By the way does anyone know how to make it so that when you click on one of my hyperlinks above, it will open in a new window? Right now it opens in the same window and you have to hit the back button to get back to my post. If you hit the X you will go completely out.
I am wondering if I should go back to planting them myself. The plus side is that it will cost much less (I need to buy 8 large baskets) and they will give more color in August. The downside is that they won't look good at all until mid July.
Just typing this and remembering past years of looking at sparse baskets for 6 weeks, I think I am leaning toward spending the extra and buying them. I will enjoy the deck so much more with beautiful baskets in June. By mid July all my other stuff is looking pretty good, so it's no big deal if the basket flower less.
So I guess I just answered my own question! :) As long they are not outrageously expensive, I will probably buy them.
Last Saturday I was checking out the quilting books on Amazon. I was looking specifically for bird/animal paper-piecing pattern books. I found a couple that were not too expensive and I ordered them.
I did not pay extra for the fast shipping. They were scheduled to arrive on April 17-18, but I got them TODAY. I was thrilled! Ordered on Sat. and in my hands on Wednesday. I love technology!
I have only had a chance to give them a quick glance, but they look like exactly what I wanted. The one called "A Quilter's Ark" by Margaret Rolfe has a lot of different animals. Look at these chickens:
so cute! You all know how I love chickens! LOL. It looks like all these animals are tiny blocks, finishing at only 4 inches. I did not realize they were that tiny, but that's OK because they will make great centers for stars.
We are supposed to get something like six inches of snow today. I think I will hunker down with my new books.
"Hunker down".....where did that word come from? I don't believe I have ever said "hunker down" in my life and yet it just popped into my typing fingers. I must look it up before I post this..........o.k. it says its often used to mean "take shelter", so I guess it works since we are in a winter storm warning.
Hopefully you are all having much nicer weather. If not I hope you are also hunkering down! :)
Zoey,
ReplyDeleteThe whole thing about the baskets is that you have to plant them full, with mature plants, right from the start. I make baskets at the nursery and pack about 12 plants into them. The hayracks get a full flat of plants.
Then add the 10-40-10 fertilizer every time you water. It's the middle number that makes the bloom!
Zoey, I hope you don't get six inches of snow, I really do. We were supposed to get six inches and got a light dusting. I will send dusting prayers your way!!
Well, you could certainly do a little of each, that way when the store bought baskets are fading a bit, the ones you planted will be giving you a nice show!
ReplyDeleteI really like petunias, but they don't last that long for me unless I really pay attention that they don't get to straggly.
I also like portulaca in hanging baskets as they are pretty heat tolerate.
As for Amazon-I know, they are so fast! I buy from sellers there also and have only been disappointed once when the book smelled of cigarette smoke. They heard about it too.
I just read Sissy's comments. That's why the store bought baskets get so pot bound-12 to a basket! I feel bad for the plants trying to find room to grow. I would definitely buy the biggest flowers you can find to repot.
ReplyDeleteI love this blogging stuff! I always learn so much from other folks like Sissy. I've made a mental note to look for 10-40-10 fertilizer this spring. As for "hunker down", you may have read it on one of my posts - I think it's an old southern saying, but we use it a lot up here, especially during snow storms. We just hunker down by the wood stove and keep warm!
ReplyDeletesissy, Thanks for the tip. I do use Miracle Grow almost every time I water. What's a hayrack? You must have started your new job?
ReplyDeleteDianne, I love petunias, too. Except for all that deadheading. It makes a big mess all over the deck so I only use petunias about every three years. I am thinking about using them this year...just depends on what I find available.
Giddy, I wonder if I did see that someplace on your blog and it just jumped from my unconscious memory? That's probably why it came to me while writing about a snowstorm!
Isn't it amazing the things we learn from this blog stuff? LOL.
Can you grow Callibrachoa? I think they're called million bells on some tags. They have some of the look of petunias, but don't need much deadheading. They also seemed to attract hummingbirds.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what the heck to do with the hanging baskets along the veranda this summer. It's been impatiens and potato vines for 3 years, but we had a tree taken down, so it might be too sunny for impatiens on the one end. I'm still thinking. Good luck with your baskets, Zoey!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose