Every-time I go to Wal-Mart I pass a house with gorgeous flower beds. Every year they are a solid mass of petunias in different colors. This year they are white and shades of pink.
Wanting to reproduce this carpet of color in my own yard I stopped one day last summer and asked the lady how she managed to get this result. She told me what brand of petunias she purchased and gave me the name of the nursery where she bought her plants. I couldn't wait for this spring so I could follow her directions and have my own variegated carpet of flowers around my Birch tree.
I followed the notes I took to the letter. I went out every night and watered and fertilized and talked to my pricy petunias. I was not going to let this year's drought keep me from my goal of having a solid carpet of blooms circling my tree.
Please note all of the above photos were taken several days ago.
The photo below was taken the same day.
This is my lovely (ever so disappointing) birch tree with its ring of petunias. What did I do wrong?
Yep, tomorrow I am going back to see the petunia lady. Surely, I must have missed one of her key instructions. No way could she have deliberately skipped the most important part in telling me how to copy her success.
I swear that next year my tree ring will match the mound around her mailbox. You will just have to come back for the next chapter in my "Carpet of Blooms" saga.
Linking to:
Oh, my! Hers are marvelous. I am envious too. Your tree may be taking a lot of the nutrients, from the flowers. That's all I have to offer. Good luck! My flowers were dissappointing this year too and I used Miracle Grow potting soil, and then watered them some with the MG mix when I realized they weren't doing very well. I figure the 3 digit temps we had set them back.
ReplyDeleteBoy those are carpets of petunias, aren't they? Maybe the birch tree has an effect on the petunias/soil? Or drinks the water? I hope you get your desired result - you have some cute items around the birch trees in the meantime!
ReplyDeleteHappy Pink Saturday!
A lot of work and time plus water went into this beautiful yard. What amazing sight.
ReplyDeleteI tried for a carpet of petunias too and I failed :0( Must not be our year to shine in the garden.
ReplyDeleteMaybe she has a magic spell she casts! Good luck next year!
ReplyDeleteMan, her flowers are headed out to the driveway and down the sidewalk...what is she using to make those things grow?? Oh, that's what you're going to find out...right? :) Good Luck Rita!
ReplyDeleteAlways a delight to see these gorgeous pink, love your petunia blooms! Catching up with Pink Saturday.
ReplyDeleteMy PINK
Your comment is always a treat for me!
Have a blessed weekend.
They say practice makes perfect, so I'm sure with the practice of this year, next year you'll have a perfect patch of petunias!
ReplyDeleteBetter to have tried than to have not! Next year...and, mayb a few more chats with the Petunia Lady.
ReplyDeleteSmiles,
Carolynn
Just beautiful!
ReplyDelete