Making a Few More Changes

This is the time of year when I get a little bored looking at the same things in the same places in the garden.  I decided the aqua blue milk can would look good with the pink Park Princess dahlias, so I moved it  here (where the rusty milkcan used to be).

Now that I have so much pink in the area, I am wishing that I had not moved the red daylilies here last year.  Ah, well, that's the fun or gardening.........always changing things.

 I put the rusty milk can where the aqua can has been all summer.

  The rust color goes nicely with the red daylilies and the reddish canna leaves that predominate during August.

I also moved the Ligularia (tall yellow spikes above) to the deck. You may remember the Ligularia is planted in a container so it's easy to move.

Here it is on the deck where I can enjoy its last few days of bloom.

The Lamb's Ear flowers were getting too tall, shooting out in all directions, and beginning to droop.

I cut them down,  which really perked up the front of this border.

The lavender is now dying so this area is not looking as good as in this pic which is a few days old.

I am at the point where it is very, very difficult to make these gardens look good!

Some rain would help so that the brown grass surrounding the gardens would return to its dark green color. Nothing brings the garden down like dead grass.  We got a bit of rain three days ago, but not enough to do much good.

I have to water the containers every day after work. To do both the deck and garden containers, it takes a good hour of hose dragging. . . hate that!  But it must be done, so I am going out now to get it done.  Hope you all have a great weekend. I plan to get a lot of minor projects done this weekend.

I Added a Few Pieces of Garden Whimsy

DH has a few old Tonka trucks and I like to use this one for fresh bouquets.  The bed is surrounded by white rails, and is the perfect size for fresh flowers.

I added a hosta to the old rusty milk can near the main arbor. I like to keep a few hostas in containers to use for accents inside the milk cans.

The hostas take little care--just some watering every week. Since they are basically some shade of green, they go with everything.

I also brought out a few more watering cans. I like to leave my watering cans unplanted so I can make bouquets of fresh flowers to match whatever happens to be in bloom -- like the iris' behind this blue watering can.

The bouquets usually last 3 to 5 days, then I throw out the flowers and either make a new bouquet or leave it empty.

I also moved the little bird houses to the arbor containers. They were getting hidden by all the foliage in the main gardens.

I am joing the Cottage Flora Thursday party today.

Junque with Spunk

After my post yesterday I was surprised to open my new issue of Country Gardens magazine today and find this rusty mini wheelbarrow planted with succulents.  Cute! (Dianne, I agree with you that the rusty ones look great in a garden.)

They also have a few other cute pieces of junque planted with the same succulents:

Look at this old bird cage turned into a candle holder with ivy........she used an old chandelier for the candles.

Take note of that lamp base on the right side.  You won't believe what she turned that into....

How about this?

Seriously, Wow--Love it!
I took a pic of the directions for the enquiring minds who want to know how the designer made this transformation from lamp to gorgeous planter.........

Now this is an example of my kind of garden junk!

Wheelbarrow Whimsy

You can tell I am getting a bit of spring fever because I've been thinking about my container gardens.

I am not usually a fan of planted wheelbarrows, but I now find myself the owner of a dysfunctional wheelbarrow.

I think I may try to plant it this summer.  Seeking  inspiration, I did an image search for wheelbarrow plantings.  I like these, especially the white one with the celosia planted all around it. I bet it was a sight to behold once that garden filled in!

While searching I discovered what I don't like about most wheelbarrow plantings--the ugly rubber wheel and they are not planted full enough.  I am thinking if I put a spiller plant above the ugly wheel, it will be covered in no time.  I really wish I had one of those metal wheels, like the last photo.  If I remove the rubber, will there be metal spokes under it?  Don't laugh, I know nothing about wheelbarrow construction.

I saw a few wheelbarrows planted with salad fixings--how neat would that be--a wheelbarrow full of dinner salad! Some gourmet lettuce mix, radishes, green onions, etc.  It could be wheeled around to catch the sun.

Elephant Ears, Dahlias, & a Bumble Bee Vase

I've had the same elephant ear bulbs for a number of years. The leaves are just green and not super huge. I find them a bit boring on their own.

So I always plant them with something else. This big planter combines little pom pom dahlias with the ears.


Yesterday while going to the farmer's market to buy tomatoes for my potluck contribution, I passed a garage sale. I have not gone to any sales this year. I decided to stop and take a look. I almost left with nothing, but decided at the last moment to grab a metal thing with a bumble bee on it. I really don't know what it's original purpose was, but my eyes saw a whimsical flower vase.

I think it's perfect for black-eyed Susans and a few of the other yellow flowers I have in bloom.

I just got home from our Labor day event. I am happy to say that the two appetizers I took went over well. I brought home two empty trays so I think most people liked them.
I took these ingredients:

and made bacon & herb stuffed cherry tomatoes.

