So I know I said I’d do my big reveal in a day or two and here’s it’s been a whopping 2 weeks. Poop on me. The truth is, I planted my window boxes and I think they need more oomph.
Here’s what I mean by oomph:
Courtesey Luvzdollz on Flickr.
From BehindtheScenes2006 on Flickr.
From Angie Naron on Flickr.
From Joyeux Artiste on Flickr.
All totally lush and gorgeous, right? When I wrote Part 1, I had my flowers all picked out (and purchased!) and I just knew that I was going to get that kind of look. But I kind of think I struck out.
Here are my front window boxes now:
I used one of my favorite tricks from last year which is to buy a big ol’ bushy fern and take a butcher knife to it. Yes, that’s right I just sawed that sucker in half and used a half in each window box and I think the effect is quite nice.
But my issue is with the Catalina (or Wishbone flower) I chose. I LOVE the trumpet shape of these.
And I had the idea that they would just mass and mound in there and maybe even do a little trailing. And you can see in the photo above that they are trailing a tad. They are pretty up close but not so stunning from far away. I think my issue is that I need more impact!!
I should have listened to the container rule that I have always followed more closely.
Start with a thriller (something tall), add a spiller (something over the side) and fill in with a colorful filler.
Those Catalinas are beautiful but there just isn’t enough impact. So before I threw in the towel, I tried to apply my learnings to our sunny back deck where we also have window boxes. And this is where I netted out:
Geraniums, Petunias, and Potato Vine. Classic. And apparently for a reason. It looks great.
Excuse the slightly dark photos as these were taken at dusk.
So what do you think? Should I replant my Catalina elsewhere and look for a more colorful filler? Remember, it’s shady in the front there and I think tough to find a good bloomer. Any suggestions?
We’ve got a true disaster scene in the window boxes at Chez Perry. It’s a grave emergency and we need to divide and conquer for window box victory before the whole season has past. Here’s a look at the mess we’re in:
Yeah. I wouldn’t exactly call the petrified ornamental cabbages left over from the winter a steal-worthy idea. And in these window boxes we are dealing with another enemy of the state of gorgeousness. That enemy is shade. And lots of it! What you want in a window box is cheerful color and with shade that can be much harder to come by.
But we aren’t the only ones with window box woes. See this reader write-in from Cincinnati, Ohio:
Dear Ask Julia,
I need advice. Every year I plant window boxes and set them outside on the window ledges and for a while they look cute. But then the window sills start to look dirty from inside the house (no matter how much i reduce the dirt in the planter), and the plants start to get overgrown, I need a new approach. I just planted pansies, but a month from now I’ll need to replant. Ideas???
Please steal a good idea for me.
- Carol
Thank you Carol for this thoughtful question. Lots of issues to tackle here. Before we get into the fun stuff of designing an plant combination, let’s pause for a minute and go over the basics of successful window boxery.
DRAINAGE
This is the number one key to window box success. You need to keep an eye on 2 different elements of drainage. First, your container must have drainage holes and plenty of them. You can put something down (like chicken wire or a couple of stones) to make sure that your dirt doesn’t run out but don’t be shy about the drainage holes. The second thing to consider is that you leave drainage space between the box and the side of the house for water to get through. Most window boxes, when installed correctly, will leave 1/2 inch there so that water doesn’t pool and wreak havoc on your wooden window frame.
LIGHT WEIGHT
Choose a light weight container. I do not want to hear from any genius idea thieves who found a gorgeous concrete planter for under the window only to have it break their foot when it gave way under the weight of the concrete, potting soil and water. Choose wooden, fiberglass, or plastic window boxes. Fill them with potting mix (it’s less dense than soil). Make life easy on your brackets.
WATER
Your window boxes are going to need more water than the plants in your yard. They just plain dry out faster and they don’t get the same nutrients. I recommend watering them with a watering can instead of your hose. It keeps the potting mix from eroding out of the container and lessens the water spots on your windows (you can bank on leaving the Windex spending more time under the kitchen sink and less time out front).
