you gotta love thunbergia

Happy and easy little vine - what's not to love?

 

Flatbush

Was walking along East 21st street today...absolutely lovely explosion of spring flowers in front of spectacular Victorian single family homes...what a schizoid place Brooklyn is!

Happy Accident

I didn't know what color these portulacas were when I planted them. I chose the little flat for other vibrant ones that were blooming - bright orange, flaming raspberry, hot pink. So when these started to appear I though uh oh, I would never have picked this bunch if I knew what these would be. But as they opened I grew to love them. They are a delicate peach with a ring of pink markings on the inside and look great with the bacopa and creeping phlox. From now on, I will search for them, when buying portulacas!

Carroll Gardens

On my way to work today I passed this stoop. What won't be obvious in the photo is the spectacular clematis blooming along the right hand side of the stoop or the fact that the arch above the door is partly roses, which I hope I get to see in full bloom next month.

The Calm After the Storm

After several days of fog and rain (actually I loved them and felt like I was living in some combination of New England and London) today is clear and lovely and the flowers are happy....

Baby Nasturtiums

Baby nasturtiums with broken off bits of portulacas, some creeping jenny and the purple is bacopa.

 

Thunbergia, million bells and pinks with the ubiquitous creeping jenny!

Getting there

Things are starting to unfold. I am so happy I decided to keep the perennials in the window boxes!

 

 

OUT OF HIBERNATION

Hello there! I have been hibernating all winter but now plan to return to blogging about my little balcony. What a lovely day - started out with fog horns and warm salty southern Spring smells. Now the sun has broken through and I have been puttering around outside. I am trying to keep the spending down and primarily use perennials even in the window boxes. So here is what has returned.

 

Creeping phlox, Violets, Creeping Jenny

 

 

 

Pinks (about to pop - pics to follow) Creeping Jenny, Coral Bells

 

Some annuals have been mixed in here -Portulacas, Pansies (and Nasturtiums, which are still underground!)

 

Can't wait to see this develop - perennials and seeds require patience, but they make you feel so triumphant when they arrive.

 

 

 

There is a lot that came back and a lot that the hard winter stole away. One clematis out of three survived, the rose is gone, but the strawberries are here for their third summer! More to follow.