>>The varieties that I selected, I wanted to get the more dwarf, compact, smaller plants.

Because it is a small space, I found some of the newer cultivars, new varieties, to plug in here.

>>Making these miniature gardens, you can also go as far as making hardscapes, you can do walls.

They just add nice little accents throughout the garden and gives you an opportunity to add more plants in a small space.

>>Hi, I'm Peggy Singlemann, and in the first half of our show, we'll be visiting a plant collector who integrates miniature worlds in his urban landscape.

>>And I'm Keith Nevison.

In the second half of the show, we'll be in Nelson County in Livingston talking with Yulita Ellis about designing a small-scale community garden at the local branch of the library.

As always, we welcome your questions via Facebook and email.

Stay tuned for another episode of "Virginia Homegrown."

>>Hi, I'm Peggy Signlemann.

Welcome to Virginia Homegrown.

September has brought renewal to the garden with cooling nights and warm days for rich October harvest.

Today, we are focusing on gardening in small spaces.

That can mean different things to different people.

From beds beside walkways, down to raising vegetables and containers.

There are many ways to enjoy growing plants wherever you are.

Remember to send in your gardening questions via Facebook or email to ask our guests about miniature plant varieties, growing in containers or other gardening items where you can use some help.

In the second half of the show, my cohost Keith Nevison will visit a new sensory garden at the Nelson Memorial Library and talk with the landscape designer about her approach to laying out the space.

But first, let's take a look at a beautiful garden on the north side with Serome Hamlin.

As we discover that you can grow so many plants inside a small space.

(running water in garden) >>Welcome to my garden, Peggy.

>>Thank you.

Thank you so much for inviting me.

I'm so excited to take a walk around.

>>Yes, and what a beautiful day to have this little tour.

>>I walk up into your garden and the first thing I encounter is running water and I love it.

>>Yes, the sound of running water, especially this time of year, is very important.

It gives a nice soothing feeling and instantly cools down the temperatures.

>>It does.

Plus we're in a urban garden here and even the sound of water blocks out many of the other sounds.

>>Yeah, it kinda blocks out some of the noise.

>>It's amazing.

>>Exactly.

>>But I also noticed that you've got an array of flowers blooming, mixed in with some foliage plants.

>>Yeah, so I think having a nice diverse mixture of plants, it's kinda important thing.

The textures, bow textures against soft textures is more interesting.

You don't necessarily have to have the blooms to support the plant.

>>No, and so many people forget that.

You don't have to have a ride of color with flowers.

You can have a soothing garden of foliage.

>>Exactly, I personally like architectural plants.

>>Um-hmm, I can see with the begonias, which reminds me, you've got some natives infused with non-natives.

>>Yes, and again, very important, especially these times, is to start incorporating more natives into our gardens and our environment.

We've got to help our ecosystems.

>>I couldn't say it any better, but the best part I see, are these beautiful miniature landscapes.

>>Yes, my miniature landscapes.

It's another little artsy thing, and gives you the chance to incorporate more plants in a small setting.

>>That is fantastic.

Plus your collection of miniature plants.

>>Yes.

>>Can easily be managed and handled.

>>Exactly.

>>So many people have tried to put them in their gardens.

They end up getting crushed or stepped on.

>>Yes, miniature plants can get lost in a full-size garden.

>>Truly.

>>So just making a garden for them works better.

>>is great.

>>Yeah, I see another one up here.

Can we take a look?

>>Sure.

>>Oh, this one here has got a hardscaping to it.

>>Yes, this one, with the miniature landscapes, you can go as far as making hardscaping, so you have a full-fledged miniature garden.

>>Interesting.

>>So, nice patios, stone walls.

>>Um-hmm.

Makes for a fun little setting to put yourself into.

>>Exactly, yes!

You can always just pretend that you're sitting right there.

>>Absolutely, and then this one here, you know we're in the full shade, but we have sedum growing.

>>Yes, and this particular sedum, Ogon, prefers more shady environments.

>>But I love the Minuit foliage next to the bold hosta here, and it's just a wonderful, striking contrast.

>>Yes, thank you.

And again, it goes back to just mixing different textures and creating interest.

>>And speaking of interest, you're using a Oakleaf hydrangea >>Yes.

to kind of hide and create mystery.

>>Exactly.

This is a kind of a pass-through garden area and using something like this, will create mystery going into the backyard, on top of doing double duty >>Oh, I love it!

of covering up your utilitarian areas.

>>Exactly.

I love using plants to hide things and to say, "What's around that corner?"

>>Mystery is always good.

>>You know, Serome, (bird chirping) in this backyard there's just so much to see, and you even got some things flying out behind a screen over there.

>>Yes, behind the screen, I have two European honeybee hives.

In our urban environment, they actually do really well and we always need pollinators.

They really do help the environment, and not just here, but all of our neighbors.

>>Yes, they probably don't even know they're here.

>>Exactly.

(laughing) >>But I noticed that you've got some really interesting plants in here.

Now I know the Dwarf Ophiopogon here, and it's a cute little guy, but what else do you have growing in these containers?

>>One of my favorite plants to use in my miniature landscapes, would be the Lysimachia Minutissima.

>>It's just so fun to say.

>>Yes, exactly.

(laughing) >>It's a loosestrife.

(laughing) >>Say that three times fast.

But it's a beautiful little ground cover, that use bunny ears a lot, that you can use as a lawn, but it gets little lemon-yellow flowers early in the spring, >>Yes, yes.

>>And turns a nice maroon color in the winter.

>>Oh, lovely, nice little evergreen ground cover.

>>Exactly.

>>But you've got some hostas as well.

>>Yes, and people don't know that you can get hostas in a miniature form.

>>Yes.

>>So using dwarf hostas, along with the other miniature plants, you can really have some contrast in even a little miniature landscape.

