Lobelia is a genus of flowering plant comprising 360–400 species, with a subcosmopolitan distribution primarily in tropical to warm temperate regions of the world, a few species extending into cooler temperate regions. English names include Lobelia, Asthma Weed, Indian Tobacco, Pukeweed, and Vomitwort.
Lobelia is an ideal plant to be grown in containers, after all, the extremely beautiful blue or white petals cascading over pots and out of windowboxes give a great look. Lobelias are profuse summertime bloomers. Try these compact plants as border edging, along creekbeds, in containers, or in windowsill planters. They look great in hanging baskets, too. As a matter of fact, these cool weather flowers will bloom all the way to frost. They are a popular, easy to grow annual (grows only for one year) flower native to a wide range of regions in North and South America. There are many varieties, some of which are perennials, but the most used ones in gardening are annuals. It grows 4-8 inches high and sprawls over the ground or over the sides of containers.
In terms of sun, Lobelia plants like full sun to partial shade and the plants prefer cool weather. In terms of soil conditions, Lobelias like rich, wet soil. Lobelia plants will thrive in moist to wet soil along creekbeds and streams, or in natural wetlands. Avoid frost conditions.
Established plants need very little attention. You need to keep the soil moist to wet, and if there are dry spells, water frequently. For peak performance, add a general purpose fertilizer once a month. Around mid-summer, your plants will begin to produce flowers, and will continue to do so up to the first frost. You do not need remove dead flower blooms, except for appearance. When summer’s heat or humidity causes lobelia to stop blooming, just shear the plants back by half. As long as you keep the soil moist, they’ll bloom again when cooler weather hits.

How to grow from seed: 2 ways. First method is very simple and non-time consuming, all you need to do is to scatter the seed in the area that you wish for them to grow; or you could raise them in seedling trays. Raising them in seedbeds is the best way to get uniformity of plant and also you are more able to control exactly the position that they will grow in, but takes more effort.

Medical Uses: Native Americans used lobelia to treat respiratory and muscle disorders, and as a purgative. Today it is used to treat asthma and food poisoning, and is often used as part of smoking cessation programs. It is a physical relaxant, and can serve as a nerve depressant, easing tension and panic. The species used most commonly in modern herbalism is Lobelia inflata (Indian Tobacco).
Because of its similarity to nicotine, the internal use of lobelia may be dangerous to susceptible populations, including children, pregnant women, and individuals with cardiac disease. Excessive use will cause nausea and vomiting. It is not recommended for use by pregnant women and is best administered by a practitioner qualified in its use.

Trying to grow some juicy tomatoes ? Can’t resist the temptation to have some bright red juicy tomatoes growing on a vine and then to cut them in your kitchen, savoring the pleasure ? And of course, you really don’t have the outdoor space to grow tomatoes properly in soil ? Well, fear not. There are plenty of resources dedicated to helping you grow tomatoes even though you do not have soil on the ground and would like to grow them in containers. Here is the link to an article that provides many more details on what you should do to get such a garden:

* Plant tomatoes such as cherry or Roma varieties that have smaller fruit, which do best with the upside down hanging tomato growing method.
* If you don’t like the look of a five gallon bucket, you can also purchase planters specifically made for hanging tomatoes.
* Be sure to pick a solid place and use a good strong hook or other means from which to hang your tomato plants; each planter will weigh between 35 and 40 pounds.
* Plant your hanging tomato plants in spring (between late April and early June depending on how far north you are located) so that you can enjoy fresh tomatoes all through the growing season.

The article takes you through details on how you can set up your container for growing the tomatoes, get the required soil (with the additives that you would need for this purpose), and so on. And of course, you can go and search for more details on how to grow tomatoes in containers (also refer to previous articles on this site).

Growing vegetables in 5 gallon buckets is a good option for people who have constraints or do not have space for a regular kitchen garden. A whole lot of items can be grown in 5 gallon containers (or other sized containers) similar to growing in a kitchen garden easily. So, for example, the following are a sample of the vegetables that can be grown in containers:
- Vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers will readily adapt to growing in containers.

