Welcome to Cottage in the Court
As I sit here at the crack of daylight, the opportunity to share was one I could not pass by. Are you embracing the beauty that surrounds you? Ar ed you practicing being nice? Do you allow poetry to influence your mindset?
As you pause this morning, I invite you to listen as I reflect on moments that positively made me smile.
Enjoy!
Teri, Cottage In The Court
https://anchor.fm/cottageinthecourt/episodes/May-Morning-e42to5
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Pot culture is a great way to embrace seasonal color up close and personal. The possibilities depend on the look that you want to achieve. Summer offers tropical options that we might not think about. In January I had the opportunity to attend TPIE -The Tropical Plant International Expo in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. When I left Maryland I had just shoveled the snow from my walkway. My flight could not have been at a better time. I was not sure what to expect in Florida in January. I knew I wanted to expand my familiarity with using tropical plants. TPIE was just the place to explore creative pot culture.
What is considered a tropical plant in the DMV is what is in the landscape in Florida. I found it amazing to see a bed of begonias as a ground cover in the exterior landscape. Basic plantings like snake plants surrounded by impatiens can inspire any inner gardener. Perhaps not in the ground but what a statement in a pot. Height, structure with a soft skirt in the semi-shade garden…who would have thought about this?? Take those houseplants outside and give them a taste of the tropics. Pot culture has endless possibilities.
There were combinations of succulents with orchids as a mixed planting. Succulents in varying heights, natural color combinations as well as tropicals hung high to draw the eye up as well as around. A pitcher plant in a hanging basket, instead of a trailing petunia – exotic vs. traditional. Succulents planted on the bottom and sides of moss covered baskets – hanging or tilted on the ground are unique. One such succulent that would drape is the donkey tail cacti.
Consider the container as well. There are so many creative options to contain beauty. From paint cans, tires, broken pots, rotted bottom wheelbarrows, chairs, and more. A rectangular planter hanging at eye level with an assortment of bodacious tropicals adds interest to any setting.
No place to hang a planter? Pots at assorted heights with textural foliage, assorted blooms or not. Using cinder blocks, assorted wooden blocks or even bricks, assorted height combinations add interest in a basic way.
In a sunny corner, a collection of pots can add pop. A lush bougainvillea, sun-loving coleus, a Brugmansia in a pot underplanted with Vinca graced with Dichondra Falls…just a few options for pot culture. Exploring the options for what can be planted in a pot was a lesson well learned at TPIE.
I am glad I took the time to go to TPIE. As I begin to create bodacious planters for my terrace, I am inspired to think out of the box for my unique expression of pot culture. Will you think beyond the usual annuals and perennials and consider personalizing your pot culture?
Considering tropicals for my pots,
Teri, Cottage In The Court
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Espoma Holly-Tone has always been a part of my life. Many people know my Dad was my ultimate garden buddy. Dad would tell you that any gardener that knew what he was doing had to have Holly-Tone in the house. The red and white bag was considered a necessity when he tended our garden.
While we could not afford all of the latest amendments for a beautiful yard, there was always an Espoma product in our house. It was Organic and that was important to the Gardener of the house. There were a few “other” items that my Mom would politely say, “Speight, we can’t have that around the kids”. Those items stayed outside, no matter the weather, but not the Espoma Holly-Tone.
Espoma has been a part of many households since 1929. For 90 years, Espoma has been a leader in the organic movement. It is still family owned and operated four generations later. This speaks volumes when most businesses sell out or go under. HG. Sanders, Founder of Espoma, created a product that worked WITH the earth. Did you know that at one time, Espoma employees mixed the product by hand? Even back in those days, Espoma worked hard to develop a winning track record of complementing nature. The results in the landscape were and continue to be stellar, naturally. With an ever-increasing product line including insect control, soil amendments to bloom enhancer’s, Espoma plans on sticking around for a while.
As the saying goes, only the strong survive and Espoma is more than surviving! I remember my Mom scratching it in at the base of her roses. My Dad was eager to feed his azaleas at least two times a year. Dad would carry that bag around – as I watched – making sure each and every shrub got the right amount. It was truly an exercise of love. As an adult, I make a habit of using Espoma Holly-Tone. I feed my Camellias and Azaleas as well…two times a year, just like Dad.
