I thought I'd get some pictures posted today and make some notes for next year.
I think I'll just post one area a day so I don't get overwhelmed. I'll start today with the area under the maple tree between the garages. This is where I put my bike, which was suppose to go in the backyard. I do like having something in this spot so I think I'll probably do this again until I get the blocks in for a raised bed. This spot obviously gets most shade so the flowers I bought are not doing their best since they're not getting the proper amount of sun. So I need to plan this area out better for next year if I use the same set up.
Here is a pic from late spring, soon after I planted it.
This is from the end of June
And here's what it looks like now
What I like about this spot:
- I really like the bike, I think it works great for right here.
- The hanging pot from the tree
- The pots of coleus are doing great, they are placed here until my bleeding hearts are ready to be cut back along side the garage then I will move them over there. I definately like the coleus better than the impatients Ive tried the past few years. By now, if I had impatients, they'd be spotty and looking sickly.
NOTES FOR NEXT YEAR
- Buy shade flowers. I like the sweet potato vine and the coleus in the front basket. There is allysum in there but it doesn't bloom because there isnt any sun. So for next year maybe plant a sweet potato vine, and a couple coleus (shorter versions) in the front basket.
- For the side baskets I think the sweet potato vine would do good in there or maybe the butterfly (or is it the dragonfly) impatients like what I have by the shed. If I did sweet potato vine I think I need to add something else with bright color. Ultimately what I want for the side baskets is for them to be completely covered, the petunias did not do that for me.
- Keep the 3 pots of coleus but plan them this time. They were a late thought this year so I didn't have a choice in what I wanted since there was nothing left in the stores to buy. I think each pot has the 4-packs in it.
- The hanging basket I haven't decided if I want to have that there next year or not, if I do, I need to choose shade flowers for it.
- Put in a fresh layer of decorative mulch
Since this is just one pot right by this area I'll add this one to this post. This is my whiskey barrel that gets mostly shade. Ive been planting impatients in this for the past few years. This is the first year I've tried coleus (and it won't be my last) I love it!
This pic is from the end of June
And this one is the end of July
NOTES FOR NEXT YEAR
- I really love the coleus but I think I might want to try a variety of flowers next year, maybe something that'll hang down the edges of the barrel then maybe more of a difference in the heights of the coleus so the ones in the middle are a noticeably difference from the ones around the edge. I really like the mosaic coleus in the flower box on the shed and that one is a little shorter.
- I like the star and I've had it there for years but I've been debating on this star that Sherrie has for sale that you can plant flowers in ever since I saw it in April. I think that would look nice in place of the plan star.
- Keep this area more cleaned up! It seems to be the collection area for leaves and debris (and sawdust when dh is cutting things outside of the garage :) )
Ok, I think that's it for today. If I keep up with my notes for next year, my gardens will be so much prettier than this year. I should really dig out the tags from the flowers so I can list the exact flowers I want to try different and make it a lot easier when shopping the greenhouses.
