How I blew the gardening budget in 2023 (potted edition)
Current temp 48°F at 3:32pm | High/Low 52°/37° — bright and dry (and has been, oddly, scarily? all month so far)
Alright, alright, alright. Here’s a rundown of all the plant material I picked up for my empty pots this year along with sincere gratitude for the means to tender for it and the ability to tend it.
For the back patio pots — Summer
Crassula ovata ‘Sunset’; Zones 9-11 — This succulent (a bright, almost kelly green leaf surrounded by thin red edge) is now overwintering in a pot in my west-facing kitchen window. The tag suggests it could grow as tall as 36”. Right now, it’s ~8”. If it keeps putting on growth next year, it could be bigger than the traditional Jade Plant I’ve been nursing along for years. Both the Crassula and Echeveria were grown locally in West Linn by Yoshitomi Brothers!
Echeveria nodulosa; Zone 9-11 — This star-shaped succulent now in a seasonal green and red vibe pot out on the front porch. I’ll try to remember to bring it in here this week and repot it so it has a chance to overwinter, too. It’s only about 3” tall, and the tag says it could grow to 10-18”. When it flowered this summer, the two stalks were easily 8-12” long. I cut them and used them in the autumn swag over the front door. They’re just so lovely!
Sedum album ‘Athoum’; Zone 4 — I potted this up with the Crassula and it’s hanging tough in the kitchen window. If it survives the winter inside, I think I’ll take some cuttings and guerilla garden with it as a (much needed) groundcover in the HOA’s “green space” next to the house. (That space is mostly mulch and what’s left of the topsoil that runs off into the city drain season after season. I’ll have to do a post on my guerrilla efforts next spring if the mow blow+go guys don’t undo my efforts.) This plant was grown by the woman-owned Blooming Nursery over in Cornelius.
Begonia Rex ‘Ideal Silver Blue’ — This is a fancy leaf variety that I featured in a post earlier this year. Right now, it’s overwintering in middling light in bathroom. Fingers crossed. (Last year, I grew a similar variety that’s a bit more minty green and has a curlier, swirlier leaf — ‘Royal Silver Twirl’. I didn’t get it in or take cuttings before the season changed, though. ((Both varieties came with PlantSmith tags, a good reference for identifying Rex Begonias in the future (((when I’m less fastidious with tags)))))).
Zinnia Double ‘Zahara Salmon’ — I’d totally buy these again. I picked them up from New Seasons in 8” pots for $7(??) a pot and they made a great late-season addition to the raised bed. The flowers just kept giving for tiny bouquets all through August, September, and October. The color is interesting because they shift from salmon to pale pink and yellow as they age.
Nepeta racemosa ‘Blue Wonder’ — I’ve planted up nepetas the last few summers because the cat really enjoys them. I’m going to try to get out to the garden this week and transplant it in a sunny spot where I’m trying to replace the lawn square foot by square foot. (It can get a bit wet back there over the winter, so we’ll see if it keeps for a few seasons more.)
For the pots on the front porch — Summer
I spot-filled around the Goshiki false holly topiary I planted for winter 2022. But, the pots that flank the door just don’t get enough sun to showcase fun annuals as I’ve learned for two summers in a row this year. I may have to break down and do fuschias or flowering begonias next summer. Or make do with just foliage. Le sigh.
I went with a purple theme this year (must be all the SaaS branding rubbing off on me, yes) and planted these three annuals:
Osteospermum ‘Spider Purple’ (a Flowerpower African Daisy) was gorgeous for the first three weeks and then it never got enough sun to do more blooming.
Same with the Heliotrope arborescent ‘Fragrant Delight’ (which I’d try again as a bedding plant).
Good old Pomoea batatas ‘Blackie’ (Sweet potato vine) which is still hanging on despite the colder night temps, but without enough sun, it never put on any spill.
For the pots on the front porch — Winter
I catalogued there in Loose ends earlier this fall. I went with a pink theme. Because Barbie. And why not?! Here’s a recap:
Viola ‘Nature Mulberry Shades’
Kale "‘Crystal Snow’
Wintergreen (Gaultheria ‘Winter Fiesta’) — I like this
