This Grandmother's Garden: Annuals

Showing posts with label Annuals. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Our Perfect Day

My Sorbet Garden

The soft pastel pallet of colors in this corner

remind me of sorbet.

And it's the perfect place to reflect on Our Perfect Day.

The garden was absolutely beautiful...

but the bride and groom

were simply radiant.

♥♥♥

And yes, I finally get to sit and enjoy...

with my grand-kiddos.

Highland, Utah, USA

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Almost Time...Our Sweet Celebration

Exactly one week from this moment...
the party will be over.

The final dance will be danced,

and the last guests will be on their way home to slumber.

And two beautiful sweethearts

will have joined their hearts into one.

After a morning wedding ceremony
for time and all eternity

in the Salt Lake LDS Temple...

Our youngest son and his beautiful bride
will greet their quests at a reception held in
This Grandmother's Garden.

The perfect setting

for a sweet celebration of their new beginning...
don't you think?

Surely every flower will bloom right on cue...

fulfilling the measure of its creation
on this glorious day.

(At least, that's the plan.)

Please don't rain... please don't rain!

And this gardener will finally find
a moment to relax.

Actually there have been two of us working... side by side
every day except Sunday

...for the last four months.

That's a whole lot of hours in the garden!

Thank you, dear... for doing all the hard stuff.

I'm just the creative inspiration

behind your muscles.

I think it's time for us to sit on the bench

and enjoy our gardens.

Maybe we'll see Mr. and Mrs. Quail out for a walk

with their babies.

YES! We have babies! But that's another day's post.

Hope you've enjoyed the container gardens...

I've had such fun creating them!

(Not so much fun trying to keeping them happy
during the high temps and hot winds.)

Highland, Utah, USA

Thursday, May 30, 2013

We've Got the Blues...

And they're dancin' in our gardens.

Salvia 'May Night'

Full Sun

Attracts Butterflies and Hummingbirds

Lobelia 'Techno Heat Electric Blue'

Low Growing Mounds of Delicious Blue Blooms.
Keep them moist and they'll dance all Summer long.

Lobelia 'Hot Springs Sky Blue'

Trailing Habit

Invites Butterflies
Very Heat Tolerant...
(perfect for our hot Summer)

Just can't get enough Lobelia.

Blooms all Summer long...

always a star in our gardens.

And so lovely mixed
with white.

Lupine

Tall elegant blooms
tower over delicate foliage.

Scabiosa Columbaria 'Butterfly Blue Pincushion Flower'

Butterfly not included.

Although they just may visit if you plant this little beauty.


Salvia 'Black and Blue"

This Salvia is an annual in my Zone 5 gardens.

And yes, the HUMMINGBIRDS go crazy

over those sweet blue blooms!

Speedwell ''Royal Candles'

This plant happily grows in my gardens

with very little attention from the gardener.

But once it blooms... it's a real show stopper!

Delphinium

I have always loved Delphiniums.

Wherever I have lived,

I have nurtured delphiniums in my gardens.

They belong to my heart.

Surely a "Grandmother's Garden" kind of flower
don't you think?

Our grand garden event is just a month away...
almost done with the planting...
and then it's

GROW, BABY, GROW!

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Our Parade of Annuals...

There's no better way to add color to your gardens than with annuals.

That's especially true in my Zone 5 gardens

where the Summer's are HOT

and the Winter's are FREEZING.

I've been on a planting frenzy...

Just a "Few" of our Empty Pots

Our gardens are getting ready for a

SWEET CELEBRATION

and we've been planting for weeks.

Our EMPTY POTS tell the story

I've counted 213.

That's a lot of time on my knees.

As promised...

here's a sneak peek at some of the ANNUALS we've planted

in preparation for the big day.

Enjoy the Parade!

Verbena 'Lanai Peach'

Full Sun

Trailing Habit

These dainty little bouquets of blooms accent the rocks

in my perennial garden.

