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!

Bringing in the Flowers

Like most of you I have been busy sorting
and repotting those tender flowers and plants
to bring in for the winter.
Yesterday was a difficult day just deciding what
I wanted to overwinter. It is hard to let go of some
of the flowers that have been faithful bloomers over
the summer but I do not have the space and the proper
lighting for some of them.



Temperatures in the lower 30's that is coming in
forces us to choose.



Some of the favorite geraniums were repotted to
bring in but there are others that will be pulled
from their pots and cleaned of the soil to hang by
their roots in the basement this winter.



The Gerbera was put in a new container and
brought in to see if it will over winter in the house.
I have never tried to overwinter one so I am not sure
if it can be done. Do any of you overwinter yours?



The Mandeville was brought in in the hopes that
I can keep it alive until next spring.



The Lantana is ready to move indoors.



And so was the Purple Heart.

I brought in the little Fuchsia but do not
have the highest hopes for the poor thing.



Other will go by the wayside when the frost
hits us.



The Nicotina that I planted for the first time
and fell in love with will be gone but seeds were
saved for next spring.



The petunias will also be gone,



But I have their seeds. Although the odd three
colored blooming petunia plant never went to
seed. Too bad, I wanted to see what it would do
next spring. I did save a petunia plant all winter last
maybe I should try to keep the odd petunia indoors.

The purple or blueBrowillia will die out but it is so easy
to grow from seed.



The mounds of Impatiens are so tender it will
not take much to stop them cold.



The one Dahlia 'Edinburgh' I have will be brought in
after the frost also. I see so many beauties in
all of your garden beds but mine has yellow leaves
so it must not like where I had her.



The Nikko blue hydrangea that has finally gotten
buds had better bloom fast before the frost get her.
Time to get out the covers.

What are you all bringing in for the winter?
I would really like to know.

Happy Gardening Everyone!

Blooming Now And In The Future

Good Morning Everyone!
Well it looks like September is flying by us as fast
as August did. Anyone know of a way to slow down
time ? ;-)
Or what was that old song by Cher 'If I could
Turn Back Time'.
There are a few flowers that have just kept on giving
through the cool summer and now dry weather but most
are annuals. The occasional perennial that gives off
a few blooms after being cut back but the beds are
looking pretty ratty now so there will be no wide angle
shots of them. Yes, they are that bad looking.

I think I am in some dire need of advice on growing
Fuchsia's. Yep, I killed another plant. One of the two
Fuchsia plants has went the way of the dead plant pile.
She was such a pretty red and purple plant and this one
below is not doing very well either. And I thought I could
manage to grow them because they are suppose to be easy,
poor things did not know who they were coming home with.
Maybe I drowned her? Maybe it was too wet with the moss
around it, or the earwicks got to her, or it could have been
the three kittens playing with her. They did play a little rough
a few times.
The second one is still blooming a little but it is just not
growing well at all.



The Nicotiana is still blooming and the variegated ivy is
still growing well.



Of course the Impatiens are just looking their best
now. They always are so full and pretty just before the
frosts come to take them.







The Lantana has fewer blooms now but she is still
pretty and the butterflies are loving her.



Though most of the Petunia's are getting leggy and
mostly just setting on seed now this Orchid Mist double
petunia on the porch is still looking beautiful. I was going
to save the seeds from the one that had the three different
color of blooms but it is not setting on seed yet.




Anemone 'Queen Charlotte' is putting on quite the
show now.



With all of the shady areas here three new Anemones
have been added to the shade bed this week.
pink 'Party Dress' and this double 'Margarette'.



And white ' Honorine Jobert'.



So many plants have already been added to the beds
now for the Fall planting season and more are coming.
So I have been revamping the beds and moving quite a few
things. Some of the plants along the one garage bank
have been moved to make it into a rose bed and added
some nepta ' Walkers Low ' to cascade down the bank
and add to a front border.



I have also went on a Lily kick and have added them
to the woods bed with all of the divided Iris.
Also two new Irises will be added to one bed which
will become my Blue Bed.

A Reblooming 'Out of the Blue'.



And one that is called ' Oreo'.



The daughter and I are planning on attending the
'Backwoods Festival' this weekend. There will be
crafts and gardening decor in abundance there and
I cannot wait. We attended last year and it was such a
great day.It is always a good day when I to spend it
with the daughter and the weather looks like it is going
to be beautiful for it.

Happy Gardening Everyone!