Container Gardening

This is the first year that I have actually tried planting my own containers for the deck. Usually I will purchase one or two to add some color to the deck. This year, though, I had a new idea. Our deck has a constant breeze and last summer was just a little cool to enjoy the deck with the breeze most of the time. So this year, I decided to try to put up trellis to help block the wind so that we could enjoy the deck a little more. Of course, Murphy's law, it has been pretty hot and humid this summer already. On a related note, my husband finally put a water spigot off the back of the house (Prior to this year, we had to bring a hose through the garage.) and it has since rained pretty much every day or every other day. Anyway, back to the container gardening. Here is picture of my trellis pots soon after I planted them. I will have to show some before and after pics eventually because, thanks to the rain, they have grown a lot.



I know it is not the greatest picture, but you get the idea of what I am trying to do. Here are pictures of each individual trellis pot. This is of course before the vines have begun to grow because I planted those from seed.







Here are the rest of my container plantings.













That's all for now.

Garden Overview

For this post, I will start by posting pictures of the varying gardens/ landscaping and get into the nitty gritty details later. First is the front of the house (in two segments). We really haven't done much here other than trimming and pulling out some over-grown bushes. We put in the small dogwood, the spiky plants (for lack of a better term right now. I'm just too lazy to get the paperwork that tells me what the real name is. I'll get to that later.), and the birdbath all replaced huge (and prickly) bushes. I say prickly because honestly who in their right mind plants a thorn bush in front of the hose spigot and then on top of that lets it get huge!





The next pictures take you around the side of the house. We have done nothing here other than trim back what was there so that it looked decent and wasn't against the house. It looks like I have some more work to do on that aspect again! I think some of the dogwoods on the corner will have to come out and be replaced too. We shall see. Oh and the large gravel spot that sticks out from the corner was where a dead bush was found and promptly removed.





Next, you see pictures from around the back deck. This has all been added by my husband and I. In fact when we moved in, the deck was missing a corner and there was a large divot in the yard from where an above ground pool had been and removed. Good thing, too, because the first summer after we moved in the cotton wood trees started producing seed. That would have been a big mess! The plants around the deck have been purchased or given to us at various times and by various people. All are perennials, and some are doing great while others not so much. In fact, the last picture makes it look like not much is planted. I think if I took the picture now (rather than 2 weeks ago) you would see more, but this has been hard for me to fill in anyway. More on all of that in a later post. I must have forgot to take a picture of the last side, but you get the general idea. Someday, I would like to expand, but not until I get this part filled in a little more.










Here is the last side of our house. This really isn't planted yet. It is next to the garage and is really just ugly. I am thinking about putting roses next to the trellises but since I haven't even planted the trellis let alone attached them in anyway this may be a project for next year. I need to monitor the light that this area receives as well.



Finally, our mailbox garden. This was created more as a way to reduce trimming and mowing problems around the mailbox. It was gorgeous about four days ago when the front irises were in bloom. I must have a few different kinds in here because they are different sizes and seem to bloom in three phases too. I'll have to ask mom about that one since she gave me the plants. I don't remember though if I got these in two bunches and added more at a later time. This picture shows the first phase of blooming. I wonder, too, what I am supposed to do after the flowers have run their course. Can I cut off the dead blossoms or is it better to leave alone? Is it just personal preference on looks? Another mom question, I guess.



I did some container planting this year, too. I'm particularly proud of how some trellis containers are turning out but I will save this for next time. This post is plenty long enough!

Happy Gardening!

I've never really had a green thumb. In fact, most house plants have met their early demise because I can't remember to water their poor roots. The ones currently living are really thanks to my husband, whom does give them a drink every once in a while. Despite past experience, I decided to try my hand at outdoor gardening. This for me, is a little more simple as mother nature often takes care of my lack of watering. It has still been interesting seeing how plants react to different amounts of light and soil. This is the purpose of the blog. To track what I plant, what thrives, and what really doesn't work for whatever reason. So I will be tracking - with pictures too - what I have planted and any detail I can possibly put with it. Post number 2 will have to start with pictures and documentation of what I already have and what I just planted this weekend. That may take me a while.