>>Yes, and also, I love dwarf conifers.

>>Yes, Dwarf conifers.

>>But they're only so dwarf, but many people don't know that.

(laughing) >>Yes, and read the labels.

>>Read those labels.

>>Yes, but dwarf and miniature conifers come in many different varieties.

It's trial and error with our weather, but it's worth a try.

But I try to get ones that will, say they max out at a foot and a half, in about 10 years.

>>Um-hmm.

>>Yes, those labels do mean, "In 10 years, not forever."

>>Yes, exactly.

>>People need to realize that.

>>They still grow.

>>Yes.

(laughing) >>But you know, these are perfect little worlds in the urban landscape, and even the suburban landscape, are not perfect little worlds.

>>No.

>>So how do you adapt in an urban environment?

>>Well, it's interesting, gardening in an urban environment, cause you have little control over what is here, from large trees that are your neighbor's, >>Um-hmm.

on either side.

So you've got to find the pockets, the microclimates of what you have, and then adapt those areas to what you plant.

>>Yes, I noticed in your front yard, you have vegetables growing.

>>Yes, in the front yard, that is where I get to take advantage of the sun, so front yard vegetables go, and I mix them in with the ornamental garden.

>>That's fantastic.

But also back here, I see a lotta pots tucked here and there.

>>Yes, this garden has become, it's going under a sort of renovation.

We're opening up the garden, so I'm shifting things to the borders and planting some new things.

I don't like just throwing everything in, so sometimes I place out plants and just sit on it for a while, let it speak to you, and then you can shift things before it gets planted.

>>Exactly, to see, "Is that really where I want to put that plant?"

And I can easily move the pot rather than get the shovel back out.

>>Yeah, and then, even if you draw things on paper, a lot of times, it's when you actually place it, you know you're gonna have to move things.

So this gives you the opportunity to keep moving things until it really works for you.

>>Truly, truly.

Speaking of beautiful, you have a beautiful window box out front, that just intrigues me.

Serome, how did you put that together?

>>Thank you.

Yes, that window box, it's coco liner.

>>Uh-huh.

>>So one easy trick that you can do is to first cover the inside with plastic.

Use your recycled potting soil bags, help it so it doesn't dry out as quick.

>>Right.

>>Best investment I've made this year, is actually hooking up to a irrigation system, so I got drip tubing in those boxes.

But with the coco liner, use small plants and then just pluck holes and plant your plants all the way in.

That gives it a full effect without having to have that creeper.

>>And it works like a charm and it's beautiful.

>>Yes, and it helps with the watering tremendously cause it don't dry out as fast.

>>Serome, I want to thank you for having us.

This has been so much fun to walk around and see your landscape and to learn so many tips.

I particularly want to though, thank you for introducing us to the world of miniature landscapes.

So many of us do not have the space or a yard and yet they can enjoy landscaping.

>>Exactly, you can always find space for any type of miniature landscape.

>>Yes.

>>Thank you for coming.

What a beautiful day we had at The Enchanted Garden.

And now Serome is here again with me to show more of his miniature creations and show how to get started on making your own.

But before we get started, remember to send in your gardening questions via Facebook or email.

You know, so many people, Serome do not have space for a full garden.

And these miniature landscapes just intrigue me.

How do you get started in creating such a beautiful container?

>>Well, first is choosing the container that you like when there's a world of options from ceramic to these enamel containers that I love finding at flea markets and plastic containers always remember the weight of the container after you add soil.

>>Yes.

So if you aren't able to move it then going with one of these lesser weight containers will work so much better for you.

>>Yes, you can shift it around, and use where you like at times.

>>Yes, and they can go out on balconies patios or anything like that.

So they're very versatile for small spaces.

>>What a wonderful accent piece.

>>So, yeah getting started a couple of pieces of material that you need, roof flashing.

>>Roof flashing?

>>Roof flashing that will give you a nice edge.

You can cut it with scissors.

It's easy to bend.

You need some concrete and some gravel.

>>Okay.

>>So concrete, that sounds odd, adding it in, but I found that adding that will help the ground cover not grow up through your pathways or anything that you decide to add in.

>>Any of your hardscapes.

>>Exactly.

So quickly, I'm just going to show you on this container.

I've already got flashing cut.

All I'm going to do is just remove soil.

>>Okay.

Move your hands so people can see.

Thank you.

>>I am sorry.

>>So you've taken out some of the soil to make it a little deeper.

>>Exactly.

Then that way you can add in your concrete.

>>Is that a sacrete or a concrete mix?

>>It's a sacrete.

>>Okay.

So it sets up pretty quickly.

>>Yes.

>>Okay.

>>And actually I should have added in the gravel first, but we're moving pretty quick.

>>I love how you're scooping that out.

It's so nice.

>>Handy little paintbrush.

You can brush this in.

>>Okay.

To get them level.

>>Then that would be set once you start >>Then the magic stuff.

>>Yes.

We just spray it until the water starts puddling on top >>And it'll seep in >>and it will seep in, or if you were my son and he was playing with this, you would be the wet one.

(Peggy laughs) So this will get you to this step.

>>Okay.

>>So now it is choosing your trees.

When you lay everything out, always remember where you want your tree because quickly the space disappears.

>>Oh my.

>>And then if you add the tree in later, the space is already gone.

>>So have you pre-thought where plants are going to go in your mind?

>>Yes, in my mind, I already have an idea of what I want and where I want things.

So that just kind of helps move things along.

>>So we're putting in our tree, which is our taller canopy in a landscape.

>>And this is the parts that people cringe.

But what I am trying to do here is actually get these roots, separated down to the root flare.

>>To the root flare of the tree itself.

>>Exactly.

And containerize plants.

