Eye Spy....

Summer is officially here and the summer flowers are in full bloom! What do you have blooming in your garden?  Did you have a showy Spring perennial garden, but now you wish you had more plants in bloom? Look at these beauties that I spotted blooming this week at Pike Nurseries.

'Tomato Soup' Echinacea.  Have you seen this new variety of Coneflower?  It has gorgeous multicolored petals. Rich hues of red and yellow petals add nice rich color to summer gardens.

Did you know many plants that are thought of as houseplants thrive in our Georgia summer weather outside? Take Aechmea primavera, a bromeliad out on your screened porch for the summer and enjoy a burst of beautiful pink blooms. 

Do you want to attract butterflies to your garden?  Then you MUST plant Asclepias, also known as Milkweed.  Plant this beautiful red and yellow bloomer and watch them swarm to it!

Hummingbirds are another favorite to attract to our gardens.  I bet you only think of red blooms when you think of flowers  that attract hummingbirds.  Well, let's rethink that!! Because, this 'Black and Blue' Salvia is one of their favorites! Plant this and you'll have happy hummingbirds.

Tibouchina has intense blue color and can really beat the hit.  I took this photo of blooms on a Tibouchina that's a topiary and would look great in pots on your deck!  

For your shadier spots try this gorgeous hydrangea 'Limelight'.  It has beautiful sweet lime to white blooms.

Another new hydrangea to  try is 'Twist 'n Shout'  It has a beautiful pink, very sturdy bloom.  

There is such an amazing selection of Black eyed susan's that it was hard to choose just one photograph.  I love how they transition from summer to fall.  Plant them now and their color hues are great for summer but also work with  your fall decor. 

Scabiosa, also known as pincushion flower (can't you see why?)  must be the longest blooming perennial we can grow here.  It seems to start early and never stop.  And they produce a lavender blue colored flower that is a hard color to find.  So if this is your favorite color be sure to pick this one up!

Gallardia, or Blanketflower is another perennial that blooms consistently in summer and has colors that transition well into fall.

There were so many daylilies that were showstoppers.  But these two next to each other were a dramatic pairing.  'Royal Icing' and 'Jungle Beauty.'  

Look around now at  your neighbors gardens, your local public gardens and stop in at Pike Nurseries to see what is in bloom in the summer, then you can plant them and have a showstopping garden in summers to come.

Happy Gardening.. and Happy Summer!  ~Melodie

These are a few of my favorite things!

We all have that favorite pair of pruners, or a pair of gloves that fits just perfectly.  Things that make gardening easier, more efficient or more fun even.  I have some favorites that I just can't imagine gardening without.

I love container gardening!!  This time of year when it's so hot and dry, I add  Soil Moist crystals to all of my container gardens!  The crystals are the consistency of Kool-aid when dry but once they get wet they swell up with water many times their original size and look like Jell-o.  As the soil dries around them they slowly release the stored water  keeping your plants moist for much longer.

I thought I lost my favorite pruners last year when I moved.  My Felco #2s.  I couldn't find them for several months.  I was devestated.  I bought the pruners while I was at Auburn going to school for Horticulture over a decade ago.  I used them for all of my propogation classes and have continued to use them throughout my career and at home.  I was thrilled when I finally found them last summer.  I've had to replace the blade a couple of times but they still work better than any other pruners I've had. The grip is perfect and they cut sharply, precisely, and easily through thinner things like perennials and even woodier stems.

It's very hard for me to choose my favorite plants because I love them all.  It's a running joke with many of my gardening buddies when I say this is my favorite plant..  They will say "your favorite ..today?... or.. this week?... or your favorite red plant?

Well, my next favorite thing is Persicaria 'Red Dragon'.  I simply HAVE to have this plant in my garden. It's not always easy to find so when I moved last year I dug several of them to take with me.  So, It IS my favorite perennial.... my favorite perennial with red and green foliage, that blooms white performs great in sun or shade and attracts butterflies and bees that is!! ;-)  

I'll post more of my favorite things soon.  What are your favorite plants?  What tools are a must-have for you?

