Sat, 2009/03/21 - 7:22pm
I took about 30 minutes comparing the Amazon deal a few days ago and did a little grid for comparison.
6 pods
Cascading Bloom
Alyssum
Nemesia
Lobelia
Lobelia 2
Primrose
Diascia
English Cottage
Stock
Phlox
Petunia.
Dianthus
Snapdragon
Lavender
Incredible Edible
Snapdragon
Dianthus
Marigold
Marigold 2
Calendula
Viola
Mountain Meadow
Phlox
Gypsophila
Calendula
Gazania
Coreopsis
Branchcome
Scented Bloom
Stock
Snapdragon
Nemesia
Alyssum
Stock 2
Snapdragon 2
Splash of Color
Geranium
Mimulus
Marigold
Coreopsis
Zinnia 1
Zinnia 2
3 pods
Cascading Bloom
Mimulus
Nemesia
Lobelia
English Cottage
Stock
Phlox
Petunia.
Incredible Edible
Snapdragon
Dianthus
Marigold
Mountain Meadow
Phlox
Gypsophila
Calendula
Scented Bloom
Stock
Snapdragon
Diascia
Splash of Color
Geranium
Mimulus
Marigold
And comparison grid
Sun, 2009/03/22 - 3:39am
#2
Hello MaryH and welcome. 
That charts going to help all the flower growers, good work.
What are you currently growing in your SS6? Is it the starting seed pack or have you planted your own seeds.
Sun, 2009/03/22 - 7:04pm
#3
Hi Peat,
In my Mom's SS6, we did 5 pods with the herb kit that came with it Basil, Dill, Chive, Oregano, and Thyme and we substituted the mint (which my mom still have lots in the freezer and dried) for a salad green pod. I got her to use the herb nutrients and the salad green is happy with it but it was encroaching on the chive before the chive passed from mold.
I had issue deciding between the different flower kits so ended up doing the grid quickly so I can find the minimum number of kits for the flowers I want. Ended up bypassing a couple flowers such as Coreopsis and Gazania I wanted since it was too hard to fit them all in and I was already at 1 AG6 Cascading flower, 2 AG3 with Splash of Color and Scented Flower, 1 herb kit for Poultry and seafood (sage and sorrel yum). Plus 2 9 pod master gardener kit for about 6 seasons total. I am also going to reimburse and buy from my sisters her completely untouched tomato kit, mostly intact salad green kit and the SS6 since I think AG are okay when I travel if I do the water bottle thing...
I have been debating between what to do for my SS6 Monday when I pick it up from my sister. My options are:
1) Tomato kit
2) salad green kit (plus 1 pod of Arugula instead of the mint pod)
The others would have to wait until I do the US trip to pick up my stuff from a friends house over Easter but they would be
3) 2 AG3 kits Splash of Color and Scented Bloom
4) Cascading Bloom
5) Master Gardener with 2 yellow cherry tomatoes and 1 chocolate pepper using either master gardening nutes or flowering nuts.
6) Cloning some of the 5 mini roses I bought my Mom
7) DIY seed starter tray for SS6
on closer thought, I will give the Poultry and seafood herb kit a pass right now and probably keep it as reserve nutrients for my Mom but I might sneak the Sage into the SS6 as a late comer if I end up doing the salad green. :D
Sun, 2009/03/22 - 7:17pm
#4
FWIW, you can probably pick up a cheap packet of gazania seeds at Home Depot or Walmart. I've almost bought them a few times, but the packet says they thrive in hot & dry - something I can't really provide. Kinda surprising they go in the AG with that preference.
Dunno about coreopsis.
Sun, 2009/03/22 - 7:46pm
#5
I would love mini roses but I haven't seen them in the stores. I am going to try a flower shop tomorrow. When should I start growing them for Mother's Day?
Sun, 2009/03/22 - 7:56pm
#6
My mom has some coreopsis seeds. She also have some mauve columbine that I bought in Denver that looks great but they are pretty big plus they were better 2nd year than first so probably would not do well in the AG. I also bought some echinacea purposa seeds.
I don't need to have Gazania. I was just trying to put a couple of flower kits together from things on sale on Amazon and had a little difficulty deciding. I really like the Mimulus you posted and might try to clone then when they come out and grow a bit.
I bought my Mom a red mini rose about 5 or 6 weeks ago. Last week they were on sale at the local grocery store so I picked up one of each color: white, yellow, pink and red so she would have them for the first day of spring. It worked out better than a bunch of flowers or roses which is what I was thinking about originally. I live in Canada and they are available actually more in the winter than summer - go figure.
