We want to see them all.
It's been awhile since we had a new project thread. I know everyone has been very busy this summer. But I bet you have had a little time for a few small projects or maybe all your time has been taken up with a big project.
I'll start us off with this picture of our Gazebo area I know you have already seen this. We finished up the larger floor earlier this spring and did corner plantings. I was late getting them planted but the EE's are getting huge.
Holly, that turned out so well! The larger patio gives the gazebo so much more presence, and those corner plantings do help anchor & accent it!
I was really pleased with it. That was taken a few weeks ago. I will get a closer shot tomorrow if I can you should see the size of the EE's now. Sometime in the next year or two Ric wants to build a replacement gazebo. We have a real interesting design in the works. Not sure if we will do it next year but I'm thinking more likely two years.
Here is a closer shot of one of the beds. I was planing on putting in spring bulbs and perennials but I like the tropical look so much I think I will just let the beds empty for awhile and keep this tropical theme.
A closer look at the whole thing.
I have another small project in the works. All I will say right now is that I was sand blasting yesterday and am still finding sand in my hair after both a swim and a shampoo.
I'm thinking you could plant it full of spring bulbs after the frost... and when they've done their thing, it'll be time to bring back the tropicals! It's such a separate area and such a focal point that you can get really crazy with tropicals or something else that's really different without having it look like it's clashing with other garden areas. I use the bed in front of the deck in that way... tropicals would look odd elsewhere, I think.
I think you need bananas in at least 2 of the corners, although your EE's are striking!
I just picked up a Siam Ruby the other day end of season half price sale.
Wrong pic, Let's see if this one is better
That's really stunning! I've been using my space for the green-leafed bananas that are good eating kinds, but given my total lack of success in getting them to fruit I think I need to switch to focusing on foliage! LOL
Mine would be happier if they'd gotten into the garden this year.. this is their second summer staying in pots! Oh well, at least it keeps them smaller. A tropicals bed is also a great place to put amaryllis plants during the summer... mine always do so much better if they spend their summer in the ground (with watering). I like having just one area where things have to be "lifted in fall."
It's very small as projects go, but I need to get a "group shot" of the area with my new purple water garden pots. I grouped 1 larger and 2 slightly smaller pots together on a large flat stone in the bed in front of the deck landing... never did get anything in the larger pot, but the 2 tropical water lilies I got this spring when Bluespiral shopped for me at Lilypons have just been a delight all summer!
Holly and Ric--
I LOVE your Gazebo!!!!! So welcoming and so pretty....
I can just see you two sitting there after a dip in the pool--sipping on something "good"...
Question:
Did you ever find out IF the Purple Fountain Grass can be grown from those fluffy seed heads I sent you?
By now--my whole plant is in the 'fluffy" stage.
IF the seeds will grow from these--then i can gather some for our next Seed swap....
Has anyone grown these from seed???
Thanks, Gita
Gita that sure is pretty, I figured I'd just plant those seeds and see what they do for me.
So here is another small project I put together a couple of weeks ago. I had 2 old hog troughs, we use to use these when we raised a few hogs. I took one of them and sand blasted it. Ric sprayed it with some good primer for me. Then I gave it a coat of satin Black. Filled the bottom with small stones to give the pots a level spot to sit in put the chocolate colored terracotta pots in and added a few water lettuce. There is Alocasia 'Hilo Bold', Colocasia esculenta 'Mojito' and I think a Xanthosoma lindenii 'Magnificum' which probably shouldn't be in there. I have one more just like this one but it has a broken leg and hole in the bottom. I think I will clean that one up for next year and plant it with mixed sedums/semps & succulents.
Another pic.
Holly, the hog trough really has an elegant air to it...like the whole combo. Hope you and Ric have lots of good fall days to enjoy your gazebo
Holly you never cease to amaze me, love the hog troughs, just had them laying around? Great idea.
I've had them down behind the barn for years.
I dug one out and planted it with annuals a couple of years ago but it's pretty shallow, gets hot and without any drainage in this one it could get pretty wet. I knew that I wanted to make somekind of planter with them but that just wasn't quite what I wanted. I would have probably painted it dark brown rather than black but I found those chocolate colored pots and thought they would look much better with the trough painted black.
Just bumping up the Projects Thread. Anyone have some fall projects in the works?
Ric and I received a wonderful unexpected gift from my parents. They got us a 12 X 10 Greenhouse. It will be a few weeks till we get home and start putting it together. I'll post pictures when we get started on it.
What a Great gift!! WOW! You guys will get a lot of use out of it (and we get to benefit from it at the swaps, lol).
I have already been thinking about how many more plants I can grow with a space like that. Boy can't wait.
I have started on a project for a new veggie bed-to-be at the back of my property
where the big old evergreens were. They are now GONE!!! .
My neighbor, behind me, will be doing the work. I will assist as much as i can.....
I posted this in the "Soil and Composting" Thread.
I would appreciate any comments by you all. Please post them in the composting
thread so I can keep all advice in one place.
Here is welcome too.....
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1144966/
Thanks, Gita
