Today we’re visiting with Cynthia Strickland. We visited her former garden in St. Louis (Gardening in St. Louis), but today she’s showing us her current gardening setup on a balcony in Raleigh, North Carolina. It’s a good reminder that even the smallest of spaces can be made into a garden filled with beautiful plants.
My first challenge was gardenias. I planted two Gardenia jasminoides ‘August Beauty’ (Zones 7–11) evergreen shrubs in autumn of 2020. The plants survived the mild winter in plastic pots in a sheltered area. The flowers bloomed in May and June! I adored the flower form, scent, and the glossy green leaves, so it was worth a try in the less-than-ideal conditions.
In this second photo you can see one of the evergreen gardenia shrubs next to a pot of Heuchera sanguinea
‘Bressingham’ (Zones 3–8) and some potted Ajuga (unknown variety). Sadly, by July both gardenias dropped all their leaves and died. Gardenias were one of the main flowers in my wedding ceremony, so it was nice to experiment with the plants. The flowers and scent brought back happy memories.
Here you can see an early spring photo of the two gardenia shrubs arranged with the larger-leaved Hosta
‘Guacamole’ (Zones 3–8) and the small Hosta ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ (Zones 3–8).
Cosmos sulphureus
‘Cosmic Orange’ (annual) with gardenia.
My second trial was Lagurus ovatus
(annual), an ornamental grass native to the Mediterranean with a common name of bunny tails. I grew quite a few seedlings indoors with a heating mat and grow light. Several small, compact mounds of soft foliage endured the spider mites (I tried homemade insecticidal soap and neem oil spray). Without full sun, I managed to enjoy one soft and fluffy bunny tail panicle in August!
In this wide view of the summer balcony, you can see two small containers of the bunny tails grass.
The third new plant for me last year was Thunbergia alata
‘Blushing Susie’ (Zones 10–11 or as an annual). I started seeds indoors and hoped to have three hanging baskets of vines with pink flowers. One white basket produced flowers for a few weeks in June. However, the white containers were cooked with heat. Rotating them proved to be too much work for not enough enjoyment. A few of the most vigorous vines were transplanted into the ground and flowered sparsely until frost.
Closer view of a Thunbergia alata
‘Blushing Susie’ flower
By late summer I still had several pots of dark green foliage (my favorite) but needed more flowers, so I filled in with three pots of Canna × generalis
‘Bronze Orange’ (Zones 7–11 or as an annual), which was also new to me.
The canna plants took turns blooming until frost. One of the three canna is currently enjoying life as a houseplant.
Have a garden you’d like to share?
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5-10 photos to gpod@taunton.com along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!
Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here.
Fine Gardening Recommended Products
Monarch Butterfly Rescue Wildflower Seeds 4 oz.
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
HIGH QUALITY SEEDS and EXPERT GUIDANCE: Experience the quality seed difference. We are committed to providing the highest quality, open-pollinated, non-GMO/non-GE seeds to our customers, guaranteed. A trusted source of high quality seeds since 1985. ATTRACT MORE MONARCHS: We know seeds and we know pollinators! Our expertly crafted botanical garden seed mixes contain a wide variety of both perennials and annuals that are specifically designed to attract pollinators. Attract more Monarchs and Butterflies in general. Gardener tested, pollinator approved! All Of Our Wildflower Varieties Are 100% Pure Seed, They come with complete planting instructions. Compare and see the quality value. This Wildflower Seed Mix will make the perfect gift for those gardeners in your life.
Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden, Revised and Updated Second Edition: A Natural Approach to Pest Control
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
This revised and updated edition of Jessica Walliser’s award-winning Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden offers a valuable and science-backed plan for bringing balance back to the garden. With this indispensable gardening reference—now updated with new research, insights, and voices—learn how to create a healthy, balanced, and diverse garden capable of supporting a hard-working crew of beneficial pest-eating insects and eliminate the need for synthetic chemical pesticides.
The Regenerative Landscaper: Design and Build Landscapes That Repair the Environment
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
2024 Nautilus Award Gold Medal Winner! This awe-inspiring guide weaves together permaculture design, food resiliency, climate adaptation, community organizing, and indigenous wisdom that you can implement in your own backyard.
Comments
Wow your Balcony Garden is fabulous!
Such healthy plants and what a cozy place to enjoy!
I love your Thunbergia alata ‘Blushing Susie’ , what a beautiful plant!
Hi, Sue. Thank you for your thoughtful comments.
Love the bunny tails!
Hi, BT. I was hoping for more tails to love... Am moving to Chicago soon. The next grass I try will probably be prairie dropseed - Sporobolus heterolepis.
Log in or create an account to post a comment.
Sign up Log in