Hello! My name is Bethany and I grow things in my rooftop container garden in Chicago, zone 6a.
In today’s video, I’ll go over which plants I will grow again next year, which ones I won’t, and which plants are on the maybe list for now.
For daily updates, follow me on Instagram @chicagogardener
19 Comments
Haha I think my plants hear me also and talk very low around them if not positive comments, or try to encourage them and thank them . You’re not alone !
I will plant more Verbascum (Mullein), love to watch the bees. My favorite Zinnia is the purple. Will also keep the sweet peas.
I’m sad to hear your hydrangeas didn’t work out so well! It definitely made me rethink where I’ll put mine next year
For your evergreen choice, I would suggest a nice potted spruce tree & you can decorate it for Christmas every year! It may also be useful to provide shade to those plants that may need it! Love your gomphrena! I still haven’t been able to get my hands on it yet! 😔 x x
It was such a great video. Your garden reflects who you are. Your car is peaceful beautiful and a wonderful happy place
Yes if I were you I'd continue with morning glories too. I think container gardens look the best with vines. I loooove elephant ears especially after it rains. If you ever have a more tropical or architectural foliage type garden, you should reconsider!! I feel guilty talking badly about my plants too lol. I have a dwarf hydrangea I bought from home Depot for 15$ wee white that's doing amazing. But it's definitely part sun in ground. I'm not sure which sunflowers bloom longer if any :/. I agree winter interest is nice. I love different foliage colors too especially silver/grey.
For me: hate making these lists bc I don't have any sun or room! But I will grow sweet Jimmy nardello peppers. They taste amazing raw and they're the first peppers I've grown that I thought tasted really good. Will not grow many tomatoes maybe one or 2 plants max, no determinate bushy types. They taste alright. I'm way more into sweet peppers. In terms of flowers I was most impressed with my one little hellebore flower this yr. I highly recommend even tho it's a perrenial bc it blooms when it's cold AF outside. Also cleome did amazing and is a really cool looking plant, flowered a long time so I'll probably keep. Will not grow ANY Dahlias in ground 😅
Edit: also will grow more tea herbs. I think we have similar taste in teas
This is my first year gardening, so still learning what works in my garden and what doesn't. I'll definitely going to continue growing sunflowers, cosmos, and gomphrenas! My wishlist is more herbs. I was largely influenced to start a herb container section like your's. However the ones I purchased from Home Depot haven't been doing well. Might give it another try when it's not triple digit heat!
Thank you for making these videos. I'm also in the Chicago area and I've found your channel so helpful because yes, the harsh harsh winters. I really appreciate all of you knowledge and recommendations. I am new to this working with a small balcony garden. The information you've been able to provide has been super helpful. Just wanted to say thank you. You're amazing!!!
Do you overwinter your dahlias and hydrangeas in a heated or unheated garage?
My morning glory hasn’t flowered neither! I read that they don’t like a lot of fertilizer and water to flower.
I love your sense of humor. Oh they hear you alright. Wanted to ask if your morning glories are on the east side. They love facing east. I have mine facing east and they bloom every morning. PBH
This year I grew some hybrid sunflowers that still get very tall, but put out multiple flowers. So there was one flower at the top, but then additional flowers down the leaf nodes. The first flower was really big, and the rest are smaller, but it really extended the flowering time –I'm still getting small flowers opening now. And on the elephant ear: I feel the same way about tropical looking plants. They just don't fit in the style of garden I enjoy most.
I put about 8 sugar baby water melon seeds in the ground and I have 2 melons on the vine. Strange. Won't do them again. I'm switching to Cantaloupe too. Planted 2 Elephant ears and they didn't even come out of the ground for me.
I can't believe we are coming to the end of summer and thinking about next year plantting. You did a great job with your garden. Put a lot if work and it looks great and relaxing. Can't wait to see what you will do next summer.
Autumn Beauty Sunflower Seeds have multiple blooms in sequence on one stalk so they have a longer, more interesting bloom time.
elephant ears ….i feel the same as you about them . grew one for the first time this year for fun and nahh not my thing. You should defiantly try a hardy hybiscus! large pot wintered over, it did great on my deck
Such a great perspective….I think many of us make decisions based on what we think we 'should' or 'shouldn't' grow and/or enjoy instead of what actually works for us in terms of both our space as well as what we like! It's always worth trying new things as you just never know how they will do and how well you will like them until you have them in your own garden, but if it doesn't work for you, even if the whole world is growing it, that's OK!
Tried growing gomphrena for the first time this year and it was beautiful. Definitely going to plant again along with potatoes, sweet potato, black eyed peas, carrots, brassicas and chinese long leaf lettuce. That chinese lettuce has lasted all summer. Melons and squash have not done well for me. Big leaves nice flowers then they die before producing fruit or get eaten by critters before I get to them. Might plant squash to harvest flowers. Tomatoes havent produced almost any fruit but am hoping for a mild winter here in south Texas to see if they will next year . Mint hasn't done well for me either but will continue trying. Thanks for the video!
I have done two pots of tulips for maybe three years now – it's my treat . this year I did it a bit differently and not so successful as last few years. I think 'oh – no more tulips ! they are too expensive' , then I just have to get some every season 🙂 They just look SO good when u have a good years, and the blooms actually last quite a while compared to some other flowers .