Specialty Gardening: What plants to use around my small patio?, 0 by wrightie

wrightie wrote:
Hi Brigid,

Well, since you asked... I just went out and snapped this picture for you. It's pretty bleak looking out there still, I'm afraid. Although we had temp's near 80 the past two days, they are calling for a chance of SNOW by the end of the week. What a nutty Winter & Spring this has become... You can get a sense of our drainage problems by noting the standing water in the yard because we had major rainstorms overnight.

Other than pansies, there isn't much in the way of annuals here that I can stick in the ground yet. That should change in about two weeks as our last frost typically comes in mid-April.

The netting in the back is where I have started peas and will grow runner beans. On the teepees behind that will be Italian pole beans. I have planted beets, and I sowed spinach and leaf lettuce. I also turned my two compost piles. On Friday, I have a big load of leaf mould being delivered. I'll use that to mulch all of the beds in the picture. They currently are very light in color because I spread a layer of hardwood shavings over the beds (don't yell at me, Pagan, I promise to put down quality organic matter over the top).

The straw in the lawn, as you might have guessed, is where I overseeded the turf. I have not planted anything in my containers yet, but will do within the next couple weeks. Grass has creeped into my beds, so I need to go through and tidy them up, then give the beds a crisp clean edge again. I hope to accomplish that this coming weekend.

So, I'm afraid that this is a bit like watching paint dry. In a month's time, I expect things to look far more interesting. The honeysuckle and blackberry have just started to leaf out. The grapevine is now budding, but things still look barren for the time being. I have monarda planted at the right front side of the patio and that is also beginning to awaken ...at least things are greening up and the daffodils are blooming!

I do promise you that I will get that patio looking inviting as we progress into the season. Hooray for Spring.

This message was edited Apr 4, 2007 2:11 PM