Patio Touchups

Being parked “permanently” means giving a little more attention to the outdoor space. Heart surgery got in the way of doing much around the place for the summer, so we decided to at least dress things up a bit before winter gets here.

The impetus for doing this the other day was a chance encounter with a neighbor we hadn’t met. I pass her site on my walks and always admire the collection of succulents and other plants she grows under her fifth wheel overhang. She was outside that day and I commented that I’d sure like a couple of cuttings. Before I knew it, she was picking out plants to send home with me. She said she grows them to give away.

One of our acquisitions was this collection of succulents that Nell repotted into a low clay bowl that we had sitting empty. The big green things are pieces of Irish Spring soap. Our next door neighbor puts this in her planting beds and it’s supposed to keep rabbits and other mammals from feasting on our plants.

To go with our new acquisitions, we picked up a little bit of sedum and some pansies at Loew’s.  As these grow, we’ll move them into bigger pots for larger spots of color.

There are still a couple of things we want to do, but at the moment, it’s cold and rainy, so they will have to wait. The idea of investing in a gazebo-style garden tent is back in the conversation. The umbrella is a nice touch, but on windy days it waves around like a sail. We’ll see once winter is past.

For now, we’ll settle for color. And on a dreary day like today, a little color goes a long way.