I love bud vases and I love Rae Dunn ceramics.  I’m dying to get my hands on one of her Botany Vases on Etsy. They’re a bit on the pricey side – $125 for one vase – but I have yet to find anything else quite like them. Each vase is numbered and no two vases are alike. I’ll be saving my pennies for one, or wait for a generous gift-giver to come my way.

It’s our great pleasure to announce the first episode of Nest in Style on Horticulture Radio. These special monthly reports for Horticulture Magazine feature plants, products and tools that make your time in the garden more enjoyable.

Join Jayme Jenkins and Teresa O’Connor as they discuss smart plant and product solutions for small-space gardens. Whether your garden is ten acres or ten feet, you’ll find lots of ideas to apply to your outdoor spaces.

Be sure to enter our Greenbo Railing Planter giveaway too!

Create Impact with Small Space Plants

'Heirloom Pepperbox' Poppy. Photo: Renee's Seeds

Elderberry Sambucus nigra. Photo: Teresa O'Connor

Oakleaf Hydrangea 'Little Honey'. Photo: GardenImport.com

• ‘Black Mondo’ grasses and ‘Lime Rickey’ heuchera
• ‘Peewee’ or ‘Little Honey’ oakleaf hydrangea
• ‘Golden Fleece’ dwarf goldenrod
• ‘Bloomerang’ reblooming lilacs
• ‘Madelene Hill’ rosemary (overwinters in Zone 6), plus other herbs
• ‘Summer Ice’ daphne
• Sweet Box or Sarcoccoca
• Elder trees and Elder fritters from Seasonal Wisdom
• ‘Heirloom Pepperbox’ poppies from Renee’s Garden Seeds
• ‘Edible Red Leaf’ amaranth from Botanical Interest
• ‘Scarlet Sentinel’ columnar apple tree (disease resistant)
• ‘Tom Thumb’ peas from Seed Savers Exchange

Great Products for Small Space Gardens

Woolly Pockets	Feeney Cable Trellis	EarthBox
Alessi Kiwi Watering Can	H Potter Dome Trellis	OXO Pour and Store

Enter to Win a GreenBo Railing Planter!

Simply tell us your favorite tips for using plants, products or tools in small spaces within your garden, and you’ll be automatically entered into this giveaway contest.  The winner will be announced during our next episode of Nest In Style on Horticulture Radio in March. Good Luck!

Win a Greenbo Railing Planter — and start growing all types of plants from railings, fences and other difficult places. This planter stays sturdy in small spaces everywhere … and features hip colors, making it ideal for urban environments.

Coming Next: Join us in March for another episode of Nest in Style on Horticulture Radio. We’re talking seeds, and we’ll tell you about great products and tools that make growing plants from seeds more enjoyable.

Until next time, Go Grow Something!

Clay soil after a heavy rainfall.

Gardening in heavy, sticky clay soil is a complete drag. I shouldn’t totally bag on clay soil, it’s rich with potassium, calcium and magnesium – essential nutrients for plant growth. Plants grown in clay soil tend to have shallow root systems, because of the lack of oxygen, making them less drought tolerant during hot and windy conditions. Raised beds are the perfect solution for gardening in wet climates plagued by clay soil.

Benefits of Gardening in Raised Beds

• Control over the soil texture, nutrients and water levels (also referred to as soil tilth)
• Requires less need for chemicals – pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers
• Proper Drainage with a capital “D”
• Plant earlier in the season because the soil is less soggy
• Plant edibles closer together – that means higher yield and less space for weeds to grow!!!
• Requires minimal paths to maneuver around the garden. Less space need to grow a fixed amount of food. (note: this applies more to 4 x 10 foot boxed raised beds)

Words to Know:  Soil Tilth

In short, soil tilth is the ideal soil composition – 50% soil and 50% pore space, with water and air equally distributed with the pore spaces. Learn more about Managing Soil Tilth from the Colorado State University Extension.

How to Build a Raised Bed with Rocks

before

after

Raised beds don’t have to be a row of multiple 4 x 10 foot boxes. Sure, you can grow more in less space and it’s easier to harvest crops and weed, but I wanted something a little more natural looking. Plus, this part of my yard is on a slight slope, and I didn’t want to deal with terracing wooden boxes.

The start of this project dates back to a sunny day in May 2006 (that’s how long I’ve been holding onto some of these DIY photos!). I decided to take on this project after 2 years of stunted plant growth and inevitable plant death caused by root rot. My plants were basically sitting in water for months at a time. Plants need water, but not THAT much water.

*I used 3/4″ open quarry for the rock wall base and to cover the french drain pipe.  The quarry rock is great for creating solid bases, but I would recommend 1 1/2″ round river rock for drainage purposes. The round edges prevent rocks from wedging themselves into air pockets over time (defeats the purpose of water drainage).

