reduction of up to 75% can be achieved.


The EarthTainer is not a "Product" - - there are none for sale.  Rather, it is a "design concept" that is made available as "Freeware" for your private use and enjoyment.  Just remember to please make a donation to the Feeding America Organization if this design does bring you happiness." 

Why spend the money and the time on building an Earthtainer?
***Higher yield
***Less care (you focus your time on the plants you want not weeds)
***Less watering
***Efficient use of better planting medium in that the soil and feed used does not spread out over a large area
***Excellant drainage
***Smaller footprint (making them an excellent apartment choice.)
***Newstead estimates it grows tomatoes with 75 percent less water than you'll need for in-ground planting
***Newstead says that because plants in the EarthTainer sit up much higher than in-ground plants (their roots get warmer, which produces fruit much earlier as well as going later in the season)

Why chose the EarthTainer over conventional container gardening?
***The soil remains exactly as moist as the plants desire.
***The soil sits atop an "aeration bench" that allows oxygen to reach the plant's root system, mimicking the function of worms in the ground.

In other words, Newstead has combined the best parts of in-ground and container gardening in the EarthTainer and eliminated the worst.

To learn more About Newstead and his EarthTainer click on-- EarthTainer
Here is a link to a PDF file on How to construct one for yourself. 
Here is a link to a PDF file on the InnTainer, a smaller version of the EarthTainer
Here is a link to Ray Newsteads you tube video on the construction.

Tuesday Garden Party - Orchids

I know summer usually is all about outside plants, but I am so excited about my orchids blooming again I will spend my second Garden Party talking about them.

I love plants and can not remember a time in my life without them. I have had my own house plants to care for since grade school.

This love for plants is a love my grandmother planted, cultivated, nurtured and when she died it has helped me to physically remain connected to her.

So while I am fairly competent with growing most plants, orchids and bonsai trees have never been plants that I have had particular success with, until recently.

A few years ago I got very sick and someone gave me an orchid to make me feel better. I thought it would die after it finished blooming but .... shock of shocks it lived. :)

Soooooo, I bought another, then another, then another. Now I have 7 of them. Not only are they living, growing and spreading out roots they are all re-blooming. One is on its third re-bloom!!

Small (about11/2")

Phalaenopsis

Small (a little over 1")

Phalaenopsis

Small (a little over 1")

Phalaenopsis

Large (3" ) flowers

Phalaenopsis

Large (almost 4") flowers

Paphiopedilum

I re-potted each orchid after the initial bloom, water once a week and try to remember to fertilize (not really good at that, my bad)

They took off when I moved them to a North facing window. (a window that usually is NOT a good growing window for me.)

My violets, on the other hand, prefer a south facing window to bloom.

These are two mystery plants

This was a cutting I took from a restaurant (with permission)
The mother plant was HUGE! Runners were 6 ft.

This one just "showed up"

Any ideas on the names of these two??

The one on the left is a bulb, with leaves that might reach 6" or 7". The flower stalk maybe shoots up 5"

The one on the right reminds me of a Hoya, only grows much faster. The leaves are thick and waxy. It loves a sunny window blessing me with repeat flowering in both a North and a South window. (It was growing so much I had to keep re-potting it. When it blooms the blossoms stay for a while.

Visit the Tuesday Garden Party at An Oregon Cottage.

You never know what you may find that interests you.

My First Tuesday Garden Party!

I recently found a sweet blog written by a woman whose gardening interests are similar to mine, only she is much more articulate about it.

So saying I am going to endeavor to commit to her "Tuesday Garden Party" as much as I have to my own Weds "Mindful Quote" and Fri "This Moment". My only two themes I am close to faithful in fulfilling.

It seems only right to begin with this seasons successes. Ordinarily I have chosen to buy my tomato plants at the nursery as my husband I have had two entirely different backgrounds in how we were raised with him having difficulty with tiny pots littering the house.

This year, inspired by my daughter - in - law, I took the bit in my mouth and plunged ahead heedless of the fallout. The results being some lovely plants which have already rewarded me with small growing fruit.

First Sprout

Potted, waiting

Transplanted and happy

Planted same day, Different Soil

It was amazing how the plants that were started in whatever soil she used have continued to be the hardiest producing the first tomatoes.

She does not know the name, just bought it from a local company that sells soil by the yard. I bought Miracle Grow and was very disappointed to its performance compared to the other soil.

My first tomato this season

Hard to believe it has grown this much!

We have had good luck with cantaloupe almost every year, except the year I grew squash and watermelon as well.

They all cross pollinated with the squash flavor overriding the melons.

Mmmm, strawberry

Another resident; cantalope




My pomegranate is several years old. An anniversary gift that I had asked for, for years.

The first year in the ground the jack rabbits ate it down so much I feared it would not recover. Protected for the past few years it has thrived.

Last year I got my first ever fruit. :)

The lambs ear is another success story. I had originally planted several plants around trees. Unfortunately, my hubbie has a love affair with round up. I thought they were all gone for good.

(or the flame thrower, almost lost all my peonies to that, they did survive though)

The following year one tiny little plant poked its head up in the grass. I quickly dug it up before round - up or the lawn mower could end its short life.

Now, two years later it has grown, spread and brings a smile to my face whenever I see it.

Lamb's ear 

My growing pomegranate, most flowers ever!

My daughter in law and I were talking herbs one day and I got a thought, why not try to grow them in pots?

So seeing this slab that has been an unoccupied eye sore for the past 20 years I decided to take it over and
this is the result.

I have Lavendar, Chives, Garlic chives, Peppermint, Lime mint, Chocolate mint, Lemon balm, Texas Tarragon, Oregano, Lamb's ear, Wormwood, Lovage and Catnip.

This is an experiment so I will see how well they do as the summer progresses. In the meantime I have fresh herbs to cook with! :)

I also have a Rhubarb plant, my first, and 3 kinds of milkweed, (we hope to raise Monarchs next year for a Home School project)

Trying to establish a potted herb garden

My blueberries are almost ripe

At the onset I mention the Tues Garden party.

Look to the right for a button link to "An Oregon Cottage"  an interesting blog that includes Menu Mondays, Garden Party Tues,  hosted by Jami.

I found her through Barbara McCoy's "Handbook of Nature Blog" (also linked through the name or by the button on the right.