I thought we would take a break from the kitchen and cooking today and look outside. We had lots of rain in the spring and early summer here in the mid-Atlantic. The rain stopped last week and the temperatures soared. So we are watering on a daily basis again. Here are a couple shots from the deck and patio area.
The Mandevilla. Wow! I am very happy with how well this is doing. This is the first year I have planted this beautiful, vining plant and it has given me a beautiful show. I love the large, showy flowers. It has a tendency to want to wrap around the chains on the basket and move up and wrap around the iron supports. So it takes some maintenance to unwind it every now and then. I want it to continue to grow and to cascade down over the sides of the planter. We're getting there.
Here is the window-well garden I started a couple years ago. Heuchera in the center, boxwood, ivy, a little juniper, some small air ferns. And this year I added the large fern on the upper left. That took the place of a schefelera that was in that pot that did not make it. This picture really does not do this little garden justice. It is quite stunning.
Finally, I got these cute ceramic outdoor candle holders at the Crate & Barrel Outlet in Alexandria. I got the candles there also. They were designed to be used specifically in these holders. I learned during the rains earlier that it you invert the holder over the candle it helps to keep both the holder and the candle clean. It also does not allow mosquitoes to breed in what would be standing water. Plus it's not bad to look at turned upside down. When company arrives, just turn them over, place the candle inside and light it, and enjoy and evening on the deck!
So that's it for today. We will be working on some patio upgrades over the coming weekend and possibly spending some time in the yard again since temperatures are set to lower considerably on Saturday.
The Mandevilla. Wow! I am very happy with how well this is doing. This is the first year I have planted this beautiful, vining plant and it has given me a beautiful show. I love the large, showy flowers. It has a tendency to want to wrap around the chains on the basket and move up and wrap around the iron supports. So it takes some maintenance to unwind it every now and then. I want it to continue to grow and to cascade down over the sides of the planter. We're getting there.
Here is the window-well garden I started a couple years ago. Heuchera in the center, boxwood, ivy, a little juniper, some small air ferns. And this year I added the large fern on the upper left. That took the place of a schefelera that was in that pot that did not make it. This picture really does not do this little garden justice. It is quite stunning.
Finally, I got these cute ceramic outdoor candle holders at the Crate & Barrel Outlet in Alexandria. I got the candles there also. They were designed to be used specifically in these holders. I learned during the rains earlier that it you invert the holder over the candle it helps to keep both the holder and the candle clean. It also does not allow mosquitoes to breed in what would be standing water. Plus it's not bad to look at turned upside down. When company arrives, just turn them over, place the candle inside and light it, and enjoy and evening on the deck!
So that's it for today. We will be working on some patio upgrades over the coming weekend and possibly spending some time in the yard again since temperatures are set to lower considerably on Saturday.
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