Answers...

In a comment to my previous post, I was asked a few questions.  So, here are some answers:

Thank-you for your blog post! Your planter combos are gorgeous! Just a thought about your expensive pre-designed combo: when you consider the number of days its beauty will give you joy, its "cost per day" may not be so very expensive after all! What is the plant growing at the base of that pot? 

The plant growing at the base of my pot is chocolate mint.  I've had it for quite a few years and I love it!  It doesn't really taste that chocolate-y, but I enjoy picking a leaf or two to eat as I walk by.

And what kind of mulch do you use? 

My mulch is sold as "soil conditioner." It is small pieces of pine bark and when worked into the soil, it helps break up the clay a little.  I like using it as a mulch because the chunks are smaller than regular mulch and I think they look less "mulch-y."  It also breaks down a little faster and adds a healthy layer to the soil.

Your herb pot is gorgeous too! Do your herbs overwinter in that pot, or do you buy them new each spring (or start them from seeds)? 

I buy the herbs new each spring.  I plant Johnnies in the pot for winter and new herbs in the spring look much fresher than ones I have tried to overwinter.  It may not be as frugal, but it sure is pretty!

 Also, what is the diameter of your herb pot and how tall do the herbs in the back usually grow to?  (I'm trying to figure out how to do something similar with what I already have.) 

 The pot is about 20" in diameter and the basil is about 20" tall.

Is your tobacco plant poisonous to the touch, as in did you have to wear gloves to plant it? 

No, the tobacco plant is not poisonous to the touch; I didn't have to wear gloves.

Is the wall next to your herb pot fairly recent? I would love to see what you have in that bed.... 

The wall is a couple of years old.  It has a Buddleia planted in it.  And at the base of the Buddleia is Dianthus.  When the Buddleia blooms, I'll post pictures of it.

Have a beautiful day!

Back door steps pots...

I received a very broad hint that I needed to do another blog post.  So today I am going to share with you the pots that are the bottom of the steps that lead to my back door.  The first one in on top of the retaining wall I built several years ago.

For this summer, it holds Lobelia (the blue one), Verbena (the red one) and Petunia (the yellow one).

I bought these flowers as a pre-made combo in a hanging basket.  I paid a pretty penny for them because 1)  they were a pre-designed combo 2) they were "locally grown"  3) they were in a hanging pot and 4) they were at an up-scale grocery market.

But I decided it was worth it because they were so pretty and were exactly what I wanted.

Just to the left of the above pot,  but sitting down on the path, is this little container.  The plant is an alpine geranium named "Charm."   It's new this year.  I've grown an alpine geranium in this pot for several years, but it finally died out.  I liked it so much that I wanted to replace it with the same thing.

Isn't it charming?

My yellow pot is against the house, right at the very bottom of the steps.  It's a hard place to get anything to grow well in the summer. However, last year I discovered that ageratum grows very well there.  And I like ageratum a lot, even though it is unassuming.

Finally, my big pot at the bottom of the steps.  It sits in the bed that goes along the pathway. A couple of years ago, I started growing herbs in this pot.  They do very well, not minding at all the hot afternoon sun.

This year, I have three different basils,  thyme, tri-color sage, and Cuban oregano.   And Nicotiana.   Nicotiana is a tobacco and all of the plant is poisonous.  Is it diabolical to put a poisonous plant in the middle of edible herbs?

Anyhow,  I like the effect.  The purple hues in the tri-color sage pick up on the reds and pinks of the Nicotiana.

And how 'bout that Cuban oregano!  It's thick and fuzzy and variegated.  Yes, it is usable, like other oregano, but apparently, it is much stronger. 

A variegated Lirope grows below that pot.   One of my sisters gave it to me several years ago.

Cemetery Sedum has planted itself in front of the Lirope.  I think they look very cool together.

And the whole combination looks very lovely.

Have a beautiful day!

So much beauty...

The pot at the bottom of the back door steps has been so lovely the past few weeks.  Enjoy!

 

Have a beautiful day!

Hello, again...

Well, it's been awhile, hasn't it? 

 I've been desperate for spring and look what I found today!

 These crocus are growing in a low tub underneath some trees.

 And soon there will be more.

 Have a beautiful day!

White Muscari

Well, hello!

I know it's been awhile since I've blogged, but I'm still here.

I have, in addition to hundreds of blue Muscaris, white Muscaris blooming!

There is a clump of white Muscaris that I've had for a couple of years in a raised bed.  These photos, however, are of a large flower pot filled with Johnnies and and Muscaris.

I actually bought these Muscari bulbs in a cheap box at Food Lion!   I didn't expect them to grow at all, but at the time, I was craving the hope of Muscaris, so I got them and planted them. 

And what beautiful results!

Have a beautiful day!

Potful of herbs...

At the bottom of the back door steps, I have a large grey pot that I fill with annuals.  Of course, it has Johnnies during the winter.  For the summer, I usually try to do a red, white, and blue combo in honor of the Fourth of July.  (The white blob on the deck is Princess.)

This year, I did something different.   I used herbs.  There are four kinds of basil:  pesto basil (the variegated basil), African Blue basil (my favorite basil plant), lemon basil, and Thai basil.

I also put in variegated thyme and variegated marjoram.

I like the way the variegated Lirope looks with the variegated plants in the pot.

In the front is a mini petunia.  I think it is so pretty! 



Have a beautiful day!

Happy Thanksgiving...

My new flower pot and saucer...
filled with Delft Blue Violas. Bliss.

Wishing you a day filled with gratitude and blessings.

Have a beautiful day!

It worked!

Several weeks ago, I prepared this container to attract hummingbirds to my deck. I love to see them and I prefer to grow flowers for them rather than try to remember to fill a feeder for them. This particular pot has Cypress Vine (Ipomoea quamoclit) and Salvia coccinea. Oh, and some Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima).




I used a tomato cage turned upside down to create a tuteur for the vine and, more importantly, to make a resting place for a little hummer to sit. When I lived in California, I noticed that the little hummers would perch if there was a spot for them in their flowers. So now I like to provide that place when I can.



The plants were a little slow in reviving from being transplanted (they had reseeded themselves) as it was just a tad warm. There's an understatement for you! But they survived and started filling out. And I waited for a hummingbird to show up.



We have seen hummers other places in the garden. However, they have seemed oblivious to this particular collection that I had provided for them. The Yellow Shrimp Plant is also supposed to attract hummers. Maybe they knew I was watching for them through the sliding glass doors and were being coy.



Then yesterday, we were sitting at the table, eating breakfast, when Kirstin said, "Look! A hummingbird!" My back was to the doors so I turned and there indeed was a little hummer going to the Salvia! And it sat for a moment on the perch I had provided for it! As you can imagine, I was thrilled.

{Salvia coccinea, elsewhere in my garden}

Have a beautiful day!