Hope you had a wonderful 4th! I’ll be back soon with a round-up of pictures (once I get through sorting them all…) from Liv’s first beach day.

Meanwhile… a little patio update. Kevin finished the outside grill/fireplace area two summers ago and we’ve been enjoying the fruits every since. It’s always needed a little something green though – I get a concrete and stone overload every time I peer out through the new kitchen doors. But the minor update was relatively low on the list… (forgive the random photo I have of the fireplace – we just stocked up on extra wood).

Then came an afternoon at Lowe’s with a friend who was landscaping her front yard, and the wheels started turning.

Hours later and I had purchased two ceramic pots and two each of three different ‘high sun’ plant varieties (these babies will get zero shade so flowers that can handle 100% sun was a must).

I would have added nutrient rich potting soil to the mix but the soil from these gallon and half gallon pots was more than enough.

After pulling your plants out of the plastic container (a gentle kneading of the plastic should do the trick), break up the roots at the base to encourage growth.

After planting, water water water. And unless your new pots are on a drip system, keep up with frequent watering on an every day or every other day basis.

Yeah for a little summer green!

Plant choices are 100% reliant on your climate – be sure to choose plants that meet location criteria (shade, partial shade, full sun, etc) and that can live within your seasonal changes (snow, humidity, intense heat, etc). Here’s a helpful climate zone map to learn more about where you live and what grows best.

Liv gets some old fashioned vitamin D while attempting to discover who this big furry friend is: