nestling in

The last few weeks I have been preparing the gardens for dormancy.  Shifting plants from containers into their new homes in the regular gardens.  Cleaning out containers.  Transplanting items that need to be in bigger more spacious containers.  

Today I attended to the blueberry bushes.  They are an experiment of sorts.  I didn't spend much on them when I purchased them from a box store this past May.  Now they have been moved to new bigger homes (containers).  I added a few perennials that I picked up at the garden center for $1 each. Leontopodium Alpinum Edelweiss (see whisps of green in the top photo) and Iberis sempervirems "Snow Cone" Candy Tuff (below).

Then I nestling them in with pine cones, leaf litter and pine needles from our small forest in the backyard.  The containers are really lovely; gracing the long windows of our bedroom.

Now I am ready to nestle in for a quiet late fall nap.

Hairy Balls

Yup, that's right - hairy balls.  Not trying to be bawdy here.















A hort guy's genius name for this lovely flowering plant.

At the garden wholesaler, the plant label grabbed my attention, so I snapped it up and planted one in a container.

One month passed... two months... three months...

The plant grew taller and taller - but no hairy balls.  Patience was needed.  My curiosity peeked.

A few weeks ago, as I was watering I noticed  a few cascading petite flowers hanging from the 6ft stalks.  Waxy and very delicate, it was hard to imagine where the hairy balls would appear.

Gomphaocarpus is the genus name of the milk weed plant. (Wiki says.)  Indigenous to Africa.

Big surprise today...noticed green puffs with soft hairs... I could not resist touching them.  Hort guy's having a good laugh right now.


This plants towers over all of its companion plants in the container garden.  A misfit for containers, unless it was a very large container - like a Denver Botanic Gardens container.

Unexpected Late Summer Garden

I am delighted by the Pink and Purple palette of the outdoor southwest container garden.  That location is a misnomer as it doesn't get extreme sun.  Actually, it's a rather protected and mild micro-climate with 3-5 hours of sun.

The pinks and purples were not planned, but there was some serendipity in not selling some of these containers at my June farmers market foray.  It is really such a lovely space.

Looking back at the photos from June, I am pleasantly surprised by the lushness and texture.  It's a reminder that June's container gardens will less dramatic than September's.

These photos were taken Labor Day weekend, but now a few weeks, later the cleome and the dahlias continue to bloom without hesitation.

 

The sedum and the succulents are excellent garden mates. 

The aeonium is the star in this photo. (back center jade container with rosettes).  But the agastache smells sweetly and continues to attract bees.

Will they or Won't They?

I have two tomatoes planted in containers.  Right now the fruit is still green.  I planted them around July 4th.  Their labels suggest that they should be ripe now.  70 days to be precise.

Keeping my hopes up that the warmer weather coming this week will ripen them further.  Or it might be time to find some tasty green tomato recipes.

Hot Lips and Canna

In high school, I was lucky to have a handsome and charming friend who helped me pass the time in my German Conversation class.  I didn't enjoy speaking the language that much, but the banter with him made those classes go by quickly. He used to tell me that I looked like Loretta Swift, AKA Hot Lips on M*A*S*H.  I remember thinking -yuck!  She's not very cute... and she's old!  I probably wouldn't think the same thing now.

Hot Lips is also the common name of a annual salvia that I included in one of my giant containers. It has bloomed its head off this summer. A complete whim of a purchase, along with small red canna plants.  The happy accident is that I mixed them together - not knowing the canna would be in the same color family.  Voila!
 

Textures

I am loving my garden in all the fullness of the late summer.  I want to capture it all here, so I can look at the photos in the cold days of winter! when I am looking for inspiration for my 2015 garden!

 

Texture is what I am playing with in this trio.

Coral Bells, Ornamental Oregano, Sedge, Astrilbe and Euphorbia.

Courtyard Garden

During June I didn't have much time to spend in my own garden because I was doing Nature Girl Gardens.  I admit, I was bummed with that reality.  But I ventured out in early July, 100% determined to make up for lost time.

Living around the now defunct fountain in our courtyard are 10 containers.  A mix of succulents, annuals and perennials. Some are old, like the cannas and geraniums that I over-wintered.  Some were hail beaten, like the jades and other succulents. {They are slowly recovering) And a good dose of annuals - blooming their heads off.

It makes me happy to be there. Most days, I venture out in the early morning and linger with tea or the watering can.   Everything looks so spectacular!!!

the green garden where I live

I live with a very wonderful container garden that is on permanent display in our backyard.  It reminds me of the rooftop garden I made at our old house.  I still long a little bit for that garden.  But this yard we have now offered me some new challenges.

Containers and plants are moved and rearranged throughout the summer.  Actually, Margot took home three beauties at my friends sale.  This space is constantly changing.  Some folks like to move furniture around in their living rooms.  I like to move plants.

Right now there is a growing collection of hail damaged succulents.  They are forlorn looking but I feel certain they will rally back.  There's one next to the budha head.

What about your container garden?  What plants and/or containers delight you?  What in your garden makes you want to go out in the morning with your cup of coffee?

Hot and Tropical

Today I noticed the forecast for the next week and we are headed for the hot days of summer.  Here are a few plant choices that feel fresh and will continue to bloom through the heat... as long as you give them a drink everyday!

I say canna you say...?  So I hear this a lot lately!  But really what I understand is that it's pronounced like can-nah, not cane-nah.  It's one of my favorites because of its graphic and dramatic foliage. 

