What can we learn from resilient plants and their ability to flourish against the odds?
Walking from Sloane Square to Chelsea Physic Garden once a week I walk past many town houses with window boxes and basement areas of paving below their front door. I’ve noticed how plants in pots 10ft or more below pavement level reach up for the light to grow and some give up and die.
Trachelospermum successfully reaching for the light
I can only guess that the soil in the pot is kept full of goodness, the plant is watered regularly and there is enough sun for it to flower. Success.
Trachelospermum (jasmine) again, reaching through the railings to get the sun. Success
As long as its roots are watered and fed, the plant can grow to get the sun it needs rather than lurk in the dark and give up.
I think this box has died or at least is not very well at all
This poor box ball may have tried but didn’t stand a chance what with box blight and probably not being cared for.
Box is dying everywhere due to box blight so some people have solved that problem with these below:
Plastic box plant in a windowbox
It’s resilient in that it’s made of plastic so …………..(keep my opinions to myself on that one).
Below, I can’t tell what these plants are but I felt so sorry for them. They look like they’re in a zoo reaching through the bars and they are struggling to get some light. Surely that’s cruelty to plants? They really did evoke the emotion of pity and I wanted to rescue them. (slightly mad of me I think).
Plants doing their very best to break through
Windowbox of box pants and petunias and ivy
This window box is doing its best but looks like the blight has killed one plant and will move on to the others. Would have looked quite nice before the damage though.
Lovely planting in a shady front paved area
This area looks lovely. I think watering is the key. So many window boxes I pass in the street have not been watered. Chatting to a contract gardener outside a house he told me the owners had a problem with their window box irrigation system. I wondered if their watering can had a hole in it. Meeow.
Lesson to learn – right plant , right place I guess. And Trachelospermum jasminoides looks like the best plant to thrive and reach up for the light so plant that if you have a dark spot at ground level and a big pot.
This theme of Six on Saturday is hosted by the Propagator (Thankyou to him) and on his blog you can see other people’s sixes.
Not only resilient plants, but wonderful windows, railings and planters!
This was interesting to read. Lovely to see people are trying to green things up in the city, but yes, watering and feeding are key requirements.
A different and interesting look at how people grow their plants in the city,thanks
thankyou Fred. A lovely day here in leafy north London today. Shallspend it sitting in the garden I hope. Best wishes, Julie
Plastic box! Good grief. I recently acquired a trach.jasmin. (£1.76 in morrisons!). It is doing very well in its pot. I plan to plant it in an as yet unbuilt planter. It’ll be in a somewhat sheltered spot with a mix of light and shade, so hopefully it will do a good job of covering that bit of wall.
Hello Mr P. It seems to be that plant does its devil best to thrive wherever it is put. I see it everywhere here in town. Mine did nothing all winter and suddenly a few weeks ago spurted into new fresh shiny green growth. I hope yours takes off and sun or shade are fine I believe. Might take a year to two to flower but so worth it.