The Window Box In The Sun

Took a peek today at the window box in the sun. It's doing amazing with "no" added watering from me. Just the way I like it. I see that geraniums are very drought tolerant. Hopefully I won't look crazy tomorrow taking a picture from outside because the flowers are cascading beautifully over the side. I can't visualize it near the house and get a photo. I'm going to try across the street from my house. Don't want to have to explain to neighbors what I am doing. It's my house and my window box so... 

The ivy geraniums are doing very well. I'm shocked. Will try them again next year from seeds but start them earlier. I really believe the fungus gnat larva were eating the roots and they didn't grow as they should have. Sweet potato vine is starting to trail and the other geraniums are standing up to the heat and in constant bloom even with no help from me with water or fertilizer. The box could use more plants but, next year.

The arborvitae is surviving. In the fall if there are more in the garden center I want 2 more to complete the box so in the fall and winter when everything else has died down they will still be there and alive, I hope. In the fall they turn reddish. I noticed this last fall with the one I planted for my mom. I haven't taken a picture of her planter that I'm maintaining but it's thriving with coleus, sweet potato vine, salvia, gerbera daisies, and petunias. Her coleus are huge and healthy. Put mine to shame. My brother knows to water it weekly and as needed if it starts to wilt especially with the heat and humidity. Trying to make a gardener out of him. He knows our mom loved her plants and roses.

First Tiny Tomatoes

Not much gardening has been taking place, especially in the yard. It's feeling like summer with plenty of heat and humidity. The ground is dry in the yard with no sign of all the moss that covered it all spring. Grilling yesterday evening I took some pictures but nothing pretty to post. I will show my tomatoes. I had blooms last week and was pleasantly surprised to see tomatoes yesterday. Not sure know when to harvest Swiss chard but I'd better check before something eats it before me. Hard to believe July 4th is next Friday. I usually have a family barbecue but I will have to think about it this year. Yes I want to maintain family traditions even if my mother is no longer here but I'm not feeling it. I will decide. We also have a wedding around this time so it will be busy. Haven't ordered the pansy/viola seeds yet. I need to soon so they can get started.

Dinner

My favorites, turkey burger.

Four tomatoes.

Swiss Chard

The First Day Of Summer

Asparagus fern is the first over the side of the window box. Nothing exciting with the box. The other window box is doing well with ivy geranium, zonal geraniums, dwarf arborvite, algerian ivy, and sweet potato vine. I will show pictures on another day. It's pretty from the street but difficult to photograph.

The sweet potato vine is acting nice so far and hasn't started to take over the planter.

The red color is even brighter in person.

Lambs ear still in bloom.

And to think I didn't like the grass. It actually is pretty to me and so I won't pull it up. It is in an odd spot. I should of payed more attention to the label to see how tall it would grow. I thought it would stay small like it was in the spring. I don't think I will move it.

The day Lillie's are really pretty this year. The increase in size each year.

This is the first day I realized that the dragon wing begonia seedling survived. I had 2 in this planter and thought they had died. It's not giving up. Makes me change my mind and try again with them in the fall. They require more time to get to a good size than the time for starting listed on the pack of seeds.

No sign of downy mildew yet.

Lets see how the canna do. 

Insects seemed to love the new planting of canna. Some type of infection is also on the peony leaf seedling.

Three canna planted. I have more in the yard to be planted.

There were many bees on the plants as I cleaned up the flower bed. They completely ignored me. He is loving the salvia. A fungus is on the lambs ear. I picked off some leaves but not all.

I planted this last fall. The other perennials I planted last fall didn't make it. I planted another one in the back this spring. It doesn't look promising.

Balloon flower. It's really tall this year.

Echinacea. What's the matter with it?

Don't want to see the violas and pansies go but it's time.

I'll take better pictures of the sidewalk planters on another day. My excuse was the sun.

Variegated canna, lirope, impatiens, and coleus. It's amazing what color does. After planting the impatiens a cardinal immediately landed in the planter.