Hydrangea for the Wall Vase

We have two hydrangea bushes in our small patio garden. They are really too big for the space so I have  cut them down several times. But if you cut them down at the wrong time of the year, they pay you back by not flowering. And that’s exactly what happened last year. Early on we would get both pink and blue flowers that were quite large and long lasting. This year it seems the flowers are primarily pink and they are quite small. But since there are so many flowers this year, I decided to cut a few of them and fill up the wall vase. We generally get a bunch at the grocery store to keep the room lively, but when our own garden has flowers we obviously prefer to use those. The hydrangea always seem to droop during the day in the heat and sun, but come back around later in the day. I thought I could cut some of the droopy flowers and they would revive in the vase. I was mistaken again! The flowers and leaves continued to drop two days later. So I plucked out the droopy stems, and left but one that seemed reasonably good. Maybe later today I’ll try again. But this time I’ll wait until the evening when they look more alive. 

Male Cardinal in the Birdbath

We have a very tiny patio garden and one of the features is a solar powered bird bath. It attracts a variety of birds - mostly sparrows and doves - but every once in awhile robins and my all time favorite cardinals stop by. The squirrels and bees also enjoy sipping from the gurgling water. Cardinals are so pretty and handsome. I know their chirp and always look for the mate because they always come in pairs. With out of town guests here this week, we spent more time on the patio side of the house when a lot of bird activity goes on in the late afternoon. I’m not sure how they see me through the glass patio door, but I oftentimes sneak up to catch photos or movies before they fly off. A male cardinal showed up and actually was splashing around in the birdbath - a very rare sight. I posted the video on my Facebook page and it got almost 500 hits. The next day, his partner came by and I took a video of her doing the same thing. She got not even sixty hits. Granted, the bright red plumage does make a big difference. Nevertheless it is an interesting observation. I caught a crow rummaging around a garbage bin yesterday. I have a feeling he would have a better response than the female cardinal. 

American Plant Flowers for the Patio Garden

Finally! The weather has become tolerable enough to finally get some annual flowers planted in the patio garden beds and pots. In the Midwest I wouldn’t even think about planting anything until Memorial Day. Luckily we have several perennials, bulbs, hydrangeas and flowering vines that never fail to show themselves in early spring. So we took a ride to American Plant on Friday afternoon after lunch to pick out some of our favorites. We really don’t have a specific plan in mind - we just find whatever looks nice to us without a lot of thought about shade or sun. Somehow it all works out. So we left the flowers out overnight and decided to  plant them yesterday. It’s hard that believe so many flowers didn’t cover more space and we will need to replenish the empty spots when the greens of the bulbs fade. And of course we have to have at least one cucumber and one tomato plant. We haven’t had a lot of luck with tomatoes, so we may try cherry tomatoes in a container this time. So when the sun is bright and the solar bird bath gurgles there is nothing better than to spend time on the patio. It is one of our favorite spots - our own secret garden in the big and loud Capitol city. 

Patio Garden Head Start

Everything on and in the tiny patio garden looks scruffy. After twelve years, we finally found some foot rests that go with the existing furniture. So yesterday we decided to unpack them to see how they looked. Because it was unusually lovely yesterday, I started to attack the scruffy stuff in the garden - having no mercy on the clematis vine that was taking over the fence. Between that and the ivy that was crawling everywhere, the trim was long past due. The only things I hesitated to cut were the hydrangea bushes. I did that one year and didn’t have one bloom all season. So now we can really see the spring bulb greens emerging among the garden statues and birdbath. Once we were done the sparrows were searching for scraps for their nests, the squirrels were checking for lost treasure, and all of them were hoping we would set up the watering hole. It does look much neater and it is the only patio garden in our condo complex. It really is a secret garden in this very urban neighborhood and we are looking forward to using it again. But I have to remember it’s only February. 

Monarch Butterfly Loves the Patio Garden

Over the last few weeks there have been more butterfly sightings than during the entire summer. One particular monarch butterfly seemed to be enjoying our garden patio more than usual. His wings were not as big nor brilliant as is typical, and a little torn up! He looked like he had been through some tough times. After watching him for awhile, I tried to coax him on to my finger but he wouldn't have any of that. I have actually been successful getting butterflies on my finger at both Monticello and Roosevelt Island! I've even gotten fireflies to rest on my arm. I could sit for hours watching these tiny creatures flying about, and I think they know I really like them. So this guy flew from one flower to another and even ended up on the wall of the building for a respite. One always wonders whenever there is a paucity of something if a species is on the decline. So it was heartening to see the critters and be able to offer them some food and relaxation. That's one of the reasons we really like our tiny patio garden. 

Dear Flower Moves to the Patio Garden

We moved to DC eleven years ago. One of the first things we got for the kitchen table was a flower that we planted in a pot. It has survived all this time with several saves by cutting it back and keeping a close eye on it. My husband likes to have one flower rather than several, and tends to it - and the garden - with loving care. Last month we did a bit of renovation that included putting in a new backsplash in the kitchen. We have also been trying to update the place and continue to make it look clean, without a lot of peripheral stuff lying about. The flower has become a bit unwieldy for the small table and space, so we decided to finally move it outside to the patio garden. We have seen these plants out at the Smithsonian castle gardens, so that gave us hope that it will be able to survive the winter. So we found the perfect spot for it next to the mums and the impatiens, in the full sun. The kitchen table now looks less cluttered, and the flower - though it will be missed - will continue to get a lot of attention. So when I get bouquets of cut flowers for the wall vase, I will put a couple of them in a small table vase. It just makes the house look more cheerful.

Our Patio Garden is Back

We decided to have some renovation done in our small condo. It required using our tiny patio space for all the demolition debris, materials, equipment, and various other stuff. At the same time, the cucumber vine was growing in full swing and it was almost impossible to reach it on some days because the path to it was blocked. The work started on July 10 and ended about six weeks later. During that time, we could not believe what was placed there and are amazed that it is finally over with excellent results. So the other day we decided to finally sit out on the patio in the afternoon for the first time this season. Usually we have a glass of wine and chat, or read, or just enjoy the space. We are fortunate to have this patio because we also have a storage shed housed on it and it certainly came in handy during this project. I don't know what other people do if that kind of place is not available. It's tight enough with it. Just imagine how the work gets done without it.

Urban Gardener Cucumber Vine

My husband took out the two tomato plants last week because they were just taking up a lot of space and not producing anything. And when you have a very small patch of available land to plant things, it made sense. On the other hand, the two cucumber vines are taking over the other side of the garden- so much so that the vine is having a showdown with the clematis vine coming at it from the opposite direction. But we will let the cucumber vine have it's way because it is cooperating! For whatever reason, it's not doing as well as in the past. The flowers are abundant, and the bees are constantly hovering. But the produce looks different. I'll be the last one to complain because I love cucumbers and will take them in any shape, form, or length. And, to our amazement, we know they are always hiding out somewhere. Maybe it all has something to do with the extreme heat and weird weather. A lot of our flowers just didn't do well either. In Wisconsin we had a lot of room for all kinds of vegetables and berries, so we are fortunate to have this little space in a very urban environment. Cucmber anyone?