Recycling in the Garden

Tie up your tomato plants with strips of old tshirts

When you start to pay attention to it you begin to notice just how much garbage we create on a daily basis.  So much of our trash can be recycled now through recycling programs. But some thing still cannot. How much of our trash could actually still be used if we reused, repurposed, recycled, or even Upcycled it?  I love the word upcycle.  It just means taking what we once thought of as trash and not merely recycling it but making it into something much more useful or desirable than it was.  Recycling in the Garden can be fun and can save you big dollars!!  All you need to do is look around your home, go room by room and think... could I reuse this or is there a way to repurpose that?  Get creative!!  You'll have fun and save money too!!

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

From your Closet:

Do you need plant ties?  Cut your old tshirts into strips and use them to tie up your vines and vegetable plants like tomatoes.  The stretchy fabric has some give to it which will allow the plant to grow without damage.

Got an old pair of shoes?  Plant them! Drill a hole or two in the sole of the shoe to improve drainage.  Then add potting soil and your favorite container plants.  Try succulents like these Hens and Chicks and Sedum for a sunny spot in your garden.  If you have a shady garden, Heuchera 'Citronelle' or miniature Hostas such as 'Mouse Ear's' would be a perfect choice.

Check out this cute pair of shoes planted with succulents that I found at www.hometrenddesign.com.

From the Kitchen

Save your empty soda, water bottles and milk jugs.  When you're going away
on vacation in the heat of the summer, create a pin sized hole in the bottom of
a water bottle or milk jug, fill it with water and place it in your container garden
or next to your shrubs to provide a slow trickle of water.

   

 These same bottles and jugs can be used as planters.
 I found this cute idea where they are hung on the side 
of a deck.  Be sure you add holes to bottom for drainage!  
Plant tomatoes as shown here or flowering plants kike
 Callibrachoa (Million Bells) which would trail nicely and add a splash of color all summer.

(http://jennsgardeningspot.blogspot.com/2011/06/recycling-in-garden-plastic-make-it.html)

Need to add some color to a wall in your garden?  Upcycle old tin cans.  Wash them and remove the labels then paint them a bright color.  I love the bright blue cans here.  Hang them up or place them on your steps.  Anywhere you decide to use these pretty containers, you'll add a pop of color to your garden.

http://sprout5.blogspot.com/2011/04/earth-month-get-ready-to-plant.html

There are many other things in the kitchen you can reuse like an old
Cheese Dispenser.  Fill it with granular fertilizer, turn it over and shake
out the plant food as you need it.  Small dishes like the red ramekins
 in the photo can be used for starting seedlings.

From the Dining Room

Petite stemware and teacups repurposed as planters make sweet little container gardens that are great gifts.

   

From the Kid's Room

Now let's take a look in the kid's room.  Old toys can be recycled into container gardens too.  

This old wagon has seen better days.  But, once I planted it, it was brought
 back to life overflowing with Petunias, Swiss Chard, Gerbera Daisies, Coleus,
Hens and Chicks, and 'Angelina' Sedum.

From the Garage

I'll bet you can find things to  plant in your garage too.  I planted this old garden spreader with Coleus, Marigolds and sweet potato vines, and it's now a unique coversation piece in the garden.

How about planting your old gutters when you change them out!  That's right.. even your old gutters can be planted!

http://www.ehow.com/boards/using-old-gutters-for-gardening-410110/

The gutters are the perfect space for a salad garden. Plant lettuce, spinach and your other favorite greens.

Do you need a trellis for  your peas or beans to climb up?  Reuse your old bicycle wheels to make a perfect trellis for them.  My husband is a cycling enthusiast so we always have extra wheels around the house.  I can't wait to try this project next spring!

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/recycled-bike-wheel-trellis-suited-to-the-seasons-166086

Place one wheel at ground level.  Tamp a steak in the ground in the center of that wheel.  Using heavy wire attach a second wheel to the top of the steak.  Run string through the spokes from the top wheel to the bottom wheel.. and voila you have a trellis.

All around our homes we have items we don't use anymore that could be repurposed in our gardens.  Take a look around today.  What do you have that you can recycle, repurpose, and upcycle?

I'm Farming and I Grow It ----This is sooo cute!!

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