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.
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As for the PS design, I had a little trouble with the greens. Do you think I made the right color choice shown in the stitched leaf, or do you think the 3052/3 would be better? I chose the others because I am thinking there will be too much "soft". With the vines encircling the pale house, I thought the sharpness of 734 pulls it together instead of washing it out and nicely contrasts the linen. I wanted 3011/12 but you can see where I tested 3011 beneath the house and it's too dark. When I cover half of this photo and see only one option, the left side seems better. 'Ya think?
