Thought I'd show everyone some of the container creations I put together this year and how they're looking....
#1
Show us your Summer Containers!
Beautiful containers edder!
I love the grasses in the containers too. They just stand up and shout, "Hey Look at me!!!" Lucky you to have such a beautiful big greenhouse to keep your plants in.
This is one of my latest containers. It's underneath of a big umbrella that stays parked over part of my deck. The stained glass coleus has turned almost solid pink. The rest of the stained glass coleus I have have deep dark colors.
I like the coleus....however, they just don't do so well here. I suppose with the heat we've been having this year that may have been different.
At 7:30 it was 100 degrees here this evening. We got to watch it cool down to 99 while sitting at a light!
They do require a lot of water in this humid heat. By 3 o'clock, some of them are really starting to droop. But then, so am I! I have to water in the mornings and at night too. The sun is moving now so it will be time to move some of them to different locations. I'm so glad that I planted them in pots, rather than the ground. Although, I must say that those in the ground rarely ever droop! And that is in the front yard where it's usually 20 degrees hotter.
This area in the photo used to have a tree there 2 years ago. a REALLY BIG tree. The roots remaining in the ground make it impossible to plant anything so I put some containers in this spot. So far I'm loving it. I did move the 2 smaller pots of caladiums to the back yard this morning though. They'd lost all of their color. The bigger pots of them have done fine in the same spot.
Janet
We've been warm as of late...about 90°...but cools off around 40° by morning. Sooo I know fall will be here soon enough. I'm not crazy about the heat as I melt in it. 70-80° is plenty for me.
Temps aren't what they should be with all the smoke from all the fires up here. It's just aweful! We're pushing close to 500,000 acres in the state being scorched so far. Such a waste. Everything just feels so dirty. Most the time you can't tell if there's clouds or blue sky. Even with the sun shining. Ash everywhere and it stinks.
Back to the garden part....I just enjoy how my containers turned out this year. Way better than I thought some of them would. The grasses are fantastic. They're taking off big time up here and I have all sorts of them ordered for next year. I really like how they look in the ground and in containers. Most of them are annuals for us, but they work just fine and really add to a container.
Ed
Ed,
Your pots are absolutely stunning! A real inspiration...
Elsa
All beautiful pots. Janet, love your plant stand in your first pic! What is it made from, and did you make it?
Thanks Goldfinch. I didn't make it. It's a table I picked up at a garage sale. It's rod iron with a decorative slate top. I like it and especially like that I can water without hurting it.
edited to say that this wasn't the stand goldfinch was referring to. I scrolled back up to see and didn't scroll up far enough. Actual answer in the next post.
This message was edited Aug 15, 2007 11:35 AM
Well, I was wandering around outside and realized I answered your question for the wrong planter stand.
The one you were referring to is a wooden camel plant stand, found at Goodwill. It's really cool., has 6 camels that collapse and open up for the planter stand. My sister Connie found 2 of them. She spotted them before I did so I "sulked" all the way through the store. I'd walked right past them and hadn't seen them. The next day, she told me she didn't have room for two of them and gave one to me. What a sister!
Edited to add: I have him under the umbrella outside to protect him from the elements.
Janet
This message was edited Aug 15, 2007 9:28 AM
Your sister IS wonderful! Very cool stand.
Thanks AuntB. I love that planter! The plants are beautiful!
Thank you. I always seem to have trouble making it "fit" it in with all my stuff, but I just HAD to have it, you know how it is. I really like how the monkey flowers held up. I've planted sweet potato vine, coleus and daisy's, in years before, but they just got leggy and didn't fill in very well. The pots themselves aren't too big and it's hard to keep them watered when it's really hot, but these are in partial shade.... I like this year's choice the best (so far)...
Wonderful pics and containers everyone!
Marilyn
Have to say I really like the 'full' picture....you've done quite well for the slope you have. I also like the red impatiens and blue lobelia together....and, I see you have some of the Diamond Frost as well. How do you like that?
Ed
Ed,
Thanks for the nice words!
I really like the 'diamond frost', but with the dry and hot Summer we've had, I don't think it did that well for me. I'm going to get more of it next year. ;-)
The impatiens are 'deep orange' and I don't think I have enuf shade for them here, they're not doing too good (get 'stressed out' during the day)