Monthly Archives: August 2013

An Old Iron Fountain….Repurposed!

Shiny and new…

The old iron fountain had seen better days; that’s for sure. Many, many years ago (over 20 now) it was the star of a brand new garden shop, and its place of prominence was at the very center of the entrance…the shiny black finish was reflected in the pool of water filling the large, shallow basin.

Maybe some of you remember when you had to walk around it, in all its glory, to reach the greenhouse. Though I have to say I wasn’t overly fond of the giant snails in this old photo!

Can you see the dog in the fountain?

The beautiful fountain was a fixture it seemed. Soon, the neighborhood dogs discovered the cool water in the large basin – it was a common sight to see a large lab or some other dog (Where did they come from anyway?) lolling in the water, tongue out, happy, happy.

Keeping the fountain filled was a chore, and we quickly discovered a definite flaw in the design. The basin was too shallow to hold enough water – ever! So, to keep the fountain running consistently, we had to fill it continuously. Boy, the dogs really loved that. They kept coming…cool, running water any time they wanted it – such a treat!

planting begins….

After many years of fighting this, we decided to move the fountain into the greenhouse, but after one disastrous attempt to use it for a glorified goldfish pond (Note: Goldfish do not like iron or rust.), we finally gave up and it met it’s inglorious fate stored under a table…the enormous basin turned upside down and covered with plastic. The top tiered portion ended up outside, leaning precariously on its side, a sad sight for anyone who remembered it in its heyday.

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I’d been wanting to move the top portion and plant it, but busy seasons came and went and there just didn’t seem to be the time or inclination (It is a very heavy piece of iron!). This summer, though, Jamie found the perfect spot in the greenhouse, and I planted it up. It has a new life once again as a fixture of Oak Street Garden Shop!

Because the three basins are designed to hold water, the plants needed to be those that don’t mind moisture. I also wanted to have enough plants cascading to create a “fountain” effect, as well as some to create fullness but not get too large. We’ll see how it grows out.

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Saxifraga stolonifera, strawberry begonia, was the first plant I chose. These are wonderful perennial groundcovers in moist, shady spots of the garden. Hopefully they will spread and cascade over the edge happily in their new home.

Next I added a dark leaved trailing coleus. Yes, there is a coleus that really spills! In addition, I tucked in a bit of pilea ‘Aquamarine’ – this plant seems to be able to grow in any conditions and I’m testing it here to see how it does. That’s one of the luxuries of working in the greenhouse – we can always substitute another plant if need be!

photo (23) One of the filler plants I used was a tiny grass, Acorus minimus – all the acorus love moisture so it should do well. I rounded out the filler plants with a few ferns and another bog plant called Syngonanthus chrysanthus ‘Mikado’. This is a definite test since we know next to nothing about this plant; however, the fountain basin should give it the boggy conditions it is supposed to prefer!

I’m glad the fountain has a new life and hope the planting grows out the way I envision it. The large basin is in yet another new spot outside, leaning against a sturdy wall. Hmmm… what next for it , I wonder? Only time will tell.

More Arrangement Inspiration – What We’ve Been Creating This Summer!

photo (2) This summer’s wet, cool weather might have kept many of you out of your gardens, but we’ve managed to stay busy in the greenhouse putting together arrangements filled with orchids, succulents, houseplants, and so much more…here’s a peek at some of them. We regularly have folks who stop in just to see what we’ve been working on! All of these arrangements are composed of live plants, no cut flowers here.

Orchids add elegance to any container, and we love working with them. Here, the beautifully patterned leaves of a calathea contrast with the dark selaginella trailing over the edge. The houseplants shown with the orchid are actually planted in the container to make the care easier – our advice is always to feel where the plant is in the arrangement and water a bit when dry. Of course, some plants will need more or less water than others. For example, orchids last longest when they’re not overwatered!

glass, pebbles, orchid and succulents…

The terrarium arrangement shown here was presented as a going away gift and was planted using pebbles, larger stones as accents, soil and aquarium charcoal to keep the potting soil fresh. Here the care will again be to monitor the soil moisture carefully and water when it’s completely dry. The various leaf textures and colors of the succulents in the glass container make this arrangement interesting.

