Violas

Cindy's Containers Spring 2010

Summertime gardening in the steamy southeast (I am not complaining about the humidity as we are no longer experiencing our 4 year drought) is always a challenge considering the heat index but when you love it as much as I do you just drink up and keep on trudging along. I have had quite a busy week weeding, and tying up my tomatoes and creating new container designs out of various plants running amok in my yard. Slugs are absolutely decimating my plants and the crows are eating my blueberries. Mixed up some kind of sugar and yeast concoction

What a fantastic plant!

This morning's low temperature was around 25 degrees which would make you think it isn't Spring, but we in the south know better! This weekend's forecast is for highs in the 80 degrees. Gardening in our area is definitely a challenge with the wide swings in our temps! They (the old wise gardeners) say that this is the very thing that causes such damage to our plants. Such is life!

My new favorite plant is amethyst myst heucherra. It has been putting out beautiful new growth over the past few warm weeks and look at it this morning - perky and happy even after our frigid cold last night. I have found this plant actually does much better in containers so whenever I do pots for customers I try to include one of these sweet babies. They do like to be somewhat moist but they can take such drought. Keeping your pots moist is not difficult if you use one of the various new potting mixes on the market which have water absorbing polymers. My heucheras are leftovers from old container designs from clients who want something new. Needless to say, I am happy to oblige them as their trash becomes my treasure. Peach Melba is another beautiful heuchera which can be somewhat finicky but as long as it is potbound it seems to be happy. Snow angel and Key Lime Pie are sweet also. Key Lime Pie looks nice with purple violas.

Isn't God good to bless us with so many gorgeous plants to experiment with. Every day can be a new adventure in the garden.

Spring is coming!

When you know the season is just peeking through the shadows, it makes waiting all the more difficult. Last night the lows were in the lower 20's and although you know by the angle of the sun in the sky that spring is here, you wouldn't believe it this morning. It is soooo cold! I covered my huecherra last night because of the tremendous amount of new growth that has been put out these past few weeks. They are predicting 80's for the weekend too so I am really just resting up for the opening days.

Waiting for the Show to Begin

Here I sit on this cool rainy late February day anticipating the Spring season which is about to begin - much like sitting in the audience waiting for the curtain to go up and show to start! Spring is my second favorite season; it once was my best loved time but now I think it rates second to Autumn. Years of living in a region where there wasn't any true Fall changed that for me. This winter I did more in my garden than usual so I feel like I have a bit of a jump on the season, thankfully, but still there is always so much to do. I do want to simplify. Conserving time, energy, water and expenses while adding beauty to my little corner of the world are some of my concerns.