Happy Friday! Today has been one of those crazy days where I started about 10 things and finished one! I did make it to Lowe’s and Home Depot in search of the perfect plants for my patio containers. My goal is to finish ALL of my projects this weekend. Want to see what I picked out to plant in the patio containers?
Planting my big urns on the patio is a project I should have started earlier in the year. By this point in the season, I think a lot of plants and shrubs have been picked over. The big box stores are notorious for getting their stock in early but not watering them properly so after a few weeks, they start looking puny. And as much as I adore our local nurseries, I do not enjoy spending $40 per plant. I decided I wanted to plant boxwoods in the five containers on the edge of the patio. In the past I used small arborvitae trees but they get root bound quickly and tend to be top heavy. The boxwoods will give a bit of privacy and add some extra color to the patio. So the search began.
Lowe’s only had tiny boxwoods that were about the size of my hand. They were $8.98 each but would have looked ridiculous in the big urns. I ended up down the street at Home Depot. They too were out of the 5 gallon boxwoods I wanted. Instead I found compact Japanese Holly bushes. They were $22.98 but we’ll call it it what it is, $23. I bought five. (I couldn’t resist these sweet pink million bells….)
So, now to plant them! I put a large brick paver in the bottom of each container. Not only does this help with drainage, but also helps weigh down the containers and use less soil. The supposed “easy to carry size” potting soil was anything but. They were crazy heavy. But I managed and planted all five. I like how they look but will probably whip out my pruning shears tomorrow and begin shaping them in a round-ball shape. 
And Lacey doing her part:
Another angle. I transplanted the million bells from the hanging basket into a concrete urn on the fire pit. Much better.
This is the patio progress thus far. The patio needs a good pressure washing this year so that is next on the to do list.
Meanwhile, I repainted the table and chaise lounge. I rearranged the patio too. I prefer sitting in the comfy adirondack chairs so I wanted them closer to the house for the summer. I have two more white adirondack chairs my Dad made for me that need sanding and repainting. (My husband made the two cedar chairs seen here.) Also, being away from the trees helps keep bugs and critters at bay.
Speaking of critters, this little guy surprised me yesterday. He stowed away inside one of my peony flowers. He looked like a little mutant frog with 2 toes. Yuck. I set him free outside but one of our snakes will probably eat him. Sometimes I feel like we are living in a zoo. A reptile zoo.
Happily the yard and patio are coming together for summer! My boys are coming home next weekend for Father’s Day so I’m sure we will spend lots of time out back by the pool grilling and having some cool cocktails! I hope you have a wonderful weekend! xoxo Dell & Lacey
