Page 9 - August 2020 Wheel

WATERGATE’S “MINI” GARDENS in an aerogarden. They “like having

basil, mint, dill, chives, parsley and
thyme always at hand for cooking.”
By Nina Reynoso-Ray The Bldg. 2 residents also have
some cacti, which you might not
Who said one cannot grow a garden and tea bags along with discarded expect in such an urban place. Main-
on a balcony? I beg to differ. I’d like egg shells as an organic fertilizer. taining the plants “doesn’t require a
to share my story (with a few others) When the cold spell comes, I leave green thumb” according to them.
and present a challenge to all the the annuals outside and the rest I
naysayers. bring them in. Once they convert to “I bought my red star geranium at
house plants, I make sure the plants the end of the season last year,”
The blooms on my second floor bal- face a good amount of sunshine or WAL resident Kay College said. “It
cony are thriving since I moved to daylight. looked pathetic and had only one
Bldg. 3 at Watergate once I remar- cluster of ‘stars’ but it intrigued me.
ried in 2013. In my garden, I have But I’m not the only gardener. There It didn’t do too much and then [it]
herbs of lavender, mint, cilantro, are quite a few of us at Watergate. was left on the balcony...throughout
parsley in addition to jalapeno pep- the winter. When I went out to start
pers (red and green), collard greens “I love coleus. They grow just about preparing the balcony for spring, I
and scented jasmines flowering anywhere as long as they don’t get saw that it was still green and trying
abundantly. Fast growing aloe vera too much sun and [they] add a bright to put out a new star cluster. I’m so
and mini-palm trees greet me every pop of color to my mainly green happy with what some TLC did”!
morning as I sit in my rocking chair plantings. [I also have] basil, flat
sipping tea laced with fresh mint leaf parsley, lemon balm and rose- During a photo swap online, Chuck
leaves from my mini-garden. A re- mary in my culinary herb garden,” Cook exclaims the following about
freshing sight greets me every morn- fellow resident and gardener Leslie his beautiful hibiscus, “Even I can
ing as I go out to water my garden. Wilder shares. grow them!”

Maintaining my garden is pretty Speaking of herbs, the Benzina fam- Note: Plant photos are on page 8.
simple. I sprinkle used coffee pods ily keeps their herbal plants indoors

August 2020 Wheel Page 9