Cheers to the red, white and blue!
One of our favorite holidays, the 4th of July, is right around the corner. Whether you are hosting a gathering of friends and family to celebrate this important day for our nation or just want to show some patriotic spirit, here a few super easy tips to get your outdoor space looking festive.
Flags, flags and more flags! Nothing says "Happy 4th" more than our beloved American flag waving in the breeze. You can find flags in all different sizes to use in outdoor planters of all shapes and sizes. We are big fans of tucking in lots of mini-flags into the sides of our pots.
We'll let you in on a little secret. We're obsessed with flag bunting! The bunting in this picture is 3 feet wide and 1.5 feet long - the perfect size for many windows.
But wait, there's more. Don't stop with flags and bunting...throw some red, white and blue pillows on your front porch bench and outdoor furniture. Now you're set!
It's so easy right? You even have time to whip up the mother of all 4th of July desserts, the patriotic classic...FLAG CAKE! Happy 4th friends!
Mosquito repelling plants
Have you noticed an increase of mosquitos with all the rain we've received? Ugh! Don't let them ruin your time spent outdoors! Here are a few plants you can add to containers or flower beds to help keep those pesky bugs at bay.
Mint - Julie uses the herb, mint, on her deck to ward off the mosquitoes. Many people like to flavor their iced water or tea with mint, but this plant also contains aromatic properties that mosquitoes dislike. Crush the leaves and release the scent or just plant them outside and never worry about mosquitoes biting you again. Julie suggests planting mint in a container, as it is invasive and will spread like wildfire if planted in a flower bed.
Lavender - Julie planted loads of perennial lavender because mosquitos don't like the scent of the plant due to its natural essential oils.
Marigolds - Most people who grow vegetables tend to plant marigolds amongst the veggies, and for good reason. These magical flowers help banish many types of insects including mosquitoes.
Lantana - This annual flower is another great choice, since mosquitoes dislike bright and vibrant colors. The scent of the flowers helps to ward off the little buggers. Julie uses them in container as spillers. Lantana is extremely heat and drought tolerant.
Lastly, the perennial, lemon balm’s scent wards off mosquitoes effectively. Lemon balm grows quickly in moist and well-drained soil and likes to be watered at least once a day. Rub the leaves with your fingers - if you love the smell of lemon then this will be your new favorite!
Coordinated color combinations
One of our favorite things about container garden design is the challenge of finding the right mix of colors and textures to put in a container. If you are planting a trio of containers like in this picture or planting containers that are near each other, you will want to coordinate the colors. Here we went with the red and yellow theme. Red leaf begonias are the flowers used in all three and visually ties them together. The yellow pops are hibiscus in the large planter and lantana in the medium sized planter. We love how the three containers blend well together but aren't totally matchy-matchy.
Let Adorn help you
We all love pretty pots but not necessarily the upkeep, right? Let us know if you'd like to outsource the maintenance of your outdoor planters. Once a month, we'll pay your container gardens a visit to deadhead, trim and treat for garden pests as needed. Our residential and commercial clients REALLY enjoy this monthly service!
We'd love for you to follow Adorn on social media for more container gardening tips and inspiration.
https://www.facebook.com/adornplanters
https://www.instagram.com/adornplanters
https://www.pinterest.com/adornplanters
Curb appeal shout out!
We've been helping Tammy Cole, Owner of Bella Salon in Edmond, with her outdoor planter for years. This fabulous salon is in a darling house on Broadway and 4th Street in Downtown Edmond. Hearing comments from sweet clients like Tammy makes our day. "I love using Adorn! Elizabeth is very creative and uses some unusual things that I would never even think to use in a planter. It looks great year round even in the winter months when my pot would normally be empty. I love the convenience of knowing that it is the one thing I don't have to think about and can check off my to do list. Elizabeth is always there once a month to make sure our salon looks fresh and green."
Awww, thanks Tammy for letting us "adorn" the entrance to your salon. We appreciate your love of curb appeal!