bedazzling the deck

I've had geraniums blooming on our deck for nearly 2 years straight - same plants! But I think they've either maxed out their lifespan or the "cold" weather and loads of rain in short periods of time have really gotten to them.  So now it's time to start fresh with the plants on the deck. 

I've tried starting plants from seed and I don't think I'm diligent enough to water at the right times and right amounts because I always seem like I'm killing those poor little seedlings.

I'm pretty sure when walking through Home Depot's garden center that Geraniums are in the "I need full sun" category.  But our deck has minimal sun and they do just fine.  However, most of the other plants that I bought the first year I was planting on our deck that were in the "full sun" category actually needed full sun and died soon after.  So I like to stick to the partial sun or shady plants.  And since I prefer to not have our neighbors peer inside our living room every time they are taking their dog out, I like full plants that provide a bit of privacy.  

Right now we are a plethora (meaning 3, sometimes I just want to use that word) of ferns.  So we're good there.  I like ferns, they do well in the shade but to me, they are kind of boring.  We also have some herb that I have no idea what it is but I let it go to seed so I haven't used it (I'm pretty sure if you want it to keep producing the herbs you aren't supposed to let it go to seed, oops.) I think it might have been some sort of fancy oregano (not really fancy but it has some adjective describing the oregano that I can't remember.)  Señor fancy oregano has done well in the shade but since I rarely use fresh oregano in anything I cook, I would like to actually grow herbs that would be useful in the kitchen (and hello! cheaper than buying the fresh herbs at the grocery store.)  I did a little research and decided that chives, parsley and thyme are all good herbs that can handle the shade. I actually keep this planter in the one spot that gets morning sun pretty well, so i guess it usually has a good few hours of sun a day. 

I just added a few succulents.  Again my technique of over watering might be the death of these cute little plants. I'm going to hold back from watering in hopes that they think they are living in the Sahara. {Fingers crossed}  Once summer rolls around, pretty sure they'll excel in our 112 degree dry heat - they will be the only ones excelling in that heat, while Barkley, Mike and I huddle around the air conditioning vent.

Aside from plants on the railing, I've always liked the idea of a living wall.  Wouldn't it be cool to add this to the side of your house?  We can't nail into our outside walls, otherwise I'd be all over something like this round living planter from nevastarr.  

{photo credit and planter for sale - here}

Or how about this sweet planter from the Etsy shop Roped on Cedar.  The dog totally sold me on this planter. :) 

{photo credit and planter for sale - here}

And then of course you don't always have to have plants to spunk up the deck. You can add other stuff, like our turtle named Soup. 

Or this little guy.  I think I really, really need to find a spot for this little pocket gnome.

{photo credit and gnome sold - here}

Harvest

In May of 2012, I planted a green pepper plant.  In November of 2012, I uprooted it since it had yet to produce a pepper.  Upon said uprooting, Mike spotted a baby pepper.  So I replanted it.  I watered it. That pepper didn't grow, but finally, FINALLY in August 2013, we have harvested our very first pepper.  And now apparently the green pepper plant must be so proud of itself (we ceremoniously cut off the first pepper and told the plant how proud we were of it) so now we have about 5 more peppers growing.  Yahoo!

Barkley and I were on a walk earlier this week and I saw this woman up to her shoulder in this random plant alongside the walking path. I had no idea what she would be picking, so on my way back to the car, I decided to check out the area she was at (she had since left) and I found some blackberries (proving to me that she wasn't nearly as crazy as I thought she was about 20 minutes earlier).  I didn't take any, seemed a little strange to be taking random berries.  I did however get really excited by the idea of having a blackberry bush in my yard someday...put that on the list of reasons to buy a house.  

The longest growing season

In a state that is known for being able to have multiple growing seasons per year for its produce, makes it seriously perplexing why my green pepper plant took 8 months to produce its first pepper. Now that it has actually made one pepper, the flood gates have opened and we have 3 more blooms. Why it has taken this long would be questionable, however I have a theory, well maybe "theory" is the wrong word, "explanation" is probably a better fit.

You see in late August, I pulled out some of our plants from their pots and replaced them with new ones. This year is the first year I've planted any plants on the deck and so when I went to home depot I just went with a color scheme in mind and wanted the "pretty plants"  not paying attention to which plants needed full sun or shade.  I learned that we have more shade than I ever would have thought and for the second round of planting purchased only shade - loving plants. This worked out well, the plants are digging it and everything is still thriving (even with the shocking cold nightly temps we *cough, we are wimps, cough cough* are experiencing).

Mike was hanging out on the deck when I was doing the second planting and just after I uprooted the pepper plant, he yelled, "Wait! There's a pepper starting to form!" So I quickly stuck it back into the soil and figured in about 2 weeks we could have fajitas for dinner with our home grown pepper. Fast forward 4 long months and we are almost there. At the rate this baby is growing I should most definitely hold of on buying any cheese for said fajitas, as I am sure by the time this baby is actually big enough to be picked, that cheese will be moldy. But that day will come and we shall open up one of our finest wines to celebrate that little green pepper that could.

I think I can. I think I can...

Keep chugging little green pepper plant.  Keep chugging. 

plant killer

I'm thinking a plant marker saying "Water Me" rather than "Sunshine" might need to be something I ask Santa for!