A lot of people don't realize, but sometimes the soil just get a little too high and your trees will start suffering later.

So you want to get down to that root flare before you plant it.

>>Where do you get your plants from?

>>My trees I actually order in from Oregon, but local nurseries.

You can usually find a selection of little starter trees.

Always remember to read the tag, just because it's in a small container, doesn't mean that it's going to be a small plant.

So do your research and look at the variety you have chosen.

>>Okay.

So you've padded that in pretty well.

>>I have patted that end.

And I can move on to this guy.

Same thing.

>>That's a little Juniper before, and now we have a little Chamaecyparis >>Exactly.

>>or Hinoki Cypress that we're putting in.

>>Yes.

>>And again, that root flare is where, when drawing those trees in kindergarten, it flares out.

>>Yep.

Where it flares out and looking at a tree in nature, you can always see it right above the ground.

>>Correct.

>>It's the thing that lawn mowers hate.

>>Yes.

>>You'd normally trip up one, when you're running.

>>Yes.

>>But it's very important for the tree.

>>It's extremely important.

It defines really the roots to the shoot, the top to the bottom >>Yes.

>>underground and above ground.

>>So we can get, >>So that's a smaller tree.

>>We got this guy in and then we can move into ground covers.

>>Oh, you got a variety here to choose from.

>>Yes.

So ground covers, I've chosen this one's Mether Queeny eye.

>>It's a little mint.

>>It's a little mint.

So if you rub the leaves, you get that nice minty scent.

>>Nice.

>>And I see you are dividing it from the pot, >>Yes.

you didn't take the whole container.

>>No, a lot of these plants, it's easy just to have instant gratification and just start throwing in whole plants, but if you just separate it and just add it in and allow the plant to grow itself, I think it just becomes a nice, healthier plant.

And you're not using as many, so you can save on the cost that way.

>>Right.

And it allows itself to work itself, settle itself into the landscape.

>>Yes.

And so with the ground covers these plants, I always try to get to grow anywhere from a quarter of an inch, maybe an inch.

But if you just want some depth and definition, then you choose different plant heights.

>>Okay.

>>So this would be your lowest.

>>Kind of like our lawn.

>>Exactly >>So many we're using a ground cover, as we should.

And which plant do we have her going in now?

>>This one, again, it's one of my favorites is a Macchia minima tusa.

>>Oh, a fun little name.

>>Oh yes.

>>People can see just how small that plant really is and why it's called minima tusa.

>>So again, it's going through just splitting this up.

>>Tucking it in.

>>Tucking it in, make sure the roots are down.

>>And although, yes, you're being able to tuck it.

I can smell that from here.

That's wonderful.

>>Yes.

Yeah, that's one reason I like using that plant.

It's amazing in a garden.

Just things become special when you can add more than just plants.

>>Yes.

>>So if you get the scent or, you know, different textures, it's more interest than just the flowers themselves.

>>We're down to just about three minutes.

So let's move on to our next figure.

>>Now, accent plants, and always with accents, this is a juke, a chocolate chip.

>>So this is our shrub layer.

>>Yes.

So these guys can be a little bigger.

And even with the accents, I like to keep them under six inches or so, >>Okay.

>>just so that it makes it a little more realistic, when it comes to your miniature trees, cause you don't want your accents to grow bigger than your tree.

>>You want to keep it all in proportion.

>>Exactly.

>>Did you do a lot of reading to learn about the different plants or how did you?

>>It's kind of an experiment.

I started, I made my first miniature garden maybe 15 years ago.

>>Okay.

>>And I just wanted to go ahead and continue to make these and experiment with the miniature trees and dwarf shrubs.

So now that I have totally made a mess, and this is where the paint brush comes in handy, >>Time to do the hardscape.

>>Yes.

So, >>So our concrete has set.

>>The concrete is set.

And even though you don't have to wait for this to set, to do your top layer, I just want to wait until I was pretty close to finish planting in order to put this on.

>>Make it rain real quick.

>>So it is, >>Here's our water, >>So we've got water.

>>And then we have a walkway.

You know, I'm already starting to relax in that tiny little space there.

I can put myself in that little garden.

>>So just like that.

And then if you ever want to change this and maybe one day you decide, you want this to be a stream, you can brush this off, change your covering, and you've totally changed the garden.

>>Wonderful.

>>And you have one more element to put in, that's your accent.

>>And do some accents.

This is a more natural garden.

So of course we've got to put in some big boaters and we can do that and partially bury the boater.

It makes it look more natural than just sitting on top.

>>Yes.

Just as they do with Japanese gardens, you always bury a part of the rock, >>Exactly.

>>put it on top.

>>All right.

>>Serome, this is a piece of art.

>>Thank you very much.

>>And then real quick, watering it.

Do you just use a light watering can, a mister, you know, how do you?

>>Just a light watering can, and as far as fertilizing, fertilizer, natural fertilizer early in the spring, and that's about it.

>>Fantastic, fantastic.

Some would be for shade, some for sun.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, sir.

I want to say that's probably the fastest container you've put together, but it's beautiful.

And I appreciate you coming and showing us how to do this.

>>Thank you.

>>And now we're going to get ready to answer your questions.

But first we have a tip from Jen Naylor at Sussex Farm, about how to grow scallions in a container.

So you always have a fresh supply for your kitchen nearby.

(lively music) (cock crowing) >>When you don't have a lot of space for gardening the best thing to do is get yourself a pot and put some soil in it and go gardening.

Now I cook all the time, 24/7, and I use scallions just about all the time.

And it just brings so much flavor to whatever you're making.

And you can get this from the grocery stores or a farmer's market.

Make sure you get the ones with the roots attached, and that way with this you can actually plant the roots in the soil and it'll grow.

Scallions love cold, cool climate or the weather so this can actually stay out until it's freezing cold.