One, singular sensation... Every year I end up having at least one hibiscus.  I don't mix other plant materials in the pot with it, because I think it stands alone.  Oftentimes I will include it in a grouping of containers.  This photo is from 2013 and this plant flourished all summer long.  Gorgeous, right?  The plant on the left is kangaroo paw.  I am in love with this plant.  It is native to California, but thrives in our summer sun and comes in many colors from reds to yellows.  

Pink & Lime Green

This is the second arrangement of containers with pinks that I have created this season.  

I cannot resist pink. It calls to me at every garden store. 

A Dahlia with rich dark purple foliage is paired with the  variegated sage plant.  I suppose you could snip it for cooking, but I think it looks so pretty I would have difficulty doing that.

Each of the three pots contains mostly annuals with a few surprises like this ravishing Dahlia (left).  It takes center stage in the largest planter.

Another small one (left).  Different from the one above with the Dahlia and sage.  It holds a hyssop, known to attract hummingbirds and has a fragrance that is sweet and licorice-y.All three still need good homes!

Michele's Purple Garden

 A new favorite including annuals and perennials.  This one lives with Michele.

Container gardens are like any other living garden, they grow and change and flourish and fade.  I try to design them so that there's a continuum of life from summer through fall, but they will only be perfect for so long before they need some TLC.   

When the annuals start to fade in the hot weather of the July summer,  it's easy to replace them with new mums and fall blooming plants.  The grass and sedum (bottom left, florets of purplish green) should keep going into the fall.  The Red Husker penstemon can be planted in a regular flower bed, once its blooms are all spent.  Yes, your container garden does more than look pretty. 

Creative Containers by Luis

My friend and collaborator Luis builds beautiful wood containers.  I love filling them with bright flowering plants.  This bright yellow one I call Luisa, after Luis.  It makes me think of Santa Fe and all of its joyful colors.

This one is Hot Mama! and features corrugated steel panels on each side. It's a vibrant red with a touch of pink.
 

And this one I call Hilda because it reminds me of the Heidi story and meadows of mountain flowers. 

Luisa and Hot Mama are still for sale!  If you're having a 4th of July party or just need some color in your garden, these containers are ready for you to take home.  We can deliver too!

Luis is a creative genius, so if you have something else in mind, Luis can probably build something beautiful of your own design.

Farmers Market Experience

Yesterday, was my first experience on the other side of the Cherry Creek Farmers market as a vendor.  We loaded up at 5:30 and arrived at the market by 6.  Might be the first time ever I experienced the entire day, sunrise to sunset, of Summer Solstice.

30+ plants, table, tent... Two vehicles.

What I noticed immediately was a sense of community and general collaboration among vendors.  My friend Jose from Palizzi Farms gave me tips on finding vendors.  The food vendors were giving early morning samples for hungry bellies.

I also noticed the super enterprising nature of so many vendors and their dedication to their product.  Two booths down was Kay's Kitchen the mecca of all jams and jellies in Denver Colorado.  I tasted 9 of the more than a dozen she had featured in her booth.  No Joke.  I just couldn't stop tasting, I was so curious about her unusual flavors like cinnamon bourbon and chocolate habenero.  Kay is a creative, zestful, energizer of a jam maker who's a grandmother.  Her grand daughter was serving bacon jam while Kay was manning the jam tasting and buyers of jam. Sharing stories and jam making tales from her most recent daily home marathon cooking sessions.

Next door to my booth was Earthspun Apparel.  They make tees and knit clothing from recycled materials including water bottles and food trays.  They featured products from their recent collaboration with A Small Print Shop.   I love their concept and designs and walked away with a new Food Tray Black Tee with this design.






Did I sell containers?  Yes, some.  But what I probably will remember most is the entire experience and not just the plant sales.

Shredded

That is the word I was using this morning as I walked through my garden and container gardens.  Yesterday we received 2 intense storms in our backyard, both with a flurry of hail.  Surveying the damage was a hard pill to swallow.  When it was all happening, my husband and I worked quickly to move many plants under our balcony.  Umbrellas were positioned on several other containers.  But I just couldn't get to things quick enough. Many plants were unfazed, but the leafy glamorous ones were hit hard as were the succulents.  

It was rough to see the annihilation and even rougher to see some containers that were heading to the market next week, damaged.  I can say that I know my garden will recover and I cannot worry about nature.  It gave me a BIG lesson in surrendering and being smarter about its unpredictability.

another kind of green garden

I enjoy riffing on the green garden theme.  The possibilities are endless.  I like the challenge of knitting together greens that harmonize with each other, as well as integrating several shapes and textures.











This large Japanese rice bowl planter is loaded with sedum and other xeric plant materials.  The garden in the background is shady and lush with lots of deep purples and whites.  The sedums with hints of purple definitely tie this container into the surrounding garden.








In the back is a Husker Red penstemon. See the dark purple spire in the middle. It will have white blooms soon. Iphone photography can be challenging!

Romance Garden

Can you hear Andre Bocelli now?  Actually, I think Amy Winehouse, singing old jazz/blues standards.

 

Green Garden

Green gardens never get old for me.  I love em' and keep thinking up new versions.  Personally, I think flowers can be overrated.


That said, I have included a mixture of delicate white flowers in these two containers including a false spirea or Astilbe japonica. You may recognize the taller white container from earlier this spring.  The arborvitae is the same, but the other plant materials have been refreshed and include fragrant sweet woodruff.









The smaller container features a Rex begonia.  That's the deep purple and pink leafed plant. I have a thing for them.  Their leaves are very beautiful and textural.  Did you know that at the end of the season you can dig them out of the soil and keep them in a cold place, like the garage for planting next year?  A good experiment to try.
This container now lives at Elizabeth's house