Blue Garden Update

 I posted about a blue garden project a while back,
but I realized I never updated it.
It hasn't really been on the front burner,
but I've been working on it little by little.

The blue daze were looking good here,
when they were installed near the driveway .
The sprinklers had trouble reaching them,
and I'm not disciplined enough to remember to hand water
as often as I needed to.

 

They really started looking peaked.

And they were really too large for the space.

Along with the lack of water,

someone ran over this poor lil' thing with one of the ride-ons.

Oooops...

They were moved to the backyard.  
They add a border around the clothesline.
They'll be sure to get more water from the sprinklers back there.

The blue-eyed grass is blooming.

It's like a breath of cool air on a hot day.

A few more were picked up at the last  
Backyard Gardener's Festival.

The native petunias just keep popping up,
so they were transplanted around the pathway 
leading up to the front door.

 

They were also placed along the driveway
in front of the flax lily
(which also has subtle blue flowers when in bloom).
Big K adjusted the sprinklers, so they should be well-watered now.

A few were arranged around the
dwarf fakahatchee grass in the front bed.

Before adding any more plants,
we'll just wait to see how these fill out.

Neighbors gifted us with these stepping stones 
a few weeks ago.
They were placed on our side walkway
to fill in where the other stones were missing.

 I just walked off 3 steps between them
and laid them down.

 These type of projects are so easy and 
when the supplies are free,
there's more motivation to get them done.

I like the unusual shape of the newly added stones.
We are so grateful to others who think of us.
May you be gifted with something 
that motivates you to complete an outdoor project.
Enjoy your day!






 

In a Daze

These Blue Daze were acquired from Leslie

at TakaNapa Farm.

They are esteemed for the periwinkle color of the blooms.

(Periwinkle is my favorite hue.)

They are an essential component of the blue garden we are working on.

They do well with very little care.

Considered a Florida-friendly plant,

as they tolerate heat and are drought-tolerant,

they require only a trim once in a while.

They were starting to spill over onto the driveway

and while I like the softening it adds to the hardscape,

it's not too practical when you are making your way

up the drive on foot.

I'm all about curves in the landscape,

but I thought I'd try something different.

They were trimmed in a square shape.

If I end up not liking the formality,

they'll grow back in no time

and I can let 'em go wild.

Plans have been made to use these beauties

elsewhere in the blue garden,

so I'll attempt to sprout some seedlings.

I took the cut stems and stripped the bottom leaves off.

I used rain water to see what happens.

This is how they looked after 3 days.

Yeah, Mother Nature is a marvel.

Hopefully, I'll have enough to use

and even more to share!

Have a great weekend, y'all!

Beginning of the Blue Garden

Last year, we added this curve to the front of our house

using flax lily as one of the main plant materials.

 

We promptly got a letter from the HOA

stating that it hadn't been approved.

Yeah, whatever...

I like the movement it gives the front entrance.

As an avid reader of Hoe and Shovel,

I remembered Meems posting about the unsightly issue

with the leaves

and how to deal with them.

She suggested something mighty drastic.

If you've read her blog (and you really should!),

you know that she is quite an accomplished gardener.

I trust her implicitly.

So I did it.

Right down to the quick!

Know what happened?

They grew back beautifully!

The leaves seemed more vibrant and healthy.

Flax lily is a Florida-friendly plant.

It is drought-tolerant, has year-round color,

blooms, and easily multiplies itself.

What's not to love?

As part of the "blue garden makeover" project,

these lovelies needed to be moved over

to make room for other plant material.

They will also be divided at this time,

to give more flow to this bed framing the driveway.

They are easily segmented by digging them up

and gingerly separating the roots.

This was the first step in simplifying the front beds.

Happy gardening y'all!

Purple Passion

I have a thing for blooms in shades of blue.

My favorite color is not blue,

it is periwinkle.

This native salvia spiraling toward the sky

has a wonderful texture.

http://m.naplesnews.com/news/2011/mar/10/salvia-adds-color-plus-butterflies-and-hummingbird/

White phlox with magenta centers.

These wildflowers are a sweet lilac color.

What a wonderful bouquet they would make.

Love the star shape of this subdued beauty.

This popped up the other day.

No idea what it is, but it is delicate and glorious.

Agapanthus blooms are worth waiting for,

as they are quite dramatic.

I look forward to dividing these so that we have even more

to enjoy and share with neighbors.

Meems at Hoe and Shovel has some striking photos

and as always,

lots of great information

about these amazing creations.

These lantana have a deeper purple than is apparent here.

The butterflies just love 'em!

You can't go wrong with petunias.

They look cheery no matter what the weather.

A spattering of white on purple gives an heirloom effect.

Do you have a favorite color scheme in your garden?

http://msgreenthumbjean.blogspot.com/