Yes, that’s Thai basil with the orchid…

As you can see, we’ll put orchids in just about any container and with just about any plant! In fact, the next arrangement shown uses a combination of houseplants, herbs, annuals and perennials with orchids. It was one of a pair used for a wedding anniversary celebration. So the celebrants were able to continue to enjoy the arrangement even after it was taken apart. Hopefully the Thai basil went in containers or the herb garden, and the perennial miniature grass-like acorus and purple leaf trailing annual irisene found new homes in the garden as well.

photo (3) Finally, the silver container was given in memory of someone…the longlasting and low maintenance houseplants of trailiing pepperomia and cryptanthus make excellent companions. It’s gratifying, also, to know that whoever is on the receiving end will be able to enjoy this longer than a fresh flower arrangement could ever hope to last.

We’re looking forward now to a new season, with fall right around the corner, and a whole new world of possibilities for creative arrangements – we’ll keep you posted. Meanwhile, if you’re in Birmingham, stop in – there’s always something going on in our design area!

Late Summer Plants Jump Start The Fall Garden

Marigolds & Coleus - Fall I’m not quite sure I’ve been living in the Southeast this summer…plentiful rain and decent temperatures – (Though it looks like the heat is finally returning.) this has been Alabama in August?!

But, even with a manageable summer, annuals planted back in April can still be looking worse for wear, no matter how well you tend your garden and containers. Potted plantings especially can get just plain root bound, and may need rejuvenating by late summer when school starts back up.

Pumpkin season is right around the corner…

And, before you know it, pumpkins and gourds will be on display all over town – and they look beautiful with all the late summer plants you can begin putting in now and in the coming weeks!

But what to do? If you’ve been cutting back your annuals they may be just fine. If they are, that’s great. Keep tending them until pansy season, which generally begins when temperatures really begin to cool down and fall is definitely in the air – usually sometime in October.

photo (33) But, if your garden and beds are struggling…think about where you’d like to see marigolds, ornamental peppers, late season salvias, and, further down the road, lettuce, asters and cool season herbs – we’ll have transplants of parsley, thyme (Look for the lemon variegated thyme which looks beautiful with green or red lettuce and marigolds.) dill and cilantro too.
Just a few marigolds go a long way in planters or beds – each plant gets quite large – and they only need periodic dead heading to keep blooms coming.

What about mums, you ask? Well, we’ll have mums as well, and they are beautiful too. You do need to know though, as soon as all their buds open, there won’t be more flowers. You can enjoy them until they’re done blooming, but, no matter how many flowers you pinch off, they won’t make more! But for a weekend football party or get together, they can’t be beat as a traditional fall flower on a table or by your front door.

Soon everything will be available to create this planting arrangement…

September is right around the corner, and that is the month all of these plants become more readily available. If you begin planning now, you can have a glorious fall planters and garden beds that are the envy of your neighborhood!

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

New Miniature Garden Accessories (And Some Tales Too)

Miniature garden items - long shot For all of you miniature garden folks (You know who you are!), some new tiny accessories came in recently that might be of interest if you want to rework one you already have. Some of you may want to create more of them or you may have children and grandchildren that love these tiny worlds as much as we do! We even have a gentleman who comes in on a regular basis whose hobby is creating tiny train worlds. He’s always on the lookout for new pieces and plants to add to his extensive train villages.

Miniature garden, gray round bow, stone table and stools, green bench, bridge, heather tree

If you’re going to the Hand In Paw fundraiser this month, you’ll also see one of our miniature garden creations there – it will be in the silent auction. Here’s hoping it does its part to raise needed funds for that worthy organization!

Miniature garden w/ Triple trellis, broom & rake, iced tea set, cat Some people have asked why we don’t carry fairies and other inhabitants for our miniature gardens. For us, the garden is the key – creating a miniature garden world with plants that actually will grow for you…along with some judicious clipping when needed. (Fairies are there in spirit, not seen, and, if the garden has the magic of the creator’s touch, of course they’ll come.)

Miniature garden asst stuff, coke bottles in crate, tub w/ ice, iced tea set These miniature gardens have really struck a chord for adults and kids alike, and it’s so much fun to see the delight by adults and excitement of little ones as they browse (and play with) the tiny creations that can be used in their own gardens. Of course, any activity that stimulates imagination is certainly worthwhile! For children, it’s a make believe world; for adults it’s an outlet to grow plants in a different way.

