The Deck…

Last year I didn’t purchase plants for the deck and I really missed them. This year, with wedding events and all, we wanted to make certain the deck looked as nice as possible on a tight budget.

I had all the containers and “decorations” already. The largest expenditure was $14.99 for the large geranium display (don’t you just love that color?) to add instant impact. Everything else was fairly inexpensive because I planted them myself.

This year (after learning my lesson the hard way), I made certain I punched holes into the bottom of the white “barrel” container in addition to placing a good layer of river pebbles in all other containers without drainage holes.

I have this coleus planted in various small containers on the deck and front porch. I’m calling them my bonsai coleus because I’m pinching them off as they grow to keep them small. 🙂

Because of the wedding, my husband let me put together an English Garden look without complaining… much.

I added a lot of red to attract hummingbirds, too… and because I love red and yellow together.

I couldn’t resist the lavender hanging geraniums. Eventually the red flowers will get really tall but in the meantime, the stars of the show are those lavender flowers.

The gorgeous vines cascading down the sides were on clearance because they were scraggly but I took a chance on them (for such a cheap price) and they perked up immediately!

This is an English Garden in a box! I will take a better picture when it grows taller but even now it looks pretty. It sits just under the “window box” container with the lavender geraniums.

It was planted in a thrifted box I have kept on the porch for years and almost threw away. I saw something similar in a garden magazine so I took the time to clean up the box and it turned out great (it was covered in spider webs and other gross stuff).

The temperatures were in the 90s during wedding week but the two small tables with umbrellas made it possible for people to comfortably enjoy a lunch together.

See those two flower pots on the small, round table?

I found them on sale at Menard’s, the last two on the shelf.  They will eventually make their way to “my” room. As Stephanie told me, they are very good Cath Kidson type designs.

The inspiration may have been the wedding but we will enjoy the flowers all summer.

Originally posted on Coffee Tea Books and Me.