New Gardener

11 years ago

Hello all!

I'm so glad to have found this forum! As in my subject, I'm new to Jacksonville, Florida and to gardening. I'm attempting a 'container garden' on my 3rd floor patio. So far I've succeeded in 'keeping alive'(can ya tell I'm unsure of my green thumb? haha!)a strawberry planter half filled, 3 rose bushes(Blue Girl hybrid, Maria Stern, and one labeled as N' Joy(but I can't find anything online about it)), 2 blueberry bushes(Rabbit Eye and Home Bell) as well as a peppermint and lemon balm pots and a Cherry Punch tomato plant. Hopefully I'll be taking advantage of my railing and planting a few baby seedlings I've managed to sprout.

It probably doesn't help I'm a cashier at Lowe's, further fueling my "Ohh pretty, I should try and grow that!" bouts.But no plants have been introduced to the inside of the house since one of my two feline's took to enjoying a 'natural litterbox' when I brought my Blue Girl in in fear of a too cold night.

Hopefully with all the wonderful people here, I can continue to learn how to keep my beautiful plants thriving and growing. Cause I think I've caught the gardening bug! :)

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Comments (10)

shear_stupidity
11 years ago
Hello and welcome to Florida AND Gardenweb!

I think you're gonna need a bigger patio! LOL!
ibarbidahl
11 years ago
hehe- she's right. We only instigate around here. ;-)

Welcome!
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Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
11 years ago
"It probably doesn't help I'm a cashier at L's". Oh my, I'd probably end up with a bill every week instead of a check! Welcome to Gardenweb!
QuestioningSerenity
Original Author
11 years ago
Haha thank ya'll ^^.
@shear_stupidity- yeah your probably right. I've been eyeing the rose bushes again....I THINK I can get away with putting one outside by the front door.....I've been eyeing the red ones/the multi-colored grafted ones haha!

@purpleinopp- I'm surprised I haven't yet. I think I've already planned a third of tomorrow's check!

Thank you all for the welcomes!
thetradition
11 years ago
What sort of sun does your balcony get? Morning? Afternoon? None?

You can have a lot of fun with shade-loving plants if you don't get blazing hot afternoon sun.

Most fruiting plants need lots of sun, so the answer to your query is: it depends on the sun.

Anyway, welcome. My mom grew amazing plants on balconies and patios where they shouldn't have survived. You'll probably have successes (and failures), too. It's all part of the fun.
zzackey
11 years ago
Welcome! What Lowe's do you work at? I'm the Bayer Advanced rep at Regency Square. I love to buy a few little plants each week. That's my reward for working!
Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
11 years ago
Welcome to Jacksonville! Like Zackey, I'm in Jacksonville, too! If you work at the Lowes at Regency, or on Atlantic Blvd, or on Philips Highway Lowes, I'm sure we have talked, especially if you are working in the Garden Center. :)

I loved hearing about your little garden on your balcony. It sounds like you have a little of everything and it is going well! You are working at a great place to learn just by watching. Also, talk to the vendors when you get a chance. A lot of them know a lot about the plants they bring in.

My favorite thing about Lowes is the overhead announcement voice that says, "Assistance is needed in the lighting area. Lighting area."

"Assistance is needed in the Wood Cutting area. Wood Cutting area."

When I hear it, I repeat the department along with announcer. I crack myself up.

Carol in Jacksonville
QuestioningSerenity
Original Author
11 years ago
@TheTradition- I get lovely morning sun. My Blue Girl is thriving from her unmoved spot on the corner hehe. My roommate and i have both discovered a love for jasmine, so there might be abit of branching into that xD

@Zackey and @Love_the_yard- I actually work at the Lowes off of cassat and Lenox ave. It's right next to one of those highways. I'm a cashier who has made it quite plain to those in charge my love of the garden center. If i'm not scheduled to be out there i'm the first chosen if someone's needed.

And to those who giggled with me about my paycheck going back to Lowes, I only spent 1/5, but I still have to go back for that darn bigger pot for my avacado, it needs a bigger pot I'm thinking.

And yes, I did bring home a new rose. A double graft that i'll have to edit the names in later cause i'm not going anywhere near them now that I got them that fish fertilizer Dx
Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
11 years ago
Yeah, that's the one thing missing from the bottle of Fish Fertilizer:

"Only open in a well ventilated area, preferably outdoors with a high wind. Stand upwind."

The first time I opened mine was in the kitchen near the sink. Never again.
Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
11 years ago
Haha, I use "that fish fertilizer", too! The other day, I was walking through my kitchen and thought, boy, the trash smells awful. I took it out and a few minutes later, I still smelled something pretty bad. I realized it was my watering can! The fish smell has penetrated the plastic. I now have to keep it in the garage. Couldn't take that. But boy, the plants sure do love it.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Lilly Miller Alaska Fish Emulsion Fertilizer 5-1-1