Wordless Wednesday 8.12.2015

eggplant: Japanese Long

Wordless Wednesday 7.29.2015

I'm not a big fan of striped petunias, but these were such a perfect color match to theflorescent pink geraniums that I couldn't resist them. Neither could the damselfly!

Bling!

I enjoy creating winter container "gardens" for my front porch, but I'm not much for baubles and bows. This year I tried a new idea and added just a bit of glam to my landscape cuttings with glitter glue. This product makes it pretty easy to apply some bling  right where you want it without the mess of spray paint or loose glitter (which will end up everywhere, despite your best efforts to corral it).

I worked outdoors on a covered patio table, but this would be a fun indoor project on a cold day. Warmer working conditions will get your glue dry more quickly, too. I used Elmer's brand* glitter glue right out of the bottle, as I just wanted to dab the glitter here and there, not completely cover the branches.

 cuttings from a compact burning bush

Keep in mind the the glue carrier dries clear, the blue coloring indicates the predominant color of the glitter in the mix and allows you to place the glue more accurately. If I wanted more coverage, I would use a cheap, throwaway brush to apply the glue over a large area more quickly.

While my glittery branches were drying, I started assembling my pots with other cuttings from the garden. Unfortunately, I have two, strongly contrasting colors of brick to contend with, so I try to incorporate both dark and light foliage/bark etc. into the arrangements, adjusting the scale of the materials to the size of the container:

red stem dogwood for height, Oregon grape holly for fill

next, light green Sarcoxie euonymus and silvery dwarf butterfly bush

 a hint of glitter from the burning bush branches

Finally, I dabbed more glitter glue here and there on additional branches, buds, and seed heads on the finished arrangements.

Could my "branch bouquet" have more bling? Of course! This is more my style though, and it will last as a colorful, natural porch decoration all winter long, not just during the holidays.

Tell me about your winter container gardens...what's your style?

*this is not a paid endorsement

Wordless Wednesday 10.29.2014

Speechless, actually. . .

This potted begonia is in full bloom in a container on my north facing porch.

I snapped this photo just moments ago — it's unheard of for a begonia, the most tender of plants, to be flowering at this time. So much for Mother Nature following the rules — our average first freeze is September 15th!

Wordless Wednesday 5.14.2014

Love this cactus and pot combo at Timberline Gardens, Arvada, CO

Design Decoded 3.21.2014

public garden/plaza via Pintrest

Today's featured design from Pintrest is one of those awkward urban spaces that serves as both a busy pedestrian corridor and a "pocket park". It has a narrow, wedge shape defined by commercial buildings on two sides and a street on the third.

Why it works: fantastic use of  contrast and repetition.

• Three key sidewalks run strongly perpendicular to the street (on left) and base of the water feature. This makes for easy and efficient access to and through the space. The fact that the walkways are also bridges make the pedestrian experience a bit more fun and exciting.
• The curved line of the "through-way"  that runs the length of the landscape softens the space and slows the pace.  It sets up a wonderful contrast with all of the straight lines in a very crisp, contemporary way.
• The circular planters, though set in rigid lines, seem to dance and play through the space.
• The proportions of this design are so perfect that it could be expanded or contracted to suit any size of space.
• My only critique: the plant material could be softer and more colorful.

Design Decoded 2.04.2014

Vertical flower garden via Pinterest.

This image features a vertical garden of nasturtiums from the Chicago Botanic Garden that I find very appealing. What makes this design work?

In a word: Simplicity.

• The simple mass planting of one flower species creates a restful, yet intriguing, color-play of closely related hues reminiscent of the color field paintings of Mark Rothko.
• And they're edible! Any trailing trailing plant, but particularly annuals with a long flowering period and multi-colored blooms, would be suitable.  Think Calibrachoa, Verbena, Petunia, etc.
• The simple, bookshelf-style frame is extremely well crafted, but is designed without frills to serve as a background to the planting.
• The deep shelving permits the use of common flower pots rather than specialty inserts, as with some of the new-fangled vertical gardening systems.

The downside? This baby would be extremely heavy, especially with wet soil.

A vertical garden can be a practical space saver and a work of art. Are you ready to include one in your landscape?

Wordless Wednesday 7.03.2013

Wordless Wednesday 6.20.2012

Begonia spp