As I mentioned the last time, I moved into a new home at the first of the year. I'd rather not get into photos of the home itself because it has been - and continues to be - a rather protracted settling in process, but I have been spending time out in the yard and creating the start of a pleasant environment out there. My home has a lot of northern exposure, so doesn't get a ton of direct sunlight inside (except through the skylight at mid-day), but as the sun moves around during the day that yard gets a good bit of direct sun from about mid-day on and plenty in the afternoon.
Since I don't have the time or energy to get into creating a vegetable garden, I am experimenting with container plants, mostly flowers and herbs that I can shift around to capture maximum sun. I've picked up some of the usual annuals - geraniums, petunias, a few snapdragons, some vinca vine - and have been enjoying their constant blooms since late spring.
I also decided I'd be a little bit ambitious and start some annual flowers from seeds, just to see if I could create a real display of vibrant color. I've always admired the brilliant zinnias that a friend grows annually, so I'm giving them a go, along with morning glory and some cleome. I've grown the latter two in the past and always liked them, but it has been quite a while since I've grown anything from seed, so this will be a little bit of an adventure. Perhaps in another month or so, I'll have some new colors in bloom...we'll see.
In the meantime, here are a few shots of my efforts to date.