And you can bring it inside, or you can just go ahead and leave it out, so just cover it, and it'll just do beautifully.

Of course a lot of the vegetables they do better outside.

So what I like to do is just leave it, if you have a balcony, just leave it right outside and it'll just do its thing.

Now, what I do, you get this, and I cut it about an inch from the roots, just like this.

And of course you eat the top.

Now what you do, you take this and poke a hole into the soil and put this right in, and just cover it so that where you cut it shows, and then you just water.

Now, you don't have to do a whole lot, just water and watch it grow.

And here's the ones that I planted while ago and how beautiful.

And all I have to do is come on out and just cut it.

Now, what I do is I cut it right at the top of the soil and just cut it just like that.

And voila, I have this beautiful spring onion that I can put into any of the dishes that I make.

Now, where it's cut don't take the roots out because that's where it grows again, and again, and again.

This is a, I call it, magic vegetable.

It just keeps growing.

And you don't ever have to go out there and buy it again because once root is planted it'll just keep growing.

Now, just because I like to cook with spring onions you don't have to.

You can go ahead and pretty much grow anything in the pot.

Basil, chives, any kind of small herb you can grow, and you have herbs ready to be picked at all time of the year.

And it's just the most wonderful thing.

Cook away.

Thank you Jen.

Scallions are a great source of vitamins and minerals, in addition to their flavor.

On Facebook right now, co-host Keith Nevison and the team are answering your questions.

So please send them in via Facebook or email.

We always enjoy hearing from you.

Well Serome, we have a bunch of questions here and some are for you and some are for me and just feel free to jump in and you know, answer what you want.

So the first question though is about that gorgeous window box.

We have, wondering, can window boxes be for all seasons?

And if so, what are some of the suggestions of plants?

>>Yes, you can have window boxes, all seasons, starting off with choosing evergreen plants.

So in again, Dwarf varieties.

So even Dwarf Boxwoods can be pruned, and stay in the window boxes as much as I somewhat dislike Ivy, but we can use some and the window boxes keep it contained.

And I would just suggest just adding seasonal color.

>>Yes.

And also to make sure your window box is well drained so it doesn't freeze.

>>Yes.

>>That would be very important in the winter.

>>And then, even in the winter it has to stay watered.

>>Yes, people forget that, they do.

Another question we have from Ken is where do the pots go in the winter, your miniature landscapes.

>>My landscapes stay out in the winter.

If we have a really hard freeze you can move it closer to your home.

But if you're really scared and you got a smaller container, you can move it into an unheated garage space just for that cold snap.

But they stay outside.

>>I'm surprised at that one myself, so.

I was thinking you had to put them in.

>>No.

>>If the bowls on your table don't have a hole at the bottom, how do you keep those small gardens alive?

>>You need to add holes.

The drainage is very important.

>>You need, so you've drilled holes into your gardens?

>>Yes.

All of my containers have drained holes.

>>That's, yeah.

So you're just very careful in choosing the bit and the speed of the drill.

>>Yeah.

So if you've got a ceramic container that you got, you can get a masonry bit that can go through that container, just do it slowly.

And then there's other bits that you can use for drilling through metal.

>>Like all gardening, it's a patience, >>Yes.

that needs to be learned.

Then we have another question here from Ella.

How can I find native plants for sale?

The nurseries I usually shop don't seem to carry much.

Well, Ella, this is the perfect time to plant, fall is for planting.

And many times, what I encourage people to do is to reach out to their nurseries in the summertime, that doesn't help you now.

But I encourage you also to go online and look for nurseries.

I know here in the Richmond area, we have a number of nurseries that carry an extensive array of native plants.

And some of them have started shipping.

So I encourage you to go online.

There's also a nursery up in Maryland area that also ships and they have found natives as well.

But this is the perfect time to plant, which is fall, so.

I encourage you to just keep reaching out.

You'll find them.

We have another question from Ralph, and he is having a hard time keeping the soil in his raised bed moist, it dries out so fast.

Do you have any tips for that surrounding?

>>I would say mulching.

Keep the bed mulched and that would help retain some of your moisture.

>>You can also work in some organic matter during the shoulder seasons.

>>Yes, and then there's also another method that I've tried before.

It's called coring is where you can take out the center saw and add in, it's partially decomposed straw in the center.

And then as you're watering, it kind of absorbs the water like a sponge and release it slowly when the source starts drying out.

So that's another tip that you can try.

>>And if you raised bed is deep enough, you can even pull the soil back and put some decomposing smaller logs in, and that will help retain moisture as well.

>>Exactly >>But mulch on top is, >>Yes, that's key, it's keeping the ground covered.

>>Yes, definitely.

And back to your miniature landscapes though, what principles do you use in laying out your designs?

Do you use any of the Japanese principles of, I'll say bonsai or origami or, >>No, I kind of like a natural feel.

So it's once to have an idea in mind.

It's what will work in that space.

>>So you get a vision, >>Get a vision and sometimes the gardens can even just come from just one little item that you've picked up and you just build the garden around that.

>>Fascinating.

That's fascinating.

Another question concerning, should I consider using grow lights for my indoor containers?

Do you recommend a particular type of grow light?

And I haven't grown with a grow light in a long time in my house because I have a lot of south-facing windows and a lot of west-facing windows and I'm able to use those, but if you don't, I know a number of our volunteers at Maymont have basements where they've set up grow light installations.

And the important thing is, to buy bulbs specifically for growing plants to go to a garden center and to purchase your grow light bulbs from there rather than going to your local, >>You need that full spectrum bulb.

>>Yes, yes.

We need the full, we need the red, we need the blue, we don't need so much of the green because that's what we see, but you need that full spectrum.

So that's what I encourage you to do is to look into that.