They turned out very pretty. I had intended to mix yellow and red tomatoes, but I didn't like the way the yellow ones turned out, so I left them home and just took a tray full of red.
I also took a tray of BLT minis. I solved the naked pick by dressing it with a chive. The larger chives have a nice hollow center and I just cut them to size and slipped them over.
I had a lot of left over tomatoes and herbed cream cheese stuffing, so I ended up cooking all morning to use it all up. I made two pans of lasagna (one to freeze) and a big pot of chili for later.
I even strained the juice from the seed centers I removed to use in the lasagna sauce.


All in all it was a good productive day.

Creating Containers/Accents with Cast Offs

Yesterday on Friday the 13th my only two-year old digital camera died. How am I going to blog without a camera?!! I know if there are no pictures I don't waste my time reading a blog. Because a blog without pictures is just.....just...well, boring. So today I have pulled pictures from past years to illustrate my topic.

If Saturday mornings find you standing in a driveway awaiting the 8:00 a.m. opening of the big sale, then you probably already have a treasure trove of interesting items to use in your garden or on your deck. The majority of items require some work, mostly paint. But if you're willing to put in just a little effort you can get some unique items for your own garden.

Other people's cast offs have found a loving home on my deck.

Like this hose container that was reborn as an herb pot.

It sits on the deck all winter. Each year the sage, chives and French tarragon come back.


This tall indoor plant holder is another cast off from a friend.

I love the height it provides for a small container that would otherwise be lost among the big guys. Different height containers are so important to create a harmonious display.
One year I found a two-tiered homemade wooden shelf. You can't see the shelf in this pic, but you can see how it allowed differing heights of the plants. (You will probably have to click the pics to read the captions. Just hit the "back" button to come right back to this post.)

This full whiskey barrel was a favorite for about 10 years before it finally caved in.


The long wooden window box with the callas below was a great find! It has been home to the callas for at least 5 years. It provides a nice long line of blooms.


This little bunny was a buck and gave me quite a few years of whimsy before he finally broke in '06. I have quite a few watering cans just 'cause I think they are so cute.


The old grill has been a favorite for many years. This year is the first that I did not use it because I cut down on the number of containers I planted. Again, it provides that much needed height to give interest to a display.

This green metal tub is the one I now have the Tropicannas in on the deck. It was a steal for $2.00. Even my bistro sets were castoffs from the hotel I work at. I have 2 sets. I think employees could purchase them for $25/set. They are very heavy duty. They retail for around $200/set.



The wooden set was a garage sale steal for $15 for the ENTIRE set. The table I have on the deck is part of the set, too. They were a redwood color, but I repainted them all white. The glass-topped table here is not part of the set. It was a rare full-price retail purchase.
But the coffee can centerpiece was a secondhand find. I filled it with twigs for the centerpiece so that I would not have to walk out here to water it. This was about 4 years ago when I was "in to" pastels. (As you know I am currently into the hot colors.) I made all the pillows.

Whenever I see these milk cans priced cheaply I grab them! I have about 6 and I have never paid more than $5 for one. They are not easy to find for that price anymore. I usually see them for $20 and up.

Here's one of the milk cans with a wagon wheel I found about 18 years ago (I actually bought two of the wheels). I was thrilled to find these wheels! When I bought them, I spent a considerable amount time & energy removing the rust and painting them blue to match the house shutters. Now the shutters are green and I like the rusty look and so I just let them go back to being rusty. I saw a wheel at a garage sale I went to last month. They wanted $125. I paid $5 each.
Right in the front is a piece of driftwood (another piece that came free from the hotel when they redid the pool area a few years ago).

Over the years I have had a lot of fun finding and using all these bits of garden whimsy.

I don't do go to garage sales very often any more. Most people now think all of their junk is priceless (they get that idea from antique shows, I think). But every now and then I stop at one.

If I am lucky enough to find a treasure, it still give me a big kick.

Turn a Pumpkin into a Turkey

Judging by all the places on the internet that tell you how or sell you kits, I guess it's a big thing, though I have never turned a pumpkin into a turkey.


turkey in a box decorating kit Build and decorate your perfect turkey. 9 piece set includes: pilgrim hat, turkey head, pilgrim collar, 4 trail feathers, 2 wings. Everything you need except the pumpkin!

S 15.00

How about this one made from fringe? (Personally I think this one is butt ugly!)

Pumpkin Fringe Turkey


Even Bob Timberlake gets in on the turn-your-pumpkin-into-a-turkey action with this
Turn an ordinary pumpkin into a holiday gobbler. Place any pumpkin on the sturdy iron pedestal feet, then push-mount the head and tail into position. Use to create flocks on the porch or as a whimsical centerpiece for the table. Imported.

$29.95

This item is available for rush delivery here.










This one is my favorite. It's also the most expensive kit at $34.99. I found it here.


I loved this Pineapple Turkey. It's super simple to make and won't take much storage space after the event since you can eat the body!

I think I am going to use this one for my Thanksgiving table.

I have been working on dressing my deck greeters--two wooden crows that I have had for quite a few years. Each year I scour garage sales to find clothing for them. A toddler size 2 is the perfect fit. It is fun to find accessories for them to carry. They are just a whimsical addition to my outdoor decor.