What is the process you should use:
- Stab a dozen holes in the bottom of your five-gallon bucket with a nail or screwdriver, then pour in a couple of inches of mulch in the bottom; mulch will help keep the water drained properly and prevent rot.
- Fill up the rest of the bucket with potting soil, leaving a two- to four-inch space at the top.
- Since the roots of the plants will be confined, be sure to water the plants as often as necessary to keep the soil from drying out.
- Get yourself a sturdy stake and embed it into the soil at a good enough depth that it will be able to hold up the weight of a fruit-laden plant. If necessary, set up small wire frames to provide support.
- They also sell “tomato cages,” which replace the stake with a metal mesh that fits in the top of the bucket and rises up into a cone, given the tomato plant more room to vine.
- Sprinkle a layer of mulch over the top of the exposed soil.
- If you’re growing indoors, select vegetables better suited for modest sunlight.
- Keep an eye on them for diseases and other such problems, including pests (although if you have pests inside your house, then you have bigger problems)
- If growing tomatos, choose determinate-type tomato plants rather than indeterminate ones. Determinate tomatoes will reach 3 to 5 feet high, where indeterminates will continue putting on new growth all summer.

While growing plants, watering these plants is a very necessary process. But you need to make sure that you remember to water them regularly. Failing to do so means that your plants could suffer and not grow like you would like them to grow. In addition, different seasons and different plants require different watering conditions.
So, you must be thinking “Why could we not have a system where plants could get water as and when required; why should I have to know the peculiar conditions for watering depending on the plant and the weather?”. There is actually a solution to this problem in the form of something called “Self Watering Container” (SWC).
Self Watering Containers obviously cannot generate water by themselves; however, they solve the problem of ensuring water when required by setting up a bottom chamber that is a water reservoir and above which is the potting mix along with the roots of the plants. The roots pick up water by osmosis, ensuring that water is drawn when required; leading to an improvement in the growing abilities of most plants. Read this article that explains this in more details (link):

You can make SWCs out of many different types of containers, including kitty litter buckets and 5-gallon buckets, which are, of course, smaller than the 18-gallon storage tubs but will serve nicely for a pepper plant, one of the smaller varieties of eggplant, and other plants.
# If you are growing vegetables in containers anyway, then the SWCs make life much easier: you only have to water every few days rather than every day (or even multiple times per day in the case of large plants in traditional containers).
# An even-better reason for using SWCs rather than traditional containers is that the vegetables grow very much better in them. I’d say that - per square foot of container surface - SWCs give you at least twice the yield of traditional containers, and probably even more.

Read the whole article to understand the advantage (as well as disadvantages) in more detail.

Seems like a strange thing to do, right ? But here is this great article about hanging 5 gallon buckets and letting tomatoes grow from them, instead of growing tomatoes with the roots going into the ground. There are many advantages of this approach, and getting 5 gallon containers is a fairly easy task.
The articles goes through the preparation of the containers for the task of growing stuff in them, including making sure that the containers / 5 gallon buckets are totally clean. Next, holes are made in them, and then the holes are covered so that the soil will not fall out.
The article then moves onto preparation of the bucket with the soil mix, and finally planting a tomato seedling. When the plant starts growing, the bucket is then hung up from a place that can take the weight of the container and the soil.
Read more details, including some photographs at this link.

Jim Appleby from Iowa has discovered several benefits to hanging his tomatoes in buckets. First, the air can circulate better so the plants have almost no disease problems. Second, the fruit doesn’t rot as quickly as that on the ground. And finally, some critters that eat tomatoes have trouble getting to the ripening fruit.

Here’s another post on the same topic (link)