FERTILIZE
Pop a little Miracle Grow in that watering can or sprinkle a little Osmocote in the dirt before the plants arrive. Osmocote is my favorite time-release fertilizer. And they just came out with these fun pellets. Haven’t tried them myself yet but from where I sit it’s a genius product extension.
So Carol, with those basics, I think we might have hit on 2 items that could help you to address your issues. It sounds like you are working with window boxes that are not installed on brackets. Rather, they just sit on the window ledges. This is preventing you from getting that good drainage from between the box and the window/wall. Water is pooling, it’s dirty, and it’s splashing. No bueno. In addition, might you be watering with a hose? I think using a watering can would probably help you a ton.
I also recommend PACKING IN THE FLOWERS. It’s a window-box so the standard 6-8″ between plants just isn’t going to cut it. I’ll show you more about this in Part 2 of the Window Box Triage series which focuses on window box design. But aside from being beautiful, packing in the flowers keeps the dirt in place. No washing away, no splashing. Bueno.
Stay tuned … in just a day or so I’ll reveal The Solution to my own window box woes.
Be Green: reduce, REUSE, and recycle
Save Green: like, free
Get Green: no more pesky bald patches in your landscape
Intrigued? Read on.
The first time we saw our little abode, we loved her straight away, even if her paint colors were looking a little dated.
My hubby was chomping at the bit to get started on that landscape tout suite but we were practically broke. The previous owner had been an avid gardener before she just got too old to take care of the yard anymore. So there was some beauty lurking around but it needed some serious TLC. Case in point: shrubbery abounds on the right side of the front porch, nada on the left. Weird, right?
We really wanted some boxwoods to match what was on the right so we put up a wanted ad on CraigsList. We knew this was a bit of a long-shot. Boxwoods are coveted in Southern gardens and we’d heard many a tale of vacations and cars being financed by selling big, old boxwoods right out of the yard to newer homes seeking that “always been there” look. But we tried anyway and would you believe that on the very first day our post was live we got a bite!? The voice on the other side of the phone said:
“We just pulled 6 boxwoods out of a yard up here today. I was just about to haul them to the dump in the morning. If you want them, come on out and pick them up.”
Visualize Will and Julia doing a happy dance.
Except that when my husband drove out to timbuktoo, TN, they weren’t boxwoods at all. They were hemlocks. So our original boxwoods to the right of the porch got moved elsewhere and we become the proud parents of 6 new hemlocks.
Now just about the only thing I can think of that hemlock has made a bigger impression on is Socrates. But while hemlock killed Socrates dead, it totally brought our yard to life:
(Please ignore the petrified ornamental cabbage in the windowboxes. Yes, those are the same cabbages that I planted in December in my very first post and there’s a windowbox post coming soon, I promise.)
Now here’s the real kicker about these hemlocks. My hubbs went down to the garden center to find out what fertilizers and such would make these puppies thrive. And would you believe that the nursery told him that he would sell hemlocks that large for $400 apiece!!! We have 6! That’s $2400 in landscaping for nuthin’ except the cost of gas to get to timbuktoo and pick them up. Not to shabby.
So …
Be Green: reduce, REUSE, and recycle
Save Green: like, free
Get Green: no more pesky bald patches in your landscape
And although I am sure I’m not the first to come up with the idea to source landscaping on Craig’s List, I devised this plan sans rip off or inspiration file. So let’s call this one a Julia Original. Why not give it a whirl! What do you have to lose?
About a month or two ago, I was working out at the gym perusing someone’s left-behind copy of Better Homes & Gardens. I turned the page to find a photo of a farm-house sink styled with all kinds of colorful vintage vases brimming with different kinds of flowers. (Out of guilt, I didn’t nab that tattered BHG and now I can’t find the photo anywhere … let me know if you’ve seen it so I can post it here!) It dawned on me that literally every single vase that I own is clear glass (well, with the exception of my the egg-shaped vases that I used in my collection post). So I resolved to add some color to my vase collection and on my last flea market run, I scored this:
Besides just being a great thing to have on hand for when my hubby brings home flowers (which the smart guy does with regularity), I was hoping to find something that was just the right size to brighten up the telephone nook in our hallway. And, I think it definitely does.
