Happy Wednesday! We’re mid-way through the week, heading for a loooong holiday weekend. Oh yeah! (it’s more fun if you say that in Kool-Aid man voice)
This weekend we are hosting a little housewarming party for our friends and family, so we’ve been squeezing in outdoor “decorating” wherever we can. The forecast is 95° and sunny, so we’re expecting to “warm” our outdoor space as much as our indoor space. We’ve spent a lot of time and money lately on “outdoor living” items, including a dining set with umbrella, a grill, and, most importantly, plenty of flowers for our pots and window boxes!
When we lived in our condo, we didn’t have a yard. We did, however, have 2 decks. So I went all-out on container gardens to keep our small outdoor spaces cheery. One of my favorite rites of spring is our annual nursery trip to pick out flowers. I love to mix and match, play with color palettes and different varieties of plants. I could probably stand to be even more adventurous, but I’m still getting my feet wet in the whole “green thumb” area. Just ask my husband about 1) my track record with growing basil (sigh) and 2) the orchid that I’m pretty sure is never going to bloom again but isn’t dead (don’t ask).
This year, we hit up a local nursery to check out their selection. We came home with gerbera daisies, dahlias, and calibrachoa in a range of pinks and orange-y corals, gorgeous hanging baskets, and a couple of things that look like a type of dracaena (they were missing tags).
First, I lay out all of my containers and plants, then try out combinations before committing to a specific pot, much like you might play experiment with a collage of framed photos on the floor before putting nail holes in the wall. But flowers are much easier to re-do if you change your mind 🙂
laying out my flowers before planting
- gerberas waiting their turn
This is the first year I’ve tried gerberas and dahlias. I absolutely love these flowers, but I’ve always been afraid of using them in containers. The plant tags and signage around the nursery claimed they’re great for containers. Plus, if for some reason they don’t work out, I finally have a yard that I can plant them in!
ta-da! window boxes planted & installed on our deck railings
A view of the front:
the front, complete with hanging baskets! can you see the wreath from my earlier post?
And lastly, the containers by our front door:
cheery flowers greet you at the door
The large yellow flowers are asiatic lilies. I think I’ve had this plant for 3 years. When I first bought it, it had about 8 buds/blooms on it. I counted about 35 open blooms last night, with at least 20-30 more buds to go! I think I’m going to need to re-pot it next year! The small container has a few leftover gerbs 🙂
Do you look forward to spring planting? What favorite flower or plant do you rely on to brighten up your yard/patio/deck each spring?