Sun, 2009/03/22 - 7:58pm
#7
For a regular garden if I ever get time for one, I was thinking of trying to grow some Salsify and my Mom is trying to grow rainbow chard and lebanese cucumbers in the garden this year. I was thinking about lebanese cucumber for the AG but I think the space saver 6 is too small for it.
Sun, 2009/03/22 - 8:04pm
#8
I grew chard for the first time last year. Fantastic crop for the time-challenged - plant it, forget it, and it keeps producing for 3 seasons (in New England). Add a little lime to the soil for a growth explosion, too.
Didn't grow so well in my AG Pro100.
Lebanese cucumbers sound like fun! No, it probably wouldn't do well in the SS6. I was tempted by some lebanese zucchini (well, squash, anyway) this year, but didn't end up going for it. Still want to try it sometime, though.
Mon, 2009/03/23 - 12:27pm
#9
I like the idea of number 6 - cloning. It's something completely different which I've not seen anyone do in an AG.
Mon, 2009/03/23 - 2:54pm
#10
Well, AG have alluded that one can take cuttings and grow things in AG so I should be okay to clone.
Well the 4 new mini roses have lots of bloom still but the old one from 6 weeks ago only have 2 left so may be a candidate.
Mon, 2009/03/23 - 4:12pm
#11
I vote roses too! I want some myself. Just need to find some seeds...
& yes I still have a corner free Peat! lol!
Tue, 2009/03/24 - 9:02am
#12
Hi Mary,
Nice list! I see snapdragons are edible. Do they taste good? Lots of things are edible, but blech....
Tue, 2009/03/24 - 8:46pm
#13
Beth,
I don't know. I ordered the 3 pod scented bloom kit which has snapdragon along with splash of color and 6 pod cascading bloom but it might be a while before I get to them since I now have 10 seasons of seed kits to use between my SS6 and supplying my Mom's SS6.
Tue, 2009/03/24 - 9:06pm
#14
You know, I've been growing snapdragons for like a dozen years, and never heard until last year that they were edible. Still haven't tried them.
< eyes snapdragons blooming 5 feet away >
I never did grow them to eat. 
< tries to get up the nerve >
Maybe... someday. 
Wed, 2009/04/08 - 3:07am
#15
I was holding out for my master gardener kit but now that I am pushing my visit to my friends in DC back by a week to mid April, I could not wait and broke down and planted my SS6 with:
3 salad green pods from salad green kit
1 pod of Musculun using a recycled mint pod (but not sure if I got out all mint seeds since I could not really find them)
1 pod of arugula from my Mom's failed Chive pod (I put 6 seeds in)
1 pod doing seed starter for Mom's coreopsis using rockwool which I will take them out at about 6 weeks...
I am using the lettuce seed kit nutrients
End up nixing the tomatoes since I set up the SS6 in my Mom's living room close to her SS6 so she could use the additional lights for her seedlings. I don't think I want her to do dump and refill or heavy lifting. First visit to Hydro store for rockwool, rooting gel (Wilson's) and checking out the liquid nutrients.
Wed, 2009/04/08 - 5:24am
#16
Yay! Congrats, MaryH - must feel good to have planted it! Nice near-instant gratification with that selection, too.
Wed, 2009/04/08 - 8:14pm
#17
Yeah, that was what I figured. My Mom's lettuce pod is close to bolting after 2.5 months so I can swap it over in a couple of weeks to see if the lettuce nutrient is better for them.
I think for the seedling starting and growth part, herb or lettuce nutrient should be okay for flowers. I figure that would give me time to start a tomato kit around Aug / Sept for the winter in mine and my Mom can use either a flower kit or the master gardener kit.
Wed, 2009/05/20 - 4:45pm
#18
Judith, you are looking at this page?
Wed, 2009/05/20 - 5:01pm
#19
Hi Judith,
This was a list of flowers in 3 and 6 pod flower kits...
Hope it helps,
Mary
Wed, 2009/05/20 - 5:13pm
#20
Hi! I've got it now Mary. Thanks loads.
I want to grow some flowers in one of the SS's. This is a big help.
Stone: I've got it. Thanks.
Welcome, MaryH!
Wow, that was a lot of work. Nice grid! They definitely like snapdragon and phlox in their compositions. I don't blame 'em - they grow nicely!