We left off at the backyard end of the patio – in the background you see the lower part of the hot tub, and there is a space for getting to the table with our small gas grill and smoker for cooking outside. Something I keep saying I should do more often, but rarely follow up with. The first pot below has two Heuchera (Coral Bells) and a trailing Begonia. Not yet poking their heads up are some Caladaium bulbs (or tubers, roots?) that I tucked in behind the Coral Bells and am hoping grow up to be pretty girls. Next to that pot is a Nandina Obsession.
A closeup of the trailing Begonia. She’s a cutie. A hundred years ago in my days of youth, I used to plant a different variety of Begonia alongside our outside stairs of our home in the mid-Hudson valley of New York State, but this year is the first year I’ve had any since then. They’re quite the show-offs.
The corner plantings – the Nandina that was already mentioned, in front of which is my Hydrangea – this is her second year, and she suffered a bit during an unusually cold spell we had this past winter, so she’s not doing so very well now. She lives with another Heuchera, some Creeping Jenny, and a couple of Coleus. Behind her is an Abelia shrub – the pictures I’ve seen of them in the past showing very draping branches, which I love. She is new, along with the Nandina and just about everything else, so we’ll see what the future holds for her. And some Gerbera Daisies for another spot of color.
Turning around to look back, we’re going to go out to the section of the patio that leads to the driveway, which is where our “vegetable garden” is this year.
Below, the “vegetable garden”. A Beefsteak tomato plant and a cherry tomato plant. Because I love fresh tomatoes, and really don’t care to expend the effort required for a real vegetable garden. Other than our herbs, of course.
Moving on down the side, a climbing plant, a Thunbergia – I’m looking forward to her brightly colored flowers as the season goes on. Next to her (and yes, all of my plants are girls) is the only peony plant that survived the winter in pots – I planted three of them in pots last year – surrounded by Calabrochoa and Alyssum. There are a couple of Peony plants out in the border in front of the house – perhaps one day we’ll visit out there.
At the corner is what will be a Hummingbird garden when it grows up. This is where some Pineleaf Penstemon and Orange Carpet Hummingbird Trumpet plants live. Behind that is the fountain my husband and I found several years ago at, of all places, Grocery Outlet.
At the corner, heading back to the house.
This pot has orange Bidens in the center, surrounded by Alyssum and Scaveola (Fan Flowers) in white and blue.
Once again, the corner, the fountain, and part of the seating area. The fountain used to be all bright red before the elements dimmed her glow, and looks a lot like an apple, I think. I love the sound, and the birds love having a drinking fountain.
To the end, a pot with Geraniums, Lobelia, and Alyssum, behind which is the lemon tree that spent the winter inside. I’m hoping we are able to harvest some of her fruit by the end of summer. You can see part of the catio, and if you look closely on the far right, middle down, you’ll see Nong’s foot sticking out of the little house. She likes napping there on warm days.
I think now we should sit and rest a bit. It’s a bit early for wine, but I can offer you a nice glass of strawberry ginger lemonade with a hint of mint (from the Mojito Mint plant, of course), if you’d like. Oh, at the bottom of the photo you see our Lantana plants, with a little bit of the peony leaves.
I enjoyed our visit. I hope you did too.