When I got home, DH had the deck floor all stained. Now that was perfect timing! We both did the white part a few weeks ago, but it's been too cold to do the floor until today.
We let the deck dry overnight and Sunday morning we put the glider back on. DH is having a cup of coffee while admiring his handiwork.
I checked the weather forecast and it looks like no more lows in the 30's, so I decided to go out and buy some plants. I went to Home Depot and bought NOTHING. Usually Home Depot is one of my favorite places. This year there was not a thing I was interested in. They had some hanging basket sale-- for $5 or $6, but they only had one plant in them and I thought they were dull and uninspiring.
So I went to Wally's World and a nursery and found a few things...some poor looking sweet potato vine (but I needed that lime green color! so I bought it anyway), some orange geraniums, some very nice verbena ('Quartz Burgundy'), and some nice purple 'Marlin Blue Morn' petunias.' I also found some coleus called 'Wizard Golden' which is the exact color of the sweet potato vine. I think that will be a nice accent in the planters.
Here you see just under $100 worth of annuals. A Franklin doesn't buy much anymore.
I found some nice sized pots of straw flower at the nursery and decided then that straw flowers would be the center of all my hanging baskets.
I planted six hangers that are almost identical, three wall hangers and two big containers. I have a few flowers left, but I ran out of potting soil, so they will have to wait.
Here is my deck with the $100 worth of flowers on it. Go ahead....enlarge it...............
A hundred dollars worth of annuals barely made a dent in filling up that space. You can't even see the other side of the deck. It turns and goes about another 10 feet. It's bare, too.
This week we will bring out the rest of the furniture which will make it look less empty. I've got a long way to go before I get that outdoor room look I like so much!
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Have yoe evr checked out the clearenced plant section at Walmart and Home Depot. I have found some very cheap additions for my garden there.
ReplyDeleteI just bought some petunia's 50 cents for each 8 pack. Why they were clearanced I don't know. Some had healthy buds on them just waiting to bloom and some buds were already bloomed with vibrant colors.
I have been using this method because I too want to create a beautiful outdoor living space without breaking the bank.
Visit my blog to check out what's going on in my garden.
I know what you mean Zoey..the cost of beautifying the yard doesn't come cheaply! I am cutting way back this year..putting in fewer but more 'dramatic' pots of flowers. Will see if that works.
ReplyDeleteHadias, you got quite a bargain for .50! I'll be watching for something similar.
ReplyDeleteBetty, I want to see those dramatic pots!! You really must get a blog so we can all visit you.
Happy Memorial Day to you and yours, dear Zoey. You and I did the same thing over the weekend...went to look for plants! I only ended up buying some verbena and some bacopa...too early yet here to plant anything else. It's supposed to turn quite cold tonight so I do hope what I planted already doesn't freeze! Many people were buying their impatiens and pentunias but I usually wait to plant those in my containers until the first week of June. It is getting very expensive, though, isn't it...I bought 10 bacopa plants and 6 verbena plants....cost me $46.00!!!
ReplyDeleteLove those pictures of the butterfly in your previous post, how awesome that he even landed on your hand! Attracted to your gorgeous pink nail polish I'm sure! hehe xoxo
It's a great start! I love the color combos you did! Awesome. Yeah, I hear you! I must have easily spent over 3 Franklins on plants this year. I'm only buying now if they are 25-50¢ each. ; )
ReplyDeleteZoey,
ReplyDeleteVery nice indded. How about relocating the hanging basket near the deck step to the far right trellis near the patio doors in the picture?
Mick in Ontario Canada
HI Pea and Di, I guess we are all spending more then we wish we had to for our plants this year.
ReplyDeleteMick,
Welcome!
I am not sure what you mean. There are 5 hangers... one in the middle and two on each side spaced equally. I think the photo makes it look like the 3 on the left are too close and there is a big gap on the right, but it's not really that way at all. Is that what you are talking about?
Mick,
ReplyDeleteIf you click the pic to enlarge, I think you will see that there is already a container in the spot that I think you mean. :)
Zoey I have two questions for you...In the picture is the deck still wet?
ReplyDeleteWhat brand & type of deck stain did your husband use?
I stained my deck last year and it dried to a dull finish. I have a different stain that I am considering. Do I need to use a high gloss? Oh..sorry that's three questions.