The BBQ Recycled Twice

Years ago I recycled our old BBQ and filled it with annuals and a Sedum on each side to hang down. I loved the way it looked stuffed as full as could be but decided to change it year before last because of an upcoming back surgery not knowing how much I would be able to get outside and do. I put some Sedums in it and in a lot of my planters for easier maintenance. Now I wouldn't have to plant as many annuals on the deck. Here is a picture of the BBQ when it had annuals and then one after the change. The gray green one top picture to the left and to the right are Cape Blanco. And the one blooming in front I think is Dragon's Blood but I'm not sure. Behind that I added a bucket for some height and dimension and filled it with Sedum Tri-Color. Oh and the fern? That's a 'happy accident' that just popped out of the bottom in front.

Sedum Tri Color

Sedum Tri Color is sprouting out in spite of the snow and freezing weather we have been having this year. Below is how it will look in the coming months.

Sedum Vera Jamison

Sedum Vera Jamison with her dark wine colored leaves and pink blooms. I went out and looked in the planter the other day and there are lots of little veras sprouting out. Once in a while we get a day without rain around here and the sun actually shows up and I'm outside looking for signs that spring is really on the way.

Fun with Sedums

This is Sedum Cauticolum on each side of what I think is a Sweet Potato Vine 'Blackie' and some Ice Plant in front that hadn't filled in at the time of the photo. Cauticolum looks so much like October Plant I can hardly tell them apart when doing starts because of the beautiful blue green foliage trimmed in pink that they both have. In the background you can see my 'bloomin' stairs' that I planted in Thyme. I have one on each side of the bank for easier access farther up in the back of the yard.

My only 2 tall Sedums so far. Autumn Joy on top and Linda Windsor, my newest. I thought the dark wine colored foliage would be a great contrast with all of the greens around here. The bloom is almost the same color as the foliage.

The 3 planters above have similar plantings in them of Hens and Chicks, Cape Blanco, Tri Color, Vera Jamison, I think some Purple Form, Cauticolum, October Plant Sedums, an Armeria, Viola and Johnny Jump Ups. Another nice green one you can see on the top right I'm not sure about the name. I haven't decided if I will stick them here and there in the flower beds or sell them if I decide to do some markets this summer.

3 old canisters my husband riveted together to put Sedums in. The large one has Purple Form, on the left is Babys Tears and I don't know what the third one is. The picture below shows them in bloom. The yellow bloom sure matched the flower on the canister

Color To Get Over The White Blues

I started this yesterday when we got dumped on again thinking some color would revive my good spirits. But I combined photos in groups because I had so many and it took a while. Well, thank goodness it did take a while because I really needed them today.

Thought I'd put in pictures of my container plants that I do. The first one isn't one of them but they are so cheerful I had to stick them in. Last summer my girlfriend kidnapped me on my birthday and we took off for Seattle and spent the day at The Pike Place Market. I was way overdue to go there and we had a ball. She bought 2 of their huge bouquets and gave them both to me! These are so big I swear they weighed 20 pounds each - at least carrying them around they felt like it. We got to see the guys that throw the salmon around (and never miss), street entertainment and of course had lunch and then ate our way through the rest of the place. What a fantastic day it was. Ya know paybacks are heck and I have to think of something equally as fun for her birthday! You might want to click on these pictures so you can see them better as I did groups and their rather small. I have since changed the cast iron shelf because some of the flowers didn't get enough light and watering was hard on the shelves too. I planted a Clematis in it and hopefully it will be covered with gorgeous blooms.
My teacart has 3 or more colors of Lobelia and something else not sure and the hot pink iceplant wasn't blooming yet.
My vintage wash tub with a number of annuals plus some Creeping Charlie and usually some miniature Snapdragons.
I still wonder how I ended up snagging this old wheelbarrow at an estate sale. In a town with hundreds of antique shops and I showed up late and it was still there? I think they must have just put it out. It didn't have the rust at the time either. It says 'Hometown Hardware' on the side. It was a keeper and never made it into the shop where I had my antiques for sale.
The top left is Purple Heart and it isn't hardy here so I have to bring it in for the winter. I've read that people like it as a ground cover. In the wheelbarrow is some Ice Plant just getting started. I love lopsided in my gardens every chance I get! The bottom left is called Celosia I believe and it is just so pretty. I'm going to have to look for another one this year. In the old breadbox hanging over the side is a Geranium (annual). It is just the tiniest one I've ever seen.
A few more deck planters - one on an old wicker barstool I found running around hitting garage sales with my sister. I said the stool is mine as we pulled in and I spotted it - she was getting ready to say the same thing but she wasn't quite fast enough. Ya snooze ya loose!!!
Guess I should have lightened this one up a bit it's a little dark. Verbena sitting next to the sweet little path my hubby made going to my greenhouse from the stairs on the bank.
Some Dianthus in my old coal bucket. Oh and my headless swan. It was a really pretty rock swan but didn't take the weather well and the neck and head broke off. I couldn't part with it so it's just a novelty conversation piece now. Found the little tricycle with Hens and Chicks already in it at a garage sale.
Some Impatiens and Lobelia.
More lopsided. This bed has got more in it now. I'll have to get another picture later with everything blooming. I have another milkcan angled the same way with Campanula in it too down in my woodland garden.

I do feel so much better now. And the sun is even shining. Maybe I'll go separate my little plants that I brought in here as seeds and the Cosmos are almost 3 inches tall. I see some of the Coneflowers are showing now too.