Showing posts with label container gardening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label container gardening. Show all posts

Monday, December 1, 2014

indoor forced bulbs



We are back from a week in the beautiful Low Country and I am now in holiday mode, getting some narcissus planted this morning. I started an amaryllis a few weeks ago. The plan is to stagger both throughout the winter for fresh blooms through March. Being in a small town, I ordered online, from Easy to Grow Bulbs website. They offer 5 varieties of paperwhites and 45 varieties of amaryllis!



I found the ceramic faux wood box planter at Oakleaf Flower & Garden in Highlands, my favorite place for flowers, gifts and beautiful scents. The green pots are made by Guy Wolff Pottery.

For planting paperwhites indoors or outside, instructions here. Also how to "pickle" them with alcohol to avoid long leggy blooms that fall over without support.  Of course winter bulbs make perfect holiday gifts, you can create your own unique packaging with baskets, burlap and twine or ribbon or Whiteflower Farm sells bags of them here.


Happy winter!

Thanks for visiting!
Cindy

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

porch plants

Hi everyone! 
We are having a glorious week of weather after several days of dark skies and heavy rain last week. 


There are three porches on the home we are renting in Beaufort. We have a set of front porches and a little side entry porch from the driveway and garage.  


The front of the house has northern exposure so there is filtered light through the woods on each side of the house morning and late afternoon. We are using the classics...ferns and palms. 



Easy to find at good prices, the nurseries are full of them. They sell out quickly but new shipments arrive weekly.



 I added pansies to the base of the palms to add fullness.




We also have a bird's nest anthurium/anthurium hookeri placed in the middle of the porch so it does not receive too much light.


We have been enjoying the lower porch in the evenings with cocktails and mornings with our tea but the afternoon sun is starting to interfere as it lowers at this time of year. If this was our permanent home, we would hang outdoor drapes at the end of the porch to block the harsh afternoon sun.

The morning light is so pretty....






The upstairs porch has a delicate frilly palm.  I need to start learning the palm varieties. We are using the common ones I found at Lowe's. The top porch is our privacy porch with a full sized sofa, good breezes and nice views.


The side entry porch has a fiddle leaf fig that was difficult to find. I was looking for several months and had to finally order one. They are so popular that they sell out as soon as they arrive. 


We have a small one because the space is tight. I still have not found them at Home Depot where some other bloggers have. I just planted herbs in the tiered planter as I did on in our last home.





We thought these oleanders next to the chimney were goners after the polar vortex came to South Carolina but after painstakingly pulling all the dead foliage off, they are coming back. The landscaping on the house is simple, balanced and attractive. 


The back yard does not have a porch. A screened in porch would be perfect there because it faces the pond.


The pond has turtles that rest on the bank and take surprisingly big leaps into the water when we get close. Also wood ducks are usually here. Geese visit and spend most of their time honking at us if we are out in the yard.. The lawn is not in great shape but as renters, we are not really wanting to spend much on the lawn. I did buy weed spray and a neighbor boy is cutting the grass for us.


So what about your porches? Have you potted your porch plants this spring or are you making plans for when the weather allows? Sticking with the classic palms and ferns makes it easy.

Thanks for visiting!
Cindy


Tuesday, May 21, 2013

things I like this week


1.  Simple kitchen beauty...image from Australia's "Martha Stewart" Donna Hay, visit her website here.


2. I want another Annie Sloan Chalk Paint project and have been searching the house for something I can paint. Would love to find a dresser at consignment or thrift similar to this one for one of our bedrooms and paint it in Louis Blue with a light coat of dark wax applied on top.


3. What a beautiful way to create separation on a patio. Drought tolerant ornamental grasses in glazed pots. Design by Mark English.



4. I love Meg Braff's rooms.... always fresh, traditional, and pretty!


5. The most elegant summer accessory.... Elizabeth Locke earrings.


 6. Gingham ribbon and embossed gift wrap, Carolyne Roehm used to sell both on her website but can copy the look for a little summer gift.


7. Linen lovers should spend a few minutes on Libeco's site or visit one of their stores when traveling in Europe. The ultimate in linen products. Shop here in the US. The gorgeous monogram on this Libeco pillow is done No. Four Eleven and can be purchased here.


8. I have copied this look this spring, but my skirt is about 3" longer! From Suburbly Chic tumbler.


9. The prettiest drink EVER! Ice cubes made with distilled water and edible flowers. Layer water in cube tray 1/3 up and freeze. Add flowers (or a raspberry or blueberry) and bit more water and freeze. One more layer on top. Here is the Martha how to.




What things are you liking this week?

Thanks for visiting!
Cindy





Wednesday, May 15, 2013

avoid common impatiens this season!



YUCK!

The downy mildew that affected Impatiens in so many states last year is predicted to strike again this year. Cold wet conditions encourages the spores to grow and they stay active in the soil for several years. "The main victim of downy mildew is impatiens walleriana, those pink, orange, lilac or white bedding plants sold by the millions in garden centers and big-box stores." William Hageman, Chicago Tribune



We have sometimes used impatiens in the shaded window boxes on the north side of our house, usually mixed with ferns. We are using just ferns  
this year. I planted little bagged root balls a few weeks ago, here is their progress so far...
just starting to fill out, will be fun to see them progress.


New Guinea Impatiens are resistant to the fungus and more attractive but require more sunlight which means they won't work in our window boxes.


Read more about it here in an article by Anne Raver for the New York Times Garden column. She thinks Mother Nature is doing us a favor by forcing homeowners to find more interesting alternatives. 

What annuals do you like to plant in the shade?

Thanks for visiting!
Cindy



Sunday, April 7, 2013

spring sprang yesterday




After sunny skies but temps in the 30's all week, warm spring air finally arrived yesterday afternoon!


I picked up several flats of pansies a few days ago and waited to plant until the forecasts predicted frostless nights. How nice to see color in the pots. Son brought out the patio furniture and we lined the tiered herb planter with fresh coco liners to await the herbs in a few weeks.


Our sweet boy and my favorite gardening companion is getting a whiter face, we were shocked to see him after picking him up from his farm kennel when we returned from spring break. We did not realize how white his face has become! Such is life...



Are things popping in your neck of the woods? Do you plant pansies as soon as the weather breaks like I do? It is my first and favorite spring ritual. 

Thanks for visiting!
Cindy