Perennial crocosmias range from the bright canary yellows to the flashy tomato reds. Plant them bursting out of a group of quieter colours or in a subtropical border packed with hothouse colours. Although Crocosmia are half hardy bulbs they are usually grown as annuals by gardeners. they have leaves that look like swords, these carry inflorescences that have red or orange funnel like flowers. Crocosmia comes into bloom in the summer months. Common names for Crocosmia include Montbretia and copper top. They make ideal border plants.
The name ‘Crocosmia’ originats from a combination - crocosmia from the Greek krokos, meaning saffron, and osme meaning smell, alluding to the saffron scent given off by the dried flowers when placed in water. The alternate name ‘Montbretia’ got its name from Antoine François Ernest Conquebert de Monbret who was the botanist that accompanied Napoleon on his Egypt campaign in 1798.
The foliage reaches about 3 feet in height. The flowers, borne on stems up to 2 feet long, bloom for a long time. Typically, the flower stems branch and curve slightly, bearing two rows of buds. You can tell they are related to the gladiola.
It is perhaps easiest to grow Crocosmia from corms; If you go with corms, set them in the ground 2 to 3 inches deep and 8 to 10 inches apart. The corms are best planted in the fall for blooms the following spring.
If growing from seeds then they should be sown in the spring, just cover the seeds with topsoil. Plants seeds in seed trays, about 1/4″ deep, in seed starting soil.
They grow best in full sun. Plant in in rich, loose garden soil. If the soil is heavy or doesn’t drain well, mix in a generous amount of sand. Plant corms four to five inches deep, and four inches apart. Water if the soil is dry; and avoid keeping the soil wet, keeping it moist is a better bet. Once established, crocosmias require only the minimum of care, but in cold areas it’s worth covering plants with a deep mulch of well-rotted compost or straw in winter. If the plants are being planted into containers, put them in big pots with big drainage holes, and keep them well-watered. However, if the soil is water-logged, the roots will rot.
Plants that aren’t flowering freely can be divided in the spring. Split them into small clusters and replant in soil enriched with compost, and give a sprinkling of general fertiliser.

Coreopsis is a member of the Aster family. This plant is also called “Tickseed” or “Calliopsis”. Most varieties are perennials, with some annual varieties. They are natives of plains in the U.S. Coreopsis are sunny flower border work horses. They are great additions to any garden design, blooming most of the summer. Coreopsis make great garden edging as well as nice cut flowers. Coreopsis produces daisy like flowers. Flowers grow on sturdy stalks that grow from 1 1/2′ to 4′ tall. Brilliant colors include yellow, gold, red, maroon, or a combination of these colors.
The annual Coreopsis is C. tinctoria and in a full sun garden it can reach three to four feet in height. Easily grown as a hardy annual (you can sow it outside) this showy yellow and dark red daisy puts on quite a flower display. The drought-tolerant nature of the Coreopsis makes it a great plant for container gardens, xeriscaping or near the road or mailbox where it won’t get watered everyday. Give it a prime spot in the cut flower garden as well.

Zone: Tickseed, or Coreopsis, is hardy in zones 3-8.

Exposure: Full sun Bloom Period/Days to Harvest

Bloom Period/Days to Harvest: Early summer through Fall

Growing from transplantation: Shop for coreopsis plants in the spring in cold regions or year-round in mild climates. Choose healthy-looking plants with signs of new growth in leaf or flower bud. (In early spring you may need to look closely in the pot for the dark stems emerging from the soil.)

Grow Coreopsis from seed: Directly seed them into your flower garden in early spring. Sow seeds early in the season, covering lightly with coarse or sandy soil.

They grow well in average soils. Soil should be well draining. Mix in plenty of compost prior to the first planting. Keep the soil moist until they germinate, about one of two weeks. This versatile plant grows in dry or wet climates. Water only during extended droughts. Plant coreopsis in full sun in well-drained soil. Add a little organic fertilizer to the planting hole. Water weekly throughout the first summer.
Coreopsis will bloom longer if deadheaded. However the profusion of delicate blooms can make deadheading a nightmare. An easier solution is to simply wait until the first flush of bloom wanes and sheer the entire plant back. It will recover quickly. Add a light application of organic fertilizer in spring. Water infrequently once the plant is established - just two or three times during the summer. Dig up your Coreopsis clumps every three years or so to divide in the fall after blooming or in the early spring. The taller varieties will benefit from staking.

Composting is an easy, economical way to keep nutrient-rich plant food at the ready. Not only is it good for your plants, if you pay by the can for waste removal, it can also be good for your garbage bill! Here is an inexpensive way to get started.
Materials needed:

* A 55-gallon garbage can with a tight fitting lid ( use plastic or galvanized metal).
* Hammer & large nail (or drill)
* 2 Cinder blocks (or bricks, or lumber scraps) to elevate the finished bin off the ground.
* Pie tin to catch compost tea
* Work gloves & protective eyewear
* Watering can or garden hose
* Bungee strap to secure lid (optional)
* 100 Red Wiggler worms (optional)

Directions for Assembly

Organic materials need oxygen to decompose, so using a hammer and nail (or drill), punch air holes into the garbage can at 4-6 inch intervals until you have covered the surface of the can (don’t forget your gloves and eyewear). Flip the can over and punch 4 equidistant holes near the center of the bottom for drainage. Elevate the can using blocks and place the pie tin underneath it to catch any liquid compost tea that drains out (this is great for feeding houseplants).

