Pedestals and plinths in the garden

As promised, I am here to talk about my love for pedestals and plinths in the garden. Adding just a few of these to your landscape can add character, height, structure, texture and originality.

I find a variety of heights in any scene, both indoor and out, is very pleasing to the eye. Giving a pot or planter, a lantern or concrete statue a little lift up to a place all of it's own can make a dramatic difference in a garden vignette.

Many of the plinths in my garden were foraged or found. It's fun to think outside of the box and make pedestals out of something you already have.  Search around your garage or shed and you will be sure to give a new life to something that's been laying around or even broken. Upside down pots, a log or stump, a broken birdbath all make lovely little perches to showcase your favorite things.

Create a cluster of plinths in all different shapes and sizes or showcase something big and bold to make a statement in the garden.

Below you will find some of my favorites.

A cluster of plants by my back door sit on various pedestals such as upside down pots, stumps and logs offering a variety of height and texture.

 A frog friend perches on top of a broken terra-cotta pot back by our grill.

 A pot of succulents sits upon a foraged tree stump on the patio.

 A bird feeder turned candle holder placed atop an upside down faux bois planter.

 A sailboat sun dial afloat in a birdbath.

 A frog birdbath nestled inside a concrete plinth next to our rabbit hutch.

 A toadstool atop a freshly cut stump greets everyone onto the patio.

 A hand me down urn on top of a concrete plinth against our chimney gives this shady area some height and bright color.

A trash picked broken birdbath stand turned upside down creates a platform for a fairy house made by Chris.

A cluster of larger pots softens a corner of the patio  The larger pot behind sits upon a three legged tree stump while the smaller pot in front sits upon an upside down planter.

A Little Tour Around the Garden and Patio

 It's been a celebratory weekend  as we have enjoyed hosting a few outdoor parties with friends and family.

As you can see we have the beginnings of a new back porch! Chris has been working hard but it's not quite finished. I'll be sure to share more on our new space soon but for now thought I would give you a little tour around the garden and patio.

 Chris made a beautiful table for the patio, perfect for snacks, a cold glass of something and card games. It's made from a slab of Kentucky Coffee Tree which he milled himself.

 The Yarrow is in full bloom and the kale growing along the chicken run is so healthy and happy!

 The last of the Kohlrabi growing in pots. It's too pretty to harvest!

 It has been a beautiful year for hydrangeas.

 The 'Sun Gold' cherry tomatoes growing along the sidewalk are beginning to ripen.

 A mixture of Santolina, Black Eyed Susan, Sensitive Fern, Shasta Daisy and Cherry Tomatoes growing in harmony.

 The Trumpet Vine on top of the chicken coop is in full bloom.

 The pear tree has been pinched back and soon will need to be propped!

 I bought a little string of lanterns this weekend to brighten up the patio in the evenings.

 A little cluster of potted plants of all different heights by my back door. I'll be posting about plinths and pedestals in the garden next week.

 A view from our (in progress) back porch.

A succulent garden atop my rain barrel.

Pansies, peanuts, pears and pots. Oh and eggs!

 I love this time of year when I no longer have to depend on store bought flowers. Making little bouquets from the garden to scatter about around the house brings me joy.

I will now always grow kohlrabi in my planters each spring. I love it's beautiful, purple ribbed, upright leaf amongst pansies and trailing vines. And what a fun surprise to look down to find it's hidden, bright purple bulb.

I have always wanted to grow peanuts and am trying them this year in a container. They prefer a light well drained soil so I thought they may do well in a pot. These guys won't be ready until September. 

I have been unhappy with my window box plantings over the last few years. I have tried many different varieties of plants (many of which prefer sun) with disappointing results. This year I decided to keep it simple and plant a few tried and true shade lovers, begonias, licorice vine and Tradescantia.  Everything seems very happy in it's shady spot.

 Our dwarf Bartlet pear tree is one happy camper this year. Last season it did not produce a single fruit. This year there are over 50 pears!

 

I like to incorporate at least one perennial into each of my pots. Since they come back every year, it saves a bit of money on annuals and if they outgrow the pot into the garden they go!  This pot got a purple leaf Heuchera (Coral Bells). I love how it looks paired with the licorice vine, purple sweet potato vine, begonia and pansies. It gives a little height to the arrangement.

After a very long winter of no eggs our girls are laying daily. Since I eat an omelette almost every morning and my sage is in full bloom,  I can't wait to try Annabelle's recipe.

