Gardening

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?