Layering the Compost
Layer 1: Start by spreading a layer of garden soil (or saw dust) 3 inches deep on the bottom of the can. For faster composting, you can add Red Wiggler worms on top of this layer. Unlike earthworms (don’t use them, they won’t work), Red Wigglers are champion composters. They are inexpensive and easily available online. They multiply rapidly, so 100 will be plenty to start with. If you don’t want to use worms,
don’t worry. You don’t need them.

Layer 2: Next add some chopped leaves, junk mail, shredded cardboard, or a few sheets of newspaper. These materials are rich in carbon and referred to as browns. Other examples of browns include straw, woodchips or saw dust.

Layer 3: Your next layer should contain nitrogen-rich materials, also called greens. Greens include grass clippings, pet hair, dust bunnies, vegetable and fruit peelings, coffee grounds, and other non-fatty kitchen scraps including eggshells. If you are composting with worms, avoid onions and keep citrus peelings to a minimum (worms don’t care for them). Avoid meat scraps and fatty foods like salad dressings and dairy products. They emit a strong odor when decomposing which attracts animals. Finish with another couple of handfuls of garden dirt and a few sprinkles from a watering can. Close the lid and you are all set! If you don’t have enough materials to create all three layers right away, don’t worry. Just keep adding waste as you generate it. Each time you add a layer of green, cover it with some browns and
a few more handfuls of garden dirt.

Moisture
Along with oxygen, moisture must be present for the organic materials to break down. Ideally, try to maintain moisture levels in the can similar to that of a wrung out sponge.

Mixing
At least once a week, roll the can on the ground to mix its contents. If the can becomes to heavy to handle, mix it using a pitchfork or shovel.

Adding Compost to the Garden
Depending on conditions, you can expect finished compost in as soon as 4 to 6 weeks. If composting with worms, leave the cover off for a few days before emptying the compost into the garden. The worms don’t like light and will move to the bottom of the can where they’ll be easy to separate out and use again once the can is empty.

If you don’t have that much space to create an actual kitchen garden in the soil, then another way is to create a window box. What is a window box ? It’s a small box just next to the window, but above ground level. Such a small box may seem strange, after all, what can you grow in such a small space, but you would be surprised. You can actually grow a herb garden in such a space, and plant edible flowers in these boxes such as nasturtiums and French marigolds. The advantage of such garden boxes is that they look decorative, beautiful and provide a nice fragrance. And of course, you don’t need much of these herbs for your own needs.
Some tips for making these window boxes:
Set the box in such a way that it gets atleast 6-7 hours of sun every day as these herbs need at least that much sun.
These window boxes need to be conveniently placed so that you can easily water them, take care of them and harvest the growth. If not conveniently placed, there will be a lot of inertia in taking proper care of them.
Make sure that these boxes have proper drainage holes, and cover the holes with a filter to ensure that soil does not flow out with the water.
Select the plants with care, and most important, that they are edible. Would not do to get a poisonous variety.
The variety you should get should be growable in the climate that you have.
Don’t use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides; you should be easily be able to get the ones for use with herbs.
Check for insects regularly, and deal with them promptly by using an organic insecticide.Create Window Box

Not all of us live in a home with a backyard where we can grow our small garden. Many people do live in apartments, and have never visualized being able to grow plants in such a confined space. However, there is no reason why you can’t grow plants even in an apartment. Welcome to the world of container gardening where you can grow plants in containers, enough so that you can proud of what you have accomplished.
There are several steps that you can take to make this wish true:
1. Get a variety of containers, clean them and disinfect them. These should be adequate to hold soil, and that can have holes made in them (for drainage).
2. Get the required soil from any place that can give you some
3. Use old newspapers, kitchen waste (such as peel, coffee grinds, left-over vegetables, etc). Don’t use meat. Keep on adding water to this combination (kept in a dark corner), and get and add some earthworms
4. Get seeds, but you need to make sure that you get seeds for vegetables that are suitable for small containers such as small Broccoli, mini Cabbage, mini Carrots, container tomatoes, etc. You can get a lot of these by going down to the nearest seed shop and asking for veggies that can be grown in containers.