I was so pumped up to see that the blue in the vase totally picks up on the blue in that occasional chair that we got hand-me-down from Will’s mom and freshened up with a bit of new fabric. But, I still felt like the space was lacking some pizazz. My good friend Rebecca who blogs right here told me about an awesome website that you’ve got to check out. You see, Rebecca knows that I had fake flowers and plants. You will never find silk botanicals in my home ever. But the real thing, when dried, is a totally different story. So for weeks I’ve been obsessing over Nettleton Hollow. Check out some of their cool offerings:
6 dried artichokes are $16.50 and 10 lotus pods are $8.50. Either would look awesome in a bowl or tray on a coffee table. The dried artichokes would be especially cute in a dish nestled in on some shelves with your cookbooks.
This manzanita branch is 24″ tall and $18.50. If you aren’t convinced that you should spend nearly $20 on a branch, take a look at Nettleton Hollow’s blog where manzanita branches are the star of the show and are used in a million different creative ways.
So I spent weeks surfing around the site. At first I was going to go the safe route and just get some grasses to fill my vintage vase. But then I decided, what the heck, let’s get funky with the dried botanicals. I found this photo on the Nettleton Hollow website and decided that was the ticket:
So here’s my little telephone nook now:
These botanicals are almost pre-historic looking. I’m into it! And while I was at it, I put some of that boring, dried rice on top of my bar to give it a little extra height. Maybe that crystal vase will get replaced with something colorful sometime soon. And for sure I’ll put an actual photo in that Pottery Barn frame instead of the birch trees that have been in it since Christmas.
Funky, dried botanicals r us! What do you think? Comments make me feel loved!
Gardening, Plants & Flowers , Julia Original
Houseplant Insurance, Part 3 in the Houseplant Series
Here’s my final post in the houseplant series and it also is a Julia Original. I call it Houseplant Insurance. Others call it the self-watering pot. I suppose this is less of an idea and more of a purchase suggestion. But I like to think of it as a credo. If you are known to let your houseplants die, you need to invest in some self-watering pots. Those combined with hearty houseplant varieties are virtually indestructible.
So what is a self-watering pot? Here’s what it looks like to the unsuspecting guest:
And here’s what it looks like when you take it apart to add water (once in a blue moon):
That little guy on my living room coffee table is also in a self-watering pot:
When you purchase a self-watering pot, you should realize that the larger the base the less often you have to water it. That one up top requires a refill once every month to 6 weeks while the smaller one is more like every 2-3 weeks. Either way, it’s a lot less to keep up with in the plants department. I found the large one at Urban Gardener in Atlanta. The smaller one I found at Lowe’s. Because of it’s size, it was marketed as being perfect for violets. But obviously it works for a lot more than just violets!
These pots aren’t dainty or formal. They are typically heavy pottery which works for most rooms in my house (the plastic ones are more plentiful but I’m not a fan). They aren’t always easy to come by so keep an eye out for them and snap ‘em up when you see them. A few extra dollars spent on a self-watering container is well worth it since your plants will last much, much longer. Believe me, I know! ;)
Decorating , Gardening, Plants & Flowers , Julia Original , Rip Off
Houseplant Bling, Part 2 in the Houseplant Series
Who’dve thunk I could stretch out a topic like houseplants to 3 posts? But that’s exactly what I’m planning to do! Today’s topic represents a collaboration between Martha Stewart and I. It’s one part Martha Rip Off and one part Julia Original. Let’s begin with the Rip Off.