A customer came in one day to ask for help reworking her daughter’s miniature garden… according to the parent, her little girl absolutely loved this garden, which had been a present. This one had a winding pea gravel path and stone “courtyard” (which she would smooth with her tiny rake each day), rock “boulders”, a bench, and other little accessories as well as a few sedums for the garden plants.

Miniature garden with Celtic cross, green metal bench, stone table & chairs All was well until the night the little girl had a sleepover party with a couple of her friends…you might well imagine where this story is going! Somehow the miniature garden, which she kept in her bedroom, was completely up-ended in the middle of the bed, an utter mishmash of soil, plants,pea gravel, stones and little accessories. It must have been like Humpty Dumpty falling off the wall in the fairytale! We helped rework the little miniature garden, and hopefully that little girl is still happily raking her pea gravel “path”…

Miniature garden w/ var. euonymous std, stone bridge, b/bath w/ cardinal Not long ago a parent, her daughter, and the girl’s little brother came in. The mother marched to the counter with the little boy and said that he needed to buy, with his own money, a stone for his sister’s miniature garden. Puzzled, I asked what kind of stone he needed. Well, the mother said, her daughter had a stone with the words “My Garden” written on it in her miniature garden. Evidently the little boy had turned it around and scrawled “bathroom” on the back! Of course, the boy’s sister wasn’t having any of that in her garden. So, we found the perfect stone, wrote “My Garden” on it for the little girl, and the little boy brought out his money to pay for it. Before they left, the mother gave the little boy the stone that he’d written on. Much later we found it hidden in the miniature garden displays and had a good laugh….he didn’t want it either!

Miniature garden assorted pieces in display Some of the fun things we’ve gotten in recently include a pair of ghosts (It’s never too early to begin thinking about Halloween!), wooden soda bottle crates with soda bottles, a wine basket with wine bottles, a metal tub (just right to put the wine and soda bottles in!), tiny turtles, frogs and one very fat cat, some pretty urns, a very realistic Celtic cross, a stone walking bridge, a triple trellis and more. And there will be additional miniature garden items coming in down the road too. It’s a good idea to pop in every now and then to see what’s new.

The miniature gardens shown in this post showcase a few new things, as well as some items we’ve had. Mostly though, I hope they illustrate how much fun making these gardens can be, and how each one is a little different…imagination is a wonderful thing!

Living Wreaths – Here’s How! (The original vertical garden…)

A living wreath planted for shade using houseplant ferns, creeping fig and ivy…

This post is for all you do-it-yourselfers and those that just like to know how interesting plantings are created. Living wreaths are one of those things, or, as I like to think of them, the original vertical garden arrangement. Maybe you’ve seen them on Pinterest or at your favorite garden shop (Of course, if you’re in Birmingham, we hope that’s us!).

Living wreaths are not difficult to make and are really quite fun – it just takes some time and a little thought choosing plants. The first step is deciding where you’d like to have your living wreath. Perhaps you have a gate leading into your garden? Or maybe there’s a blank spot on that shady patio wall? They also work well placed on a flat surface such as a table.

Empty Living Wreath Frames - 16"

The sturdy wreath form you see here is a standard plastic coated 16″ size. You can see there are two pieces, and the smaller back piece hooks easily onto the larger one.

Lining the form prior to planting…

Many how-tos for living wreaths use moistened sphagnum moss to line the form. We plant them a bit differently, lining the form with moistened green sheet moss, then filling the cavity with potting soil and slow release fertilizer before planting. We’ve been planting hayracks, moss baskets and wreaths like this for over 20 years in this manner.

insert plants at intervals through the moss, firming in.

Jamie designed the wreath in this demonstration for a customer who wanted an interesting mix of foliage for use in a bright location. Her plant material includes pilea, tillandsias, tiny pink cryptanthus, and baby tears. It’s important to understand the cultural needs of the plants being used so any special watering needs can be met. In this composition, the baby tears will need special attention as they require the most water.

As with any open wired container that is being lined, don’t skimp on the moss. It’s the glue that’s holding everything together after all. When the form is thickly lined, add the potting soil, moistening it and firming it in, then add a slow release fertilizer like Osmocote. Remember to always use a good quality soilless mix when planting any type of container. After the cavity is filled, add more sheet moss to the “back” of the wreath and attach the smaller piece. Now your wreath form is ready to plant!