And then one quick one, we have the last one up here is, are there specific flowers, plants and or veggies that will survive in outdoor containers throughout the Richmond winter?

There are a lot of ones that will survive in the container as long as the container is large enough so that you don't freeze.

>>It's solid.

>>It's solid, correct.

And I always move my containers to the corners of my house in protected areas.

>>Yeah.

Find a microclimate where it gets a little more protection.

>>Exactly.

And I even put leaves against it.

And so I'm able to keep a lot of my plants growing, not the tender ones, but anyway.

Well, Serome it's been a joy and I thank you so much for being on the show.

>>Thank you for having me.

>>Certainly, you've introduced us to a smaller world in gardening, and I'm sure you've given many people ideas on how they can use these containers on their balconies.

And to be able to, I want to say, enjoy gardening once again on a smaller scale.

>>Excellent.

So thank you.

>>Thank you.

>>Yes.

And now let's join Keith Nevison to tour the sensory garden at the Nelson Memorial Library with its designer Yulita Ellis.

This space is not miniature, but it does highlight many compact and dwarf plant varieties.

>>Well, thank you very much, Yulita, for having us out to the Nelson Memorial Library's Garden.

>>Glad to have you here.

>>So can you tell us how the garden came to be out here?

>>Well, before we did our expansion of the library, I had a sensory pollinator garden at the end of the old library.

Of course, when the county decided they were going to pay to have the library expanded, I had to take my old garden out.

And I asked the branch manager, "After construction was done, would I be able to reinstall the garden?"

And she said, "Of course."

>>Fantastic.

So I understand you've kind of sheet mulched around here, and this is the first year of the plants in the ground?

>>Yes, now, last fall, I installed all the foundation shrubs, and at that time I just left the ground uncovered.

Got them all planted, put just a small top dressing of mulch overtop of the shrubs, and left it so that I could finish planting in the spring.

That's when I decided to put down the newspaper and cardboard to keep the weeds away.

>>That's excellent.

You have lots of really nice perennials as well that have kind of a smaller stature.

>>Yes, yeah, well, I mean, it's a small space, and I wanted to get the most bang for the buck and put as many pollinator and sensory plants in as I possibly can fit in the space.

>>That's great, and you have a beautiful brick walkway.

Can you tell us a little bit about this project?

>>This was part of our fundraising efforts, because the county paid for the building, but we fundraised so that we could buy a new collection of books, and new furnishings, and a variety of things that we needed to add to the new space.

And so, part of our fundraising efforts was to put this memorial walkway into the garden and we partner with a company to engrave our bricks.

And it's worked well, our patrons have been able to buy a brick for a loved one or just to put their favorite quote on a brick.

And it's worked great in the space and adding a nice brick walkway to the garden.

>>It's a really great community effort.

You can just see all the stories here.

I mean, clearly, it's been very popular.

>>Yes, and it also is a good reason for patrons to just come by and walk through the garden and take a look at their brick and remember their loved one.

>>Yeah.

Well, I see some lavender and some sensory plants over there.

>>Yes.

>>Why don't we go take a look?

>>Sure.

Got lots of good things in here.

These were very small when I planted them.

They've done very well for our Virginia climate.

They have stood up very well to the humidity.

This variety is phenomenal.

I trimmed them back.

>>Okay.

>>But I've had a few that have sent up some new shoots.

>>Nice, and you have ice coreopsis in bloom right now, I see some Joe-Pye weed, there's some ironweed.

>>Yeah, the varieties that I selected, I wanted to get the more dwarf, compact, smaller plants because it is a small space.

So I found some of the newer cultivars, new varieties to plug in here, the Joe-Pye weed especially.

But it's still been a pollinator magnet.

I mean, the bees are still all over it, the smaller Ironweed up there.

And so yeah, there are lots of new varieties of more compact plants to put in a small space.

>>That's excellent.

I love how you've packed in the diversity here.

Always good to see for the pollinators.

They're happy right now.

>>Yeah, they are.

They've been all over the Joe-Pye weed this morning and the Solidagos up there.

So, yeah.

>>Nice.

And you've got some garden art around here, you've got some benches, and I see a wonderful bee condo off to the side.

>>Well, again, we made this garden part of a community thing.

The community just really has been overwhelmingly helpful to our project.

And one of our local Boy Scouts earned his Eagle Scout badge by making our benches and our bee condo up there- >>Excellent.

>>Which added a great dynamic to the garden.

When you look through the window from inside the library, you can get a clear view of the bee condo.

So that's a nice added touch to the garden.

>>Oh, absolutely.

And what is going on with these tomatoes?

'Cause they're just going crazy here.

>>I have just been amazed by these tomatoes because I started them as a little for-sale pot plant that I had neglected at home before I brought them over and planted them here, and I said, "Well, if they're gonna stand a chance at all of surviving, I need to get them in the ground."

And I planted them and they have just performed just amazing.

And of course this is a no-spray garden.

I haven't treated anything with any chemicals, so our patrons are free to just walk through and eat from the vine because I haven't treated or sprayed them at all.

They have been very healthy, I haven't found bugs on them or anything, so they've been great.

>>Yeah, it makes... Maybe try to encourage the patrons to come out and take a few more here.

They are just loaded.

>>Yes, it seems like the more you pick, the more they grow.

But I do come out and have a few for lunch every day.

>>There you go, good on you.

(laughs) So you've got a beautiful garden here.

What are, kind of, the plans for expansion of you're doing out here, and will this change over time and grow?

>>Yes, we do wanna continue the garden around to the other side of the building, where we'll have a sitting area.

We wanna make a space for outside storytime.

So we wanna make that equally attractive and plant some more interesting plants on that side as well.

>>I love that you're using the garden for programming.

I think it's just vital to get the public interested and especially to get them outside and engaged.

