Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Bloomin' Tuesday...

It's time for Bloomin' Tuesday! Last week I featured our new fountain, and I mentioned I would be planting a gazillion impatiens around the fountain that week. Sometimes I exaggerate. It wasn't really a gazillion. It was 210. You heard me right. It took me three hours on my hands and knees to fill in that area with brightly colored impatiens. I was whimpering by the time I was finished. Last year I planted 280 impatiens in this same area, but because the fountain takes up space that number has been cut down considerably. When we were looking at fountains I mentioned this savings to my husband as a selling point for the fountain we bought. Because it has a large base (instead of a pedestal base), I explained to my husband that I would be able to buy one less flat of impatiens for that area every year. That adds up to quite a savings. (Sometimes he's not overly impressed by all the money I save him.)

Here is what the area surrounding the fountain looks like today with all those little impatiens ready to spread...


This area is shaded by a huge locust tree, so it only gets a little filtered sunshine during the summer. Impatiens thrive in this shady spot, and it takes no time at all for them to completely fill in the area. In years past I have planted same colored impatience in circular rows, like this...

This year I decided to mix it up and plant 8 different colors of impatiens in a random display. Hopefully it will be effective too. Later in the summer when the the area has filled in, I will feature it again.

For more Bloomin' Tuesday posts,
don't forget to head on over to Ms. Green Thumb Jean's!