Planting Annuals and DIY Burlap Liners
This week I will continue planting annuals and making DIY burlap liners. "Happy Magic Vanilla Raspberry Star" is the name of this little petunia. Isn't it just beautiful? When Dave and I went to Indianapolis, we saw these planted in long planters on the patio of an Irish pub. I had never seen these before, so I took pictures. Fortunately, I found them today at a local garden center in Burlington, Kentucky. The young woman who was potting flowers at the nursery said they are a new variety.
These raspberry colored petunias were planted in the two planters on the wall by the patio, as you can see below. Along with them, I chose a pale yellow Calibrachoa called 'Noa Banana'. With a name like that, how can I go wrong? They pick up the pale yellow color in the 'Happy Magic Vanilla Raspberry Star' petunias. What a long name for a little flower!
When we first bought the planters I lined them with the coconut fiber liners. Then I saw a post on Pinterest about lining planters with burlap. I really like the look of the burlap and I have been doing that for a couple of years. Last year the one above the fish pond slipped down in the back. I couldn't seem to pull it back up and I couldn't put as much soil in the pot.
Contemplating this year's planters and how the burlap had slipped down, I knew I had to attach the top of the burlap to the planter in some way. Dave was using some of those cable ties for taming some cables and it gave me an idea.
We went to Walmart and while I was having the burlap cut, Dave found some 4" cable ties for me. They were perfect! Thin enough to thread through the burlap and long enough to attach to the top of the planter.
I cut the two yards of burlap in half and allowed one yard of burlap for each planter. Wanting the front to look the best, I found the middle of the burlap and attached the first cable tie. Then I worked my way across the front. Then I found the middle of the back, attached the cable tie there and worked my way across the back. Using the palm of my hand to push the burlap down into the base and corners, I pulled the burlap up on the ends, folded the raw edges inward and gathered to fit nicely across the ends. Click here ► for directions and pictures.
These beautiful Shock Wave Coral Crush petunias fill the pots on the patio and the front door step. I love this color. The large pots on the step at the front door also have sweet potato vines and some coleus, which mimic the coral color of the petunias in their leaves. The plants look really healthy and soon will be cascading over the edges of the pots.
One of the things I have found, which works really well, is Miracle-Gro Quick Start. It is a planting and transplant starting solution. When I have used this, the plants don't wilt and you can see they do really well right away. I highly recommend it.
It was such a beautiful day yesterday, Lady wanted to come out and watch me plant flowers. Even though there was a little wind, and her hair looked somewhat unruly, she looked pretty in that bright green grass. Sprawled out in the cool grass, she seemed to enjoy watching me plant annuals and making the DIY burlap liners.