>>Yeah, get the kids outside too and let them see how Mother Nature kind of works.

>>That's right.

>>Yeah.

>>How can folks learn more and get involved in your garden project out here?

>>Well, we have our Grow Nelson Library fundraiser campaign that's still active.

And they can also visit our website, jmrl.org, for more information on what's going on here at this branch and all of our other branches.

We have some of our patrons that stop by and ask if they can help volunteer in the garden and I always say yes because, you know, you can always use an extra set of hands in the garden.

>>That's right.

Well thank you, Yulita.

It's wonderful out here.

What a great project.

>>Thank you.

>>You should be applauded, and keep up the great work.

>>Thank you.

We're enjoying the garden.

Thank you, Keith, what a beautiful garden.

And it's great to see the community support.

Now Yulita is with me to talk about plants for small spaces.

But before we begin, I want to remind you to send in your gardening questions via email or Facebook.

Yulita, you know, so many gardens just don't have the space to be able to house the large plants that are in many of our landscapes.

And they tend to forget that we have such an array of small plants to choose from.

And I'm so pleased to see that you've brought in quite a sample of plants that will fit into small gardening.

But I want to start with the big elephant in the room here.

Our hydrangea.

Tell me about how you make plant choices and what some of your favorites are.

>>Well, one thing in particular that I think plant breeders have recognized is that people in more suburban areas love to garden too.

And they might have very small lots, small spaces.

So they've done a lot with improving the plant breeds so that they're more compact.

And so this particular hydrangea here is a Bobo hydrangea and it's a compact shrub that blooms on new wood so that, you know, you can prune it back to keep it smaller, but it really only grows maximum about three feet tall by about three feet wide.

And as you can see the flowers on them are just huge and gorgeous >>Just huge.

>>and the pollinators love them.

>>So because it grows on new wood, we could cut it back every, >>Yes, you can cut it.

>>Every spring.

>>Every spring.

Yes, you sure can.

>>And then kind of control the height.

>>Kind of control the height if you need to.

>>Are there other plants that we don't have to prune so much?

>>Yes.

This Distylium here, cinnamon girl, actually is a very dwarf compact evergreen that can replace, you know, some of your larger Boxwoods or Hollys that people like to use for foundation plants and its leaf texture is great.

The color is great.

It gets the cinnamon color on the tips of the leaves and it doesn't need pruning, shearing and it's an evergreen.

>>Yeah.

We grow that in our Japanese garden at Maymont, so.

>>They're wonderful plants.

>>They are.

But what about flowering shrubs?

>>Yes.

Now, if you would like to have a flowering shrub that's compact, this early spring bloomer, this ninebark here, this one's called Tiny Wine and it has smaller leaves than some of the other ninebarks.

In the spring time they get wonderful white flowers on them.

And of course the dark foliage on them.

If you have a small space, if you have a darker foliage, it can kind of create a little density to the garden >>Yes.

>>to make it look like it's actually more space than it actually is.

So that's a wonderful, a small flowering shrub for the springtime.

Now moving into summer, we have over here, this crepe myrtle, and this is a Pocomoke and this is a very compact, crepe myrtle that's just covered in flowers >>Yes.

>>when it's in bloom in the summertime, late summer, going into fall.

>>Interesting.

But what about some of the grasses?

Because we've got beautiful, bold flowers and delicate flowers, but how can we soften this?

>>Yes.

Well, of course, when you have a small garden you want to fill it with as many plants as you can, sometimes it's not about the flowers, but it can also be about the texture and the color of the foliage.

And so a nice Carex grass here.

This one is very gated and it's called Evergold.

And of course it can take several types of growing conditions.

>>Yes, it can.

>>You know, it can take some drying out and it also can take some more moisture soils.

So this is a nice grass to add a little different texture to your small space garden.

>>And it's easy to divide.

I grow that one at Maymont too.

>>It's very easy to divide, which makes it affordable when you can divide your plants.

>>It certainly does.

Speaking of somebody who likes to run a little though that Coreopsis.

>>Yes.

Now the wonderful, >>Tickseed, excuse me.

>>Yes.

The wonderful thing about these is that they flower for a long period of time.

So you can shear them back mid season to keep them smaller.

And then they'll send out another flush of flowers for you.

So a couple of shearings during the season will help keep this compact.

>>Keep that nice cycle.

>>And keep it flowering.

>>Lovely, lovely.

And then a Tried and True, that sedum in front of you.

>>Yes.

>>I'm sorry, that's deer food in my yard, but I'm hoping to many it's not.

>>Well, the good thing about this being a nice compact and dwarf form of sedum, you can put these in containers, keep them up close to the house in a nice container, maybe close by the door.

They can take sun and they can take shade and they can take some drying out because they're a succulent.

And of course this one, Autumn Fire has a little lighter pink flower than autumn joy.

>>And I think people fail to remember, they can take a container, plant it and set it in a spot where it can thrive.

But then on a special occasion, when it's at its peak, move it to where they can enjoy it more.

>>Yes.

Exactly.

Protect it from deer, possibly.

>>Pretty possibly.

(Peggy laughs) But moving onto this purple little guy in the front.

>>Yeah, this is a penstemon and a late lowering perennial, that can, you know, late summer flowery pollinators absolutely love it, but it's nice and compact kind of low growing.

Doesn't get too tall and full of color late in the season.

>>I could see where you'd want three or five of those plants to make a show.

>>Yes.

And you know, it spreads, but it doesn't get too tall.

>>Right.

>>So that's why I like this particular variety.

>>I do like penstemons.

Great plants.

But another favorite of mine is our native Cardinal flower.

>>Yes.

And of course there are a later flowering perennial, the darker foliage adds some texture to a small garden.

Again, that darker foliage, makes a garden look a little more dense.

