F A V O R I T E B E D D I N G P L A N T S
Nothing says spring has really arrived better than your favorite bedding plants showing up at your local nurseries. Once spring flower bedding plants arrive at plant stands, then they make their way to potting benches getting ready for spring gardens.
At least that is what happens at my house and on my back porch potting bench. Every year my plan is to plant my new favorite bedding plants as soon as I get them home. But, every year my good intentions get waylaid.
Every year I watch for annual lavender and annual lobelia plants. When these two show up in my garden stores, I know spring has finally arrived, and I buy several of the 4-inch bedding plants in my favorite colors of cobalt blue lobelia, lavender colored lobelia, and French lavender plants.
Until last year, new bedding plants languished on the fireplace hearth in the house or on the back deck waiting for me to plant them in pots. Once the plants are bought, it always seems like something else comes up that needs doing, or there is a late spring cold snap, or there are torrential spring rains, or .... fill in anyone of the things life expects to happen before planting new flowers.
Last year things changed, for the better, with the creation of a potting bench area just two steps out the French doors and onto the covered porch. Now when new small plants arrive home with me, there is a place for them, on a potting bench, until life says, "Okay, you may now plant your new plants."
French lavender and annual lavender lobelia starter plants thrive on the potting bench since they are outside soaking up sunshine and humidity. Watering them is much easier than when plants were kept on the fireplace hearth in years past.
Sad to say, some years in the past some of the starter plants did not survive their stay inside waiting to be planted. This year, all the plants survived until planted in the larger pots on the porch and deck.
Fortunately this year, the large bell cloche was not needed to protect the small plants from a late cold snap. The white alyssum is hardy without the cloche, and is one of the first bedding plants to be planted each spring at my house.
Other plants on the potting bench this year include a small mint plant in a vintage French seed pot and two faux hyacinth plants. The mint is now planted in a larger pot on the open deck where it can be harvested easily all during spring, summer, and fall.
Lobelia, lavender, and alyssum are three of my favorite blooming plants for pots on the deck, and live topiaries are one of my favorite non-blooming plants for both outside and inside. The potting bench provides a perfect place to work with all of them.... much better than working with them on the fireplace hearth.
Signs of spring are everywhere, not just on the potting bench. The oak trees are in bloom, the potted live boxwood has new growth, and the potted hosta plants are emerging.
Creating the potting bench last year was easy, and most of the components are things we already had. Take a look around your house. You probably have everything you need to create one, also. You just need a work surface like a table or tall chest. A vertical hanging area is nice, but not necessary. We used left over galvanized livestock fencing and hung it from hooks.
Spring flowers on the potting bench are only the beginning for the potting bench this year. Summer flowers, patriotic license plates, autumn pumpkins, and Christmas greenery are some of the projects planned for the potting bench this year. So much to look forward to...
Has spring arrived at your house or are you still battling winter?
Do you love seeing beautiful photos of houses, gardens, projects?
I know I do, and I look forward to reading websites all across the Internet.
You, too?
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