Do you plant flowers in the spring??

[bradedit]

I've planted my flowers already and am hoping that we don't have a frost.

Do you plant flowers around your house? What kinds? Is it just me or do you pick the flowers by a color theme(sorta).

Around here I do not plant anything in the ground, the rabbits eat them all, I plant them all in pots, hanging baskets. But I did save some money this year, I got my geraniums to come back from last year. WOOOHOO, they are already HUGE and pretty.

[Tiggers Lady]

We plant flowers, I really love the hot colors, the bright yellows, oranges, rich reds, purples...

But I don't plant anymore, the kids do! They love it and help me pick out the flowers, then they each get a section of the garden and clean it up and plant!

I am really amazed at how good they really are! And it's nice cause they are so proud of their work!!!

We are going to plant this weekend!

[cata5]

I have a few planters on my doorstep that I usually fill with New Guinea impatiens. I really like those. They are usually orange, red, or pinkish. I have some spaces to add annuals on my walkway and usually pick whatever colors jump out at me in the greenhouse! I often use white...

A great idea that my neighbor does every year is planting yellow flowers along the house and adding other colors in pots and hanging baskets. In the fall, the yellow flowers (mums) remain and the others are long gone, leaving a nice fall look to their yard. I have these red and pink bushes and mums so it doesn't work for me, but I love the look.

[Pipanella]

I planted LOTS of things this spring. Our youngest daughter graduates this weekend, and she wanted lots of flowers around the house this year, so we planted verbena, impatiens, hosta (not a flower, but still pretty neat), geraniums, caladiums (another cool non-flowering plant), and some things I don't know what they are. I really like the bright red flowers, also white. I like to see the red and white together.

Oh, I almost forgot. My sugar baby daisies..........



And my dad and husband built this pergola over our patio this spring:



In the flower bed that is right up against the house, I have an herb garden. Lavender, basil, oregano, sage, thyme, parsley, dill, and catnip. No, wait, no catnip. The cats wiped it out in one day.

I also have a small bed right outside our family room window that I plant every year with zinnia seeds. I sow them really thick and when all the plants come up and bloom, it's a gorgeous, thick, colorful sea of flowers. And we can sit in our family room and see them right there in the window! With it planted so thick, I can also cut them and bring them inside and never miss the cut ones outside.

bradedit, how did you keep your geraniums over the winter?

[bradedit]

My parents have been keeping geraniums for years(I think they have one that is about 10 years old)

When the season is done shake all the dirt off the roots, put them in a brown bag and hang upside down(roots up) in an area that does not freeze. You don't have to do anything until spring, you should notice that the leaves are starting to get a little green and then just plant them and waalaa new geraniums. I would suggest that you buy "stock" geraniums if you plan on doing this, they are about $10 each but if I can keep them its worth the extra money.

We planted verbena, dusty millers and I keep my vinca vines year after year(Just plant them in the ground at the end of the season and they will come back up every spring bigger and better)wavy petunias. I wanted really bright this year so I went with purples and reds(sounds icky but looks wonderful)

[Pipanella]

I am definitely going to try the vinca vine thing. I don't really have a place to keep the geraniums where it doesn't freeze. Our garage gets too cold.

I think purple and red sounds great! My verbena are multicolored, so there are some red and purple ones together, and they look really pretty.

Thanks for the tip on the geraniums. My mom is the 'master gardener' in our family. I'll pass the information on to her!

[sushiosushi]

sorry no green thumb here. even those fake plastic plants will have something go wrong with it with my luck.

pip - looks like a great house, can i come visit? hehe.

PIPANELLA.....NICE PICTURES!!! I WISH I COULD GET HUBBY TO BUILD ME THAT!!! BY THE WAY, HOSTAS DO FLOWER...THEY SHOOT UP A SPIKE AND IT FLOWERS...THE COLOR DEPENDS ON THE VARIETY YOU BOUGHT!!! NICE SURPRISE....THEY ALSO DOUBLE EVERY YEAR..PLANTED TWO LAST YEAR NOW I HAVE 4!!!

I PLANT COSMOS AND BACHLOR BUTTONS TOGETHER AND IT LOOKS VERY KOOL...COSMOS ARE PINK, WHITE AND BURGANDY, AND BUTTONS ARE BLUE AND PURPLE...I LEARNED HOW TO SAVE THE SEEDS AND NOW HAVE FREE FLOWERS EVERY YEAR.....GOOD FREEBIE!!

I ALSO PUT A CUTTING GARDEN RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF MY VEGE GARDEN, AND LAST YEAR THE BEES CAME AND POLLINATED EVERYTHING IN MY GARDEN!!!! I WAS GIVING VEGES TO EVERYONE....LOL....THEY DIDN'T WANT ANYMORE LETTUCE, WHEN I STARTED GIVING IT OUT BY 13 GALLON GARBAGE BAGS!!!!!

I PLANTED MARIGOLDS ALL AROUND MY TOMATOES TO KEEP THE BUGS OFF, AND MY DAUGHTER (SHE'S 14) THOUGHT THAT I HAD LOST MY MIND.....YA KNOW SHE HAS TO GET OFF THE BUS AND HOLD HER HEAD UP EVEN THO MOM IS A LOONY AND SURROUNDS HER TOMATOES WITH FLOWERS!!! SHE SAYS I HAVE NO LIFE....LOL... THATS OKAY WITH ME...I LOVE MY GARDENS!!!!!

[bradedit]

Pipanella

When you plant the vinca in the ground, cut off the major portion of the vines, so you don't have to worry about it in the spring if you plan on putting them in planters, sometimes I just break off a section push it in the dirt and they grow.

I've been searching for this ivy, its some type of german ivy, its so pretty but I just can't find it in any of the local nurseries.

[AndersonGal]

Well, I have a big garden here.
*Herbs<Rosemary, Sage, Chives, Mint and so on.
*Fruit trees<Apples, Cherry, Pear (yuck)and something else?
*Berry bushes<Blueberry, Blackberry and little strawberrys all over
*Flowers<Various
*Odds & Ends

And today I will prob plant the veggies.
Dont know when I'm suppose to plant them soooo,
what the heck? Last year raccoons ate what came up (except the radishes) anyways.

Bradedit: Think I'll try that geranium trick with one dd got me for mothers day. It does not freeze out here anyways. Do I still need to take it out of the ground?

Note: If anybody would like to trade clippings. JLMK.

[bradedit]

Hmm, I know that the roots must be bare(I have no idea why, but any of mine that I had dirt on did not come back).

If anybody does find a place online that sells German Ivy let me know(it is a very soft looking ivy)

[Pipanella]

Yep, I know about those hostas flowering, mine shoot up spikes and the flower is light lavender. I've split mine about 3 years in a row now. They are so expensive when you buy them, but they multiply like crazy!

Oh, I had to BEG for that pergola!! But now my hubby loves it, too.

Wifey, I know about that marigold thing. Laugh all they want, it WORKS! Those marigolds are stinky....pewweeeee!

I'll keep my eye out for that German Ivy, bradedit.

[Pipanella]

bradedit, found it!

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[AndersonGal]

Never mind.

[Pipanella]

WOW! It's prohibited in New Zealand!!!