Old Buckets and a Waterfall

I have been dinking around with an idea in my head for awhile and it finally started to come together.

I gathered up my supplies and went to work.  Some old buckets I have collected and a big galvanized tub that has had many uses over the years. 



We took down an oak tree last Fall and I am left with this stump in my front garden.



Not the prettiest of sights and I have wanted to do something to disguise it. This section of my yard needs a lot more help but this is a start.

First, we drill holes for drainage, a regular drill bit did the job just fine. Both of these already had some small holes from wear and tear but we made sure they really drained well.  The smallest of the three needed no extra drainage as it did not have much of a bottom at all left, it was pretty well rusted off.



I added a good inch or two of perlite to keep the roots airy.  I buy perlite in big, big bags as I make my own potting mix and need a lot of it.



I use an empty plastic pot as some what of a filler so I do not have to use more potting soil than absolutely necessary.  Plus it will be a stand for the next bucket.  I place it towards the back as I am going for a more waterfall effect than all around planting.



The next bucket I could’ve used another upside down pot, if the top bucket had a bottom at all, but since it did not I filled the middle bucket with the potting soil.  I planted them up and watered it in. 



I had at first thought to only use the trailing lobelia in all blues but I do love the Easy Wave petunias and could not resist, and the Margarite sweet potato vine. 



here they are at another angle.  I transplanted some larkspur around it, let’s hope it takes, even if it does not it is full of seed pods that will reseed in place. There will be plenty of larkspur here next year.

We celebrated this morning, our first tomato from the garden.  It is a Super Sweet 100 cherry tomato and it was just that, super sweet and yummy.  We split it.



Isn’t it so pretty.  Love that color red!

Off to work I go.  I have another garden post full of gorgeous flowers for you so check back soon. 

Come see what I have been up to in the studio.

 DIY

My Bench into a Banquette?

A quick post tonight.  We did some major cleaning and organizing of the living room and dining areas this past Saturday and we moved my Bench



into the dining room for extra seating and to test out if we would like to make this into a banquette.

This is the table we built with the four chairs around it.



The only trouble is the sliding glass doors get used a lot and you have to shimmy around the table and the chair to get in and out.

So we thought to push the table over closer to the wall.  We also want more seating. Thus our test run. We shoved the bench up under the window (it has the rose quilt tossed on the back) and slid the table up to it. 



The bench is definitely much wider than the table but that actually works in our favor.  It makes it easy to get in and out without having to move the table forward.  Now access to the back deck is a breeze and there is room to actually make a longer table so seating for 6 is more comfy.



We shall use it this way for a while and see how it works for the long haul.  Then if it works we shall make a larger table and a new bench with a higher grade lumber.
 
Gotta run…

Come see what I have been up to in the studio.

 

 Fertilizer Friday

More Garden Flowers

If you are back to enjoy another garden tour you will not be disappointed.  The flowers are flourishing this summer. 
Last year I added a new daisy, it is called Crazy Daisy and I just love it.

Its frilly and fanciful.



And just plain fun!



I actually have 3 Crazy Daisy plants placed about, and they are all unique.  The one above has short and fluffy petals, while its sister, below has long lacy petals that drape elegantly.



There is an abundance of blossoms on each plant. 



I don’t think Crown Princess Margareta likes the spot she is in, she has not done well at all the past two summers so come Fall I shall move her.  This is the best bloom I have gotten from her so far. 



I was quite pleasantly surprised to find this clematis blooming on the same trellis as William Baffin rose.  I had forgotten I planted a clematis with each climbing rose.  This one is more blue that Warsaw Nike, I just cannot recall the name.



I love when things cross pollinate. This is larkspur, the pink has crossed with the purple.  I had another like this last year in an entirely different part of the garden.



Technicolor.



The Black Eyed Susans have just begun to bloom.  The will carry on from now until frost providing non-stop happy color.



A overall view from the side street.



As I have mentioned before though yellow and orange seem to have taken over I do have some pink flowers still too.

Petal Pusher roses



a delicate pink yarrow.



And a late blooming iris in lavender.



Of course there is Audrey…my trombolina zucchini starting to creep out of the hot bed.  I need to build a sturdy trellis for her.



My very first David Austin English rose, I bought it on clearance eons ago.  I had heard a little about the English roses when I spotted this poor guy, it was on clearance because it looked so poorly. I don’t know if the nursery failed to care for it properly or what but it was to my benefit.  I felt sorry for it and took it home on the cheap and fell in love with how English roses perform in my garden.

Graham Thomas



I will leave you with one of my latest favorites.  this little delicate rose is a trooper.  The delicate little white roses cover this thing, and are not bigger than a nickel.  This lovely little trooper blooms along the ground and roots wherever it touches. 

It adds an airy feel to the garden.



I am glad you could join me for this latest edition of my garden. 

All it needs is Pink Flamingos!  I have two personal scouts out tracking me down some as we speak. 

Come see what I have been up to in my studio!