Morning Pics and Annuals Planted

Happy Weekend Everyone! 

I decided to pop outside in the early morning a shoot a few pictures.  I thought this tulip looked rather artistic in it's closed form.  As soon as it warms up a bit more it will open.

The daffodils have been blooming and I've started fussing more with my fairy garden.

I decided to use some brick pavers leftover from something we did a long time ago as a foundation for the cement cottage.   I'm just beginning to fuss with it and haven't finished but I'm pleased that I chose this spot because I can see it more readily and even from my kitchen window!

I only have a few tulips this year.  Between the rabbits that got them last year and some vole activity I had in the years before I guess they've dwindled.  

I just love the Jack Frost Brunnera.  It's reliable and the little flowers are the sweetest. So far only the one is booming but I expect that will change soon.  The Hosta are all on their way up and the Coral Bells are coming alive.

The flower always makes me think of Forget-Me-Nots.  

I picked up some new planters from our Sam's Club. They look like expensive iron planters but their not!   I've got some Fuchsia and Alyssum planted in them.  I chose this Gartenmeister Fuchsia for it's height and of course the hummingbirds love it.

This is the other one I got.  It's low and wide so I planted it with a very traditional combination.  I hope I like it as it grows.  I put a lot of Dusty Miller around the edge and I know they can get kind of big so I may have to trim them if they overwhelm the Geraniums.

I saw a hummingbird race to it but I don't know if there is anything they can get from a Geranium.

Last fall I picked these sphere planters up out in Pennsylvania.  I've got a moss basket for it and some flowers which I hope to plant today.

These are the flowers for the spheres.  More Fuchsia and some Bacopa to fill and spill.

The morning sun highlights things so nicely.  As you can see the Sweet Woodruff is well spread around the side of my host hill.  The trees are still leafing out but not full yet.

These are the impatiens I chose for this year.  The tag calls them "violet".  I think their hot pink coloring will show off nicely.

The Creeping Jenny or Moneywort fills in everywhere.  I may snag some and put some in with those sphere planters.  I think if I drop some cuttings in water for a few days they'll root (I hope)  There are some Painted Japanese Ferns in here too but you can hardly see them.

My original fairy garden weathered the winter pretty well.  I haven't done anything with it yet.  I've got to get after some maple seedlings that have started to grow in there.  Our yard is riddled with tons of them this year.

These don't look like much yet but in a few weeks they should start to fill out.  I've got some Caladiums,  Begonia, Euphorbia Diamond Frost and violas in them.  These sit out near the water fountain.

My moss basket liners are tired.  I'll retire them after this season.  I planted geraniums here and a couple of Sweet Potato Vine.

This is new for me.  I did a bedding planting in the area where the boxwoods were removed.  I've got some deep purple/blue supertunias, white geraniums and African daisies planted.  Can't wait to see this fill out.

Back at the house I re-used a planter from last year and potted it up with Lobelia, Pink Bacopa, Ivy, Pansies, and Impatiens.  It should be colorful and showy in a few more weeks.  The hummingbird already found the Fuchsia!

A hot pink Geranium surrounded by these adorable striped Superbells- should be cute as it gets going!

I planted Bubble Gum Supertunias in the garage planters.  Can't wait to see them fill out!

All my annuals get a generous dose of Osmocote when I plant.  Annuals love to be fed and I find 

the pelleted fertilizer is a reliable way to feed.  I also use some new Garden Soil each year that comes with a bit of fertilizer it it too. 

Not too exciting yet, but again once these fill out they'll be colorful. 

Lastly I chose these soft orange Begonias to be in my window planter by the kitchen.  There is some Browallia that will come up behind and Sweet Potato Vine that will drape across the front. 

We've been having some great weather and the night time temps haven't fell below 45 lately so I took my chances and planted the annuals.  We often get a surprise late frost in June so I may have to run out and cover things up but I've done it many times before.

I'm still fighting the lasting affects of that darn cold I caught.  I'm beginning to think it's also dragging on because of some allergy related issues.  I checked our area forecast for pollen and it's pretty high right now.  I've gotten more done than I expected, but it's been so much harder this year.  I even put my back out for a few days last weekend so I've really felt constrained.

Ok enough whining!

Have a wonderful weekend and those of us here in the U.S. have a great

Memorial Day and always remember why we celebrate it.