I picked up my torenias this morning.  They look hardy and healthy as usual.  It was like a holiday at the garden center with so many flowers and colorful displays.  I’ve been talking up the torenias around here for years, the hummingbirds love them and I don’t have to mess with a feeder.  I even talked another customer at the garden center into buying a few for a hanging pot.  I brought home a flat, along with some geraniums, superbells, lobelia and verbena.

So, here are the ‘before’ pics.  I worked the beds early this morning to pull all the weeds, and work in a bag of compost.  I didn’t find the plants I want for the bed, it is still too early.  Our last frost date here is May 15.  You can see the irises in the pic on the right.

The pots were filled with dirt next to the bed so any spilled could get swept into the bed.  No waste.  That’s my little foam knee pad, a real help on concrete!

Then up to the veranda to pot up the rest of the day’s haul.  Those light yellow petunias were brought home last weekend.

I put the geraniums in the big pot next to the door, with a torenia in front so it will trail down.  The superbell is the pretty yellow and white striped flower, but I realized it needs more sun, so will move it and put a different pot there.    As you can see, I need a few more plants.  There is a yellow torenia in the brass pot on the floor next to the little stone rabbits.

There is a disease going through the impatiens, so the garden center suggested a new variety called New Guinea Impatiens.  They came in white so I got three to use in my little tables.  The tables are tile on top, so they are really top heavy.  I put  pots in the bottom and plant shade hardy flowers in them.

The sunny corner now has a colorful display of petunias, verbena, lobelia, and a pot of some seeds I planted  (but I cannot remember what they are!).  They are greening up and I hope will bloom soon.

And here are those torenias!  Four hanging baskets of Summer Breeze variety.  If you live near here, go to Raymonds on Kanuga, they have a lot now.  When they get bigger, I’ll get a shot across the porch of all of them together.

Two lobelias went into a cute clay oblong pot.  The verbena went into a pot with some jump-up seeds.

Out in the lower front, the hostas are thriving, and the azaleas continue to bloom.  The day lilies are coming up and will bloom later.

The iris blooms are gorgeous too.  The stalks have three buds each.

So the garden is well under way.  Now I need some vegetables and herbs.  I did plant the spaghetti squash that sprouted inside the one I was preparing to cook a few weeks ago.  See Planting from the Kitchen for the whole story.   The garlic and onion went into the bed too.  We’ll see if they grow or not.  I have one Early Girl tomato, and want to get some Romas and little cherry tomatoes.  I might get a couple of heirloom varieties too, will see what comes along.

It was a great day to dig in the dirt!!

Thanks to Kitchen Table Art for the Feature on Making Monday Count!