The Red Geranium

Today, we cut our first little bounty of flowers from the gardens at my daughter and SIL’s home….and these little bud vase arrangements have us saying “could these BE any cuter??”

We scatter these pretty, tiny arrangements throughout their lovely Atlanta home every summer. By the kitchen sink to brighten up daily chores. In the powder room as a sweet pick me up. On the coffee table in a precious antique tray. Tucked into the built-ins for little burst of fresh color. Placed on her vanity for a little good morning hug.

There’s nothing quite like fresh flowers to brighten all the little spots in your home, but honestly, what is sweeter than knowing you grew them in your own garden?

Our favorite combination for shade flower scapes: caladiums, sun patiens, begonias, and Japanese grasses. Simple, elegant and bursting with lush goodness all summer long. (And y’all know I love caladiums almost as much as I love coleus!)

Fun fact: For those of us in zone 8A and higher, sun patiens really do not enjoy the sun at all. Our southern sun is way too extreme for them. They actually prefer semi-shade to shade, with a little bit of morning sun.

There are six of these large flower beds on this property, and here’s what we used in each:

- Postman Joyner Caladiums
- Carolyn Whorton Caladiums
- Soft Pink Dragon Wing Begonias
- Cherry Red Sun Patiens
- Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ Hakone Japanese Forest Grass

The begonias will need to be trimmed back every couple of weeks, but other than that, this is a very low maintenance combination. The Japanese grasses have that stunning chartreuse shade, which sets off the beautiful reds, creams, and pinks beautifully. And, they are a perennial, and will spread slowly to create a beautiful border.

To make your containers and your flower scapes pop, try adding lime green (creeping jenny, potato vine, Japanese grasses) silvery gray (like dusty miller or artemisia)), and/or white (euphorbia, fan flower, begonias) and promise you won’t be disappointed.

With a pool and backyard this stunning, we knew we would have to bring a striking tropical vibe to these equally stunning planters. So we gathered up the prettiest Lantana, Cora Cascade Vinca, Ipomea, Angelonia, Pentas, Petunias, Bidens, Portulaca, Alternanthera, Coleus and Cordyline and repeated specific recipes in each of the planters (there are 32+ in this portion of the outdoor area), so it brings a cohesive look to the entire pool deck. 💦

Full sun, tropical vibes, and colorful combinations will ensure that these planters welcome guests to this spectacular setting all summer long.

They are all fairly low maintenance, and only require some deadheading and trimming back a couple of times during the hot summer months. Slow release fertilizer is a must, as is a weekly water soluble fertilizer, like Flower Tone.🌸😊

Beyond that, fire up that margarita machine, start the yacht club music, and let the tropical party commence. 🍹☀️😎

Hydrangea season is here, and if you want lush green foliage and beautiful blooms year after year, a little TLC goes a long way.

My biggest tip? I feed my hydrangeas with Espoma Holly-tone® twice a year…once in April and again around the Fourth of July. That slow-release feeding helps support healthy growth and abundant blooms throughout the season. (And, just so you know, I am not getting any sort of payment in exchange for this endorsement. I just love the product, and truly believe it gives me the most beautiful hydrangeas every season.)

A few other summer hydrangea tips:

🌿 Water deeply during dry spells, especially during hot weather.

🌿 Add 2–3 inches of mulch to help retain moisture and keep roots cool.

🌿 Remove spent blooms if you prefer a tidier look, but don’t cut back stems unless you know what type of hydrangea you have.

🌿 Watch for wilting during afternoon heat. Hydrangeas often perk back up in the evening, but consistent wilting usually means it’s time to water.

🌿 Avoid heavy fertilizing late in the season, which can encourage tender new growth before fall.

I’ve been feeding mine with Holly-tone in early to mid-April and again around the Fourth of July for years, and it’s one of the simplest things I do to keep them looking their best.

Are hydrangeas a must in your garden? Here in Georgia, the limelights are getting ready to bloom soon. Can’t wait!!

Gardenias may be one of the most beautiful shrubs in the garden, but when it comes to deadheading, a little patience goes a long way.

Many gardeners see a bloom starting to turn yellow and immediately pull it off. The problem? If the flower doesn’t release easily, you can accidentally damage the plant stem.

Instead, only remove blooms that are completely spent, those crispy brown flowers that have finished their show. If a bloom is yellowing, let nature do its thing. When it’s truly ready, it will practically fall into your hand with the gentlest touch.

A few more tips for keeping your gardenias looking beautiful all season:

🌿 Keep them consistently watered, especially during hot weather. Gardenias don’t like to completely dry out.

🌿 Mulch around the base to help maintain even soil moisture and keep roots cool.

🌿 Remove any dead or damaged branches as you spot them to keep the shrub tidy and healthy.

🌿 Feed with a fertilizer formulated for acid-loving plants according to label directions to encourage healthy growth and deep green foliage. I typically use the same 10-10-10 NPK fertilizer that I use for my azaleas and camellias. I have found that makes a great one that is multi-use.

Sometimes the best thing you can do in the garden is nothing at all. When it comes to yellowing gardenia blooms, patience pays off!

Do you grow gardenias? I love “Diamond Spire” with its curly, textured leaf, and compact design. I’m also a big fan of the traditional “August Beauty.” Tell me your favorite variety below. 👇

We’re sharing our professional tips so you can have polished looking planters.

On of the easiest ways to up your container game is to add a topper or a “dressing.”

We love using moss, mini pine bark nuggets, and soil conditioner. We used to exclusively use moss in all of our containers, but it has gotten cost prohibitive. So we reserve moss for entryway planters, or containers that are placed in high traffic areas. And of course, we have some discerning clients that request moss in all of their containers. It really does provide the most beautifully polished, natural, and understated finish.

Mini pine bark nuggets are great for large containers, and soil conditioner is most suitable for smaller containers. We love using it around our planted ground covers and flower beds, as well.

One thing to note about using soil conditioner in your planted areas is that it can sometimes get washed away in a heavy rain,especially on a hillside. So in those situations, we prefer the mini pine bark nuggets or the shredded brown mulch.

Mini pine bark nuggets and soil conditioner are very cost-effective ways to protect the soil and help keep nutrients in your container. They also keep the soil cooler and preserve moisture.

We have seen some people using stones or rocks as a topping in containers and flower gardens. We definitely advise against this, as the rocks will increase the temperature of the soil exponentiallv. and will quite literally bake your plants.

Let us know if you have any questions about soil coverings. We find that using them really does help set your planters apart, and who doesn’t want to have have the prettiest planters on the block?

When you have 76,000 photos on your camera, and more than 70% of them are of flowers, then you know it’s become an obsession. 😉

And I don’t know about you, but I have very good intentions when I go to delete photos. But then I go down a rabbit hole looking at all past photos of flowers, friends, family, and before you know it, three hours have passed, and I’ve deleted 2.5 photos.🤦🏼‍♀️

Anyone else?🙋‍♀️

It’s been our busiest season yet, and we have some fun installs still on the books here in NW Georgia. Now, if only we could get mother nature to cooperate and stop bringing us three months worth of rain in two weeks, that would be great. ☔️🫤

Stay tuned for more flower shenanigans. And please tell the sun that we miss her.😎