Summer Containers Pt. 1

Needing an escape from the cold and all this
white stuff outdoors it is time to revisit last summer's
containers and make plans for this spring.




I am always looking for different containers to
plant flowers in or display them
on my visits to flea markets, yard sales, etc.
I will also enjoy looking for new ideas and
containers at the Central Ohio Home and Garden
Show which starts at the end of this month.




I have two tipsy pot displays in my garden beds.
They are both in shady areas so they are usually
filled with impatiens to brighten up the shady beds
where color is sometimes hard to find.



This one was so full by the end of summer that the
pots were all but hidden until the deers ate them in
late Fall.




An old foot tub filled with ugly orange pelargonium's.
They will not be back this summer since orange is not
a favorite color of mine.




A Salvation Army store find was this wooden tool
carrier. It is really a Boyd's Bear holder and says

such on the back side but turned around who can tell.

A new bright paint covering might be in order for the
tote box this spring.

Teapots make lovely flower pots.




An old coal bucket I have had around for years.
I think the bottom may not last this summer.





Don't throw away those old pitcher and bowl
sets. This $2.00 one makes a pretty flower pot.
Plant the pitcher and the bowl.




An old bird cage maybe.




Broken pots even have a place in the beds.




An old kettle.




Window Boxes.




An old washtub.





I built a small window box to put on the back of
the potting bench I built a few years ago.

An old ladder whether short or tall makes a
wonderful pot holder for the shade or sun.



These are just a few of my flower containers from
last summer and I hope it will give you some ideas
for flower containers. Anything that holds dirt is
a future flower pot.




Since the blooms are far and in between now
why not make a posting of your flower containers
of the past.



Happy Gardening Everyone!

Butterfly Wishes

Butterfly Wishes

Yesterday a butterfly
Came floating gently through the sky.
He soared up through the atmosphere
Then drifted close enough to hear.

I said, "I'd love to fly with you
And sail around the way you do.
It looks like it would be such fun
To fly up toward the summer sun.

But I have not your graceful charm.
I haven't wings, just these two arms.
I've been designed to walk around.
My human feet must touch the ground.

Then magically he spoke to me
and told me what his wish would be.

He said, "What I'd love most to do
Is walk upon God's Earth with you,
To squish it's mud between my toes
Or touch my finger to my nose.

I'd love just once to walk around
With human feet to touch the ground,
But I have not two legs that swing,
I haven't arms, just these two wings."

And so we went our separate ways
In wonder and surprise.
For we'd both seen God's precious gifts
Through someone else's eyes.

Author Unknown

Fertilizer Friday Flowers

This week has flown by not to mention that the month
is gone.
The old saying "the older you get the faster time flies "
is really true.
It is Fertilizer Friday and time to flaunt those flowers
again. Everyone go on over to Tootsie's over at
"Tootsie Time" and join in in 'Flaunting your Flowers'.
After the stormy night and morning we have had
there will be no watering of plants. In fact I had to go
out this morning and dump water out of containers
and pick a few up off of the ground.
My shepherds hook was on the ground along with the
two hanging baskets it held. The flowers are all dropping
in the beds from water logged blooms.
While others in states are in drought and heat waves
we are still cooler and wetter for this time of the year.
Some of the flowers are experiencing mildew from
the damp cool nights.Too bad we can not spread it all
around so everyone could be comfortable.
Here are some flowers that are blooming now in the
garden. Some of them that were cut back are getting
their second round of blooms. My pansies finally had
to be cut off this week but they were will worth their money
and bloomed for a long time.




The poor verbena in this basket is suffering from mildew
and is yellowing.



The Flowering Shamrocks are blooming. The bulbs were
free with an order of flowers and it has been fun watching
these since they were new to my garden.



The 'Lavender Simplicity' rose is blooming. Poor baby,
I moved it twice this year and it is lucky to be alive.







The 'Crimson Bouquet' rose never lets me down
and is getting a new flush of blooms. It will continue
until frost. It is one of the best roses with a heavenly
fragrance.



The monarda ' Petite Pink' is still blooming and
spreading as it is dead headed.



White 'David' phlox is now in full bloom. I love the white
to brighten up the beds, but it is not as fragrant as other
phlox that I have.



" Nora Leigh' variegated is blooming wonderfully
for her first year and will fill out in a few years. I
have decided to plant some 'Nicky' purple phlox
behind her this fall to make it stand out.




Also 'Blue Bird' delphinium is blooming again after
being dead headed but the blooms are not as thick now.



Helitrope 'Marine' smells like vanilla. For some reason
this is the first year I have grown it from seed and I like
it so well it will be back.



This is a new baby lavender phlox and it has one bloom.
The 'Moonbeam' coreopsis is about done and is in need of
a shearing.







This Japanese 'Painted' fern just gets bigger and prettier
each year. The ferns are liking the wet feet.



While the ferns in the shade beds get prettier the hosta
is getting smaller.It gets fertilized too so I do not know what
the problem is. Anyone got any ideas to perk it up?



The Latana and Verbena are going strong. At least the ones
that are not touched with mildew. I do not remember my
verbena getting mildew before, but the ' St. Geroge'
red is new to me and because of it may not have a return
visit to my garden.





Happy Gardening Everyone! Have a wonderful weekend
and flaunt those flowers. All to soon now they will be gone
and replaced with fall flowers.

Wordless Wonders