That was on Monday... and last night I actually got around to potting them up. So my doorstep is now looking far more luscious and green. I've even managed to spread the pots so that they now extend down onto the first step - that's progress for you :o)
So, my new pots contain, (left hand pot) a Heuchera 'Melting Fire' - which I couldn't resist for its gorgeous coloured leaves.
And (right hand pot) a Festuca glauca 'Festina' (the grass), Leucojum aestivum (summer snowflake, which unfortunately have gone a bit floppy), and at the back a Clematis macropetala 'Markham's Pink' (which had a slight accident when I was planting it so that the main stem with lots of growth kind of broke off - i'm hoping that'll help the plant establish itself by forcing it to put its energy more into roots rather than shoots and it'll turn out to be a happy mistake...). I also moved a few Primula in there too, which i've temporarily forgotten the names of, though I can tell you that they're very bright pink when in flower.
I put a bit of grit at the bottom of the pot first. Then for compost used a mixture of John Innes No 3, Westland Multi-Purpose Compost with added John Innes, and a few handfuls of horticultural sand to further increase the drainage (as clematis like well drained soil). I'm hoping that these conditions should keep the new plants happy - they all are meant to like well drained soil, so hopefully they should live well together.
The steps are starting to look so much more garden (and less step) like that i'm wondering if I might put a chair in the hallway/entrance and enjoy the evening sunlight there.
8 comments:
Hi, if that was around here they would get stolen you are very brave, they cost money. Your steps are looking good now.
Hey, this is a very good idea! Nice to see pots of flowers and greens along the steps. And yes, making it less steps but more like strolling through a garden first entering the house.
Hmm... if they get stollen, then it is a compliment for you ;-) I think theives usually steal very good plants to sell. Happens here too. I have a friend who told me a true story of a bonsai tree planted in a huge container outside a house for more than 10 years. And it was stollen. How sad ;-(
Hi Di: I'm glad you like how my steps are looking - must admit that i'm pretty pleased with how they're coming on myself!
I know that there is a risk to putting the pots out in the open - but if I didn't do it then i'd have nowhere to garden and the fear of them 'possibly' being stolen would have won out - which would be a shame. There's a fair few people with pot gardens in my street so hopefully there's safety in numbers!
Stephanie: Thanks for the nice comments - I think that the number of pots has reached a critical mass so that the doorstep is now more garden than step. It's amazing how quickly its reached this stage of feeling green, rather than grey and concrete like. It certainly cheers me up whenever I go in/out of the house.
Nice PICS...pots of flowers and greens along the steps looks beautiful.
Beth: Thanks for the kind comments - I'm glad you enjoyed the photos :o)
Hi Flora, your doorsteps are beautiful, green and very lively :)
Sandy: Thanks for the kind comments! :o)
Post a Comment