Summer on the Deck

This summer I decided to go a different direction with the potted plants on my deck.  I found out the hard way that my chickens will eat every flower I plant within their reach.  So . . . my solution was ornamental grasses. This one is "Mexican Feather Grass".  

  I grouped three pots together each with  a different grass and texture.  

  This little lady is called "Fiber Optic Grass" and is sweet and delicate.  

  This quirky guy is "Big Twister Rush" and has large spiraling foliage which unfortunately doesn't stand erect as well as I'd like.  

  Standing alone is "King Tut" Egyptian Papyrus, who is tall and stately.  

 

 

  Grasses don't offer much color, but the trade off is how lovely they look swaying in the breeze.  Hopefully I can winter them over in the greenhouse and use them again next summer.  Also sitting on the deck right now is a large pot of "Hakuro Nishiki Willow".  I haven't been able to plant it yet with my broken foot, but I've been enjoying it up close while I wait.  

   Charlie is enjoying it up close too . . . taking a nap in it's shade.  It is quite large and at the nursery they had them displayed in large ornate pots and they truly made a grand statement.  

  My one spot of color on the deck is a beautiful deep pink Mandevilla.  

  It sits up on a pedestal and the chickens don't seem to bother it.  Plus by elevating it, it can grab on to the wisteria trunk and will eventually grow upward and bloom from even higher heights.  I can hardly wait.  

  I haven't been able to put the deck table to use yet this summer . . . again, because with my foot, I can't risk carrying the heavy glass table top from the shed.  

  Soon . . . I hope . . . and then we'll have a garden party.  

  At the end of the deck sits my lovely oak leaf hydrangea, which has very few blooms this year . . . a result of the harsh winter.  But the few blooms it does have are cherished.  

  Hoping you are enjoying summer on your deck.   ~ Linking with ~   Domestically Speaking for Fun in the Sun Linky Party ~ French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday  ~ The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home