Adding some color

Those who know me, know that I am NOT a gardener. I kept a small veggie garden when my kids were still around, and have always had a few flowers. But I don't have a green thumb like my parents did, and I really don't enjoy digging in the dirt.  That said - I do really enjoy seeing colorful flowers all summer. 

 

 

So a mix of purchased pots of flowers, and planting a few into existing pots is my solution.  I bought this container with a mix of deep red petunias and a plant that smells like lemon and is supposed to repel mosquitoes. A purple flower is poking out of the middle too.  For now it's on the steps of my front porch, greeting any visitors.  And next to the front door I planted red geraniums - my favorite - with something spikey and something that will "trail".  I should have kept the little plastic labels so I could actually identify some of these plants.

 

 

 

 

 And the pot below is a "living salad bowl" - with a mix of lettuce and other salad greens. I got this over the weekend at our local Menards garden center.  Very clever idea.  We'll see how long I manage to keep it alive.  I plan to cut some lettuce for supper tonight.

 

 

Sitting in the middle of my deck table is a small clay container of succulents.  I've tried flowers in that container in past years, but it seems like they dry out too fast. So, I bought some succulents yesterday and planted them.  I like the look and hope they thrive.

 

 

I bought a mix of flowers and Prince Tut grasses for this container and added a solar light.  My deck faces south so it gets quite warm. But it also has a deep overhang close to the house. So the next 2 pots of flowers will sit closer to the overhang where they get morning sun, but are in the shade during the heat of the day.  That seems to have worked in previous years.

 

Simple purple and white petunias, and a millet stalk went into the big pot I usually used for tomatoes.  No tomatoes this year for me. I'll just buy them at the farm stands.  A set of solar lights hanging off the side of the pot will mingle with the sweet potato vine as it grows.  Nothing fancy here like some of my neighbors have, but it's a little color to brighten my little corner of the world.