Happy Monday GPODers!
We get submissions from all over the world here on Garden Photo of the Day, but one area that I’m always disappointed that we don’t hear from more often is the Southwestern United States. I know that gardening has its fair share of challenges in this area, but I also know plenty of gardeners defy these challenges and create incredible spaces. So I was absolutely thrilled when we got a submission from Dawn Fountain in Surprise, Arizona a couple of months ago. She shared the impressive edible abundance she is able to grow and the flowers she provides for pollinators in her dessert climate (check out that submission here: Dawn’s Backyard Garden in Arizona). Today Dawn is back with the plant life she cultivates inside when the outdoor growing season ends.
You got to see, a few months ago, my outside garden before I had to tear it out for the season. Now my inside.
Cut flowers from my memorial garden. Green and flowers inside…. Sprouts started for a county fair entry and my micro greens.
Dawn gave a glimpse of this in her last submission, but I absolutely adore the way she pairs cut flowers with her houseplants to create these faux container plantings indoors. The vibrant foliage of the spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum, Zones 9–11 or as a houseplant/annual) and golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum, Zones 10–12 or as a houseplant/annual) create a fabulous backdrop for eye-catching snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus, Zones 9–11 or as an annual), ‘Zulu Prince’ Cape daisy (Arctotis fastuosa var. alba ‘Zulu Prince’, Zones 8–11 or as an annual), and lavender.
Even when her flowers aren’t yet fully bloomed, the little pop of color adds extra excitement in front of a pot filled with various shades of green.
However, Dawn needs more than just cut flowers to keep the blooms going through the months of indoor growing. A miniature rose can really make you feel like you’re bringing a piece of the garden inside, and holiday cacti are always a great option for a hearty dose of winter color indoors. The form and leaf shape of Dawn’s holiday cacti make me think they are a variety of Thanksgiving cacti (Schlumbergera truncata, Zones 10–12 or as a houseplant). To learn more about identifying the different types of holiday cactus and giving them the proper care, check out this great article from the University of Illinois.
And on to the greens! Two trays of sprouts ready for the county fair. Sprouts are an incredible crop to grow all year long, and you don’t even need a tray full of soil like Dawn prefers. Check out this article to learn how to grow fresh sprouts with not much more than some seeds and a mason jar: Sprouts Make Windowsill Gardening Easy.
And another excellent year-round vegetable is the microgreen! Also incredibly low-maintenance, microgreens pack a big nutrient punch in a tiny package. Using an old egg carton is time-tested way to start seeds, but I think it’s particularly well suited for things like microgreens. Most other seed starts will quickly outgrow the small cells designed to cradle an egg, and will need to be transplanted into larger containers. Microgreens, on the other hand, need far less substrate to grow to their ‘mature’ size. The lid of the egg carton also makes for a handy label to keep track of the different varieties you’re growing!
Thank you so much for sharing more of your gardening passions with us, Dawn! I love to see how gardeners keep themselves surrounded by greenery after the outdoor growing season ends. I hope we get to see more of your gardening achievements as the growing season picks up again this spring.
Are you starting seeds? Do you have plants that you overwinter indoors and tend to during the colder months? Let us know in the comments, or consider sharing photos of your indoor gardening with the blog. Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
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Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
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