SUCCESS WITH NASTURTIUM SEEDS

I’m always hesitant when trying to grow annuals from seeds.  This year I had a success and a failure.  I planted a Hyacinth Vine at the base of my arbor.  I imagined it covering the arch with purple flowers.  Of the 50+ seeds I planted only two sprouted.  Very disappointing.

The nasturtiums were a great success.  The leaves are huge and I’m so excited to see the first flowers.  They’re a lovely peach color.  I planted them in one of my cement planters with some ferns and Creeping Jenny.  I have them in several pots around the yard but this one bloomed first.  I think it got just the right amount of sun.

 

NASTURTIONS, FERNS, AND CREEPING JENNY

GREAT PEACH COLOR

HIDING UNDER A FERN FROND

ACCESSORIES DON'T JUST FILL A SPACE, THEY DEFINE IT.

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CONTROLLING FERNS

I love my perennial ferns, but they were becoming invasive.  I was getting tired of thinning them out and didn’t want to get rid of them.  My solution was to plant them in containers and restrict their traveling runners.  I put them in the planters in front of the garage.  They look great peeking out through the spheres.

 

I also added them to the cement planters on my patio.

I even had enough to fill some planters in the side yard.

My neighbor was also happy to have some to add to her garden. 

What do you do with your abundance of perennials?

ACCESSORIES DON'T JUST FILL A SPACE, THEY DEFINE IT.

If you'd like to get a notification each time I post here, go to the Follow.It button in the left side bar on the blog web version and follow the prompts.

I've been posting on Instagram @allaboutvignettes and on Facebook All About Vignettes.  I'd love for you to follow me there too.

MY GARDEN PATH

Outside my back door is my walkway to the back yard.  Most of our yard is flat, but when you exit the kitchen door there's a steep slope to the back yard.   It's always been a challenge.  This year I was thinking that it had gotten too overgrown.  I changed my mind after I snapped this photo in the early morning on an overcast day.  My opinion completely changed.  I think I'll keep it just as it is--for now.

I've always loved the archway.  It soon will be filled with Clematis.  The Cherry Laurel have the white blooms, the Azaleas are covered in pink blooms and the Pieris Japonica have new red growth.  I love the lime green Creeping Jenny ground cover and the way the she wraps herself around the slate stepping stones.  

MY GARDEN PATH

AZALEA AND CHERRY LAUREL

AZALEA

I love the contrast of the glossy dark green leaves and the white blooms on the Cherry Laurel.

CHERRY LAUREL FLOWERS

At the base of the path are my much loved perennial ferns.  They line the patio wall.

FERNS AT THE BASE OF MY GARDEN PATH

I have another field of ferns on the opposite patio wall.  Don't miss my silver garden sphere.  I placed it in to a bird bath in the garden.

FERN AND SILVER SPHERE

I mentioned in a previous post that I purchased some Giant Allium from Holland Bulbs.  I've been monitoring their progress.  The stem is already very tall and I can't wait for the bulb to bloom.  This is one of three bulbs.  I layered it in front of one of my clay chimney pots.

GIANT ALLIUM PROGRESS

How is your Spring garden doing?

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I LOVE MY PERENNIAL FERNS

I recently wrote about my annual ferns.  I also add texture to my garden with my perennial ferns.  As many things that happen to me, I rescued the plants.  My neighbor was removing and discarding them.  I offered to take them from her garden and plant them in mine.  I planted them along the patio garden wall.  They're one of the first of my perennials to appear every spring.

PERENNIAL FERNS LINING MY PATIO WALL

They spread by underground runners.  This year one appeared in the middle of the side path.
 I'm just going to leave the solo volunteer there.

VOLUNTEER FERN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GARDEN PATH

The ferns are pretty prolific, so I divided them and planted them in the garden near our back porch.

FERNS IN THE SIDE GARDEN

I always add architectural elements to my gardens.  You can see an iron bird bath in this garden.  I used to fill it with annual plants, but it was too much trouble to keep them watered.  One Mother's Day my daughter gave me a silver garden sphere.  I plopped it into the birdbath and there it's been for many years.  It's one of my favorite accidental additions.

SILVER SPHERE IN MY BIRD BATH

The very last place I planted the ferns was near the fence beside my kitchen door.  They weave themselves into and over the iron spokes and are a perfect back drop and contrast to the vintage fence section.

FERNS SURROUNDING MY IRON FENCE SECTION

These next images are some close ups of the ferns.  Enjoy.

If you live nearby in the Washington DC area, let me know if you'd like some perennial ferns for your garden.  I'd love to share.

Easy Landscaping With Vines and Ferns

I'm all for little-effort landscaping.  I've found that vines, sometimes ones that are volunteers, and ferns will always be a part of my landscape.  And, as you'll see in the photos, I always have weeds in the mix.  It's okay.  They are green and easy maintenance.

 Since we moved to this house we've been trying to eradicate the ivy.  Recently it decided to climb the patio wall.  I'm thinking that I like it next to my chippy shutters.  I just may not dig this one up.

IVY AND SHUTTER ON MY PATIO WALL

I so regret planting this ground cover.  I thought it would be so pretty under my shrubs and thought it would keep the weeds down.  It's called houttuynia and it has taken over.    It's a variegated vine and it's everywhere.  You can see it to the left of the cement garden piece.  (It actually was the center of a victorian garden fountain.)  Believe me.  It's pretty but don't ever introduce it to your landscape.

GARDEN FOUNTAIN, HOUTTUYNIA. AND WEEDS OF COURSE

Ferns have become my favorite garden plant.  They're very inexpensive, need little care, and look lovely the entire summer into Fall.  I sometimes bring them inside and enjoy them all winter.

This fern is very happy in its chimney pot.  Chimney pots belong on a roof, but of course they've come down to be part of my landscape.  They make indestructible planters and are the perfect size for a fern.  I never take the fern out of its plastic pot. I just drop the whole thing into the chimney pot and it wedges at the perfect height.

FERN IN A CHIMNEY POT SURROUNDED BY PERENNIAL BEGONIAS

I have ferns in a pair of urns at the end of the walkway to the patio.

FERN IN A LARGE URN

 I haven't written about the huge vintage Chinoiserie planters I found.  I have a pair of them in front of the garage.  The large iron sphere keeps them from falling into the planter.  I put a plastic tray under the pot for easy watering.  Next to the planter is the metal clock I have yet to hang on the wall.

FERN INSIDE IRON SPHERE AND CHINOISERIE PLANTER

The ferns in the next photo are my rescue ferns.  My neighbor was digging them up and discarding them.  I asked for a few and over the years they've become one of my favorite perennials.  FYI, there's another chimney pot in front of the ferns.  I usually plant annuals in it but I just didn't get to that this year.

PERENNIAL FERNS ALONG THE PATIO WALL

What easy-care plants do you have in your garden?

Ferns Catching Sunshine

We finally had a warm, sunny day after many dark, rainy weeks.
The sunlight, caught in my perennial ferns, made them extra gorgeous.

I love ferns.