Blue Pots ~ re-grouped

Looks great Sticki, i quite like those blue marbles :-)

there are some others in there too, but the bright blue has taken over a bit!
thanks SL and thank you homebird

very striking I love it, I think the blue pebbles add to it, amazing colours.

very striking I love it, I think the blue pebbles add to it, amazing colours.

yes i can see the other ones now i look harder at it, i'm a bit biased as i like blue anyway :-))

me too SL

thank you oliveoil, i was always told not to put blue and green together but i really like them together!

Very well tuned.

not so easy to keep though!!!

Oh yes you've got them where you want them now - really attractive and SO well positioned!
x

Depends on the shades of the blue and the green, Sticki - well that's what I think. I really like the blue pebbles, but maybe mix it up a bit with some more of the other colours. Is there a deep aubergine one at the back? Think that would look good with the hosta as a contrast.

thanks wildrose, i had to keep moving them, then i took a photo and moved them again ~ somehow i can tell better from the photo!!

i ran out of the original colours tuesday but maybe i could get some more. deep aubergine? the darkest things there are the soil and the drain pipe i think?

I've just realised that the deep aubergine pebbles are in fact the flowering spires of the heuchera against the fern pot!! I do need my eyes testing. Maybe a colour worth considering nonetheless?

it might work, you are right, so long as it doesnt clash with the red of the heuchera??

They look great sticki, love the blue fern on the left, i have one that doesen't seem to want to grow! or are they slow growers?

Hmm... good point. Now for a pertinent question: what are we doing on here at this time of night? I should be in bed. This site is too addictive. Or, better still, I should be on a/n SAS patrol with a torch and empty flower-pot. Mind you, I've probably missed them and they're all back at the various SAS hotels indulging in the post-prandial brandy and cigars by now!

thanks DD, thats the japanese painted fern, its been at the back of my garden for a couple of years and it was getting hidden! stevietheterrible has one he might know if its a slow grower, i think mine was about half the size two years ago??

slugs and cigars tuesday???? what sort of parties do you have in your garden????

LOL. Not me, Sticki, just the slugs and snails having the parties and what's more, every night, by the look of my plants. Actually, I think there are a few Lily Beetles who get an invite and numerous gate-crashing greenfly. Well, I'm going to have to leave them to it as my bed beckons now. Goodnight to one and all.

When I was in school the children had to learn some country dancing, one of the songs they danced to was 'the ugly bug ball' ...... Maybe that's what's going on in our gardens at night!?

That is one amazing Heuchera, Sticki, and I love those blue pots of yours: it's a very successful grouping, that, and very effective.
Sad news - the alchemilla seedlings you gave me lasted all through the summer, carefully watered, although it was too hot for them to grow much, and the last of them died a few days ago, just ahead of the cooler, wetter weather. I was so sorry - I had high hopes of all their babies crowding out my borders in future years. Never mind - I shall try sowing some again next year. They are such lovely, pretty, useful plants.

Thanks gattina, it's firechief, I just hope it doesn't get the rust, several others have!
Sorry about the alchemilla mollis, mine is past it's best too now, usually best in spring?

oh, white tulips sound lovely, thanks meadowland, didnt think of that but easy enough to add. i have put in some white narcissi and hyacinths.

there is now a small blue pellet decoration in front ~ as i could see the slugs arriving last night!!!

they ought to make those blue marbles as slug pellets!!

Blimey i've still got that song the ugly bug ball on vinyl Sticki in my loft somewhere :-))

oh no SL!!!

is it this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkNxqvVehoI

Looking good their Sticki, ah you have got a japanese fern already, nice. May I suggest the addition of a small watering can as is the tradition Goy arrangement : )
Loving the blue marbles ; )

oh of course!!!! sorry i forgot!!!! now what colour do you think it should be??

thanks stevie

im hoping the japanese fern will do a bit better here, it was a bit squashed before by a rhodedendron that grew very quickly!!!

well i cant say i have lost all my marbles can i??

ooooh thats a good idea meadowland, maybe i should try that!!!!
i bought those pots when i was on my own!!! i can think better that way ~ more imaginatively of course!!!

very nice and pleasant to an eye group Sticki:) I like blue pots as well - but not many discounted pots in my GC I am affraid, lol.
And Stevie is right - where is a 'must have in a picture' watering can? lol.
My Japanese fern is growing very happy in a pot. In shade:) So hope yours will do great too:)

thanks kasy, i dont have a blue watering can!!! :-(

Don't worry Sticki - green one will do;-)

Yes that's the one Sticki :-)) on my old ' The greatest hits of walt disney'

They look really attractive together Sticki, I do like the choice of planting...

ok kasy, next time maybe?

your girls would love those SL ??!!!

thanks lincslass, the trouble is this could be the best they look and then its all downhill???

Don't know how I missed this pic update Sticki....that is a great looking display. I like it all. That Japanese painted fern looks good in the blue pot. Well done on this arrangement.
I have lots of blue pots sitting around with different things in them. I should really reconsider and do a nice wee group like this.

thanks scottish, its such a dark corner ~ it needed something and its opposite the kitchen window so its nice to have a few colours to look at!!

