Lexicilogy: Flora

English-French-Latin names for flowers at Earthly Pursuits

Container Gardening

Compact and integral system Mobile Food Garden by Nancy Wang (Courtesy of Shoebox Dwelling) - elegant but are those pots really big enough?

Cottage Town

Remember Minature Gardens and Thyrza Segal's creatures?

In a similar vein: Cottage Town by Ontwerpduo. From their site:

Change your potplant into a mini village with 'Cottage Town', and ordinary plants will be turned into huge trees or fields. These tilted tiny constructions in soft colours are made of waterproof 'paper', and can resist rain from a watering can. Fold and place your own house into the nicest plant you can find, or give away as a present with the enclosed wishcard.

Available at BijzonderMooi

Garden Wishlist

Image by Botanical Interests.

Ornamentals:
Porcelain Berries, 'Elegans' - invasive?
Viola Cornuta 'Black Magic'
Varigated Nutmeg Geranium
Heuchera
Nectaroscordum siculum
Thunbergia alata "Spanish Eyes"

Edibles:
Kumguat or Mandarinquat Tree
Hairy Cucumbers
Costoluto Genovese
Borage

Tools:
Besom √

Decor:
Bamboo and twig trellises

When Sam Is Older:
Japanese Lanterns/Physalis alkekengi

Besom

So this is where you find a besom (a real, workhorse deal of a besom and not a Wiccan altar besom):

Moontree Forge & Broom on Etsy - her long whisk brooms remind me those Indonesian street brooms; this is the one I have (and love).
Justamere Tree Farm - seen in Martha Stewart Living 10/2009
Hida Tool & Hardware Company
Building for Health Eco-Center

Or you can make your own.

Sprout

Evan Gant's ingenious Sprout topper for empty milk jugs in order to better deliver water to plants.

Florists

Studio Choo
c/o Prairie Collective
262 Divisadero Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
Wednesday through Saturday 12 to 6PM
Sunday 12 to 4PM
T: (415) 624-5981
http://www.studiochoo.com/

French Tulip
3903 24th Street
San Francisco, CA 94114
8:00 am – 7:00 pm
Monday – Sunday
T: (415) 647.8661
http://www.frenchtulip.com


Birch
3263 sacramento street
san francisco, ca 94115
415.922.4724
tuesday through friday 10 to 5 pm
saturday noon to 5, unless booked with an event

or

564 hayes street
san francisco, ca 94102
415.626.6860
tuesday, wednesday and saturday 12 to 6
thursday through friday 12 to 7
sunday 12 to 5
http://www.birchsf.com

Decor: Tubtrugs

If I had not found the wonderful, hose-able Land of Nod bins for Sam's room, I might have considered Tubtrugs.
Maybe the balcony could use one.

Kumquats

Two techniques to candy them by Katherine Martinelli

A larger, sweeter alternative: the mandarinquat

Four Winds Growers

Leaf Identification

LeafSnap app by CU, UM, and the Smithsonian - I have been dreaming of this very thing forever!

Decor: Terrariums

Ruffled's DIY Terrariums - intended as favours but too cool to not make, regardless

Garden: Reference & Sources

You Grow Girl - Gardening for the People by Gayla Trail.

My Little Garden in Japan - a garden in really small spaces
Urban Gardens - pretty, and some useful, stuff

Armchair Gardening

Some lovely bamboo and twig trellising at the Embarcadero Centre.

It is time to start dreaming about planning for the garden.

I have had a request for "something climbing/trailing." The original request was for a pumpkin but maybe runner beans could fit the bill ... or hairy cucumber! Cucumber Carosello Barese Seeds are available here:

Seeds from Italy
Mail Order Garden
Gourmet Seed

Even though the Green Zebras and Black Sea Man tomatoes did really well, Costoluto Genovese are back on the menu.

Purple sage and Rau Ram are still doing well but they may get some dill, thyme, and rosemary for company. I still need to find a basil less prone to bolting.

Garden: kalanchoe tubiflora (Widow's Thrill)

Kalanchoe tubiflora (Widow's Thrill) is my newest botanical preoccupation. I spotted it over at Gayla Trail's wonderful site, You Grow Girl.
But, of course, it had to be toxic.

"... bufadienolide cardiac glycosides[2] which can cause cardiac poisoning, particularly in grazing animals ..."

Best add this to the "When Sam Is Older" List along with Brugmansia (Oh, yeah, this one requires a garden plot too).

Tomatoes

Black Sea Man (determinate) - You Grow Girl's review here
Costoluto Genovese (indeterminate) - You Grow Girl's review here
You Grow Girl on Tomatoes in containers here and here.

01.xii.10 UPDATE: Instead of Costoluto Genovese, I managed to buy Green Zebras by mistake. It was a huge disppointment but they proved themselves to be fairly prolific and tangy but tasty. I will have to try for Costoluto again next year!

Terrariums

NY Times Article
Available from Twig Terrariums
Great source for supplies at Terrain, courtesy of Zephyr.

Violas

Viola cornuta ‘Black Magic' at You Grow Girl

Miniature Gardening

Image by Janit Calvo

Janit Calvo's miniature gardening site has me daydreaming about dressing up my potted plants a bit. Her site has loads of inspirational photos, tips, and best of all, supplies you can buy. You can do your research and sourcing all at once.

Janit Calvo's Blog
Her miniature gardening supply center
Aliens by Thyrza

Tentacles, Part II

You cannot have too many tentacles.

Image by Thyrza Segal

Thyrza Segal makes the most delightful tentacled creatures. Currently, I am agonizing over which one would look best next to my succulent or my variegated geranium.

Scented Geraniums

Variegated Nutmeg Geranium
Pelargonium x fragrans 'Variegated'
Uses: Culinary/Aromatic Duration: Perennial (hardy in zones 10-11+)
Attractive variegated version of nutmeg geranium with the same strong nutmeg scent.

Design Sponge's article about Susa Farms
And the feature by Studio Choo/Small Stump

UPDATE: It smells soooo good. Spicy and, yes, like nutmeg.