I am by no means an expert on gardening, but I do enjoy growing (or trying to!) different kinds of plants and flowers. Over the years I have figured out what grows best in my yard, and also what doesn’t. I wanted to share a few plants I’ve had success with, and some tips I’ve picked up along the way…

 

I’m pretty sure it’s a law that you have to have at least one hydrangea bush if you live in the South. I got this one about three years ago, and it has since quadrupled in size.

I remember reading in Southern Living a long time ago that if you prune the dormant stems at the wrong time of year, you won’t have any flowers the next year. Well this made me so nervous that I’ve never pruned mine. If you look closely you can see a few of the dead stems from last year still sticking up. Every year the bush grows taller than the year before, and the leaves hide the parts that should have been pruned, so I’m cool with this if it means I have blooms.

Another staple in any southern yard is the gardenia…

These smell amazing! This is another bush that doubles in size each year, and doesn’t require nearly as much watering as the hydrangea bush. The flowers only stay open a few days before turning brown and falling off, but new buds open every day so there are always flowers. This means you can pick as many as you want to put inside in vases so you can bring the intoxicating smell indoors.

For my flower bed filler, I use vincas…

These hardy little flowers love the sun and the heat, and are very forgiving if you forget to water them every day. They come in several colors, but I love the classic white. They also multiply, so you can space them out when planting.

I like to keep my flower beds simple and clean, so I add color with my flower pots…

I fell in love with this yellow hibiscus bush when I saw it at the nursery, and the bright colors also attract butterflies and hummingbirds. And don’t be afraid to plant more than one flower in the same pot – there are three different types of flowers in this big green one, giving it lots of layered texture and color.

I have these urns on either side of my front door, and I used the “thriller, filler and spiller” method when deciding what to plant in them. The “thriller” is giant caladiums, the “filler” is begonias,” and the “spiller” is creeping Jenny. All are shade-loving plants, so they do well on the covered front porch. As the summer goes on, the begonias will grow and fill in the spaces more, and the creeping Jenny will continue to cascade down the urns onto the porch.

I used the same method in this window box, but with different plants since this side of the house faces the sun.

The sweet potato vine loves the sun, and will continue to grow in length all summer. The lantana gives a pretty pop of red, and also loves the sun.

I also have an aloe plant on my front porch, in honor of my grandmother. She kept an aloe plant on her porch for as long as I can remember, and anytime we got a burn she would break open one of the stems and rub the aloe on it, curing the burn overnight.

Ferns are another staple of southern landscapes, especially hanging on front porches. They love the shade, so under a porch is a perfect spot. They also love fresh rainwater, so I take mine down and set them in the yard when it rains.

Of course I also grow vegetables and fruit, but I really only have one tip on that subject…

Let your cucumbers grow up a trellis instead of along the ground. This way they won’t get that ugly stripe on the side from touching the ground, and they are easier to pick when ripened.

I have a long way to go when it comes to gardening, but I am learning new things each year. I hope reading this has inspired you to plant something new this summer!

Thanks y’all!

   – Nikki

P.S. – Here’s a picture of my chickens because they are just so cute!