Guest Blog: Annie’s Mini Garden!

Recently I offered to share this blog space with my Patreon supporters who are lovingly donating $3/ month to keep my blog muse happy. Those same Patreons are very talented folks themselves. Take Annie for example. She is truly a plant whisperer and has an astounding relationship with a local hummingbird. From her delightful apartment she inspires other small space dwellers to take full advantage of what they have and turn their abode into a plant sanctuary. Below is her blog describing in detail, with many lovely photos, the little garden of eden she has bloomed.

If you’re enjoying this site and would like to become a supporting member please visit: https://www.patreon.com/ReginaChante
The cost is only $3/month and, if you like, you too may be a featured guest blogger!

And now, to Annie’s indoor garden…….

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Guest blogger: Annie Ordonio Silvestre

A man can work from sun to sun but a woman’s work is never done” Oh so true! Just like Mother Earth she sure works continuously nonstop in her household home the beautiful blue planet Earth.
Since this pandemic situation I have trusted the Universe to help guide me to what is best for me since I no longer have a job. All this free time given to me it has given me the opportunity to do fun things I love to do so this old familiar saying goes “If life throws lemons at you – make lemonade” So I am following Mother Earth footsteps indeed. I now consider my occupation as a homemaker and a balcony gardener. 
My husband George and I are currently living with our oldest son and our youngest daughter in a suburban area in an Bethany Oregon apartment. We all plan to temporarily live there for another year until we find our house and then more gardening opportunities for me.

Our balcony isn’t as spacious but it is cozy enough for me to create something very nice and pretty for my family to come home and enjoy after a long day at their jobs and on their days off. One day I was  browsing on the internet and came upon a cute little water fountain. It was solar powered and it sparked my creative thinking idea. I created a foundation of water by using a glass pie plate and then added water and placed the water fountain mechanism above it and viola! a beautiful refreshing relaxing pretty water display and sound. 

Unfortunately the water fountain did not last very long. So brainstorming took place and made me come up with the idea to make a little moat for our hummingbird feeder!!
(Photos)of seedlings Goji berries, lemon balm and mustard greens. And strictly seed logo

One day in late spring I was browsing through the boxes in our garage and saw an old seed catalog called Strictly Medicinal seeds and my green thumb started to get itchy! My mind was filled with gardening ideas and made me reminisce a beautiful garden I once created many moons ago in our beloved home in St Johns. I then had the idea to start sowing some seeds and plant a garden in our balcony!I went online to Strictly Medicinal Seeds and ordered a variety packet of seed. The first seeds I ordered we’re Goji berry, Mustard Greens and Lemon balm and I also couldn’t resist I had ordered a variety packet called The Hoedown Collection – Organic Vegetable seeds they are a variety of organic vegetable seeds to plant in the spring and summer season. I said what the heck I’ll start sowing some now and raise them in large pots and when we move I can take these babies to their new home when we move. 

My seedlings of mustard greens and goji berries sown in early fall. Goji’s are under growing lights like the goji berries to keep them safe from the winter cold. The mustard greens love cold weather so the still remain outdoors.

Another fun gardening project I like to do is cut and grow. I like to cut up veggies and place then in water and watch them grow. I do the same with house plants as well. When they start having roots I put them in pots with good seed starting soil.  My family enjoy watching them grow too!

So Winter is a great time to dream to plant and plan what to plant for the next season which is Spring. I look forward to start sowing seeds for a nice and bountiful garden of flowers for the hummingbirds, butterflies and other guests like fairies 🧚‍♀️and things.  Also some nice snow peas, spring greens, kale and dwarf carrots. 
Here are some wonderful websites below to help you create that beautiful balcony or small garden you’ve been dreaming about. 
Happy gardening 🥕

List of sources:
https://www.chatelaine.com/home-decor/balcony-gardening/
http://theherbexchange.com/how-to-grow-an-eco-friendly-balcony-or-rooftop-food-garden/
https://blog.strictlymedicinalseeds.com/
https://www.norhart.com/blog/2019/05/15/ideal-plants-for-an-apartment-balcony/