Container planting

As you all know, we've experienced a recent, tragic loss in the "family."  And although we all need time to process the grief, and the world seems dimmed at this moment, hopefully the splashes of life and color in these posts can serve as a reminder to us all - in some small way -- that the world remains full of beauty and light; and it will wait patiently for each of us to recognize that once again, in our own time.

On a lighter note, below are photos of my attempt at container planting.  I've never been a huge fan.  I mean I love the look of everyone else's container plantings, but I see them as high maintenance.  Although no weeding is required (which is a blessing), they require constant watering and feeding.  It also requires some degree of artistic finesse to get the combination of colors, sizes and textures just right; a skill I do not possess.  But alas, Nora chastised me last summer for "ignoring" her patio area and leaving it looking like a barren wasteland in comparison to the rest of the yard.  I have attempted to rectify that situation this year with the addition of the "parbor" (half pergola/half arbor - get it?), a dahlia/herb bed to the north of the patio, expanded beds around the gazebo and the dreaded container plantings.  Did I succeed?  Remains to be seen as things fill in over the course of the summer.

These containers are a mix of annuals, an herb (borage, which will get to be almost 2' tall with purple flowers) and heuchera (the reddish foliage in the large pot, which will also get to be almost 2' tall); I'm hoping for a large, colorful plume of foliage and flowers in another 3-4 weeks.  We'll see.  

Random annual.  I never pay attention to the names; they simply don't stick around long enough to be on a first name basis.

Close up of small container on patio; again some random annuals.  I love the combination of yellows and purples.

Red geraniums; The old galvanized buckets make wonderful containers.

Gift from a friend -- a marvelous toad house

And because the garden is not complete without her; our friendly neighborhood, flower eating bunny, who is in visiting with her hen friends in this photo