A New Bottle Tree-That Looks Like a Tree!

From In the Garden

Mr. Fix-it had a day off recently and we spent it-drumroll please-flea marketing! I am very happy we share this hobby together as auto swap meets are not my thing, and garden tours are not his. We meet in the middle with flea marketing.

Did you know that folks within driving distance of Nashville have one of the best flea markets in the country? I read this in one of my women's magazines a few years ago and that fact stuck in my head. I love this flea market! You can find everything from beach vitex to can openers to etched stones to arbors to furniture and signs and oh my! The list goes on and on.

Since I have been downsizing here we went simply to look around and enjoy a day together. Mr. Fix-it bought an engraved stone with the Jimster's name on it, I purchased a bottle tree like thing and a vase. This bottle tree might have been designed to be a corn holder or something else. I am not sure what it was designed to be but thought it would work perfect as a bottle tree. And this 'tree' actually resembles a tree-a Christmas tree. I am enjoying it very much and I can see it was easy to make. All you need is some wire (rusted concrete wire seems to have been used for this tree) and some pliers. You first would form the hook and 'trunk', then twist short pieces of the wire around the trunk where you wish to place bottles. I put larger bottles on the bottom while working up to smaller bottles at the top-hence the Christmas tree shape. We view it from inside the house and the sun shining through the bottles sure makes a lovely presentation....

in the garden....

Not sure when I'll stop collecting bottle trees as three is getting to be way too much fun, but hey, why not? Do you have any bottle trees you'd like to share? If so, let me know and I'll add a link to my sidebar.

Cannas-The Gaudy, Bawdy, Flashiest Flower In the Garden

From In the Garden

Who likes cannas? It is one of those plants you either really like, or you really hate. It is never in between with this gaudy, bawdy, flashy flower. As you can tell, I am one who loves these plants. When I lived in sunny and hot North Carolina I somehow wound up with a few cannas. I planted them in a bed all of their own and wow! Did they ever take off! I've been smitten ever since.

The more color the better. Not only do the flowers come in a rainbow of colors, but the leaves are also brightly colored. Here you see a yellow flowered canna, two orange flowered cannas and a red flowered canna. The first orange flowered cannas is Tropicana. A gift from a fellow gardener. The second orange canna is an unknown cultivar and has typical green leaves. The red canna pictured above has very dark foliage but look at the foliage on the red canna below-it is most different. You can mix and match any color flower or leaf and really have fun with the colors of cannas. Cannas are typically hardy to Zone 7 but here in my Zone 6 on the border of Zone 7 these cannas not only come back each year but absolutely thrive. They do so well they are growing up through landscape fabric and bricks. I've had to do a lot of thinning in this area so make sure they have room to spread.

Cannas also need lots and lots of sun. They are not even the slightest bit shade tolerant and will languish in the shade, at least here in my garden. The more sun the better.

Cannas can be bothered by Japanese beetles and canna leaf rollers. Both insects are very frustrating but will not kill the canna. I hand pick the Japanese beetles and use Bayer Systemic for the canna leaf rollers.

Do you really want to know why I like these guys so much? The color yes, but really I like the ease of care and the fact these perennials bloom all season with little or no care from me. It is very hard to find a perennial that blooms for a longer period so I enjoy these gaudy, bawdy, flashy flowers....

in the garden....