This year my gardening has been minimal, though I am pretty proud of how this mixed container turned out which I put together last weekend, especially since I picked all the flowers out myself with only minimal input from the kind ladies at Homewood Garden Shop. I've found gardening is really like interior design; it's all about picking different but complimentary colors, textures, and sizes...oh, and watering. That's key. Here are some of the containers I put together. (Ignore the ugly patio; we're about to take that out - HGTV reality show demo style.)
The tall plants are some dahlias I planted from bulbs in March. These aren't blooming but, as you can see, they are above ground. Major victory. This is my very first success with planting bulbs. I have failed miserably in the past. My thrifty self loves the idea of bulbs - so much cheaper than purchasing plants. But my immediate gratification self is not keen on bulbs - or digging in rock solid dirt in freezing weather in February. But these dahlias are beautiful, and those in my planter off the back patio are blooming (squeal!) with even more bulbs about to open. The red bloom below is about the size of my hand, the purple is smaller, and several white blooms are about to burst open. I love the foliage of these blooms. The stems and body of the plants, on the other hand, are not so attractive. And they are also about three feet tall, which makes them a little freakishly monstrous in a patio planter, but the blooms are worth it. I walk outside and see them and smile.
Last year I grew tomatoes in containers. The squirrels ate them before I could. Maybe I'll stick to the flowers and just frequent the local farmer's market. I'm no match for squirrels.
Gardening. I've discovered that, like life, it's all about the small victories.
