Well, there was the one year where the only thing that stopped me was pregnancy. Put a screeching halt to all lifting. Otherwise I might have planted the whole neighborhood!

I started out "thinking", (my first mistake) that I needed about 75 plants, total. Yeah.... I'm laughing too. That thought quickly went out the window when I expanded the size of my cold frame before it was even built. I now have accepted the idea that I will have to dig up the entire surrounding area of my patio and begin to collect flower pots and planters.

My next door neighbor, an elderly Russian woman that I wish I could talk to, (she's mostly deaf, and doesn't speak english) has an empty bed that runs along the wall of her smaller condo and I have set that aside for guerrilla gardening.

I won't stop. I live in a large condominium complex with 245 units and a 4 acre pond, my possibilities are endless. I won't get it done in a year or even 2 or 3. Thank God for that!!

That's cool, Nancy Drew! Sounds like you are going to beautify your condo complex!

Last year, 1st year WSing, I did 158 containers, mostly perennials and grasses, and about 1/3 annuals and veggies. Most of the containers had multiple seedlings or could be divided up into several HOS, so I really hustled to plant or pot hundreds of seedlings. It was kind of stressful cuz I didn't have enough garden beds ready and at one point I had about 150 perennial and grass seedlings in small pots waiting for me get beds ready and decide where they were going to go!

This year, I think it will be around the same # containers but hopefully fewer total seedlings. I've been saving lots of 1 liter spritzer/soda bottles (with nice straight sides) and plan to sow a single plug or maybe 1-2 seedlings in these.

Then again, I'll probably have hundreds of seedlings again. :-/

This is town owned land... how's that for desperate for more space!

{{gwi:358277}}

this is a long shot of the side of my street.

This is a close up of one section.

{{gwi:358278}}

Lisa

I learned my first year to have those beds ready! I had no idea of what amazing germination I was going to have! As soon as the ground thaws I have to put that shovel to work!

I ran out of tp rolls, I think I did a little over 300 of those, and now hubs has been bringing me water bottles he rescues from the recycling bin at work. I also have 16 milk jugs hidden behind my cold frame... shhh... nobody knows they're there! :) The HOA calls it "unsightly".... what do they know?

I have a double lot and hubby is getting rid of one of his sheds so I can expand the veggie bed. So long as I leave an area for the doggies there is no telling how far I will go ;)

Lisa - it looks so nice!!

I am still experimenting with methods, so I probably wont do more than 40 jugs. I used seed starting mix instead of potting soil for some of my jugs (I know better now), and some of my containers are smaller than milk jugs, so I am wondering how many are going to die of drought. Once I figure out the most foolproof method (which will probably involve being a little more prepared and organized before I start), then I will probably do more than 40 jugs.

Also, I only sow a few jugs at a time; I don't have the room or disposition to do assembly-line sowing. Wintersowing a couple jugs is a kind of treat to myself, something to look forward to after a stressful day at work. In the coming year, I plan to stockpile potting soil and jugs so I can do more than a couple per week. I have lots of little corners that can use some brightening up in my yard, so I don't think I will run out of garden space for at least a few years.

Lois in PA

What?? *Nancy Drew*, of all people, isn't fluent in Russian?? That just doesn't seem right....

(wink, wink!)
:)
Dee

Nancy, I too am worried my HOA might come to get me. I will get a nasty letter first then a possible fine :(

I hope I can keep the containers hidden enough so they leave me alone.

I guess my mistake was not doing WS in the last couple years and buying all those plants for so much $$$ I spent so much each year!

Karen

Karen, with my cold frame hiding most of my containers, I'm ok if I don't get carried away... but how can I not?

Dee, Wheeling, Illinois was listed in Family Circle's "Top 10 Places to Raise a Family" in 2008 because of the ethnicity. It's a village of immigrants from Russia, Poland, India, Lithuania, Mexico, Bosnia... To put it mildly... it's tough to know a few of my neighbors! However, the kids have no problem communicating with each other and they do get a huge lesson in understanding cultural differences than I got in my very WASP hometown. I think it's a great childhood experience for my son.

That being said... HELL no I don't know Russian! ;)

Nancy drew: Break out the Vodka and make some borscht!

Nazdrovya!!!

:)
Dee

Nancy, I am having a hard time not getting carried away also. I might have to put up something to block the view of the containers :) Right now they are closer to my door so I can check on them when I want to. I hope it is too cold for the HOA to go around snooping :)
Karen

Posted by diggerdee:
What?? *Nancy Drew*, of all people, isn't fluent in Russian?? That just doesn't seem right....
(wink, wink!)
:)
Dee

Heck no, but my kid can cuss you out in 7 languages!

Karen, all of our buildings are in a huge circle with a courtyard in the middle. The courtyard has a walking path that goes right past our patio. It's a lovely path that people like to walk their dogs on, jog, take a stroll... No snooping needed to find my jugs! ;)

Well, that depends on what I see today in the seed racks.
Have been a good girl and I didn't use my WallyWorld or Lowes Xmas gift cards yet.