Here is a container I put together last week. Please note the Proven Winner flower called Diamond Frost(Euphorbia). It looks like snow and blends so well with the other flowers in the container. It is my first year trying this flower, and it is supposed to continue blooming all summer long. I am excited about this flower and plan to use it in other containers next year.
Very nice, I like the looks of Diamond Frost,I looked for some of that earlier in the season but could not find any. I will be eager to see if it performs as stated.
love container gardens.........so nice is yours!!!
Thanks gessiegail in Texas. Doing an experiment to see if the new container using the Pine Bark Fines recipe will do better than the others potted with Miracle Gro Potting Soil. Will keep you posted.
where did you find Pine Bark fines recipe..........I was just out on the front porch and we have gotten sooo much rain in the past two weeks..........this miracle grow soil is for the birds!!!!!!! no drainage whatsoever.......
gessiegail,
Juts read the tapla thread, under Container Gardens. There are recent posts in which he has posted some of his pots again, using his recipe. His name is Al and the thread is very very long, so skip down to the recipe he gives for his potting soil. I am pretty happy with the Miracle Gro potting soil, but we have not had the rain you have had in Texas. I do not see how any potted plants could have done well with that much rain. If it had been me, I would have driven myself crazy moving all my pots to my covered front porch to get them out of all that rain every time it would rain. I have done that in past summers when the forecast was for major rain. MY geraniums in the past have gotten disease from soaking up so much rain in the pots. So I just started moving them under the porch during rainy periods. Look at the pictures I posted today under Photos of my yard. 'The first one of the Speed Limit Sign--is the one I want you to see. The flowers in this planter looked horrible last year. I finally decided to take the time and dump all the old soil, which included soil from my gardens as well as old potting soil. I replaced it with nothing but Miracle Gro potting soil and Miracle Gro garden soil and it has never never looked as good as it looks this year. The Mandevilla vine has now reached the bottom of the speed limit sign and I am debating whether or not to run a string around the sign to let the vine continue on around or just to start making the vine decline back down.
Take Care. Look on the bright side. At least your water bill will be no where near what mine will be this summer ,as we have been in a drought, big time . And there is always next year. My 30 roses have not done well--worst in the past many many years. We had a very warm March and all of the roses leafed out and then for 5 days in early April we had a major freeze and I lost 10 roses and the roses had not even been uncovered with the topsoil and mulch from their winter protection. And then they finally recovered and started to leaf out again but very few blooms and then Japanese Beetles started and this year they have been horrible.. I have dropped about a hundred in soapy water and my roses that have bloomed---they have eaten. So that has been a disappointment. I promised a neighbor whose Mom is turning 100 this July 29---I promised her a big bouquet of roses for her 100th birthday celebration. I am just praying by the end of the month I will have at least one big bouquet to pick for her. I will post a picture if I am able to pick this bouquet.
I can't fuss about anything really...........the farmers are grieving..........I just called my brother who is out of town and told him we got another 11/2 inches today.........on top of 12 inches last week...........
The front porch plants could be a lot worse......the porch is screened in so it has been difficult to see what needs water and what doesn't...............I did notice this morning that some of the coleus have mealy bugs......i just pulled them out.......they can be replaced and I don't want to lose anything else.
The plants outside in pots have doubled and tripled in size........they have loved the rain.............I won't have a water bill...........but i won't even tell you what my electricity was this month because of the humidity in the air..........most people have dehumidifiers in the attic but i want my plants inside to have enough humdity......so i won't have one........just pulls that air conditioning on all the time.....i even put in two extra tons thinking it would help, but with this much humidity it doesn't help the electricity bill I don't think........*we are only 15 miles from the coast..
Hi Gessigail,
That was very interesting. We have been in a drought for most of the summer but the humidity has been very low so I have not had the ac on too much so far. My last electric bill was only 50 dollars. Post some pictures of your pots. I bet they look pretty good. My mom's relatives all live in Houston. Are you near Houston? I feel bad for all of you. Everytime I turn on Fox News they report more rain for Texas. What is going on? And last year you had no rain at all.