Aphids

Recently I noticed my honeysuckle was looking a bit stressed. As I looked a bit closer I saw the tell tale sign of aphids. Several leaves were yellowing and looking a bit distorted and stunted covered in a sticky substance.

Aphids are soft-bodied insects, about a tenth of an inch long. They're typically green or black, though you may also run into gray or black ones in your garden. Aphids suck the sap out of tender plant shoots and leaves. As aphids feed, they secrete a sticky substance, called honeydew, which can quickly become infested with sooty mold. This mold can spread viruses, many of which are incurable. For this reason, it’s important to take steps for controlling aphids in the garden. The good news is if caught early, they are pretty easy to combat.

Killing aphids naturally is not only better for the environment, but it is also a more effective way of killing the insect. Aphids don’t respond well to insecticides, but you can get them under control by taking advantage of their weaknesses and making a few changes in the way you manage your garden.

Aphids have a number of natural enemies. Pampering and nurturing these insects is an excellent method of organic aphid control. I have mint, fennel, dill and yarrow planted about to help attract these insects to my garden which will then feed to on those pesky aphids.

If you have a big enough property,  you can create aphid traps by growing plants that are attractive to aphids. Growing plants such as nasturtium, aster, cosmos, hollyhock, larkspur, verbena, dahlia and zinnia far from other favorite plants will lure aphids away and keep the garden aphid-free.

Another easy way to get rid of aphids is a strong spray of water from a hose which will knock many of the pests off the plant, making it pretty impossible for them to return. It also rinses off some of the honeydew. Spray the plant every day until the plant is aphid free.

A New Season ~ 2015

Happy Spring my friends!

It is always so exciting to start a new season here at Tend. It amazes me that we are going into our 5th year here in this space. Our archives are growing and full of some great ideas and inspiration so pour a cup of tea and peruse when you get a chance.

I want to take the time to say thank you to both Natalie and Melissa for their knowledge, expertise and contributions to Tend.  I learned so much from Melissa about bees and bee keeping last year. It is still a long time dream of mine to keep a roof top hive. I am determined that one day it will happen and I know who to refer to when it does.

Melissa will not be a regular contributor here at Tend but I am hoping that from time to time she will pop in to say hello and let us know what's happening in her garden.

Natalie has been a part of Tend from the very beginning and such a help in getting this space established. It was such a pleasure reading about her beautiful gardens over the years and watching as she found the farm of her dreams.

Natalie will no longer be contributing to this space but you can always visit her over at her gorgeous website and read all about her farm adventures and homestead Freckled Hen Farm.

This year, Tend will be written by just three of us- Amber (on Mondays), Annabelle (on Wednesdays) and myself (on Fridays).  

We are excited to share our gardens with you throughout the season and hope that we will be hosting a few guests this year on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

So without further ado please say hello to my little Spring garden adorned with pansies, lettuces, rhubarb, asparagus, flowering cherry and crab apple, forget-me-nots, swiss chard and kales.

I have been working hard out there and am excited to share my gardening adventures with you.

See you next week!

Amy

Lemon Verbena

Although autumn is here in full swing, my garden is still full of life and abundance. We have yet to have our first frost, so there are still cherry tomatoes on the vine. Greens such as swiss chard and lacianto kale are growing prolifically amongst the blooming asters and toad lily and there is still quite an abundance of parsley making it's way into many a meal these days.

Another herb that is still growing strong is lemon verbena, an herb that I most recently fell in love with. I have my neighbor to thank for that who gifted me a little brown bag of homegrown lemon verbena tea for Christmas a few years ago. That spring it was the very first plant I bought at the nursery and I find that each year I buy a few more plants than I did the last. I tuck them in to as many pots and planters as possible amongst other herbs and annual flower. I love it's bright green leaves and it's spindly, trailing habit.

I use the leaves fresh in both iced and hot tea throughout the summer and in late summer I begin to dry the leaves to store a way for winter. A few weeks ago we were threatened with some cold night time temps. Since lemon verbena is an annual I pulled a few plants from my pots and hung them in my pantry to dry.

Because the leaves are a bit more dry and tough compared to mint or basil, lemon verbena dries quickly. Simply hang in a dry, cool place. In about 7-10 days strip the leaves from the stem and store in an airtight container. To make tea , simply place a handful of leaves in a teapot, cover with boiling water and let steep for 5 minutes. I like my tea with honey but it's also delicious plain both hot and cold.