Pots of Ivy

It's early monday morning and I get to spend the day doing exactly what I like...

NESTING!

The weather is changing quickly, it's getting quite cold up here, so I have been winterizing

our home and garden. Cleaning up the patio planters and outside furniture. I have

 decided to try bring in my ivy plants.

I bought these plants in the spring and they have done very well out on our shady patio.

They were interspersed with other annuals in big planters but

I'm hoping if I pamper them through the winter they will be able to go

back out on the patio, hopefully even fuller.  I may even keep them in these containers.

All of the pots that I've transplanted them into have been collected over 

the last few months.  I think they work in my

'collected over time' vibe I am going for.

I have always been a real neutral girl, whites, creams...

which I still love, 

but lately I have been adding some color.

Blues, greens, some lavender...I am spotting different shades

 of them everywhere in here!

Isn't that what we do though...evolve.

:)

Fingers crossed, come spring and warmer weather,

I will be able to set these planted ivy, pots and all,

on the patio. Thanks for visiting!

Snow in May

I had big plans for this weekend...

In between watching my girls play soccer,

 I wanted to fill my planters up.  I only do a few,

so it wouldn't have taken too long.  But it was FREEZING.

I thought that we were safe, being May and all...

Surprise!

   

I feel bad for my plants, worse for my girls! 

These little guys will have to wait

for a few more days...I am a

 fair weather gardener :)

Hope you are getting a more sun then 

we are!

Boxwood at the front door

Are you as excited as me to get outside and garden?

Are you sneaking out there at the first sign of 

warm sun rays, like I am?

I have almost finished all my spring cleaning, but

I just cant wait to get out there!!!

So what happens if I am not done by the time the 

real gardening weather kicks in?  Well, for me,

it just has to wait until the fall.Our summers
 are fairly short in the interior, so you
don't waste a moment indoors.

It was so sunny today,  I ignored inside and went to
 work on my front door planters. :))

 They were filled with cute little cedars,

but the deer nibbled them into a bare little cluster of branches!

They need to be replaced with some sort of evergreen,
because I keep these planters out in the winter too.  

Now that the deer know that we have cedars we
 need to plant  something different...they are relentless.
 I don't think they like  boxwood, 

so boxwood it is!

I love boxwood, they are just a little more

expensive than cedar and there root balls sometimes

can be quit large for containers. But we found two nice 

sized ones that would fill the planters perfectly, for a decent price.

I like the shape of them , and I think they should spread and get
  more of a natural shaped through out the summer.

The picture above is what our home looks like today....

and below is what it looked like in 2012.
Click here to see the full Front yard fix  post.

I am really happy with how everything is growing and filling in.

The hydrangea is in the middle, it looks like a bunch of twigs, 

 grows to a nice size in the summer, with great big white
 blossoms.  I will show you when it is in its full beauty.

 These planters have been sprinkled with a few

 pansies.  Pansies work well in this cool spring climate.

As the weather gets warmer I will change them out

 for white petunia waves, they are good in the heat.

  

The planter filled with daffodils and pansies

came from Costco, it has been outside

surviving in this freezing weather for about  3 weeks.

Their planters are inexpensive and lovely.  A win-win. 

 I think this one was about $12, I couldn't fill one for that price!

I am keeping the wreath that I made in the spring up.

I think it will stay for summer too!

Click here to see the full post on 

my spring cottage wreath.

The boxwood has been in this planter since we moved in.

It  was one of the first planters that I bought for our front door.

It has that 'cottage' look, I am going for.  I add a little

 'Natures Gold' to it every spring, and that seems give

 it enough nutrition for the season.

  

Because it sits under the roof line, I was
 able to add  bacopa a little earlier than normal.

With the protection it should be fine.

The sunshine sure felt good today, while I 

played in the dirt!  I hope you are able to enjoy some sun too.

 Now.(sigh)... I better go finish up inside.

I am partying @

Cozy Little House

The Charm of Home