Remember how in my very first post I told you I was reading Martha Stewart in my early 20′s? We’ll here’s proof. I’ve been toting this idea around with me since 2001. Behold Martha Stewart Living’s March of 2001 Find of the Month. Silver Pot Saucers!
You can click on these images and get more of a close-up if you want to read about this straight from the Martha’s mouth. But the concept is pretty easy to grasp and pretty elegant once executed. Use flea market silver plate platters with pretty edging as your plant saucers instead of those ugly, flimsy, plastic plates. You’ve got to have something to protect your furniture. Silver plate is cheap and if it’s flawed it either won’t show or won’t matter. It’s available in abundance at flea markets and yard sales and with a little polish and some stick-on felt surface protectors to keep the silver from scratching your furniture you are good to go. Here’s what it looks like in my house and I’m not even using old clay pots (which for the record look fantastic in the top picture above, IMHO):
You might have noticed the silver plate under the tulips from my roman shade post:
And also under this very same orchid on my mantle in my last post. I keep several of these little gems on hand to embellish any house plant that needs extra sparkle. In the case of my orchid, you get all of the texture of something organic like cork dressed up with the jewelry of a little silver pedestal. Beautiful and simple. Thank you Martha, for the fantastic idea. Consider it stolen.
But that’s not where the Houseplant Bling extravaganza ends. I’ve got a few tricks of my own to share. The first is … drumroll please … moss! I firmly believe that adding a little moss to cover the dirt of your houseplants makes them look infinitely more finished. And it’s totally easy. I get my moss at Michael’s. It’s $4.99 per bag. This is what it looks like:
And this is what it looks like when it’s tucked around your houseplants ….
Valentine’s tulips with ugly foil wrapper (and gift of diamonds lotto ticket from hubby attached) BEFORE:
Valentine’s tulips with red foil removed, plopped into a silver cachepot that’s not even the right size, and moss gaps filled in looking VERY fancy AFTER:
Take note! I did not plant that tulip in this pot. I just dropped it down in there and covered up all of the terra cotta colored plastic and the gap between the ovular cachepot and the round plastic pot with moss. Easy.
And here’s a close-up of another of our plants. Just a plain old plant, looking WAY more finished and thoughtful with a little moss tucked in there:
And this little guy on my living room coffee table. I had received a basket of mixed houseplants and over time several of them just got gangly and crazy looking. This little one stayed small and pretty so I repotted it and tossed the rest. I originally planted it to the side thinking that I would put another type of houseplant in with it. But now with the little carpet of moss, I’m looking for a little embellishment of another sort. Maybe some little mushrooms made of organic material or a few robin’s eggs or a couple of sticks of driftwood. Too much? Maybe. But I’ve got an eye out for something that would look interesting right there and at the end of the day, it might just be another plant. Check it out that fabulous, organic, mossy texture:
But forest floor moss doesn’t fit every plant. I have this awesome little aloe plant that my friend Brandy gave me for Christmas. The little lady was calling out for a bit of jewelry of her own but my usual moss selection just wasn’t cutting it. Well luckily on the same aisle at Michael’s is Spanish Moss. Spanish Moss is a great choice for cactuses, succulents, and anything that has more of a desert feel (ironic since Spanish Moss is a mainstay on the Georgia Coast). Check out my little lady aloe:
Pretty, right? Looks like it was purchased at a nursery, already all dressed up for a night out. Not so! Totally DIY dressed up. (For the record, she was dressed for the holidays when Brandy gave her to me … adorable but looking a little neglected now that March is upon us … wardrobe change!)
Bling out your houseplants! It’s cheap, easy, and makes things look so finished and fancy.
Decorating , Gardening, Plants & Flowers , Julia Original
The Perry Orchid Rotation, Part 1 in the Houseplant Series
Am I turning into an old woman? I think I might try to cultivate orchids. At the first of November, my colleagues sent me this beautiful orchid:
Would you believe that this beauty only stopped blooming at the first of February? 3 solid months of BEAUTIFUL purple blooms. I, for one, was totally shocked. Of course, I’ve never been known as a green thumb so my shock might have come purely from inexperience. Regardless, I think I might have found a new favorite website and maybe even a new hobby. The American Orchid Society offers lots of great advice on how to successfully grow orchids at home and to be honest, it doesn’t seem like it’s that hard to do.