This year I will be using another Espoma product. This product is new to me, but I have confidence it will enhance my garden planter. The Bio-Tone starter will be my amendment of choice in a planter from last year. The directions state that a trench should go down the middle of the planter. A granular fertilizer should fill the trench. In doing this, the nutrients would be readily available below the surface of the soil. Rains would feed the roots naturally as the fertilizer was easily and evenly dispersed. I will also use a burlap remnant instead of weed block. Confident this will prove to be successful, I will share as the season evolves. Aren’t garden experiments wonderful to try to learn from?
My siblings and I are all too familiar with the red and white bag. We will each secure some Espoma Holly-Tone before long and it will be our way of following our Dad’s environmental footprint. Thank you, Mr. Sanders, for creating a product that we can all feel good about using in our gardens from generation to generation!
Let the growing season begin organically,
Teri, Cottage In the Court
Click Espoma, to find out more about this reliable friend to have on hand for a successful garden.
The endorsement of this product is my opinion. I have not been paid to share these words about a more than worthy product.
Gardentopia Design Basics for Creating Beautiful Outdoor Spaces by Jan Johnsen is a five chapter blueprint of brilliance in landscape design. Novice or experienced gardeners will see the value of having this book in their collection. Trust me, it will not sit on your shelf.
Our gardens are personal interpretations of who we are. Jan Johnsen gifts the reader with ideas on gaining perspective of their green spaces. Stepping back, visualizing what you want and then implementing the garden of your dreams is key.
Sharing thoughts on considering the genius of place, Gardentopia has captured the pictures to complement the words for a successful blueprint for beauty. From recycling, using additional vistas, to how to use circles in the landscape are a few of the topics Jan Johnsen shares in Gardentopia.
We are all aware that first impressions are lasting. The front yard can share your personality to the world. From the walkway width to the plant selection to the planters, each has a role to play. The benefits? Property values can be increased by 10 – 15%…nice, huhn?
Chapter 4 delves into Color In The Garden. I love color, adore color. I cannot live without bold colors in my garden. If you are hesitant of color and what it can do for your garden – this is the chapter for you. Color can uplift the spirit and calm down the setting…oh the magic of color!
Jan provides a blueprint for color and how to use it in the garden. One color, hot colors, restful colors, sometimes it can be hard to decide what color and how to use it. Color can be more than just the plants you choose. Page 187 – I almost have the words memorized. The words on this page truly reached in and touched my soul. Jan shared thoughts on the sound of flowers. I get emotional just thinking about the words again and again.
I highly suggest this book for anyone who communicates with nature via the garden. With several days ahead for gifting like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduation or just a I Love Me gift for self, Gardentopia should be at the top of the list. Jan Johnsen speaks my language as she simplifies the perfect blueprint for creating your beautiful outdoor space.
Thank you Jan Johnsen for such a beautiful book that the world can use.
Visualizing Beauty Daily,
Teri, Cottage In The Court
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Tropical plants are not usually on my brain in January. The Cottage is in zone 6b. The ability to grow tropical plants is utterly impossible. If you have an indoor garden room, tropical plants are a bonus in the midst of winter. At this time of the year checking for heaving plants is the task at hand. This year, a fellow GardenComm member Sylvia Gordon encouraged me to come down to TPIE in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I know quite a few snowbirds who leave the cold at Christmas for tropical plants and warmer climates. I never felt the need to miss the seasonal weather surprises. As the snow fell in my garden, I could not get to the airport soon enough. Oh, what a journey this was!
TROPICAL PLANTS IN THE LANDSCAPE
Sylvia Gordon took us to handpicked properties showcasing tropical plants used in Florida landscapes.
We started with the more formal landscapes.
A beautiful Chalice vine graced the area above the garage. This is a tropical plant I wish I could grow in Maryland.
We visited properties that were not historic, but simply elegant.
We also visited landscapes with unique touches…
This was a perfect day coordinated by two stellar ladies.
With my partners in crime in tow, it was a beautiful experience and this was just day 1!
CAPTURED GLIMPSES OF TROPICAL BLISS…
Here are a few more pictures of how beautiful the tropical plants made a typical January day beautiful.
Sylvia Gordon checked in with each of us as we made our way to the final garden for the day – Patch of Heaven.
Reliving my tropical adventure in January,
Teri, Cottage In The Court
