Despite all of the rain we've been having, I was able to find a few dry moments to get our front porch pots planted.
You might remember a past post about the three key elements to an eye-catching arrangement.
Here is this year's forumula:
You might remember a past post about the three key elements to an eye-catching arrangement.
Here is this year's forumula:
Thriller: Purple Fountain Grass
Filler: Coleus, several colors and varieties
Spiller: Sweet Potato Vine
I love the bold, contrasting colors, especially with the modern lines of the planter. I tend to choose plants with showy foliage, because I don't want to depend on constant blooming for a display of color.
I broke a few of my own rules this year. None of these plants are perennials - they'll all get composted at the end of the season, not transplanted to a new happy, permanent home in the backyard.
I was able to keep the expense minimal because the single Purple Fountain Grass in each planter (6 total) were the only 4" pots I bought. The rest are much smaller plants that came in 4-packs - more plants for less money! In past years, I've been too late to the nursery to score good colors in the smaller sizes. Smaller plants, yes, but watching them grow and taking the credit for it is a lot more fun than the instant gratification of bigger plants!
I was going to skip the other flower boxes for the time being, figuring our impending porch project would either destroy them, or leave them neglected. But the porch project has been put on hold for a little while, and I decided a little color would help us enjoy the porch as it is for now. Plus, I can hope that the flowers attract one's attention away from the peeling paint and warped floorboards... right?
The formula is the same, but with a few other colors of coleus. I especially like the deep red.
Two hanging ferns make it feel cozy.
And during naptime, we made another quick addition to the porch...
Still left to do out here:
powerwash the floor - take off as much paint as possible - before August does and eats it instead
new cushion covers - get rid of the faded ones
an area rug
two more ferns in tall planters
I love the bold, contrasting colors, especially with the modern lines of the planter. I tend to choose plants with showy foliage, because I don't want to depend on constant blooming for a display of color.
I broke a few of my own rules this year. None of these plants are perennials - they'll all get composted at the end of the season, not transplanted to a new happy, permanent home in the backyard.
I was able to keep the expense minimal because the single Purple Fountain Grass in each planter (6 total) were the only 4" pots I bought. The rest are much smaller plants that came in 4-packs - more plants for less money! In past years, I've been too late to the nursery to score good colors in the smaller sizes. Smaller plants, yes, but watching them grow and taking the credit for it is a lot more fun than the instant gratification of bigger plants!
I was going to skip the other flower boxes for the time being, figuring our impending porch project would either destroy them, or leave them neglected. But the porch project has been put on hold for a little while, and I decided a little color would help us enjoy the porch as it is for now. Plus, I can hope that the flowers attract one's attention away from the peeling paint and warped floorboards... right?
The formula is the same, but with a few other colors of coleus. I especially like the deep red.
Two hanging ferns make it feel cozy.
And during naptime, we made another quick addition to the porch...
Still left to do out here:
powerwash the floor - take off as much paint as possible - before August does and eats it instead
new cushion covers - get rid of the faded ones
an area rug
two more ferns in tall planters
