• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Partner
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Southern Hospitality

Adventures in Decorating, Thrifting, Cooking, Fashion & Gardening

  • My Home
  • Categories
    • A+ Blogs
    • My Blog Story
    • Decorating
    • DIY/How-To
    • Family
    • Gardening
    • In the Kitchen
    • My Home Tours
    • Thrifting
    • Travel
  • DIY Gallery
  • Fashion
  • Feature Friday
  • Shop My Home
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

May Garden Party

May 6, 2009 By Rhoda 76 Comments

0 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

IMG_4941

Yes, welcome to my Garden Party! So glad you could stop by today and I hope you’ll make yourself at home. You might not know this, but as much as I love to decorate, gardening is right up there for me too in things I enjoy doing and I love to grow pretty flowers. I’ve got a pretty good green thumb, although I’ve managed to lose a few here and there too, but right now is a good time to show off what’s blooming.

IMG_4940

We’ve just had a nice rain for the last 2 days, so everything is looking so green and lush (and a little windswept too, but that’s OK). I started all of my beds 3 years ago when we moved to Birmingham, so they are finally coming along and looking good. This bed has an Endless Summer hydrangea, underplanted with hostas and I always add pretty impatiens to the front that peek out over the edging.

IMG_4961

I have always, always loved impatiens. They are probably my all time favorite flower to grow.

IMG_4942

These Endless Summer hydrangeas are doing well and if they bloom like they did last year (which they are covered with blooms now), they will be busting out in just a few weeks. You can see that they will be a nice deep blue.

IMG_4946

This little bed has evolved over the last 3 years and almost nothing made it from what was originally planted. I can tell you that if you’re looking for a good shrub to add in your beds, that Spirea that lines the fence is a good one. It is a gorgeous shade of lime green with little pink blooms in the spring. I planted 3 of them three years ago and they have really grown. Unfortunately, all the other perennials I planted in this bed did not make it for the long haul, so I’ve had to replace them in the last couple of years.

IMG_4943

I added mostly dianthus and I hope they all make it.

IMG_4959

This is a spiderwort that my mom shared from her garden and it does well.

IMG_4960

Those purple sage are newly planted this year. You can see the delicate pink flowers on the spirea. I love this shrub & will definitely plant more of them.

IMG_4944

This hot pink dianthus I just planted this year and it’s doing well.

IMG_4945

Here’s that $4 birdbath I found a couple weeks ago, looking right at home here in this bed. Found the glass ball last year at a sale and I love it in the water.

IMG_4947

Closeup of the spirea and my iron armillary.

IMG_4948

The glass ball just sits in the birdbath.

IMG_4949

These dianthus were planted last year and have grown a lot. If you’d like to see how these beds have evolved in the last 3 years, you can go here and take a look. And this next area by our front sidewalk is where I built a stone wall all by myself and that’s on the link too.

IMG_4958

Moving on to the bed beside our front sidewalk. This bed was full of overgrown boxwoods when we moved in and I knew I had to work on it, so I built this little stone wall out of paver stones from Lowes and planted it with knock-out roses and Dwarf Mock Orange shrubs which have done pretty well. I was featured with this project in the Birmingham News 2 years ago and that was fun.

IMG_4951

The double-knockouts have done well for me too.

IMG_4950

This urn sits a the end of the stone wall and I just planted it with some cheapie annuals.

IMG_4952

Mulching with dark mulch makes any bed look better, I think. Found that armilary at a yardsale a couple years ago for $10. I’m always on the lookout for more garden stuff.

IMG_4953

And of course, there are a few bunnies in my garden. I’m sure you are shocked to hear that! 🙂

IMG_4957

Down by the mailbox, I added a new perennial purple verbena this year. I hope it does well here. I had some of this planted in my other bed up by the fence and it almost took over the first year. Then, for some unknown reason, it just completely died. Plants are hard to figure out sometimes, but I sure love to watch them grow. Flowers just add so much to the landscape and I enjoy walking outside to see them blooming this time of year.

IMG_4956

This clematis is 3 years old and has the prettiest blooms every spring. Too bad they don’t last longer.

IMG_4955

Purple verbena up close.

