Personalities

Yesterday was "buy plants" day, so we made our yearly trip to Mazzocca's Nursery on Corundite Road in Tuscarawas Township.  The nursery is right next to the home of the owners and it is just lovely.

They grow many of their own plants, plus they have a wide variety.

The daughter always works the register, and we've come to know her over the past three or so years since we discovered their place.  She is very knowledgeable and spends time with the customers.  We were talking about color combinations yesterday and I mentioned that this year I'm doing something different.

Why?  Because I bought a door mat and the colors in it are orange, red, green and yellow.  The lilac flowers that I used last year won't look very good on either side of the mat.  So I decided that this year, it was time to do something radically different.

She said that about a third of her clients do the exact same thing every single year, and the rest change it up a bit. 

A couple of things I've learned about putting outdoor pots together:

1. Change the potting soil about once every two years.
2. The second year the build-in fertilizer will have been spent, so use a good fertilizer when you plant.
3. Put in a lot of plants because some will do better than others, and this way your pot will look full and lush.
4. If you see any signs of disturbance, it would probably mean that either a skunk or a raccoon has been around.  Use "Critter Ridder," a simple spray that keeps the animals away.  It lasts for about a month.  Just follow the directions.  For pots, you don't have to spray the dirt itself but spray all the way around the pot.
5. When flowers start getting "leggy" in the latter part of summer, don't be afraid to cut them back.  You'll get a lovely second growth to appreciate into the fall.
6. Use plenty of greenery and less color.  My niece discovered that when you do this, the colors pop and are not overwhelming each other.  Asparagus fern, blue fescue (which you can plant in the garden at the end of the season) and green spikes are very nice. 
7. Alyssum gives your pot a lace-like look, even though the plants are not all that delicate.
8. Don't be afraid to be adventurous. 
9. Use coleus for really bright dashes of color.
10. Water regularly; don't wait until the plants are wilted.  Many of them won't recover from that.

There is one lovely ground cover that can be used in pots with much success.  I just can't think of the name of it right now.  We have it around a tree in the back yard and it is just glorious, with silver/green leaves and purple flowers.  It made it through the winter very well!!  And last year I bought some, put it in one of the pots, and then planted it around another tree.  It's also doing great.

So happy planting, everyone!  I'm going to be outside a lot today -- looking forward to it.

First, a big bowl of frosted mini-wheats and I'll be raring to go!!

Karen