I don't actually have a garden [my yard is mostly just sand, or paved] but I don't let that stop me. I love flowers and growing things.
I pack as much as I can into my big deck planters.
Flowers grow well on the deck, it is sunny and warm and protected from the wind.
My lilies weathered the cold winter came back just spectacular. All except my pink stargazer lilies which haven't appeared as yet.
However, beautiful as lilies are---these are Asiatic and day lilies here--- when they re done blooming, they are done. So I knew I needed some fill-ins.
The big nursery had so many pretty things!
My kids requested blue and yellow flowers this year. I was glad I asked because I think they're very pretty. And also if left to myself I always buy very garish shocking pink, coral, and flame red flowers. No subtlety there.
So this year I picked out some pretty blues...petunias, pale blue, plus dark plum with green stripes; lavender; yellow tiny petunias; a couple blue somethings, I forget their names.
My son also requested sunflowers. The seeds I started disappeared! Either that red bird ate them or the 12" of rain washed them right out of their egg carton starter pots. Too bad! It was supposed to grow to 12 feet!
So I got this pre-started one. NOT tall and exotic, but the sunny face is there.
I always also spread a few seeds in the deck planters as I plant.
These sometimes do grow..and flourish in late summer when the petunias and lobelia have dried up and died. We'll see!
I also started a pot of catnip for my feral kitties. Just because they're homeless wild cats doesn't mean they can't have fun, right? Kitty la-la land, I hope.
I do have a few hydrangeas bushes at the front of my house.
They also did very well over the winter. The salt water flood of H. Sandy must have contained whatever makes them BLUE, because, wow. Blue, aren't they.
My faves...
love
lizzy
gone to the beach...
PS look at the this cool wading bird! Looks like a black flamingo! Big guy. A glossy ibis. How do they find the swales so quickly?
PPS ''That red bird" turned out to be a cardinal. He came and sat near me one day when I was handquilting, alone and very quiet. He was looking for his seeds! Another time I saw him with his mate. She is gorgeous, peachy, rosy tan with a red head crest and red face, black beak. Maybe they live in the hydrangeas?
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Lizzy,
ReplyDeleteWhen we lived in Nebraska we got visited by lots of Cardinals, and i set out sunflower seed for them. (of course the squirrels wanted some, too). Cardinals and Blue Jays, looking for food at the same time -- what a beautiful site that was. Don't see as many in Florida - just squawking herons, ibis and egrets. ...and lots of Mockingbirds.
I don't feed birds anymore - they have plenty of food around here.
Love your flowers. If i want flowers, I have to plant them in fall -- they bloom over winter then die out in mid-spring (too hot for them, i guess). i have some Zinnias blooming right now.
Wanda517
Your flower pots are so pretty! The lilies are beautiful. My lily came up, but doesn't look like it's going to bloom this year - probably got far too dry last summer. Your blue flowers are lobelia (fan flowers) - I see them a lot but don't think I've ever grown them.
ReplyDeleteSeeing your packet of nigella seed, I think maybe that was what I started with but for some reason the blues took over. Maybe the other colors are not as hearty and don't re-seed as well?
It will be interesting to see what seeds come up and do well 'hidden' under the other flowers. A few years I planted pansies early spring, then sprinkled portulaca (rose moss) underneath. The pansies lasted until summer got hot and by then the rose moss was starting to bloom. It worked out nicely!