Ooh I love it Sticki, blue pebbles an all! Gorgeous fern and my lovely Hosta....super corner!

thank you! wonder how long they will all keep going? i found some white tulip bulbs yesterday!

The fern is it an evergreen one? If not, late November it and the Hosta will be fast asleep. Those tulips sound perfect, coming into flower as the White Hosta leaves are emerging...:))

the fern is evergreen!

My Japanese painted fern is being crowded, never thought of a pot, these look lovely Sticki. Is the hosta Fire and Ice? What is the big fern? I put my fire chief in a pot last year, he's rather a small chap to hold his own in the border:-)

japanese fern in the pot ~ that was stevie's idea, i had forgotten i had one!!! but it was like yours ~ getting buried by other things.

yes BA, thats fire and ice, always liked that one!

and the big fern is dryopteris erythrosora [its got an RHS award of merit!]

I'll google it, thanks:-)

is this what you need?

http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/classid.1823

Thanks Sticki, I think it's one I had years ago, I love the colours on yours. I think they look better in a pot so you can see the shape properly .... another for the list:-)

:-)

its the colours that i love too, some of the red is now going ~ i think thats just the new fronds?

If I remember rightly I had to cut off old fronds in the spring as the new (red) ones came through:-)

that sounds right, i have some other ferns and plants in my garden that look as if that would be a good thing to do!!

Don't have time to look at all the comments Sticki, just wanted to say I like the marbles and the collection looks lovely...in fact, it reminds me of the start of my 'Heuchera' garden!

dont worry karen! i wasnt sure about the marbles but i like them now, unfortunately the cat has decided to hide behind the pots ~ looking for mice, probably!

you have some beautiful heucheras!

Thanks Sticki, I've been having a war with rust this year, but if you get it (small brown spots appearing on the leaves), then Fungus Fighter is a good remedy I find (contains Systhane).

Ah, thank you, that's good to know, some of mine don't look too happy but others are fine! Ginger ale is doing best of all!

Mmmmm......Ginger Ale! ....;))

i didnt like it before but it is doing well! my favourite is midnight rose, although i like those lime coloured sort too!

Sorry Sticki...I meant .....mmmmmm...ginger ale (the kind you drink) lol! Actually, it's Ginger BEER I really love! But seriously, I actually love all the autumnal coloured Heuchs the best, but find them hard to place in the borders. They are best in pots I think, in the 'winter' garden. :)) Midnight Rose is lovely but died on me. Probably the weevils looking back on it. The Lime ones are so bright and cheerful aren't they....striking too.

yes its the bright colour i love ~ but there are some rusty spots on some :-((

Ah, well you get the spray on them ....it doesn't get rid of the spots, but it stops it spreading. :)

It was Vicky that told me. She spotted it on one of my pics and advised Systhane. I didn't realise before then and a few of mine were totally devastated by it. I had to cut all the leaves off, spray and hope for the best....but they are coming back now, a little bit. :)

better put it on my list for tomorrow, thanks karen, big GC on the way home?

:) Enjoy! :)

thank you!

The colors are wonderful! Is this a shady spot, also.

very shady delonix ~ no sun ever here!

I wish I had a spot like that! :>)

There's no completely shady spots in my yard. The sun here is always very intense...and shining about 90% of the time, all year.

We must have gardens that are totally opposite! Plenty if shade here and never very hot!

Yes, I think you're very correct!

My back yard (garden) is almost always warm (in winter) to very hot (sometimes in winter and summer). Even on the coolest days [as long as the sun is shining, it feels like at least 70ºF (21ºC)], and there's no shade.

21 is the coolest?????? thats very different!

minus 10 is the coldest i remember here [been in this house 7 years] i think 28 might be the hottest??? and plenty of shade here!

At the moment, with deep snow all around us, and more falling, a minimum year round temperature of 21°c sounds delightful, Delonix, but I think that maybe after a year of it, I might start to pine for a few slightly hotter days, and some chilly ones, too. It would certainly make me appreciate the seasonal variations, if not the silly extremes we get here. The Italians who built their houses in these parts were very clever - all the stone houses face North, so in the heat of the summer, there is a shadow cast over the entrance: the windows are all surprisingly small, to stop the loss of heat in Winter and rooms getting too hot in Summer. 20" thick stone walls help, too. It works well, and there's an area to grow my shade loving plants, too.

hello gattina!
another benefit of those stone houses is that they look so beautiful and a fabulous backdrop for plants!

you still have deep snow ~ are you in a mountain area?