IMG_4954

I had tried to figure out what to plant down by the mailbox, since it gets full sun, so I decided on this Miss Huff lantana which is supposed to be really hardy and drought tolerant and hopefully it will get big and fill out. I planted 3 of them. Most of my garden is pinks, blues & purples (my fave colors in the garden), but since I needed something here that is tough, I decided I could stand some orangey yellow down here.

So, how about you? Have YOU been digging in the dirt this spring and how is it looking? Share with everyone by adding your garden to Mr. Linky and add a link back to THIS post so everyone can find our party. I can’t wait to visit everyone’s garden too.

Happy May, ya’ll!

Don’t forget the rules on how to play with Mr. Linky. Go here if you need to learn how to do a permalink and don’t forget to add a link back to MY post here so others can find the party.

1. Sarah ~ A Beach Cottage Orange Trees
2. http://gypsycorner.blogspot.com/2009/05/things-are-actually-growing.html
3. Milah
4. The Shabby Chic Cottage
5. http://backporchmusings.blogspot.com/2009/05/garden-party.html
6. Miss Bloomer/Sonia
7. http://typicaldaytoday.blogspot.com/2009/05/outdoor-wednesday-may-6th.html
8. Marsha
9. Jadehollow
10. Sharon~Serendipity
11. ‘My Right Brain Blog’ Sue
12. Amanda-TheEckLife
13. Daisy Cottage
14. Pammie Jo
15. Vanessa
16. My Three Bubs
17. Cheri
18. Nikki – Nikki’s Nacs
19. We are THAT family
20. Jennifer
21. http://fiddledeedee-jen.blogspot.com/2009/05/its-garden-party.html
22. Leigh from Tales from Bloggeritaville
23. http://wishandwonder.blogspot.com/2009/05/garden-party.html
24. Jeanne
25. http://cena-unexpectednecessities.blogspot.com/2009/05/garden-tour-2009.html
26. lots of love
27. Ann
28. http://expressivecreationsca.blogspot.com/2009/05/outdoor-wednesday.html#links
29. Mintagehome
30. http://makingitourhome.blogspot.com/2009/05/may-garden-party-and-little-update.html
31. Felicia
32. http://haveacupwithme.blogspot.com/2009/04/i-love-spring-in-oregon.html
33. http://mementosdesigns.blogspot.com/2009/05/may-garden-party.html
34. Amanda
35. Betty Parker
36. Shaylynn
37. http://gracioussouthernliving.blogspot.com/2008/04/spring-fluffing-and-azaleas-in-bloom.html
38. Brenda
39. ALCHEMY
40. http://lifesignatures.wordpress.com/2009/04/28/spring-planting-but-not-by-me/

Powered by… Mister Linky’s Magical Widgets.

Related


Don't Miss a Post, join my list!

Filed Under: Gardens and Flowers 76 Comments

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Judy says

    May 6, 2009 at 8:49 pm

    I cheated a little….haven’t had time to tweak my garden/yard much this spring so I linked to my front yard last April….hope that’s okay!

    I’ll be e-mailing you soon about my bedroom update….and hopefully a trip up your way is not too far off!

    Love ya,
    Judy

    Reply
  2. Debbie @ Cheaper by the Bakers Dozen says

    May 6, 2009 at 9:26 pm

    I’ll have to wait until later in May to post my picture (in other words..I need to weed first.)

    But I have to ask? Where, oh where do you get that beaut-i-ful dark mulch? I WANT SOME.

    I did post a while back on How to get your kids to weed. I’ll try to find the link and come back later.

    Great pictures. Very inspiring!

    Reply
  3. Christina says

    May 6, 2009 at 9:41 pm

    Love your garden. I’m going to have to get some spirea–It’s beautiful. I wanted to participate today, but by the time I finally went out to take pictures this afternoon, it started raining. Oh well, it is great fun to look at what beautiful things everyone else has.

    Reply
  4. Jenny says

    May 6, 2009 at 10:53 pm

    You have a beautiful garden! Great pictures!

    Reply
  5. Kelee Katillac says

    May 6, 2009 at 11:09 pm

    Love the lantana! You all are probably a little ahead
    of us midwesterners….will share in a week or so….
    thanks for doing so Rhoda!!!!! love, kelee

    Reply
  6. Sandy says

    May 7, 2009 at 8:32 am

    I’d love to see your garden!

