After lunch and an information-packed presentation by Jay Baer, social media guru, day one of Garden2Blog continued with a tour of the gardens at The City Garden Home, P. Allen Smith's original Garden Home.
Some of the cool things about the City Garden Home were its story (bought for $1.00 and moved from its original location,) its modest size, practical inspiration for both simple. and extravagant gardening and hardscape projects, the raised veggie beds, and the container plantings.
Containers at the Little Rock Garden Home, and at the Garden Home Retreat at Moss Mountain Farm, were surprisingly simple - often containing just one or two plant varieties. Pots were clustered in groups, used as focal points, and placed right into the gardens.
They defied the 'thriller, spiller, filler' convention to great effect, don't you think?
These simple container designs could easily be duplicated by anyone, including newbie gardeners.
This is a great time of year in the Chicago area and all around the Midwest to be inspired by container plantings.
Nurseries have their biggest, and best selections right now,
and even someone who's intimidated by the idea of planting an ornamental container garden on a patio, deck, path, porch, or anywhere,
can take comfort and find inspiration in these simple, beautiful, effective designs.
And while you're at it, consider planting a few herbs, too! Herbs are fantastic in containers, look pretty, smell wonderful, and will inspire and flavor your meals all season long.
Attendees at Garden2Blog 2012 received transportation, hotel accommodations, and meals at no cost. Event sponsors provided samples and product giveaways with no cost or obligation. All opinions in this post are mine.
Attendees at Garden2Blog 2012 received transportation, hotel accommodations, and meals at no cost. Event sponsors provided samples and product giveaways with no cost or obligation. All opinions in this post are mine.
Smile, my hubby will kill me if I plant more containers and pots :o). Too much effort for watering them, he thinks. But to be honest, most of the time I'm watering them *smile* and that's why I plant on.
ReplyDeleteWonderful inspirations you gave us with this post. Thank you and have a lovely garden day!
Alex
I just found some of those water-saving crystals to add to the soil in containers, Alex. Supposedly they save on watering, and I'm going to try them in a couple of containers at home, and for one of my clients who goes away for long weekends often during the summer.
DeleteI'm doing less containers this year than usual, now that our garden has finally matured enough that there's really no room in it for pots anymore.
Glad you found inspiration from the containers! Have a wonderful weekend!
Lovely photographs, Linda. Beautiful simplicity - some pots and some plants. Our veggie garden is finally taking shape after a late start. We planted 100 more onion plants in the valley garden, took the deer exclusion fencing off the garlic, which is now 3 feet tall, repotted the last of the started veggies to be transplanted as they harden off, mulched and watered, and then stood back and admired. Every year we are amazed that a few tiny seeds can turn into a year's worth of beautiful veggies - a miracle, it seems. Then we picked a basket full of mixed greens, radishes and baby turnips and had a grand salad for dinner. :-) ♥ ♥
ReplyDeleteI loved the simplicity too, Mom. I think these ideas really take the mystery out of beautiful container gardens, and they let the plants 'speak' for themselves.
DeleteI've been enjoying salads from our beds, too - even lettuce from last year that survived winter in the hoop house. Most of it's romaine, and I'm amazed how tender it is - more like butterhead lettuces than romaine.
I still haven't got the tomatoes and peppers in the ground yet. I'll be getting a Grow Box from one of the G2B12 sponsors, and am thinking I'll put the peppers in that. Grow Boxes are very similar to Earth Boxes, only better, and less expensive. Can't wait to try it. It's amazing how many peppers can be grown in just one box.
Glad your garden is off to such a great start!
Love your combinations!!! Nice work!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed them, Rohrebot. I can't take credit for them, though - these pots are at P. Allen Smith's Garden Home in Little Rock, Arkansas.
DeleteLove those purples!
ReplyDeleteMe too, Fern!
DeleteI watch P Allen Smith on Saturday mornings. He has such wonderful ideas. I've learned a lot from him. This post makes me want to do more containers.
ReplyDeleteBalisha
He sure does, Balisha! I'm learning a lot from him too.
DeleteI know what you mean about being inspired to do more containers, and just when I swore there'd be less of them this year!
I have been busy getting those containers planted...next year, not so many! Love these pictures and salmon is a great color.
ReplyDeleteSo far I'm keeping my promise to myself to do less of them at home, Layanee. Different story when it comes to containers for clients. I've surpassed all previous records in that department.
DeleteGlad you enjoyed the photos. I love that salmon, too.
Perfect timing, Linda--I'm working on planting all my containers right now. Every year I swear I'm not going to have so many, especially in July and August when I have to water them all. But somehow I always get a little carried away while plant shopping in the spring:) Thanks for the inspirations here!
ReplyDeleteI know the feeling of getting carried away, Rose, and getting tired of watering all those containers come July and August!
DeleteGlad you found some inspiration!
Very tempting.
ReplyDeleteI think so too, Lucy!
DeleteDelightful combos, Linda ... love containers!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed them, Joey!
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