And I mean the hummingbirds, late season hummingbirds just cannot resist this flower.

So it's a great addition to a garden.

And this one is more upright than it is spreading.

It only gets about 12 inches wide, but it can get 20 inches tall, 20 to 24 inches tall.

So it's nice columnar tall.

>>Nice and narrow.

>>Nice and narrow.

>>So it can fit between things.

>>Fit between things, and the hummingbirds can find it.

>>But the nice thing about the Cardinal flower too, is it can take moisture.

>>Yes, yes, you know, sometimes it's hard to find flowering plants that like to have their feet wet.

>>Exactly.

And our new little green guy in the front.

>>Yes.

Well, this is an allium it's done with its flowering, but this particular variety doesn't seed, it kinda, it's well-behaved, it stays nice and compact in its space, but you can divide it and you know, that's a good thing, another great pollinator plant for the summer garden that will stay small and fit in a small space.

>>And I think people need to realize that we need to have our seasonal times of our spring flowers, our summer and our fall.

>>Yes.

And part of, you know, when you're picking your plant is to try to plan to have plants that are in bloom throughout the season.

>>But also look good when they're not in bloom.

>>Yes.

Look good when they're not blooming.

This is a nice green foliage.

>>That's beautiful.

>>You know, different texture almost mimicking the grass.

>>Yes, yes.

So you're moving into one of my new favorites.

I planted this in Maymont's butterfly garden recently.

>>Yes.

And you know, it's a native and our native, the straight species that, you know, we see out in the fields, and, you know, the wild, can get quite tall and quite large, but this is a compact variety called Iron Butterfly.

And it's, you know, just a wonderful native pollinator plant that won't outgrow a small space.

>>And it's a Vernonia.

>>Yes.

It's a Vernonia.

>>What I love these is that it's later in the season and there it is, pow!

But earlier in the season, is this nice soft foliage.

>>Yes.

Right now it's a Monarch butterfly magnet.

>>It is, it is.

(Peggy laughs) >>But it's a plant I love to rub my hands across, >>Yes.

>>you know, the texture.

>>Yes.

And when you have a breeze and they're blowing in the breeze, it's really nice.

>>It is.

But the grand finale of course, is the Hinoki Cypress, the Chamaecyparis.

>>Yes.

And that gold foliage is a great accent plant and it won't outgrow a space.

It can get tall, but it won't get huge.

>>Right.

And the important thing is to read the label on this plant.

>>Yes, definitely read the label.

And when you're choosing your plants, you know, know your space, know your amount of sunlight that you're going to get, know your soil, and then try to choose plants that will, you know, over the period of their lifetime, won't outgrow their space.

>>Right and understand that the label is really citing it for about 10 years, >>Yes.

>>and that after 10 years it will keep growing.

>>Yes.

>>It just doesn't stop.

So you need to understand that maybe in 10 years, you need to reassess your landscape.

>>Reassess, maybe even do a little pruning, a little shaping.

Some of these, the majority of these things, can take some pruning.

>>Yes.

And it's always fun to just rotate different plants through, >>Yes.

>>just because you planted it one year, three years later, you don't have to have it still.

>>Create good bones, good structure in your garden.

>>Thank you Yulita.

This has been very eye-opening to be able to introduce people to plants that will stay small for those who have small spaces to garden in.

So I appreciate you coming and sharing.

>>Thank you for having me.

>>Certainly.

And now we're going to get ready to answer your questions.

But first we have a tip from Randy Battle about how to maximize space in your container when growing vegetables to ensure a bountiful harvest.

(upbeat music) >>Small-space gardening is so fun, and it can be so rewarding.

You can grow a lot of food for you and your family in a very small space.

What you want to plan for is growing as much food as possible and maximizing the area that you have to work with.

So today, we're going to plant three different things in this one container.

Let's start with some lettuce.

I just take my hand and I make me a little indention right along the edge of this container.

Get you some seeds, just like so.

And with lettuce, there's no quantity, there's no specific amount.

Just sprinkle your seeds down your row.

Now we're going to do some radishes.

Radishes grow within about 30 to 35 days, and if you don't get the root ball, you can always eat the leaves.

The leaves are delicious.

I'm going to make another row.

You don't have to plant as many radish seeds as your lettuce.

Just space them about an inch or two apart.

And grandma used to just drop a few extras.

Cover those up lightly.

Cover your lettuce seeds up lightly.

And I'm going to put this label here.

Now, you can also transplant your vegetables.

I started these seeds about three weeks ago.

These are baby cabbages.

You don't want to grow huge collard greens or huge cabbages on your porch because it's just going to get too wild and crazy and we don't want that.

So what I'm going to do is take my baby cabbages, I'm going to make me some indentions, we're going to separate the seedlings like so.

Pot one here, pot one down in there.

Give it a nice, firm pressing, not a packing, a pressing.

These things are gonna mature in about 35 to 45 days and you'll be eating in no time.

Just make sure you give it plenty of water as needed, don't overwater.

I always do the finger test, and that's just simply taking your finger, putting it in the soil, and seeing if it's moist.

You know what I mean.

Also, you want to get some type of fertilizer.

Whatever brand you use is totally up to you.

I like a fish emulsion, it's very light, especially for your seedlings.

And you want to fertilize them maybe once every two weeks.

Do not over fertilize, you guys.

And there you have it.

You've just planted three different vegetables in a very small space.

You have your first mini-garden.

Don't be afraid to get out and try it.

Live, love, laugh.

Grow stuff and eat it.

Don't forget to label.

Randy, thanks for that great tip.

When you do not have a lot of space to grow what you want, be sure to make the best use of it.

And a little bit of potting soil and a little bit of patience and arranging things properly go an awful long way.

Well, Yulita we've got a lot of questions here and there's some here for you and some here for me.

