Mother’s Day has passed, and I can officially plant flowers in our yard. Because that’s the rule. In the Midwest, planting flowers before Mother’s Day is your way of asking Mother Nature for snow.
It’s proven. Or something.
I’ve already planted a lot of great plants in pots, and now I’m doing more. I started with my window boxes that Ryan made for me last year. And I have lots more big plans for the yard of our new house. But, it’s all about doing it in stages. Because if I do too much, too early, I get overwhelmed.
Step by step. Day by day, my friends.
This year, I decided to try something different than my normal choices for the window boxes. Instead of lots of beautiful blooms (and a lot of watering), I picked up some beautiful, hardy succulents by Monrovia from my local garden center.
Why?
Because succulents enjoy the sun and don’t need to be watered as often. This side of the house gets tons of sunshine, so I hope they’ll be perfect for the sunny window boxes. Because I’ve learned the hard way that window boxes dry out quickly in the sun.
This is a totally different look – lots of lush, waxy greens. And I love that it’s already full and pretty – with some danglers in the front.
I chose Dazzleberry Sedum, and they are equally beautiful in pots and window boxes as they are on the ground. (I am going to plant some in the ground, too.) And they turn a beautiful raspberry color during the summer!
Succulent tips
- Find a local garden center that carries a wide variety of healthy, beautiful plants. Monrovia plants have been my go-to for the past two years because they look great all summer.
- Make sure to check the care instructions when you choose plants. I made sure that these were suitable for our Zone 5 weather. (And these specific plants will over-winter in our climate if planted in the ground.) And I made sure that they liked lots of sunshine and were draught-tolerant (meaning they don’t need to be watered often).
- Choose the right soil. In this case, I purchased a bag of potting soil that’s designed for succulents.
- Understand how to care of your plants. In the case of succulents, I’ve found that they like to be watered deep and infrequently. So, instead of watering them a little every day, I water right into the soil whenever it’s totally dry. Succulents don’t like to be sitting in lots of water, so drainage is also key. I also like to find the plants on the Monrovia website after bringing them home to learn more about the best care.
Are you excited to get out in the garden, too? I’m giving away a $75 Visa Gift Card to one person today to encourage you to get planting! No excuses!
GIVEAWAY TIME
I know that everyone could use some new blooms this spring – so you can use the gift card to pick up some plants for your garden. Or really, for whatever you want. I’m all about free love.
I’ll be choosing the winner on Monday, so tell your friends!
I don’t have any landscaping and would love to add some plants and shrubs in front of my house.
I’m a gardener….wannabe! I need something to kickstart this burning desire to plant things. Perhaps this is it! Succulents….what a genius idea….low maintenance has my name and number written all over it!!
Props for creativity in the giveaway. :o)
We just finished digging out all our flowerbeds in the front. It’s time to update our flower beds with some plants we love. I’d love to win the gift card!
I love the idea of the succulents in your window boxes – they will look so pretty as they fill in and spill over. We don’t have a lot of sun so I’m usually restricted to shade lovers, but they are pretty too! I would love to win your thoughtful giveaway because I have not planted anything yet this year at all and it’s looking like my planters will remain empty. I was toying with the idea of just throwing some packets of seed in them and seeing what happens – I may not have flowers until autumn, but it’s better than weeds or empty planters.
I need this so we can plant some tomatoes.
I need this gift card because my garden can always use improvements!
So that I can get my patio ready for the summer
I’d love to win to make my backyard look great with lots of plants and flowers.
Oh I would love to win and plant to help the Monarchs and Bees this year by our garden!
Love, love, love succulents for their stubborn will to live. My mother-in-law has a container on the deck and they are growing from the box down to the deck and taking root in the tiny cracks between the deck boards!
I would love to buy more plants to landscape our house!
We close on the new house in 2 weeks ….lots of landscaping to-do’s on my wish list!
I would like this gift card so I can buy plants and supplies to get our garden started.
I really need to add some beautiful flowers to my front planters!
I’ll put it toward a sprinkler system. Because AZ heat and forgetting to water never make a good combination.
I’d love to win and buy plants for my flower boxes
Love the succulents in the boxes!
I’m in need of the gift card to spruce up our yard. It’s tough as we don’t get a lot of sunshine on our side of our duplex. But I love doing potted things to keep in the back yard.
Love the Mother’s day rule! It is what I always ask for for Mothers day!
I need this gift card to get all my planters and garden beds looking beautiful for the summer!
I need this gift card so that I can buy something to improve the look of my drab house.
I’d love to win so I could buy a new spring outfit 🙂
Our flowerbeds are in desperate need of some color. I would love to add something pretty to it.
They look great! I bought a bunch of hostas this year and the deer ate every single one 🙁
I have always loved Monrovia plants- innovative and high quality. I need some extras for my garden. I am also ready for a load of double shredded hardwood mulch.
Apparently I tempted fate by planting annuals last week–I couldn’t help it with so much sunshine after the dreary, rainy weekend!
I want to win so I can buy more flowers.
I want to make a garden with my son!
I would love to win so I can fix the jungle in my side yard. We bought our house less then a year ago and the side yard is full of ancient roses, irises, and weeds. It needs a lot of help.
Year one at our first house was just about learning to be homeowners, but it’s year two now, and it’s time to get serious about our landscaping. It’s a jungle out there.
