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.

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I HAVE AN EXPLOSION OF PERENNIAL BEGONIAS

 Many years ago a dear friend shared some of her perennial begonias.  They were the same size as the annual begonias you purchase at the garden center.   I don’t know how they did it, but the last few years they had quite a growth spurt.  You’ll see from the images that they have become giant begonias.  Some of the leaves are five inches wide and the plants are almost a foot tall.  I have no idea what I did right to have this begonia explosion.  I did nothing to the soil and have never added a fertilizer, but boy are they happy.

Have you had a garden surprise this year?

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MY SPECTACULAR LIMELIGHT HYDRANGEA

Every August I repeat that the Limelight Hydrangea was the best addition to my garden.

 

What’s your favorite garden addition?

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VINCA VOLUNTEERS

 Several years ago I added Vinca to my garden.  Although Vinca is an annual, it self seeded and appeared in my garden the following year.  Each year they appear and add the color I need to my garden.  You’ll be able to pick them out easily in this photo.  They’re the pop of color in my otherwise green garden.

VINCA POPS OF COLOR IN THE GARDEN

How does your garden surprise you?

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HEAT DOESN’T MATTER IN THIS SUMMER GARDEN

My Limelight Hydrangea, Russian Sage, and Lantana are thriving in this summer heat.

How is your summer garden faring in this heat? 

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MY SPECTACULAR RUSSIAN SAGE

 I usually cut back my Russian Sage in the Fall.  This year I severely pruned it in March instead.  It looks spectacular.

I think Spring is my new pruning schedule.

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LIMELIGHT

 Every August I write about how much I love my Limelight Hydrangea.  Here we go again.   Its blooms never disappoint.  This is the view from the street.  It tucks itself perfectly in to the angle of the house.

TUCKED IN THE ANGLE OF THE HOUSE

This next image is looking from the driveway to the street.

LOOKING TOWARDS THE STREET

Do you have a favorite garden feature?

MY OTHER GARDEN FEATURE

I've written many posts about my absolute favorite garden feature, my Limelight Hydrangea.   My Dragon's Eye Pine is another centerpiece in my garden.  Its sharp spikey branches are the perfect contrast to the soft blooms of the hydrangea.   The texture and the color variations on the pine more than compensate for its lack of flowers.   Its branches stretch to the left over the slate walkway and create an appealing asymmetric design.   You can see the limelight hydrangea peeking out from the left corner of the image.  It's very close to full bloom.

 

DRAGON'S EYE PINE

ANOTHER ANGLE

AGAINST THE LAMP POST

CLOSE UP

ANOTHER CLOSE UP

Do you have a favorite garden feature?

Link to my post about my Limelight Hydrangea here.  Click on the highlighted word or on the image below to be directed to the post.

MY LIMELIGHT HYDRANGEA

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I ADDED A FRENCH BULLDOG TO MY SUMMER GARDEN

My perennials have started taking turns blooming in my summer garden.   The annuals that I planted in the Spring are blooming too.   I always have a mix of perennials for variety all summer and the annuals are my constant color.  This year I added a french bulldog to my garden.

FRENCH BULLDOG IN MY GARDEN

I planted some vinca around the rocks.  I like to use vinca because it's deer resistant, unlike its look- alike impatiens.  I add rocks in different shapes and sizes to the flower beds.  

The ones with fossils belong to my geologist husband.

DEER RESISTANT VINCA

You know that all the dogs in my home wear necklaces.  This bull dog wears rhinestones.

BULLDOG WITH A RHINESTONE NECKLACE

One of the early garden bloomers is this fabulous lime green hosta.  The chartreuse color is spectacular and the leaves are huge.  The deer love it, but I have it in a protected section so it won't become deer salad.  It divides easily, so it pops up in different sections of the beds.

MY SPECTACULAR CHARTREUSE HOSTA

This time of year it sprouts bell-like flowers from a stalk.

BELL SHAPED BLOOMS ON A STALK

HOSTA BLOOMS

I found these geraniums on the $1 plant rescue shelf at Lowe's.  

They were droopy and the leaves were brown, but they really perked up.

MY BARGAIN GERANIUMS

The primrose are also blooming near my chippy fence.  They've really taken over the bed.

PRIMROSE SURROUNDING MY CHIPPY FENCE

What do you plant in your garden?  Perennials, annuals, or a mix?

What do you mix in with your flowers?  Found objects, rocks, statuary?