I've also added them to several of my Container Gardens...

love the way they trail down the pots!

Zonal Geranium 'Blush Peach'

Sun to Part Shade

13 inches Tall

Geraniums are always a favorite of mine...

they seem to enjoy our HOT Summer days.

They do require dead heading

but I find the weekly task quite enjoyable

in the cool of the morning.

Hiemalis Begonia 'Camilla'

I've planted Camilla under the Redbuds

in filtered sunlight.

They brighten an otherwise dark portion of our landscape

and thank us for the shade

by giving us an endless supply of blooms.


Begonia 'Olympia Sprint Pink'

LOVE

these tiny blooms...

they do best in my gardens in part shade.

Vinca 'Pacifica Polka Dot'

Mounding
10 - 14 inches

My "go to" bloom for the corners of my gardens

that receive little water.

They thrive in the heat and are drought tolerant once established.

And besides that,

they are just plain cute, don't you think?

Coleus

No matter your color scheme,

there is always a coleus to match.

I plant these as companions to the begonias in my garden.

Pinch the flowers as they bloom...

they detract from the glory of the leaves.

Lantana 'Bandito Rose"

Attracts Butterflies
Heat tolerant
10 - 12 inches

I've fallen in love with Lantana.

Their bright colors and sweet scent have captured my heart.

I've planted several varieties this year.

Zonal Geranium 'Classic Blush Pink'

Another geranium to love.
One can never have too many, you know.

That's a taste of what we're up to.
So much more to do...

Are you noticing a color theme here?

Next post we'll highlight the BLUES.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Still Got Some Dancin' to Do Here!

Looking Up From My Gardens

Almost Autumn

Slipping into shades of orange and red and gold,

the mountain stands guard above our garden.
Change is in the air... can you see it?

Passing our gardens as they journey southward,
a cacophony of honking Geese fly overhead.
Change is in the air... can you hear it?

Awaking to the crisp and cool of morning
a welcome caress before the day's heat.
Change is in the air... can you feel it?

Why does one leaf change before another?

But wait!
We're not ready for change here.
There's twelve more days of Sweet Summer Sun
and we've still got some dancin' to do here!

Let the LAST days of SUMMER DANCIN'
in the gardens begin!

QUICK FIRE Hydrangea with ZAHARA Zinnias

These Hydrangea petals will darken into a deep carmine pink
as Autumn resolutely progresses...
wait for it, wait for it.

PEPPERMINT Vinca with RIVIERA Lobelia

Vinca thrives in our 90° plus Summer days,
while Lobelia has a bit of a struggle without a little shade.

LIMELIGHT Hydrangea with Brown-eyed Susans

and "Pretty Pink Flower" whose name I've forgotten.
A beautiful growing bouquet!

Illumination GOLDEN PICOTEE Begonia with pink Annual Walmart Begonia

I have come to the conclusion

that snails simply L.O.V.E. begonias.

(Think of me every morning for weeks snail hunting in my p.j.'s)

Daisies with Orange Profusion Zinnias

Encore! Encore! Every gardener loves

when their Spring flowers re-bloom.

BALLERINA ROSE Gaura with CHERRY PROFUSION Zinnias

Doesn't Gaura remind you of dainty little Butterflies?

Susans, Limelights, Pretty Pink Flowers and... Delphiniums

Crazy. DELPHINIUMS... another Spring flower
about to re-bloom in late Summer.
Who knew?!


Lilac GERANIUM Peeking Out Through CHAMELEON HOUTTUYNIA

Chameleon is a favorite groundcover...
love the heart shaped, multi-colored leaves of green, cream, crimson and gold.
Sweet creamy white blooms delight in Spring.


HIDALGO Dahlia with ANGELFACE Blue

Back door planter beginning to perk up
since the cool mornings came.
And I'm perking up too...

Love the cool of the mornings with the Summer blooms a-dancin'.

We'll be celebrating Autumn soon enough.