Since Lillie {the dog who loves to pee in the house} has joined our family, I’m spending even MORE time outside; the other night, we were out back and I was admiring my potted herbs, veggies, and flowers and the fact that she CAN pee outside. I realized I’d not shared the update in this area, and I didn’t want you to think I was keeping secrets.
Ally recently mentioned how much she loves potted flowers, and I was all OH HELL YEAH with her on this topic. Also, I’ve nothing interesting to blog about this week so let’s visit the garden, shall we? I hope you put on your sunscreen because Florida.
This area behind our pool lanai was a dedicated veggie garden for many years. And for many years I would tend to this veggie garden all while cussing like a sailor. That’s not very zen-like is it? I could NOT for the life of me contain the weeds. It was beyond frustrating and I tried everything known to man. Paper, cardboard, praying, digging/pulling & mulch. It basically looked like the Sanford & Son of veggie gardens.
So last summer, we ripped it out, and I was going to throw in the towel altogether. Then I thought maybe I could mulch it thickly in most of the garden, then just use pots for all my veggies; fewer weeds: YES PLEASE.
This is where the Coach intervened and I don’t always like it when he intrudes into my department; but this time he had a good idea. He thought he could build a ‘shelf’ (minus the elf) on top of the area and I could then use it for all my pots.
Wow, the pic up there was May 2020. I can’t believe my salvia was that SMALL. (Maddie, do you see that? It’s five salvia plants!)
I planted butterfly friendly stuff in one end IN the ground(milkweed, salvia, blanket flower, verbena) and then the rest of the area was to be a ledge.
Coach purchased composite decking and had our guys in our manufacturing shop build it to his spec. Brilliant idea. Except it weighs about 500lbs; you should have seen our 3 friends trying to get this from the front of our property to the back of it using manpower and our sissy golf cart. Oh, for shits and giggles, they had to lift it UP and over to line it up over the irrigation poles that were in place. I can’t believe they are still our friends. They were cussing Coach for making something SO large and heavy; sadly, that man does not know how to do anything small.
It will NEVER be moved from where it is.
What am I growing on the ledge? Smiles, tomatoes, peppers, chives, parsley, basil, rosemary, oregano, some various flowers because why not, and for my swallowtails: rue, fennel & dill. Potted plants are so much easier to maintain than weedy ass beds.
This area truly makes me happy. I especially love going out here in the late afternoon when the sun has moved to the front of the house and I don’t feel like I’m melting. The area is always swarming with butterflies and buzzing bees pollinating here, there, everywhere. It’s practically an orgy out there.
Speaking of orgies, these two were getting after it right in front of us. 2021: Modesty has gone out the window.
Luckily Lillie didn’t witness this incident or that would have brought on “the butterflies & the bees” conversation.
Speaking of nature orgies: Happy Hump day.
Raise your hand if you’re a fan of potted nature!
XO
Busy Bee Suz 
Coach’s solution to your problem is perfect. I think it’s inspired actually. Plus your photo of all your pots fills my heart with joy! You’ve made a happy place for your butterflies and bees. And you!
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Thank you Ally. The statement “Home is where the heart is” rings true.
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That composite decking is no joke. We have it for our back patio (what we Northerners call our lanais), and it gets HOT HOT HOT in the sun. I bet you have to water like crazy to keep your garden smiling.
Like you, I am confounded by weeds. They are green and thriving here even in winter. Why can’t the squirrels and chimpmunks eat them?
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Nance, we also call our outdoor space a Lanai as well. This decking does not get overly hot; maybe it’s a different brand than what you have? I sit on it in the afternoon in shorts, so I’m sure I would feel it. I run the irrigation in this area for about 5 minutes a day. Luckily it gets morning sun and by 2-3 it starts getting a break from the sun, so it’s a perfect combo.
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We call ours a patio up North. Perhaps I wasn’t clear.
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I love the ledge! Your pots look so pretty. Makes me want to smell all the wondrous herbs you are growing. Have a happy day.
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I love pinching then smelling the basil—-it smells heavenly!