Tonight, I learned a couple of key things:
1.) Looks like I have a Phalaenopsis (fail-eh-NOP-sis) or Moth Orchid. They are pretty dang common at grocery stores and such and apparently are treated a bit differently from other orchids. The upside? It’s super easy to keep them thriving. If you are wondering what kind of orchid you picked up on impulse, check here.
2.) They like bright, indirect light. I had my orchid on the dining room table where indirect light was aplenty until I decided that it was too gorgeous not to put on my mantle. It thrived there for about 6 weeks so it must have been pretty content, right? Well it turns out that this rich, dark green color on the leaves is actually a sign that it’s not getting enough light. Orchids leaves should be a lighter shade of green. Interesting given that the last time I saw a yellow-green on the leaf of one of my houseplants, I was putting that sucker out to pasture in no time. Not so with orchids!
3.) They really do need a good soaking, as long as they are ready for water and allowed to drain well. This depends a lot on the pot you use and the humidity in your house. But really all you have to do is stick your finger down in the soil. If it’s damp, you are ok. If it’s dry, it needs water. If you can’t decide, wait another day and then water.
4.) Fertilize weakly weekly. The AOS recommends diluting any orchid fertilizer that you get from your local Home Depot down to 1/4 and using that weekly on your orchid plants. Even I can handle that!
Even if you do all of that, your orchid is probably only going to bloom for 6 – 10 weeks a couple of times per year. That is just not often enough for me. So I decided to institute the Official Perry Orchid Rotation. Here’s my plan … I want tall, graceful, blooming color on my mantle at all times. So, when my orchid fades, like this one eventually did ….
I will prune and place in a sunny location and continue to water and fertilize as above. Then I run out and get a blooming one for the mantle. Nashvillians, Creekside Nursery on Harding Place near Harding Road was running an awesome special on orchids – just $14.99 for BEAUTIFUL ones earlier this week. Run over there and see if there are any left!
How to prune:
Off-season orchids are going on my filing cabinet in my office. This way they’ll get plenty of morning light (according to the AOS, this is perfect). And I actually think a grouping of non-blooming orchids will look fabulous here the more I collect. Those dense beautiful leaves are just spectacular, and see how I pruned it down just like the video taught me?
Stay tuned to see if these puppies actually bloom again! Ever tried to cultivate orchids? Have any tips for me?
No sir. I don’t need expensive Pottery Barn decorations to make the outside of my house a winter wonderland! I found myself pretty taken with this exterior shot when the holiday Pottery Barn catalogs started arriving in October.
But there was no way I was paying $79 for a 22″ wreath and $59 for a 60″ garland studded with plastic ornaments. Plus, the greenery is FAKE! I hate fake!
So I got my own REAL pine wreath for $19 at the Boy Scout tree lot near my house and set out on a mission for ornaments suitable for outdoors. An impulse trip into Kirkland’s turned up just the thing I needed. I came home with over 40 red and silver jingle bells in 3 different sizes for $35! And the next day I found the red and white wired ribbon in a gift shop for $3. Here’s the outcome:
I nestled some of the bells in between ornamental cabbages and kale in my front window boxes. REAL, LIVE ornamental cabbages and kale.
I used floral wire to wire bunches of bells into my wreath. And yes, I tied that bow! WOOT! Click here to see the video that helped me make such a gorgeous bow.
So I’m pretty excited with the outcome, if you can’t tell. What could have been $200 at Pottery Barn was $57 (not including the cabbages and kale because in our climate those will last until spring time) and they should be usable year after year.
Pottery Barn rip-off accomplished!
Leave A Comment