Water Features On My Patio
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I ended up placing both of my water features on the patio because water tended to splash onto the living room carpet.
When I open the patio door, the sounds of water flowing are lovely. The burbling water and my container plants, situated around them, make a nice combination.
My plants outside are looking great right now.
Since my yard is not in direct sunlight, like my old apartment, I hope this will have a positive impact on how my plants fare. It will soon get very hot.
The intense sun had damaged my patio plants for the last couple of years. The pots’ placement on concrete didn’t help.
House Plants On The Patio:
My house plants love spending the summer outdoors here. They are all lush and growing nicely.
It helps that there is a roof over my patio to shield them from the elements, as well as trees to shade them from the sun.
I have to fill plastic gallon jugs of water and haul them outside, but that hasn’t proved too much to handle.
The lawn irrigation system, situated close to the sidewalk, waters some of my plants. There’s just one sprinkler head, but it covers a significant portion of my yard.
Ivy Napping:
Here’s Ivy taking a nap on the couch.
Yesterday, a maintenance man came to change something in my bathtub. He laid the plastic packaging that the part came in on the floor.
Ivy grabbed that plastic in her mouth and went into the living room to hide it behind my chair.
I heard the guy say, “Well, you grabbed that plastic and took off with it, didn’t you?”
When he came into the living room, I told him that Ivy loves to grab new things from the apartment and take off with them.
I don’t know why she does that. But then I don’t understand why Ivy does anything.
Ivy’s Newest Strange Habit:
Ivy has this thing now where she comes to the side of my chair where I’m sitting. She sits on her hind legs, puts one paw on my arm, and says “meow” once. Ivy isn’t much of a “meower.”
This means she wants me to pet her, so I reach around and pet her. Then she sprawls out on the floor, and I can no longer reach her.
However, she is happy as long as I keep my left hand in her vicinity and wiggle my fingers. I’m no longer petting her, but she lies there on the floor, perfectly content, as though I am.
My fingers are no longer in contact with her body and petting her, but she seems content as long as I’m wiggling my fingers.
She continues to lie there, stomach up, as though her tummy is being petted.
My Herb Pot:
My container of herbs began to grow quickly once I planted them in the pot. They’re located in a somewhat shady spot, but get some morning sun.
The lemon balm will grow tall fairly quickly, and I’ll have to keep that, as well as the mint, clipped back.
I want to plant my two hosta plants and two coral bells in the ground or large containers. In my experience, they tend to spread quickly and need room to grow.
That’s it for my outdoor plants and water features today.
I can almost hear the water rippling as you describe the scene on your patio. I had no doubt you’d make it a sanctuary! That’s so funny about Ivy responding to just the wiggling of your fingers! My dog does the same thing – sits next to the chair and paws us until we pet her. But she demands actual touch – wiggling fingers wouldn’t be enough. I’d love Ivy to have a talk with her, and convince her!
Patio looks great, Brenda! I’m glad you are not finding the watering too taxing. I haven’t planted a flower or plant yet. We’ve had a few nice, sunny days the past week and I have been able to get out and weed and prepare my pots and some beds but then it rained again today when I had planned to go to buy some flowers. Maybe tomorrow.
My daughter and her husband bought me quite a large hibiscus for Mother’s Day–the first one I’ve ever had. It’s quite beautiful with its large flowers and it’s braided trunk. I repotted it and have it on my sunny deck and am watching it carefully to keep it watered as they don’t like to dry out. I will have to bring it inside for the winter and heaven knows where I’ll put it in this little, overcrowded house! But I’ll find someplace!
Ivy is such a beautiful big girl. Her fur looks so plush in the photos and I love hearing about her little habits and quirks. Sadly, we had to euthanize our elderly Miss Tula kitty this week. She was about 19 and had declined rapidly over the space of a few days. The hospice vet that comes to the house said that from the exam she did Tula had some sort of mass in or on her bladder and her body was shutting down. So I guess it was time to end her suffering, but it was so sad and painful, as you are well aware. It seems like the best decision, but at the same time feels like it’s wrong somehow. Do you know what I mean?
I had to let a 7 year old cat go this past month and I know exactly what you mean. It was the right decision but my vet did try to save him. He died of cancer and it was a blessing not to keep him and have him suffer. I selfishly wanted to keep him but knew I had to help him. I miss my Seamus.
I’m sorry you had to put the new water feature outside, as well. However, if you can still hear them that’s all that matters. I’m so glad you’re figuring out how to enjoy your plants on your patio. It’s such a huge part of your life!
