July 4th marked another poor execution (a very late execution) in my yearly obligatory display of annuals. Gardening confession: I don't even really like container gardening. In fact, I may hate it and here's why:
Buying annuals is like doing inventory. First, I have to take stock of all of my containers and try to estimate how many annuals will fit in each container. Then, I have to go through the process of picking out size, texture, type and color combinations, and I start to have a petunia panic attack in the garden center. Even after counting, recounting and all of my planning, I'm still usually left with too much or too little.
Containers are like being in a high-maintenance relationship: You don't water me enough, you water me too much, cut back my stems, I'm looking leggy, don't put me in the shade, I'm way too hot, get me out of the sun, I have root rot, you didn't give me enough drainage... It's enough to make any modest gardener feel inadequate.
Annuals are like crack to pests. I just hope the four-lined bug that overdosed on my dahlias last year got some professional help.
My expectations are way too high. In my mind, I create these lush, overflowing vessels of flowers that have BHG knocking on my door for a photoshoot. (It's good to have aspirations, right?) In real life, not so much. This year, I have various begonia mash-ups. Who knew that their jutty stems would make them so difficult to make nice arrangements? Reminds of the summer I planted geraniums. I think I was glamored by their colors...
Every year I seem to experience these same issues. Every year I think it will be different. (You know what they say about people who do the same thing repeatedly and expect different results.) So why do I put myself through the agony? Containers are temporary. Annuals only last one season. And, one of these summers, we'll figure out how to make this love-hate relationship work.
2 comments:
I'm with you on this one. I have seen you pull off some nice container displays; like the year you mixed different colored ceramic pots and we went antiquing looking for old pails for containers. I have the same issues as you do and my approach this year was different. For the front porch, I went to Eastern Market and purchased two very large containers full of red geraniums, spilling over with small white & pink flowers and a variety of greenery. For my other pots in the front, they only got flowers if I had annuals left from my beds. For the back, I did two large pots at the base of my steps and only used flowers I succeeded with before - sweet potato vine, huge yellow geraniums, and purple verbena. They are doing amazing. Nothing else got potted except for herbs and a strawberry plant I found in the yard. From now on, I stick with what I know works, in the locations they work. And I'm not ashamed to let a pro get the pot started for me! the other tip that's helped this year came from my mom. I keep old milk jugs full of water so that at night, or in the morning sometimes, I have no excuse to dump a half gallon on my pots when I know it's gonna be super hot. No getting the hose out, dragging it around....sometimes the jugs are already full with a miracle grow cocktail.
Those are AWESOME ideas: keep the water and fertilizer fix ready! Love it. Getting the hose out is such a drag. I know what you mean about sticking with what works. I had Cosmo envy today when I was out and about, and thought, why didn't I pot those again? They are always so gorgeous! That a Zinnias. Garden and learn! Thanks for the comment!
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