Adding the cryptanthus…

Water your plants well, then insert them into the wreath by pushing a hole into the moss with your fingers so the soilless mix is exposed. Of course, the smaller the plant the easier this step will be. Once the plant is firmed into place add more sheet moss if needed to keep the soil around the root ball of the plant.

Some plants can be purchased in larger pots and pulled apart, like the pilea and baby tears shown here. It may look a little messy at first, but they will recover in no time. Many plants that work well in living wreaths can be separated in this manner, including ivy, creeping fig, fittonia, asparagus fern, creeping jenny, dwarf mondo, some small ferns and many succulents.

Finished!

What makes these wreaths so interesting and fun to make is the use of different foliage colors, textures and shapes. But, in addition to foliage, wreaths like those shown here can also be planted with bedding plants – in the spring begonias work well and, in the fall, violas and pansys make lovely wreaths too.

Watering requirements will vary on living wreaths, depending on the plants used. For instance, a wreath planted with succulents will need less attention than those shown here.

a living wreath for shade with fittonia, creeping fig and pilea

We’ve found the easiest watering method is to lay them flat and either pour water on them or let them sit in a saucer of water until the planting is heavy. The ivy, fern and creeping fig wreath shown at the beginning of this post lived in the greenhouse, so we were able to shower it with the hose when it needed watering, and the ivy and creeping fig was periodically pinned to the wreath with florist wire so it could root into the moss.

So, as you can see, it just takes time, the proper plants and the right technique to make a living wreath – try one for yourself!

A Look At The Bees, Butterflies & More…Friends In The Garden

photo (3) This post is all about relaxing in your garden. Yes, I said relaxing…it’s late summer and the garden is buzzing with life – or should be. Hopefully we’ve helped you create the perfect habitat for beneficial and beautiful insects and other critters. Take a stroll every so often and really see all that’s happening in their home.

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The other day I spotted a praying mantis on a dahlia in my garden. I put a picture of it on the shop’s Facebook page and, in the comments, a sweet lady said, “Eek!” . It was the perfect time to remind everyone that this is a “good guy” in the garden; they only look menacing. I watched it slowly make its way up the tall dahlia stem and then snatch an ant that made the critical mistake of getting too close.

photo (5) I’ve also seen a few swallowtail butterflies – graceful beacons of midsummer, moving from pentas to zinnia to dahlia and back -.and one that had somehow torn its wing and that I found the next day in tatters in one of my beds. The circle of life continues…

There will be one last generation of swallowtail butterfly caterpillars, and I’ve been waiting for them to appear and munch through my copper fennel. I have a love/hate relationship with the fennel, planted expressly for these pretty swallowtail butterfly caterpillars; by late summer the plants look very much worse for wear…finally the caterpillars arrive to take their fill. So, soon the fennel will be eaten, more butterflies will appear, and I’ll cut back the tall stalky stems that are left and wait for the new, fresh foliage to emerge for fall. Being patient is considered the mark of a good gardener…I think I have a ways to go.

this anole jumped from the house onto the rudbeckia…

I’m sitting out front, watching the anole lizards, early in the morning.The heat is building and, I know I’ll be moving around back soon to stroll in the relative cool of the shade. The sun-drenched southern exposure of this front bed and the western side garden provide the perfect home for them. High summer is their time, and green anoles and blue skinks have the run of the front porch – I want to think they might almost be used to me this late in the summer.

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Frogs are heard, not seen. Following a summer’s afternoon thundershower and as dusk falls is their time. I imagine they’re happy, calling and answering each other across my lower back yard, wet and misty.

Every so often I frighten one as I walk through. It’s been sitting on a rock above water that comes from far below the outcropping. Plunk! I almost, but not quite, see it as it disappears into the water. I feel good knowing I have frogs.

photo (7) I somehow captured the most perfect shot of a honeybee going in for a landing on a poppy this past spring. We need to be mindful of the bees…I’m thankful when I see them happily moving from one bloom to another on the vitex in June or the salvias in August.

I’m trying to be more mindful; not spraying indiscriminately is a very important start to helping these smallest of creatures. I’ve consciously decided that it’s okay to live with an imperfect garden, since living with all of these inhabitants is the ultimate and perfect tradeoff.

You can go a step further and get your yard certified as a wildlife habitat. Look HERE for more information.