Summer Flower Pots

Are you a creature of habit when it comes to filling your flower pots?

Or, do you like to try new combinations of this and that?

I try to change things up each summer.

Sometimes my new ideas exceed my expectations;

sometimes they fall flat,

and sometimes the deer and squirrels have their way with them 

before I have a chance to make up my mind.

 This season, overall, I've been pretty happy with my flower pots.

One thing that stays fairly constant each year 
are the flowers under the tree in our front yard.

Petunias, which seem to be deer-proof, fill the barrel.
Somehow, they get just enough sun to keep flourishing. 

Impatiens do well in the hanging basket in the shade.
This year, I added creeping Jenny, which gives the basket a brand-new look.
It's kind of like updating an old outfit with a new pair of shoes.

 Lots of colorful pots are on the front porch, as usual.
The big change was adding red dahlias, which are just dahling!

I usually fill the boxes on the deck with a variety of different flowers,
but this summer, marigolds are the sole occupants
(the monarch butterflies approve).
Marigolds continue to bloom here into the early fall,
and their red and yellow petals will mingle nicely with autumn colors.  
That is, if I don't kill them before that. 

Caladiums like partial sun and shade, so they always end up on the deck somewhere.

 This is the first time I've used dahlias in planters on the back deck.
They're so pretty, they make me want to break out in song!
 
Hello, Dahlia, well, hello, Dahlia!
It's so nice to have you back where you belong!
You're lookin' swell, Dahlia...I can tell, Dahlia,
You're still glowin', you're still crowin', you're still "growing" strong.

Sorry. I apologize for that musical interlude out of nowhere.

Last summer, an oversized planter was filled with petunias.
I wanted more variety this time, so I mixed it up.
The caladium in the center was supposed to give it height,
but it just hasn't grown as tall as I had hoped.

My rustic box is rarely used the same way twice.
I'm loving its new look, 
  with creeping Jenny spilling over its sides, and a few impatiens added for color.

The red metal basket has a new home on the bottom shelf  
of the garden table,
and instead of holding flowers, it's filled with empty terra cotta pots.   

I wasn't sure what to do with this huge pot, 
but I had a lot of marigolds left over, so that settled that.

The herbs I plant are pretty consistent,  
with lavender, rosemary, basil, mint and thyme as staples.
There must be something special in the lavender this year,
One morning, a hummingbird stopped by........

........and the very next morning, two yellow finches were munching away.
I've never seen birds in the herb garden, so it was a real treat.  

They liked the rosemary, too.

The seating area is fairly shaded, so impatiens are an annual "annual."
I added some dusty miller for a bit of a change.
Looks nice with the pillows, doesn't it?

The birdcage planter was a new addition this year. 

More creeping Jenny!
Once I discovered it, I couldn't get enough of it.

 For a better look at where most of these planters reside on my deck, click here.

It's hard to believe that summer is almost half over,
and that soon, I'll be singing "Where Have All The Flowers Gone?"
But let's not  rush things, and sing that tune just yet, okay?

  

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