in the front

Front stoop beautification is in progress. Ok, it has been for a while, but a week of solid rain meant that I couldn't really show much. Last year there was a ton of action on the stoop. It started to make me feel like the crazy flower lady, however. This year, I'm determined to be a bit more edited. Not sure exactly the direction, don't want to get intimidated, but I had to do something.

Stoop. From top to bottom: is it possible the akebia in the green planter died? There's other stuff sprouting, but could well be weeds. Meanwhile, stuck a Verbena in there for color and fun. Then snaps with alyssum. Then a dahlia. Then in the lower black pot I clearly planted some seeds, but don't know what. And on the bottom little pot, there's a nemesia.

Another view here of the top three - verbena, snaps/alyssum, and the dahlia. And you can see some of my sprouting mystery seeds.

Viburnum and a pot of dianthus and alyssum, which I needed to do a couple weeks ago just to add some color, any color, to the front area. At some point I will add something with a little more, uh, flair. But right now I like the contrast of red/pink against the green viburnum and its dark planter.

And here is the center "collection". The juniper is doing fine. I worry a bit about the hydrangea and dogwood. They just look ... sparse. For lower interest, there's lantana (2 kinds!) in the aluminum planter, bacopa at the base of the dogwood, and a different type of lantana, Samantha), in that small white planter. The clay pot is I think too much. I'm going to move it to the back once it doesn't weigh a million pounds for being so waterlogged.

And here is a planter of poppies. I planted these seeds March 22. Do I need to thin? How do poppies work?

The new aluminum planter hanging on the fence. Again, dianthus and alyssum here. Waiting for some inspiration. This you can see walking up the block, so I want to think it out a bit. (Last year's planter needs a total overhaul -- it's waiting sadly in the back, chock full of rotted bulbs and last year's roots).