You won't see me in a bikini top like some other DIY divas.

1. I used a garden hose to shape the curve of the rock wall. I’m partial to curves because I think they break up all the square angles of a house, fences, property lot, raised beds and patios.

Gardens are Like Women, More Sexy with Curves – Jayme Jenkins, co-author of Garden Rules: The Snappy Synopsis of the Modern Gardener

2. Once I was happy with the shape, I used my shovel to remove about 18″ of dirt to make room for the rock base and french drain pipe.

NOTE: Many walls are built upon stamped dirt without a rock base. However, the weight of the rocks on top of my soggy, clay soil would have started to sink over time.

Don't ask me why the fence guy built the fence to look like steps.

3. Now it’s time to bring in the wall rocks. After all was said and done, I only pinched my fingers between two heavy rocks twice.

4. I started with the larger, flatter rocks on the bottom to make a solid base. I stood a few of the larger rocks up on their side, just to change the lines up a bit. The first level was easy. Hand-picking the perfect rocks for the next couple of rows was by far the longest AND hardest part of this project (professional rock layers deserve every penny they earn).

5. Next I laid flexible french drain piping along the back of the wall and covered it with more rocks (this step is not pictured). My thought was to divert the water away from my lawn.

The late spring rains stall my progress for a few days, but this turned out to be a good thing. Now I could see how effective the french drain was at keeping puddles of water out of the lawn.

Well, the lawn was puddle-free, but the french drain ended up just displacing the water to another part of the yard (later this became a dry well and the problem was solved).

6. Since the space was so large, I back filled the dirt with loam (the perfect soil combination of sand, silt and clay). I later topped the soil with a 4″ layer of Blended Mint Compost. I prefer Blended Mint over bark-o-mulch because it looks good (a dark, almost black, color) and it’s nutrient rich.

Done! Now it’s time for planting.

Coming Soon: I’ll post more photos of this raised bed area where I installed stone pavers, plants, a container-planted Japanese Maple, galvanized pipes, Bob the buddha, and another mini raised bed.

Photo by e_calamar on Flickr

Twelve months. 365 days. 52 weeks. However you look at it, we’re pleased to announce that Nest In Style is celebrating its one-year anniversary.  And it’s been a very good year.

That’s why co-hosts Teresa O’Connor and Jayme Jenkins are celebrating the Nest in Style one-year anniversary with big news. Listen as we remember all the great guests and informative interviews aired over the year.  And then … be among the first to hear our exciting news for 2011.

Nest In Style’s BIG News

• Hear us speak at Northwest Flower & Garden Show in Seattle, Feb. 25 – 26, 2011, 1:30 p.m.  Also, watch Teresa in The Garden Show’s Incredible Edibles panel at 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 26.
• Hear us speak at Boston Flower & Garden, March 20, 2011, 11:30 a.m.
• New! Starting in February, tune in to Nest In Style on Horticulture Radio, our special monthly reports for Horticulture Magazine.
• Find Jayme’s new book Garden Rules: The Snappy Synopsis for the Modern Gardener at bookstores soon.

More Resources Mentioned in the Podcast

• How to Get the Most from a Garden Show from San Francisco Flower & Garden Show’s Laura Schaub. Listen to Teresa’s NIS interview with Laura about how garden shows have become leading sources of horticultural seminars, gardening ideas and exciting new products.
• Check out Ivette Soler’s new book, The Edible Front Yard and Chris McLaughlin’s The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Heirloom Vegetables.
• Find all the podcasts mentioned in this episode on iTunes or in our Podcast category.

Coming Next

Jayme and Teresa have lots planned for 2011 Nest In Style episodes with Horticulture Radio and our regular podcasts on iTunes. Don’t miss great gardening tips from Susan Morrison, California-based landscape designer and co-author of the upcoming book Garden Up! book, and Austin-based landscape designer Jenny Peterson.

PlantLock by UK's Front Yard Company

Leave it to European designers to, once again, unify style and function. Front Yard Company is genius! Why didn’t I think to design a plant container that weighs 75+ kilograms, virtually indestructible, even for a skilled bike hacker, and just plain looks cool. I want this! Actually, I want the City of Eugene to put these all over our downtown side walks.

PlantLock can be seen across the UK in schools, apartments, business parking lots, along retail store fronts and side walks. They come empty and ready to plant with your favorite flowers, herbs and veggies. Better yet, why not combine all three?

PlantLock for businesses.

PlantLock for homes.

PlantLock for schools.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I can’t seem to find a US retailer selling this hunk of awesomeness. Can you imagine the shipping costs from Britain to your front door? I’d rather not. For those interested, here’s more information about planting, security, and product specifications.

Flickr Photos by The Black Lark