Diamond Frost(Euphorbia) is a wonderful plant. I think you will love it in your pot. Which is very pretty. I use miracle grow potting soil only because costco sells it and I can get hudge bags for a reasonable amount of money. Part of our state is flood and the north part where I am has been pretty normal, south of me got rain on the 4th, I didn't. I could use some now tho.
Hi happgarden,
Glad to know that your Diamond Frost is doing well. Hope mine does also as I am loving this flower mixed in with other colors in my containers. I like Miracle Gro potting soil but some are replying that they do not like it. Did you view the flowers of my yard that I posted today under Photos? The first one with the speed limit sign---the soil in that planter was changed in April . I took out old garden soil and old potting soil and replaced the entire planter with Miracle Gro potting soil and Miracle Gro Garden soil and so far the flowers in that container are growing like crazy with no sign of decline. The petunias in that planter had already grown to the ground and last week I gave all the petunias a trim. I will post that planter again now.
Betty, that is one stunning arrangement! I'm blown away!
Meant to say something about Diamond Frost. I used it last year in a mixed planter with purple calibrachoas and it just bloomed and bloomed all summer. The balcony railing box it was in had the sky for a background, so it didn't really stand out. It got lost in the sky. So this year I bought it as a mulch plant for a clematis. The clematis is struggling valiently, so it doesn't look like it will next year. But the eurphorbia is beautiful! Here's a closeup. The photo is actually of the volunteer clematis shoots. But you get the picture.
This message was edited Jul 7, 2007 10:52 PM
Wrong photo. Sorry...
Hi revclaus,
Great picture of Diamond Frost. I am always excited to try new plants. I just planted a balloon flower for the first time and am deadheading it so it will bloom all summer. It is so amazing how just before the bud opens it looks exactly like a blue balloon. I will post a picture.
Just talked to my neighbor who has had problems with an animal digging in her flower gardens like I did a few weeks ago. I set a live animal trap and caught a possum and took him to a wooded park 20 miles from my home. I set the trap in her yard last night. She just called and we caught another possum and will be taking him to the same park after church. I have been told that they travel alone, so hopefully he is the only one .
Take care and Happy Gardening in Co. I came very close to purchasing a Golden Persian cat from a breeder in Co a few years ago. But it was not meant to be and I found my Golden persian, Scotty in Dallas. He is now 3 and has been the best cat I have ever had in my whole life.
Love your balloon flower, and the rudbeckia (?) nearby.
Sounds like you're a dedicated cat person!
revclaus,
I too am loving this balloon flower. I deadhead it daily and just love to look at the blooms right before they open---just like looking at a little blue balloon. I want to try upright ones next year. This is all I could find right now to purchase, as it is late in the season for perennials. That Rudbeckia is called Indian Summer and I was lucky . This year many came up from seed from last years plants. That one plant in the picture I did purchase from a nursery. It has taken off. The one I am loving this year is called Iris Eyes Rudbeckia. I will post two pictures right now of the Rudbeckia Gardens.
Caught a possum in my neighbor's yard last night and have to release it to the woods this afternoon. I did this a few weeks ago in my own backyard but I am still very much afraid. This neighbor is a friend and a widow and she has given me so many day lilies --it is the least I can do to help a kind neighbor. Someone just posted me a picture of one saying they are so cute. I think they are so ugly, like something prehistoric. The last one hissed and growled at me as I was opening the cage and I was screaming at him big time. Sometimes you just do what you have to do to protect your yard and flowers and the neighbors are not wanting to help me. A private co said he would do it for 180 dollars---no thank you.
BettyFB, I do use Miracle Grow Potting Soil because I can buy it at Costco. I haven't had any problems with it and I like it. I have seen post where people think it is too heavy or doesn't drain well, but I haven't noticed that. Course it gets in the 90's and hot here so I need as much moisture as possible.
Love your photos.
Joyce
Hi Joyce,
Thanks. I am going to look into getting Miracle Gro next year at Costco. Happy Gardening in Kansas City. I have relatives in Springfield and was there a few years ago. Love that state!!!!
The container I started a week or so ago using mainly Pine Bark Fines is doing great so far. I made another one last night with red verbena and Sky Blue Petunias and White Angelonia. It looks pretty so far. It is getting late in the season so that is probably the last one I will make for this year.
Wish I lived further south so I could enjoy gardening year round.