Oh yes, Sticki! we're about 1,600' up, and there's more forecast for tonight, and all through Thursday, Friday and a fair bit of Saturday, too. No signs of Spring yet, except for a tiny, wayward violet and a sad little primrose, which will probably die in the next few days. I planted loads of tulips back in the autumn, and there's not a sign of any of them poking through the soil yet. The daffodils are visible, but not very. No sign of any of the great clumps of wild daffodils that grow by our roadsides yet. I can scarcely believe all the colourful photos all you UK dwellers are posting right now. From the footprints in the snow, we had deer come right up to our front door during the night. I'm not sure what they were hoping to find, but I'm putting my tubs under protection tonight - those wallflowers have taken a lot of growing, and I don't want to lose them to a hungry deer!

it sounds like a world away!

you could have venison tonight!!!

snowdrops and hellebores abound at the moment but not many daffodils [except in the shops] it feels as if they are a bit later this year?

hope you are keeping warm ~ are the cats all curled up inside?

Can't you see them? 4 on the sofa, two on OH, one on the sideboard and one on me.

Stickitoffee:

The coolest average daytime high temp in January is about 70ºF (21ºC) for inland San Diego, CA. Although, it's been cooler than normal this Past January and February. Last winter we had many, many days with temps above 80ºF (27ºC). Last Thursday, Friday and Saturday the temps were slightly above 80ºF (27ºC), now it's chilly again.

Gattina:

The average high temp here (in inland San Diego,CA) in summer is a pretty humid 88ºF (31ºC); however, we have many days when it can be above 95ºF (35º C). This happens especially when the monsoonal flow is very strong (like this past summer). Monsoon season is from July through Sept. From late Sept - April is Santa Ana Wind Season, which brings very dry hot weather. In late summer and early fall it's not unusual to get temps to 110º F (43º C) or hotter.

Hi, Delonix - we have one big advantage over you, it seems, we don't get nearly as much humidity here, which makes our high summer temperatures much more bearable. Down in the plains, summers are pretty much unbearable, with 90% humidity at times and people do die every year. The country as a whole tends to grind to a halt in August, and if you don't have air conditioning, or a summer retreat to go to, you can be in trouble. We don't get monsoons, but the air is very static away from the coasts and the mountains. At least we get breezes up here. We occasionally get the hot, dry Scirocco wind, but it doesn't last long, thank goodness. Strangely enough, further south, down in Calabria and Campania, the weather is generally kinder, with warmer winters and cooler summers. We can expect July and August daytime temperatures to average in the low to mid forties. September tends to be perfection.

September is good here too! [usually!]

And May!

true! although this year it rained!

Gattina:

I just noticed you live in Italy. Even though I've never been as south as Italy in Europe. I've heard and read it can be very hot and humid in summer.

I'm pretty lucky where I live, I generally get a little breeze most days in summer. My climate is subtropical. Further east in San Diego County it can get very hot and then there's the subtropical low deserts (in far eastern San Diego County). The Southwest Deserts of California, Arizona and Nevada are amongst the hottest deserts in the world! Death Valley, CA (Mojave Desert) is the hottest spot on earth.

So you thought you had a problematic climate in Bromsgrove, Sticki!!!

it does put things in perspective doesnt it!!

Have you both ever felt 125ºF (52ºC) weather before? It most certainly would put things into perspective. It's the most God awful heat you can ever feel!

It's never been this hot where I live; however, back in 2006 (one of the hottest summers on record) I experienced (at my house) a heat-index of 132ºF (56ºC), it was on July 22, 2006 (you noticed how I have never forgotten the date) It was the most extreme heat I've ever felt in my life! 2006 was the hottest weather ever experienced in many cities in California and many people, livestock and other animals died from the extreme heat!
:>(

Last August and Sept there was a run on many emergency rooms at the hospitals in Southern California because of heat-related illnesses.

We once had 50° in the garden, and we could scarcely leave the relative cool of the house to read the thermometer. It was truly dreadful. People in the city here start having problems with 44° because of the humidity. We have definitely become more acclimatised over the past 7 years. 56°?????!!! What can survive that? That's unbelievable!

I cant even imagine that temperature! its now snowing here and its 2°!
i dont even go to hot places for my holiday so i think if it got that hot i would be on a boat getting out of there!!

P.S. I bought another blue pot today with some leucojums [snowflakes] but its hiding in the car ~ didnt tell the OH!!

The 132ºF (56ºC) was a heat-index. The actual temperature was 109ºF (43ºC) with 40% humidity which equals a heat-index of 132ºF (56ºC). I remember the air conditioner could not keep the house cool (even on full blast). It was so unbearable because in the middle of the day I had to move many of my plants into shade because they were burning up! (even my heat-tolerant plants).

not to mention you burning up! i think i would end up in a hospital bed! maybe a cool tub in the garden would help?

At that temperature the water temperature would turn hot!
This happens a lot in Palm Springs, CA. It's the funniest thing, every night the swimming pools have aerators which try to bring down the water temp. It doesn't work very well, though.

The last time I went to Palm Spring (August of 2011) the pool temp at the resort was almost 100ºF (38ºC), it was not refreshing at all.

I dont think I could even think in those temperatures! [not very good at that at the best of times]

can you fry eggs on the pavement?

Who would want to eat fried eggs in weather like that, Sticki?

oh thats true! i was just trying to think of an advantage of the extra-ordinary heat!

People have fried eggs on pavement in the past here. It's just to show how hot it can be. lol! :>)

:-)))