Garden Trends

We usually get morning and evening sun and it is amazing how much flexibility in flower variety this allows.  In one container I have a Regal Geranium which likes to be protected from the afternoon sun.  This was the “Jewel” variety which was planted in the middle as the “feature” of the container.  It has a great flower which ranges from light to deep pink.  It does seem to have a strong odour especially if you are playing around with it, so just a warning for those with sensitive noses.  I planted two fuchsia’s on opposite sides and two Sweet Williams opposite to those.  This is a picture of what it looked like earlier and the second one is what it looks like now with the fuchsia’s blooming and being a bit more filled in.

If you have any comments, ideas or suggestions for further blogs please email me at nikki@gardentrends.ca If you would like to post a question for others to view or respond to please do so under the comments and remember take the time to enjoy your garden!

Well it seems the birds really like our deck. This weekend when we were watering the plants we found yet another bird’s nest. This time it was in our Fuschia hanging basket. We thought it might have been abandoned but we gave it a couple days to make sure. It certainly was a good thing we did … there are 2 eggs in the nest now!

I was quite concerned that I wouldn’t have much colour on the deck when we received so little sun. Not only do we mostly face North we have large trees that provide quite a bit of shade (not to mention the lack of sunny days we’ve had). The only sun we receive is partial morning and evening sun but I have found that it has been quite sufficient. I have to admit I took a risk with some of the things I planted but I have been presently surprised. I do find I strategically place my containers in the sunnier part of the deck and on the odd occasion will move containers to follow the sun if I happen to be around. The Sweet William ‘Wee Willie Mix’ (Scientific term: Dianthus barbatus) which I mentioned before has been doing very well in the containers. They have a shallower root system so they work well in containers with the clematis and honeysuckle. As you can see they vary in shades from light pink to deep red/purple.

These were really inexpensive. I picked them up at Home Depot in a small variety pack of 8 but each could be split up again so I had 16 small plants. I planted them into 3.5 inch round pots that I had from last year where they had a chance to grow and get stronger. I then planted them into the various containers on the deck. If you have these don’t forget to pick off dull or droopy ones to allow for others to bloom.

Stay tuned for Part II.

My apologies for the delay in getting this post up but nonetheless the plant of the week (or two) is the clematis. It is a beautiful climber and quite easy to maintain. I have two varieties in one container: a dark purple/red one called Niobe (the one in the pictures) and a lighter coloured one called Fireworks. They both bloom from June to September and only require light pruning. Only the Niobe has bloomed and I am hoping the Fireworks one will as they off-set each other really nicely. I wouldn’t actually recommend planting two in one container as their roots may compete for space and you may end up losing one. I am keeping my fingers crossed that these two are compatible and have enough room. In the planters with the clematis I have planted Sweet William ‘Wee Willie Mix’ Dianthus barbatus as they have smaller root systems which can stay in the upper layer of the soil. You also need a trellis of some sort for the clematis to climb up but as such they can be a great privacy screens for a patio or backyard. In a garden they can be planted by an arbor and trained to climb up. I cut mine completely back after the summer so it can come back strong again the next year. The tags on the clematis are also very helpful for information on their needs including planting, blooming times and pruning needs. I always look forward to them blooming each year and find them to be a great addition to our patio.

Well the parents are hard at work collecting food for the babies. We can see them bringing in food from the surrounding trees. Although we haven’t peeked for awhile, we can often hear the baby birds calling out for food… they have quite a distinctive sound. We try to give them as much space as possible but it can be challenging at times with a small deck. This morning the parents were making “ticking” noises as I watered the surrounding containers… unfortunately they couldn’t be left any longer. We are hoping they will be getting big enough to fly soon so we can have the basket back but only time will tell! Please stay tuned for the plant of the week: The clematis.