dreaming of flowers

While I am unable to garden (I don't count telling my kid how to dead-head geraniums and pansies, and how much to water a hanging basket as gardening), I can enjoy what I did get planted this spring.  I don't have many photos, but will send the kid out to take some soon.  When the lighting is nice, and the wind isn't blowing, and the construction vehicles across the street haven't covered them all in dust....

Mike did snap a couple of pictures for me, on my birthday when he was out taking my 'senior picture' (senior implying a whole new meaning here....), so I will share what I have.

My palette this year was inspired by the fabric I used in my new patio cushions for the summer (glad I made those when I did!)  They are bright and cheerful and happy.

After deciding on colors, I dug through our storage shed and attic to see what pots or containers I could use to accent them.  I also have new window boxes on the back of the house, a result of our big paint job last fall.  The old ones were decrepit and went to the dump, I have spankin' new cedar ones in their place.

The old watering can I got for $3 because it had a hole in it now makes a perfect container with drainage.  Even though you can't really see it (Mike is not a flower guy...) there are sunrise zinnias along with the red geraniums, and red gerber daisies.  It normally hangs out by our shed, next to a climbing vine display consisting of yellow black eyed susan vine, two colors of morning glories, and red malabar spinach.  The hope is that they will all climb and mingle and cover the iron trellis and hide my ugly plastic shed.  At their feet I have planted red geraniums.  I have come to adore them, as they don't need a lot of watering.

This yellow pot was a bargain at Home Depot, and fit the color plan.  It is home to more red geraniums and sunrise zinnias, along with greek oregano, yellow lantana, and chartreuse sweet potato vine.  It didn't want to sit on the ground, so I dug out a nice orange pot to lift it's spirits.

You may have noticed that my pots and boxes are quite full, even though they were just planted.  The best advice I ever got on container gardening was this: initially plant them to look good, when they grow they will be gorgeous!  If you keep them watered as needed and feed them about once a month, it works.  I use fish goo to fertilize, you buy the concentrate (at most any garden center)  and mix it with a gallon of water.  It smells terrible, for a day or two, but it absolutely works.  (as you can see in this photo, we have not gotten around to painting our garage the same color as our house yet....)

Here are the refurbished window boxes on the shady side of the house, they got a new coat of paint, new liners, and new dirt.  Speaking of dirt, this year I tried Miracle Grow's new Moisture Control potting soil in all of my boxes and containers.  I really think it makes a difference, my flowers can go a few days without watering and still look fresh and vibrant.  Definitely worth the extra money!

My full shade window boxes this year are sporting both tuberous and reger begonias in shades of yellow and apricot, yellow pansies, lobelia (I have added white too since this pic was taken), red impatiens, and a healthy shot of apple mint.

I think this one will be my favorite (I promise to get a better pic when I can!)  Golden oxalis, orange lantana, sweet potato vine, white pansies, strawberry artemsia, and a couple of candy corn vines to climb the little trellis.  With a sweet little birdhouse watching over it all.  Fun!  This is a really big window box, original to this old house (I think), that got a new coat of paint last fall-it has lots of room for experimenting.

More garden photos when I can!