What's Green Around Here

Spring is in full splendor around here and the hostas are doing well. I went to my favorite shade plant nursery, Shady Characters, planning to buy a few heucheras to replace several that I lost this past winter (and one that Abby the Ginormous Dog dug up, grrr!) Of course I couldn't possibly get out of there without a new hosta or two, to add to the mix.

This heuchera is called citronella, and it has a wonderful lime green color. It just lights up the shade plant bed.

This one is called Southern Comfort, another heuchera, with leaves the color of caramel. It's a nice contrast with the greens of the hostas nearby.

And, here are some of the containers that I've planted this year. My apologies for the mud on the sides. They were still recovering from the huge rainstorms of the night before.

No, Martha Stewart probably wouldn't be impressed, but I think my grandmother would like it. And that's a pretty good standard.

Spring Always Gets Busy Around Here

As usual, spring is a busy time. There's gardening to do (which has been on hold for a few days because of rain), schoolwork to finish, and right now I've got custom orders to fill for the Etsy shop.

My flower gardens are looking pretty good. This year I've added a few hostas and filled about eight containers with annuals, mostly pink ones. I've agonized over containers for a few years, trying to copy pictures in magazines and nursery catalogs. This time is different. I remembered a picture I saw a few years ago of my grandmother's country home. The porch was filled with containers of plants and the colors were gorgeous.

So, I decided to just buy loads of annuals and stick them in the pots I already have. I haven't followed any rules, just put in a bunch of flowers that I like. I'm happy with the result, When it stops raining, I'll take a picture for you.

How's spring shaping up for you? (Or fall, if you're below the equator!)