My Container Garden and My Quest To Attract As Many Birds As Possible.

Today is a gorgeous spring day so I took advantage of it by starting my 2014 container garden. Last night I ran to the garden center to pick some flowers for my container garden. 

I'm in a quest to  attract birds and butterflies this year therefore every color and plant has been select for that purpose. 

For a cohesive color scheme that is attractive to birds and butterflies I chose mostly purple and red with some tinge of yellow, pink and white.

I love the red and purple color combination. It comes off as rich yet playful. 

I found that birds, especially humming birds love red color as proven by the fact that I've already had two of them in my yard. Butterflies love yellows and purples as well. 

Bird bath

My shade garden is looking shabby right now, but a lot of new growth has sprouted. By the end of spring, I should a full garden area.

Major Wheeler Honey Suckle

Hummngbird nectar <<< it is already working!

I bought the following plants:  purple verbena, hibiscus (red and yellow), petunias, sage and red Hawaiian flower I cannot recall now! I will look it up. Additionally I have existing perennials that I bought in previous years. These new flowers, coupled with my existing butterfly and hummingbird flowers should make my garden very attractive; and as I write this, all I can hear are birds making music!

Another thing to look forward to this year!

Spring 2014 Is Here!

 Spring 2014 is here and nothing makes me more excited than a non-winter season. Spring is not only is it the first season after winter, for me, it is a season filled with anticipation for what is about to sprout off the ground. I have so much to look forward to!
This is year 3 of my garden project, so what comes off the ground should be bigger and better. Everything is chugging along pretty well except for my Drakensberg Gerbera; fingers crossed that it makes it.

I had to make another trip to the garden center today, a second since the beginning of spring. I picked up mostly annuals and 3 perennials. I should stop buying now and just be patient and divide what I already have.

I also moved a lot of plants around to more permanent and suitable places within the yard. A lot of my hostas were not doing well because they were planted right under trees. Trees are sucking up all the nutrients from the soil, and they do not provide as  much shade as I expected; this was another reason to move them.

Humming Bird Feeder

The one thing I'm excited about the most this spring is my humming bird and butterfly garden. I have my bird feeder of course, honey suckle, butterfly bush, a bird bath, a humming bird feeder and planted some seeds for butterfly garden. You may not be able to see it until you click on the picture on the left.

fothergilla  in bloom

Fothegilla Flowers

White flowering dogwood

when my dogwood is fully grown, it will peek from behind a Japanese maple tree and a green huge Nellie R. Stevens holly.

Chaste Tree is coming along very well. It is full of new shoots.

Hollies thriving.

Little Ms Kim Lilac :)

vigorous growth by Oriental Lilies 

A Visit To North Carolina State University

I had an opportunity to visit North Carolina State University today. The weather was perfect for visiting. Everything was in bloom. From dogwoods to redbuds, the south is in bloom. These plants are native to South Eastern United states so they grow wild as well. I have both the red and white flowering dogwood in my yard. I also have a red bud that I found in my yard when I bought my house. Enjoy!