I took this picture at 6:40 a.m. Look how dark it was. Not long ago it was full daylight by that time.
The fanflower (scaveola) is beginning to grow up and through the Persian Shield. I like having the lighter purple peeking through.
The sunlight through the Tropicanna leaf in the barrel.
In the front you can see the chives have rebloomed, though the second bloom is always sparse.
I have found this optic grass very frustrating to use effectively.I have moved it from four different containers until I finally stuck it in the big canna pot a few weeks ago. It's right under the Purple Fountain grass.
Finally, I have found a place where I think it works well, nicely softening the hard metal edge. The problem is I expected the optic grass to grow big and tall like the Purple Fountain grass, but it has stayed quite small. It is easily lost among other large plants unless they grow very upright like these Tropicannas.
See this green sweet potato vine? You never seen this color for sale, do you? It has overwintered in this container and came back without much of it's purple/black color. You can see the darker color in a few of the leaves.
I really hate to see the containers, so I am just glad this plant decided to make a reappearance and do such a fine job of covering the big pot. I love to get surprise rebloomers!
To add to the odds of getting wonderful surprises, I sprinkle seeds of plants that have escaped my not-so-diligent-of-late deadheading. There was a time when no plant on my deck would have a chance to set seed because I was deadheading daily. I no longer find spending 3o minutes a day with scissors rewarding, so I have cut the task back to every couple of weeks. 
This brown stalk of seeds was a tall blue ageratum. It would be quite welcome to pop up next summer in this container. Because I store these containers with all the soil intact in above freezing conditions, so it has a small chance of surviving.
We are still waiting for the rain.
I've been deadheading all my flowers every day and I agree, it is time consuming! Your plants all look so gorgeous....goes to show how leaf plants can be as beautiful as an actual bloom! xox
ReplyDeleteI deadhead a lot less often than I used to also - I hope we're not all getting old??!!!
ReplyDeleteTour containers are beautiful - I love the purple fountain grass - mine is all seeded out too - and I have to touch it everytime I walk by. I wish I had a space to overwinter stuff - what a bonus!
(Yeah - that would be Your containers... So much more fun to just hope you typed what you were thinking!)
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I like your photos a bunch. Longwood Gardens sells the Optic grass in it's garden shop, but I didn't buy any (pricey there). I think it's cool!
ReplyDeleteI do hope you'll get rain soon, though your deck plants look pretty. The humidity here is saving me from watering except for a very few potted plants.
By this time in the summer, my garden is lucky to get any attention from me. I swear I'm going to deadhead this weekend, and cut down those giant hollyhocks that now look like HELLyhocks.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of the fiber optic grass and tried it by my pond one year. It was cute for about two weeks and then just pooped out on me. When those cute little "fiber optics" turn brown it kind of spoils the effect!
That purple fountain grass is lovely. They do look like squirrel tails, but squirrels in my garden are not my friends!!
ReplyDelete:)