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Oak Harbor, Washington, United States

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Replacement time!

So now comes the fun part....replacing things that have gone to seed! In my last post I mentioned that although lettuce does great in the wall, it has to be replanted after a while. Today we took out the lettuce that I planted during that first week. Some of it is almost as tall as I am! It seemed really bare after we were done but it was nice to get it all cleaned up. I planted more lettuce since it seems to love the conditions of the wall so much. It really thrives!

So while we were pulling out the old lettuce we realized an issue. Naturally over time the outer leaves of lettuce brown and rot. However, since the lettuce grows up and against the wall the leaves rot faster. If you don't take away the rotten leaves it will spread quickly. So we have just realized that we need to constantly be checking for leaves that are rotting between the lettuce and the wall.

I am beginning to formulate a plan in my head for next year. It's difficult to decide between really interesting things and plants that fill out and cover. Maybe I will do a combination. I suppose I have all winter to think about it! I really like the practicality of the wall. It can be very useful for planting vegetables and herbs. My desire is for it to be a practical display garden; a garden that produces salad greens, parsley, kale, etc. in a way that is attractive and unique. And of course flowers are a must!

I have said it before, and I will say it again, I am open and asking for any suggestions that anyone might have. While I have learned A LOT this year about vertical gardening, I would still love to hear other ideas. Please leave a comment and enjoy the pictures!


Linnea was deadheading the pansies while Mrs. Rawls and
I were discussing next year's plans for the wall.Me




Linnea, Me and Mrs. Rawls