You can see what my outdoor space looked like over the winter here — yes, those sticks in my planters are the remains of my basil, rosemary and mint from last summer. Why did I keep them? It is unclear as they are really just dead sticks.

I’m no flower guy – I don’t know what specific flowers are called or how much sun/water certain flowers need, which is why I go to Gethsemane — they give me all the answers I need (FYI: I’m just a fan of this shop, I’m not getting perked anything by them).

Usually I over buy flowers. I end up throwing out the extras (always attempt to donate to a friend, but more often than not I’m just tossing the flowers in the trash). This year wast he opposite – I bought too few flowers. Can I ever win?

I bought some petunias, dark red geraniums and a tall slender pink something — I can’t find the little tag for this plant.  I pick flowers based on color mostly, I also try to find ones that will be bushy enough to block some of the unsightliness of the neighborhood.

I spent less than $25 on these flowers (I also bought some veggies and herbs, but the flowers alone were less than $25).  My next garden post will talk about the veggies I plant.

These plants are a great start — and that is it, just a start. I need to get some more flowers to fill in the gaps. I don’t think I will expand beyond the rail planters this year either.  I don’t have a lot of floor space on the balcony – so I will keep the plants as high as possible.

I am taking pictures on a funky angle because I am trying to hide one new addition to my balcony until I can full review it — should happen this week though. I also noticed the lens on my camera has a scratch. Horrible news!

What are you planting this year? Do you plant the same things each year or do you mix it up? Where do you go to get your plants?  How do you pick the flowers you use?

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