Life this spring has been pretty wet. Which has made things pretty muddy. I keep thinking about how nice and green it will be. My green thumb is anxiously awaiting the day when I can dig in the dirt. I know that some people need the beach. Some folks exercise for a high. I get elbow deep in dirt. Until then, I ordered some starts from Burpee Seeds and Plants (burpee.com) the strawberry plants are looking marvelous and the coleus are just starting to come up from the dirt. In our part of the country you can’t plant anything until after Mother’s Day. If you do you could loose it because of a frost. It’s important to know the climate you live in to know when to plant.
One of my favorite patio planters is an old wash tub. I use a combination of (4) Martha Washington Geraniums (3) Sweet Potato Vines (1) Spike (2) Coleus. When I purchase my plants I use a local grower when at all possible. I set my plants on top to get an idea of where I want to place each plant. Place them into the soil.
- 1cp used coffee grounds 2 egg shells (processed in coffee grinder/blender)
- 1/16 oz ammonia 1cp water
- 1/8 tsp epsom salts
Stir together until well mixed. You can spoon this mixture around the base of most flowering plants, except for African violets, Don’t, mix into the soil, just let it sit on top of the soil.
Apply this mixture monthly.
Aphid Spray: 1tsp olive oil, 1tsp dish soap, 4.5 Liters water Place in Spray Bottle. Spray under Leaves.
Once planted, they do take daily attention. If you can, set up an automatic watering system. Just as we need food and water daily for optimal performance, so do these gorgeous plants to achieve their optimal beauty. If you are looking for those big gorgeous planters you can plant them now but will need to keep them inside. But, by that Father’s Day BBQ you will have an amazing patio design.