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Interesting post but JEEZ it took you FOREVER to get to the ORGY part.
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Sorry. I should have led with the orgy.
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How clever to have a ledge like that. I guess with composite, there’s no fear of rotting, either. Win win! I put a variety of annuals in pots around my yard, right in the mulch and up the steps of our sidewalk. Very easy to maintain, unless a monsoon blows through and drowns them. They are often too heavy for me to move to shelter. Thanks for sharing your piece of heaven!
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Yes, the composite is impervious to damage; this is the beauty of it aside from being hurricane-proof because of the weight.
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That is a great idea Coach had and it looks fabulous and so easy! I have only planted pots for a long time. I really hate weeding!
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Weeds are the worst!
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I love your garden! Honestly, I give you so much credit. I can barely stand to garden three solid months of the year; you have such a longer gardening season, so kudos to you. I get so excited when May rolls around and I want to plant all the veggies and herbs. By mid-June, I am like EFF IT WEEDS AND FLOWERS. THIS IS WHY WE GO TO THE GROCERY STORE.
Your plants and veggies are so beautiful. Your dogs and butterflies are lucky to have you. 🙂
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Thank you.
There are some garden areas in our yard that are not in a pretty shape, but it’s a balance, right? I can’t have it all looking pristine at once, it just never happens.
Thank goodness for grocery stores because I can not grow chicken. 🙂
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Currently residing in a north-facing apartment with a tiny balcony, I can only dream…and live vicariously through your lovely garden. Thank you for this!
Deb
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Thank you for the compliment. BUT, you can get to some beautiful sunrises and there is amazing nature not too far from your home. Right?
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I really love your shelf. So clean looking. Maybe if I’d have the promise of no weeds, I’d plant something. I like planting pretty flowers, but that doesn’t mean I do it. I can’t seem to carve out the time. I do like the sun though, and someday I imagine I will move past laying in the sun. Perhaps then I will get into planting things as an excuse to soak up some rays. For now, I will admire your pretty garden. Love that Coach does nothing small, and glad you didn’t lose friends over this.
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You ARE the busy bee. It’s a wonder you have time for anything other than family.
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Butterfly porn!!!
I love love LOVE your garden and I’m so envious! Mine is still frozen. It is just beautiful and I love the ledge. What a great way to use that space!
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I love everything about it! 🙂
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Look at the baby Salvia! Aw. So cute! Ok. I feel better now bc *that* is how Salvia is supposed to look early in the year (like April or May for nonFL lol). Thank heavens. Was getting a complex or like, plant envy or *something* from the pics of the Lustrous Salvia Giants roaming your garden. But the ginormous Salvias also make me happy, so it’s all good.
Oh! My mom told me I’ve always adored Salvia. Like *toddler* Maddie loved Salvia (and Lamb’s Ear) so I’ve always been this weird! 🙂
That decking is a thing of beauty. And holy smokes your lanai exterior with… palm trees? tree sized Dracena? …. visible through the overhead lattice. Are you sure it is a lanai and not an Arboretum? I mean, I’ve seen your Salvia pics.
PS. Five stars for growing plants in pots. The watering sucks but no weeds. Also butterfly “activity” pic *clutches pearls* 🙂
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I honestly forgot the garden was so bare and fresh at one time; thank goodness I take photos of everything.
It sounds like toddler Maddie hasn’t changed much in her love of nature and that is a good thing.
No palm trees INSIDE the lanai, maybe you’re seeing the chickee hut? The chickee hut with the mullet? *sigh* it needs to be rethatched, but I can’t find anyone to do it for me.
*clutches pearls*? OH MY, THAT MADE ME GIGGLE. You should have a blog.
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I think I’m seeing plants that only *seem* 2b growing thru you gorgeous lanai’s roof-like structure – due to my optimistic nature / the camera angle (*facepalm*). I didn’t even notice the chickee hut! And now must google “chickee hut”. You have all the *best* words – lanai, chickee hut…. No wonder I love you blog!
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What a pretty garden. My landscaping is in terrible shape. The freezing winter took care of that, but thankfully most of it is coming back very slowly.
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