Hello people. How's the week going? We're still chilly but the sun is shining.
My summer flower plan this year is pared way down. Remember this from last year? Plus the other side and front had just as many baskets and planters.
This year, two barrels will have purple, pink, and yellow supertunias, one hanging basket of the pinks, and the ferns. For many years, white was all I had. Then the Vista Bubble Gum petunia's pink was everywhere and although I don't care for pink, I tried it for something different. Now I want those striking colors for impact and would have tried all yellow, but I'm not sure if they fade in sun or may be less prolific than the others.
I sure hope I can resist having more than that. The older I get, I prefer simple and eye catching to volume. Just like having so many items in a room that you miss their form and beauty. Your brain is taking in too much at one time to process and focus on a stunning piece. I think that's what happens when there are too many flowers in various places. Some high, some low, big, small, too much. I don't know if it's true, but therapists say that having a bedroom strewn with too many items causes the brain to have difficulty resting. Too much stimuli even though you see it every day. Makes sense I guess. So I'm trying overloaded barrels of color and one massive hanging basket instead of my usual here there everywhere.
But I couldn't resist these, Wave petunias in yellow. Rather than line with landscape fabric and dirt, I purchased large plastic dishpans for $1.50 and will drill a few holes, perfect size for a smaller wheelbarrow.
The hunt started at a new place for us (Amish), out in New Wilmington, and it ended up being an all afternoon ride to five places. Tomato plants were horrible everywhere, no Inferno peppers (our favorite), BubbleGum supertunias almost sold out, and prices increased as we went along. I purchased most of the flowers at Mast's, the largest Amish nursery, $2.75 for 4" pots of healthy plants that were $4 at another nursery. Back in town we found scrawny little geraniums for a whopping $4.50 each that were $2.79 last year. I got twice the size for $3 elsewhere. The hanging baskets increased by $2 - $4 each from last year's prices. Sweet potato vines and Vinca vines, single and wimpy, were also $4.50. Good thing I'm paring down this year! Mast's is my favorite place to go and when checking out, I extended my sympathy to him for the loss of his young son last summer to drowning. I was hesitant to bring it up, as sometimes we are, but he thanked me for not being afraid to speak of him saying it acknowledges their grief and their son's life.
What's your color scheme this year? Do you plan it before buying or get inspired at the nursery and just buy what catches your fancy? Whether a single color or mixed doesn't matter because I will complain, reverse my preference, whimper quietly, and curse my continuous waffling. Right now I'm thinking three colors are too much! Maybe just the pink and yellow.
Enjoy the week's end.
I may look through charts this evening and hope that something gets me excited enough to want to pull out a needle. Good thing I totally loved Mary and she was skinny, or this slump may have prevented her finish.
I may look through charts this evening and hope that something gets me excited enough to want to pull out a needle. Good thing I totally loved Mary and she was skinny, or this slump may have prevented her finish.
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13 comments:
Marly, I tend to buy orange/yellow and purple. I am cutting down a lot. I used to spend $$$$ on plants making several trip to Home Depot. Not this year, I bought orange/yellow Wave petunias for kitchen window box. That window gets sun all day I mean all day faces south! Petunia are the only plant that survives. Purple petunia for pot in middle of a perennial bed facing west ( still sun). A few lobelia ( love the deep blue color) for a shaded fixture on fence. A fuchsia ( never had before) to hang on garage. Other than that I need to pick up a few little annuals for a couple of strawberry jars and something to put on/in old chair on from steps and that is all! luckily I have perennial gardens, love my hosts and columbines so since I got older planting is a chore! Now in pots , not so much bending down ( the real problem is the getting back up ). You know, your choices are always beautiful.
Since I found a snake in my flower bed last summer, I'm going minimally this year. I have one pot of red geraniums and then mostly various colors of hostas.
I did find, on the dollar cart at Lowe's, two shades of purple petunias. They are in a hanging basket on a shepherd's hook. Also bought a pack of red begonias. They are in the ground with the hostas.
I planted some zinnia seeds in a big aluminum box, but the squirrels destroyed the tiny plants as soon as they came up. I love zinnias and thought I'd have enough to transplant elsewhere.......guess not.
I hope your petunias will do well for you and fill out the barrel that they are in. They'll be gorgeous.
Have a happy weekend......maybe flower shopping ?
Charlotte in Va.
I like the change of colours with the season - love the yellows and blues of early spring and all the mauves and pinks of this time. For summer I like intense colours and am always trying to duplicate the beautiful window boxes we saw in Germany. They were filled with colours that should have clashed but were in fact wonderfully attractive - red geraniums, pink geraniums and periwinkle blue lobelia. that's what I've put in all my hanging baskets.
Um, do I need to answer the question on my color scheme this year? It is the same color scheme every year,hint,hint.
We cut back this year due to money.
I tend to become inspired at whatever garden center I visit. I do tend to prefer pink flowers for some reason. I have only 2 hanging baskets so far, I've not purchased any annuals for the box I use on our deck.
We have converted several beds to colorful green ground covers and pop some colors in here and there. I try to plan ahead. I have good intentions. But when I get to the nursery, any nursery, any time of day I am smitten. I have a passion for foxglove and if my other half doesn't pull them out this year I should be good in a couple beds. But every year I pick up something experimental, different, and a totally different color. It is fun. let the games begin.
My purple, gold & lavender iris were out in profusion next to the pale pink
peonies... received a beautiful bright blue hydrangea for Mother's Day and
plopped itright down next to them and the yellow roses...all backed by the
oakleaf hydrangea line of plantings not in bloom as yet... will be working
on the hanging baskets and urns next and may follow your lead in the fern dept.
Your backyard looks like a nice stitching place.
I do like your color scheme. It will be so pretty. I learned when my Dad died that any words were better than none. Good for you for offering your sympathy to that father.
What a wonderful place! Very beautiful!
Greetings from Germany
My plants are some fuchsia's and lobelia in blue and pink shades and a purple petunia. These are my colors almost every year.
Do love your yellow petunia and ferns.
Ferns are growing in my garden every year.
Greetings Truus from Holland
I absolutely love your red geraniums in your tool? box. The old bench is wonderful too.
I have a bench similar to yours but I keep it in the house.
Happy Weekend.
Charlotte
We bought some small pink rhododendrons for our front brick planter boxes, and they have managed to survive the hot, then cold weather so far. That's it, unless I decide to put out some hanging pots on our newly (re-)constructed deck and porch. We shall see...
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