So let's get going, okay?

Alrighty.

First off we have a question regard from John.

Any advice regarding cabbage plants?

There's lots of pests on his cabbage plants this year.

Do you grow cabbage plants, ornamental or edible?

>>Yes, I do.

I grow them in containers as ornamental plants.

>>I grow them at home for vegetables >>Okay.

>>and yes, there are a lot of pests.

Do you get pests on your cabbage plant?

>>I do.

And I have to monitor those.

I try to handpick them, you know, if I get cabbage worms on them because I really do not prefer to use any kind of chemicals.

>>Mhm.

>>So I just closely monitor and watch for any signs of them being nibbled.

Sometimes just a good spraying with the water hose can, >>Yes.

>>take care of that problem too.

>>Yes.

I've got them at home and I'm going out there every morning and plucking off those tiny little cabbage worms >>Yes.

>>and spraying them with soapy water and just doing my best to keep them.

And I've mulched my soil, which has helped tremendously too.

But it is, I don't know what it is this year, but they're just there all the time and it's a never ending challenge.

Another challenge is we have, Anna is asking where can she find PawPaws and how do you eat them?

>>Well, being that I live in Nelson county, we have a wonderful nursery there called Edible Landscaping in Afton, and they have a wide variety of all sorts of edible plants.

And that's a wonderful source for PawPaws.

>>It is.

And it's easy to find they're up in Afton and they've been guests on our show.

So I encourage people to go up there.

>>Yes.

>>Another question we have is, here's a good one.

Can impatiens and begonias from my hanging baskets over winter in zone seven, if I plant them in the ground for the winter?

>>No.

>>No.

>>They're not hardy enough to survive our winter.

>>They are not.

These are plants that come from a warmer zone.

>>Yes.

>>And you will find that typically that very first frost, because of the amount of water and the thinness and the structure of these plants, they just freeze solid.

It's very sad.

>>Yes, it is.

>>It's a sad day.

>>But however, you can take cuttings and root them, bring them inside.

My grandmother kept her impatiens going for many years and I keep my begonias going.

>>Yes.

>>And I put them, I take cuttings and I put them in water.

>>And sometimes if you're lucky enough, and if it's not too harsh of a winter, your impatiens might receipt themselves.

>>Might.

If it's not too harsh.

>>Yes, not too harsh.

>>Don't count on that.

(Peggy laughs) We have another question from Richard, was the Blackberry Lily brought back from France by Thomas Jefferson?

And do they get their name from the seed pod?

>>Yes.

Because if you look at them, they look like they're have blackberries on the tips, you know, once the flowers are done.

>>They absolutely do.

And as for whether they came with TJ Thomas Jefferson, I would have to ask Peggy Cornet about that.

>>I'm not sure.

>>I am not sure either, but we can easily find out because we know who to ask, okay?

But we have a good question here from Beth, and it's concerning planting.

And she says specifically, how do you plant half to one gallon plants so that you do not create a swimming pool effect in hard clay soils in Louisa county?

>>I usually plant my plants a little bit, about an inch above the soil level, raise them up a little bit.

Sometimes your hole needs to be wider than it is deeper.

I do use, I'd like to prefer, I prefer to plant my plants in the native soil, even the native clay.

I think it gives the plants a chance to acclimate to the native soil.

And it makes them a little heartier, a little tougher, but try planting, making the hole wider, not so much deeper and maybe planting the plant so that it's about an inch above the soil level, that should help.

>>Raising it up an inch.

Does that give the root mass a little bit of aeration or, >>Yes.

And you know, if you're going to top dress it with a little bit of mulch anyway, that's going to create an installation around those top layers of roots.

But you know, it gives the water a little bit more of a chance to drain down out of, you know, percolate out of the clay without keeping those roots swimming in it.

>>Exactly.

And I think people are so used to digging what I call coffee cup holes, >>Yes.

>>and they really need to start thinking about cereal bowl holes.

>>Yes, cereal bowl.

Wide, not tall.

>>Right, exactly.

And I also think people, as you mentioned, you're using the native soil.

So many people put in all these amendments, and then they make this lovely rich environment and the roots go, Hmm, not leaving this.

>>Yes.

>>I'm not going into there.

>>Yes.

So let them learn to adapt to their native soil.

And they will probably do better.

>>Yes, train those roots.

(Peggy laughs) We have a question here from Ann about which rose varieties in Maymont's Italian garden have bloomed some years until Christmas?

Well, to be honest, we grow Floribunda roses, in Maymont's Italian garden.

And because the garden is made of granite and it faces south and it's pure a hundred percent sunshine, we end up with ginger as well as others.

I also encourage you to look at other Floribundas and place them in a protected microclimate where they too can bloom until Christmas, so.

Well Yulita, thank you, and it's time for us to say goodbye, and to remind everybody that Virginia Home Grown has a busy Facebook page and I encourage you to look for timely information from our team.

Also look for Pat's Plant Pick, after the show.

This month, he's talking about Angel Wing begonia, a plant that is great indoors and out.

Some upcoming events in our communities are, October 15th kicks off Maymont's annual garden glow in the Japanese garden.

Visit Maymont's website for more information.

October 9th is the fall plant sale at Tuft and Farm, and visit their website for the details.

There are so many gardening events throughout October.

So I encourage you to search your browser for October gardening events in Virginia, to find what's happening in your neck of the woods.

Next month, our show is all about trees.

We will learn about the importance of trees in the urban landscape, for our health, and also visit with Tom Soleil of the American Chestnut Foundation to see the progress being made on blight resistant Chestnut trees.

I look forward to being with you then, and remember, gardening is for everyone.

We are all growing and learning together.

Thanks for watching and happy gardening.

(cheerful music) >>Production funding for Virginia Homegrown is made possible by.

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