    Happy May, Rhoda!

    I just took pix of my clematis, too 🙂

    Reply
  7. Lois Grebowski says

    May 7, 2009 at 9:16 am

    GORGEOUS garden. Loved the hostas. I miss the garden I had when I owned my house.

    Now I’m in a high rise. I’d have a garden this year, but I’ll be leaving here in the next month or so for an extended stay up north.

    I guess when I settle down up north I can play in the dirt.

    Thanks for letting me live vicariously through your garden.

    Reply
  8. Jadehollow says

    May 7, 2009 at 11:52 am

    Rhoda.. I love how you set up Mister Linky so that the sights we’ve already visited aren’t highlighted any longer. This makes it so much easier and ensures us that we’ve gotten to see everyones post. Now I can honestly say I got to see all that participated. Thanks again for hosting this fun garden party.. I’m gonna be a busy bee working on all the new ideas I got from everyone!
    Hugs,
    Debbie

    Reply
  9. ~CC Catherine says

    May 7, 2009 at 12:34 pm

    Rhoda, I Absolutely love your blog and your garden is totally wonderful! I’ll be back, joined you as a follower! Hey, I’m celebrating Mother’s Day on my blog this week…deadline to enter is Mother’s Day at midnight, PDT. Please feel free to drop over and enter…there are a variety of gifts I’m giving away and there are two different ways you can enter! AuRevoir~ ~CC Catherine from “Catherine de th`e Cup”

    Reply
  10. Embellished Bayou says

    May 7, 2009 at 5:38 pm

    I don’t have any photos to share yet, but I just wanted to say what a beautiful garden you have! Hydrangeas are my favorite, mine are about to open up any day now!

    Reply
  11. Carla says

    May 7, 2009 at 8:44 pm

    What a great idea! Your garden looks lovely, thank you for sharing:)

    Reply
  12. Puna says

    May 7, 2009 at 8:52 pm

    Hi Rhoda,

    I guess I’m what you would call fashionably late to the party:)

    Reply
  13. [email protected] says

    May 9, 2009 at 6:32 pm

    Hi Rhoda,

    Your garden is stunning. I remember the post about the garden wall and then your town paper’s well-deserved article on it.

    I know you’re quite humble in saying that you’re “no expert,” but I really hope that I can twist your arm for some advice. I’m hoping to do a container garden on my balcony but I have no idea how to put together the colours. Would orange and red flowers clash, etc? I was originally thinking of doing all white flowers, but I thought that it might look too boring. What’s your opinion?

    Thank you very, very much! Maybe next year I will be joining your garden party!

    Jo Draven

    Reply
  14. Tamara Jansen says

    May 11, 2009 at 4:35 pm

    your garden looks just wonderful!

    Reply
  15. onno david says

    June 26, 2009 at 3:33 pm

    Wow…your garden looks wonderful! I love your garden. I'm going to have to get some spirea it is beautiful. Thank you for hosting this glorious garden party. My husband and I love this garden party. Thanks for letting me join your party. I'm so enjoying all the pretty gardens.

    Reply
  16. Bridge Garden Blog says

    February 3, 2010 at 11:29 am

    Great pictures and awesome green thumb.

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Thanks for stopping by! I’m Rhoda, from Atlanta, GA and I love decorating and DIY projects. Decorating a home doesn’t have to cost a fortune and I’ve spent years thrifting at antiques markets and yard sales, finding those treasures that make a home unique. I’m here to inspire and encourage other women to find their own inner creativity. Won’t you join me?

Click Here

Click Here

Email Series
How to Decorate in
Classic Timeless Style
.....without breaking the bank!

House Renovation Journey!

Our Paint Colors

Archives

Categories

Footer Widget Header2

Featured here:

Better Homes and Gardens
Atlanta Magazine
Better Homes and Gardens

Footer

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Partner

Copyright © 2023 · Southern Hospitality · Blog Design by Little Blue Deer
Privacy Policy

Get my FREE Email Series How to Decorate in Classic Timeless Style....without breaking the bank!
After years of decorating my own homes, I've learned a few tricks on how to create a classic home on a budget. Hope you'll join me!
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.