Would love the gift card for our new shade garden! LOVE your use of succulents! I can’t wait design your landscape when you move!!?
Would love to win – I have 4 giant shaded window boxes to fill. Help!
I would love to add some beautiful flowers to the front of my house, this gift card would be wonderful!
I’d love to use the gift card to spruce up my porch.
Always looking for new ideas of low maintenance plants to add to my landscape. Now if only I could find a flower and takes of the weeding! 😉
The sedum looks lovely in your window boxes! Beautiful choice!
Oh can’t wait to see how they do in the wind boxes. Looks awesome
I love grasses and sedges – easy care and can be just as “showy” as flowers! Spring yard spruce up could use a little extra dough! 🙂
We are moving soon and I need to spruce up our new backyard!!
We are gradually replacing our yard/garden with succulents and fire resistant,drought plantings.
I would like to use this gift card for gardening gears, we just start two gardens this season.
I need this to buy some plants for my garden
Such a great idea for a window box! It’s finally spring time here, so I’ve got to start thinking about building a window box for our home!
I need this card to spruce up my yard to up the curb appeal for sale! Listing it in a few weeks!
Love the idea of putting succulents in your window boxes! I have a knack for killing pretty flowers but I’m hoping to break the cycle this year with some really easy to care for plants in my planter boxes and yard!
Love this! Would love to make few of my planters this way with the giftcard!
I need this to buy more succulents for my garden. We live in Southern Calif. and with the drought have switched over to drought tolerant plants and succulents.
I need this to buy strawberry plants and succulents 🙂
i wish succulents in pots would do well here. you will definitely have to update us as yours grow.
thanks,
b
I’ve always wanted window boxes. I really don’t have a green thumb, but our (relatively) new house and yard are inspiring me to do some planting this year.
We have a privacy screen and I am on the hunt for a climbing rose to plant – something that blooms all summer, only needs partial sun.
I have been trying to figure out what to plant in my front yard. I want some color but it has to be able to stand up to a 70 lbs. dog. I did marigolds last year and they did well for a while but didn’t last all summer.
I could definitely use this! We need some new plants for our yard! Love the succulents!
I’d love to try some French Lavender at our country home. Our landscape definitely needs some sprucing up. I love the succulents idea too. Thanks!
We’re getting our house ready to sell and should probably redo some of the plantings – can’t sell the house if they won’t stop to look at it!
Thanks for the opportunity.
Fun! I need to figure out what to add to my front bed. Seedlings for containers are going, but have a big empty spot by front door.
I am in dire need of plants for the front of my house that do well in shade besides hastas. I have looked several places and have yet to find exactly what I want! This gift card would be awesome to help me with this task…and then maybe Kim will have to come help me improve my garden skills (or lack there of!).
I love your window boxes! They’re so pretty, great choice with the succulents
I need this gift card because,honestly, more plant shopping the better, I think. My favorite time of year. Browsing the pop up flower stands and garden centers. Thank you
I’ve never tried succulents. This might be an idea for low-maintenance landscaping this year…
I haven’t planted ANYTHING yet this year, because we have no expendable income at the moment!
Would love to add some curb appeal to our house!
I need this because I just moved into a new house and ours is the one house is the very wooded neighborhood that was completely clear cut recently. Our yard stands out as the only very sunny, very empty one in the whole neighborhood full of established yards with huge trees. We’ve got to fill this thing up with beautiful plants and trees!
I love succulents, I got some for mother’s day! The visa card would help whip our porch into shape for summer!
I love the way this looks! How could I use this gift card? New house, single mom, loves to garden, LOTS that needs to be done at the house (all new mulch, bushes in front are dead…ugh). Need I say more?
Looks good Kim! I want to make some boxes like that 🙂
Ohhhh I love succulents!
I’ve been wondering what to put in window boxes we have hanging off our gate (so I guess technically just boxes not window boxes?!) but they get a ton of sunlight so I think doing something similar to you would be perfect. Also do I get another entry for longest run on sentence? Haha
When we moved into this house, the previous owners had let day lilies spread and take over all the garden beds. They looked like weeds! Last year, we dug many of them up, so now we need to get new plants to fill the space.
I really need this gift card! My backyard is drab and blah! I would love to add pots of brightly colored flowers all around my patio to give it color and beauty!
Kim, I love how that looks. Succulents are among my favorite plants. Lately, I have had my eye on an Olive shrub or tree. I think they look adorable.
I have so many ways I could use this gift card! We bought my grandparents house 2 summers ago after several years of my grandpa’s sickness and my grandma growing more feble herself. As a result? The gardens are all neglected and overgrown. We have plans to relocate a few plants in hopes to reshape a bed in front and plant a decorative tree in front of our bedroom windows
Can’t wait to spruce up the yard of our first home! Great inspiration!
I love succulents. I grew up with “hens snd chicks” I have been adding to collection with new succulents . NEED the gift card to bump up my garden. Thanks for the giveaway !!
i need this card because i am a sucker for succulents! sufferin succotash!
My husband and I recently bought our first house and we’re moving in at the end of the month – we’re so excited to revamp the yard! I wonder if succulents will work in our zone??
We just got a bunch of plants and seeds in the garden this weekend but I still need to fluff up the chicken coop and deck with some pretty flowers. ???