As your day is winding down, I hope it was it was blissful.
Looks very lush and lovely…and water too…very inviting!! Ha, that Ivy, what a stinker!! Never heard of a cat doing such things!!
Always love to see your beautiful plants. So glad you and Ivy and happy and content. I am researching plants that do well in direct sun for my deck, no shade there so anything I put out gets blasted by the sun.
Ivy is such a cutie. I have a long wooden back scratcher that I often use to pet my cats with when I can’t quite reach them.
Several days ago you had a photo of your calathia plant. Do you know the name of the plant just beneath the calathia? It looks like one someone once gave me that had salmon colored blooms but I never knew the name.
I look forward to your posts each day and have followed you since you were still in Texas.
Love your container garden Brenda!
The best part is u don’t have to move those big heavy containers around away from the sun this yr!
Ivy is such a character always full of surprises! Lol
See, we all knew you would do something spectacular with your garden space! It looks so cozy and inviting! And with it being nice and shady, you’re more likely to actually sit outside. You are going to really enjoy your porch this summer! I’m so happy for you! And I
might add, Miss Ivy looks quite happy and content herself, all sprawled out on the couch, lol!
I am enjoying a covered patio and ceiling fan out there.
Ivy seems to be extremely content. Love how pretty your plants look. Will you leave both water features on the patio? I think everything is coming together nicely.
For now I will leave them out there.
Your garden is growing beautifully.
Thank you! I’m so much happier having plants to tend to and photograph.
This post describes pure contentment!
Ivy and I are quite content. She loves seeing all the wildlife out the patio doors.
Brenda, your garden looks beautiful! I am sure the sound of the water is very calming. I think they have tabletop fountains that you could put into the house that don’t splash, if you wanted to have one inside.
Love seeing Ivy and what she is getting up to.
Have a wonderful week my friend.
Yes, that’s what I needed inside. A small tabletop fountain.
I love reading about Ivy. What a sweetheart. I’m glad you have her and that she has you.
Ivy and I are a pretty good team.
I knew you’d eventually be getting your patio area working mostly the way you’d like it! You always eventually figure things out. I’m sure it’s very peaceful and beautiful out there with all the plants and the water features. I wish I could have some kind of water feature on our patio, but our patio is on the side of the house where there isn’t any electrical outlet. The builders for this house only put an electrical outlet on the front porch and then in the garage.
I’m so glad I have an electrical outlet on the patio. I didn’t have one at the other apartment.
Good morning Brenda, When I am looking at your planted pot of herbs. You have something that grows on the left hand side & hangs over the side a little bit. May I ask what that is? I would like to plant something like that too. You flowers should thrive beautiful in the patio spot that you have. They will be happy with the shade from the hot summer heat. Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Those are golden pennies in the herb pot hanging down. I also had them in that concrete head planter at the other place. Kendra got that for her patio.
I think you’re going to really like your shade garden. Everything does so well when it isn’t bone dry every few hours from baking in the sun.
Your container garden and water feature looks wonderful. Little Ivy is such a character. Glad you have her.
That she is!
Too bad the 2nd water feature isn’t going to work out for indoor use. Maybe you could get the same effect from a sound machine? Although mine has several options my favorites are the babbling brook and soft rain.
I have a sound machine in both the living and bed room that have that.
I planted a pineapple sage herb plant this year. You said it helps the doggies tummy when you used it, correct ? Do I just break off a leaf and add it to their food or how did you use it?
I just let him chomp on it and tear the leaves off himself.
Ok. Thanks for your help answering this for me.
This is the first year I’ve see pineapple sage – wonder if kitties would like it? I was thinking of adding it to the balcony garden. It made me think of Charlie boy.
Love how Ivy is content with being close to you.
Mary
Congratulations on your lovely container garden and water features. As you know, when plants directions say full sun, they are not talking about down south, especially here in central Texas. Full sun in the summer means death to most plants except maybe for cacti. I have a question regarding your purchases from Wayfair…does the furniture come unassembled leaving the customer to do the assembling? I would like to recommend Wayfair to my daughter who needs to order some furniture. Thanks for helping me out. Stay calm, safe, and well, and be kind to yourself and others.
You have to assemble it. So I buy most of my furniture either from furniture stores or Tuesday Morning, where furniture is already assembled. I can put together things like glass coffee tables and stuff like that.
Thanks for your very informative answer.