Fun in the Sun
After
gardening in shade for many years, I finally have SUN - real SUN!
I could even grow food if I wanted. Since my yard
is so small it wouldn't be a whole lot of food - I'm not even sure I
could grow enough to feed hubby and myself but I could grow some if I wanted.
The
excitement for me with having some sun is the ability to grow some
of the plants my mother and her sisters grew over the years.
I now grow hollyhocks, iris, peonies, zinnias, phlox, cleome,
four o'clocks, stoke's aster and lilies to name a few. Each
of these plants evokes strong feelings from my past.
Marigolds and sunflowers always make me think of my mother while sweet
williams and easter lilies remind me of a summer I spent with her
sister, my Aunt Edie. Her best friend of 30 years had the
most amazing smelling iris - they smelled just like grape kool-aid and
I now I have some growing in my gardens thanks to my friend
Jacki who so
willingly shared some of hers with me.
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Stoke's Aster
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Iris | Coneflower | Daylily |
Pictures I've taken in my Gardens
The other
thing I really like about growing things in full sun is choices,
choices, choices. There are so many plants in so many colors - it
really is hard to chose. I originally was going with a "cool
palette" of blues, pinks and lavenders but that quickly went by the
wayside when I planted hot pink phlox, red daylilies, orange
nasturiums, and deep purple stokes asters. I won't even talk
about the many colors of zinnias that have graced my gardens.
Unlike shade plants that often put on their show in Spring, sun plants
start in Spring but continue on into the Fall. Darker colors
are much easier to enjoy in the sun where you can see them more easily.
You could even a monochromonic garden relatively
easily since you have so many plants to choose from. Most roses need lots of sun and I have found that the Knock Out rose
not only blooms repeatedly all season long, it does so without any help
from me. I don't even worry about the Japanese
Beetles since these roses recover quickly after the beetles are gone.
The choices of annuals to grow from seeds are plentiful as well.
I find growing plants from seed is easier in the
sun (although I still struggle). I have successfully grown
zinnias, cleome, cups and saucers, love in a mist, marigolds and four
o'clocks.
I've also noticed in my gardens that butterflies seem to like being in
the sun. Could it be the sun helps to simulate nectar?
Something else for me to research.
The one drawback with sun gardening for me is
photographing the plants. I wait until late in the
day when the glare of the sun is not so strong and still have
trouble getting a shot sometimes. I have
found that overcast days are the best days to take pictures of my sunny
beds.
So enjoy a sunny garden if you are blessed enough to have room for
one.... but remember your water bottle and hat!!!