I put out 5 new hanging baskets today. Mounted the hooks yesterday so it went pretty easy, with the help of my trusty ladder. Blue Lobelia on the left, pink petunias in the middle and white petunias on the right. It will be a little while before they look real good. I hung them there for two reasons basically: that's right in my line of sight out my kitchen window ; and my neighbor can enjoy them there, too! The pagoda-like frame was already there, so that was just such a logical place to hang them. The other hanging baskets are non-bloomers except this purple phlox below in my Small Garden, as I call it. These trees (not sure what they are called) I just hate the look of, but hanging pots on them works, don't ya think? They offer light shade most of the day (the phlox will get a little sun there) and are a perfect hanging rack for these shade-loving non-bloomers: Pothos ivy (green and variegated both), English ivy (hidden up top), Spider/Airplane plant against the fence, and the pretty phlox. The potted variegated ivy on the low wall is going back int he living room this evening. I sized up its pot today. I also potted and hung a red impatiens under a shade tree down in my Big Garden.
Thanks, Aym. I have a pole watering thingie you hook onto your hose, but not sure what it's actually called. We bought it to flush leaves out of our house gutters. It's curved with a sprayer at the end kind of like Bo-Peep's classically drawn pole. I think it will work nicely in this application, don't you? I'm all in to re-purposing stuff. I think your swing idea will be PERFECT for baskets, Aym! Do give us some pics when you get it all "dressed up", won't you?
Sounds like it would be perfect to grow a Wisteria or Cross vine on, too. Or any blooming vine that needs support. Couldn't get a better support for a climbing rose either.
Clematis should do nicely on the swing, Aym. I wish I had better luck with Clematis. Don't think the ones I've tried liked our heat in the summertime. Passion Flowers are the same.......hate our Texas heat.
Dahlias are lovely in the photos but I've never tried them in the garden. Wonder if they'd tolerate our searing 100º+F we can hit in late August and September? But I have my share of slugs and snails, too, so maybe not. Dahlias always remind me of Camelias. I need to plant another Camelia bush up here. I had a gorgeous red one when I lived on the Gulf Coast. And I think I have the perfect spot for one at this new place. Thanks for reminding me. Now the trick is to find one at the garden center.
Honestly, Aym, they really don't grow Clematis or Dahlias much in Texas. The nurseries just don't stock them. My Dad always said that was a sure sign a plant doesn't perform well in the area. My late brother had wonderful luck with them in the Seattle, Washington area though. Much cooler up there. Some very talented gardeners I chat with on-line say they can keep it alive, but the heat is a killer for it and I've had zero luck with it. Tried 3-4 times and gave up. We actually have both dry heat and humid heat. I just stay indoors when it's humid, because, like you, the humidity is oppressive to me. I remember July being so lovely when we toured Britain by car in 1980. We needed sweaters in the morning and no wraps by midday.
It's lovely against the red brick of the house at the back of that bed and gets sun most of the day there. I think I'll go get another couple of them: one for the other side of my front porch to balance this one, and a nice sunny spot at the front edge of my main corner bed in the front yard. That one will be very visible from the street and would have lovely darker green plants (Giant Lirope, Aspidistra and a small Pittosporum) behind it.
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And you, AYM, very busy today, so much to do!?
I put out 5 new hanging baskets today. Mounted the hooks yesterday so it went pretty easy, with the help of my trusty ladder. Blue Lobelia on the left, pink petunias in the middle and white petunias on the right. It will be a little while before they look real good. I hung them there for two reasons basically: that's right in my line of sight out my kitchen window
; and my neighbor can enjoy them there, too! The pagoda-like frame was already there, so that was just such a logical place to hang them. 
The other hanging baskets are non-bloomers except this purple phlox below in my Small Garden, as I call it. 
These trees (not sure what they are called) I just hate the look of, but hanging pots on them works, don't ya think? They offer light shade most of the day (the phlox will get a little sun there) and are a perfect hanging rack for these shade-loving non-bloomers: Pothos ivy (green and variegated both), English ivy (hidden up top), Spider/Airplane plant against the fence, and the pretty phlox. The potted variegated ivy on the low wall is going back int he living room this evening. I sized up its pot today. I also potted and hung a red impatiens under a shade tree down in my Big Garden. 
Last edited: 11 March 2017 18:30:29
Thanks, Aym. I have a pole watering thingie you hook onto your hose, but not sure what it's actually called. We bought it to flush leaves out of our house gutters. It's curved with a sprayer at the end kind of like Bo-Peep's classically drawn pole. I think it will work nicely in this application, don't you? I'm all in to re-purposing stuff.
I think your swing idea will be PERFECT for baskets, Aym! Do give us some pics when you get it all "dressed up", won't you? 
Last edited: 12 March 2017 00:02:28
Sounds like it would be perfect to grow a Wisteria or Cross vine on, too. Or any blooming vine that needs support. Couldn't get a better support for a climbing rose either.
I like dahlias, but the slugs and snails eat them.
Clematis should do nicely on the swing, Aym. I wish I had better luck with Clematis. Don't think the ones I've tried liked our heat in the summertime. Passion Flowers are the same.......hate our Texas heat.
Dahlias are lovely in the photos but I've never tried them in the garden. Wonder if they'd tolerate our searing 100º+F we can hit in late August and September? But I have my share of slugs and snails, too, so maybe not. Dahlias always remind me of Camelias. I need to plant another Camelia bush up here. I had a gorgeous red one when I lived on the Gulf Coast. And I think I have the perfect spot for one at this new place. Thanks for reminding me. Now the trick is to find one at the garden center.
Last edited: 14 March 2017 13:32:22
Honestly, Aym, they really don't grow Clematis or Dahlias much in Texas. The nurseries just don't stock them. My Dad always said that was a sure sign a plant doesn't perform well in the area. My late brother had wonderful luck with them in the Seattle, Washington area though. Much cooler up there.
Some very talented gardeners I chat with on-line say they can keep it alive, but the heat is a killer for it and I've had zero luck with it. Tried 3-4 times and gave up. We actually have both dry heat and humid heat. I just stay indoors when it's humid, because, like you, the humidity is oppressive to me. I remember July being so lovely when we toured Britain by car in 1980. We needed sweaters in the morning and no wraps by midday. 
I got out early today and planted a Genista Racemosa (a Sweet Broom bush).https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=Genista+racemosa&fr=yhs-mozilla-001&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-001&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fkiyanti2008.files.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F09%2Fgenista-racemosa-3.jpg#id=2&iurl=https%3A%2F%2Fkiyanti2008.files.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F09%2Fgenista-racemosa-3.jpg&action=click
It's lovely against the red brick of the house at the back of that bed and gets sun most of the day there. I think I'll go get another couple of them: one for the other side of my front porch to balance this one, and a nice sunny spot at the front edge of my main corner bed in the front yard. That one will be very visible from the street and would have lovely darker green plants (Giant Lirope, Aspidistra and a small Pittosporum) behind it.
Last edited: 15 March 2017 16:06:47
hope u don't mind me sharing this picture - it's not a basket but it's a long container i planted up in summer and was really proud of the result