Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Planter Time...Woot!


I have always got great satisfaction from planting and growing my own baskets and containers. Buying these full blown things from stores and nurseries just doesn't do it for me. They also don't make it through the season. They are exhausted well before frost takes them. So it is with great joy that I head to the nursery to pick my plants for my hanging baskets and containers (of which there are 14.)
Verbenas were big enough to slip
Unfortunately I am like a deer caught in the headlights. Soooo many choices. Soooo many beautiful colours and lovely little specimens.... I want them all.  So last year I decided to be very organized and picked my colour scheme and plants ahead of time (with help from the Proven Winners website) so that when I went to the nursery it would be just a matter of putting them on my trolly.  I would put blinkers on and just get the things on my list.  Trouble was that when I went, which was mid May, they did not have what I wanted. They had had the petunias but they were already planted into mixed baskets. No good.  The colours of my filler plants also not quite right. I would have to scrap the plan and start again. Back to square one. Several hours later I left the nursery.

petunia and calibrchoa plugs
So this year I got really organized and called the greenhouse manager in January! This is what I want, are you getting any of these? Put those aside please I will get them when they arrive as wee babes. So between two greenhouses I was able to order what I wanted and picked them up in mid April. Now this spring, as we all know, has been particularly cold and on that day in April it was freezing! I got seriously strange looks as I packed the plants into my pre warmed vehicle. But I had cut my plant shopping time by about 300%. In and out. No temptation as everything in the greenhouse was just tiny and green. Mission accomplished.
planting day

I am lucky to have a large south window and have a temporary table arrangement in front of it. So I nursed these little beauties inside till I got a day that was warm enough and not blowing a gale and out we went to plant. Shortly after the weather turned and they have been ever so happy. Didn't have to worry about frost till two nights ago.  Not a problem. I was ready and everyone was tucked up safe and warm. Inside, in the van or covered with a blanket.  All good.
 

today
 
This is what the baskets look like today. They will go out again when it warms up a bit.  Not much of a show yet but their little roots will be so happy and growing like mad.  I will keep posting pictures so you can watch their progress.  Such fun!