Our front porch is drenched in sunshine for most of the day.  With summer temperatures rapidly approaching Charleston, we’re being extra careful to make sure that our plants survive the heat.   Will, my husband, is their primary caretaker and has set up an automatic watering system.  Still, in the interests of plant care we give them an extra soak most evenings, it’s a lovely way to enjoy the last bit of daylight and balmy early evening air.  Many of you have asked about keeping plants alive and healthy, and while we are certainly no experts, we have learned a few things which might help you too!

We always manage to plant our young plants on a cloudy day.   We make sure to select good quality potting mix which is full of nutrients and to leave a hole bigger than the root ball.  Next, we loosen the root ball of the plant (but not too much as to break anything off).  Once the root is placed in the hole, we press fresh potting mix around the root and water well (soak!). After a few months, we always add fertilizer to the soil — we actually need to do this now because we planted these a while back and they are due some extra plant care.

One task I do enjoy is “deadheading” or removing spent blooms.  I’m in the middle of doing this now, but I left a few in these photos to show you.  It can be a bit time consuming; I do a little bit each time I pass by.  Deadheading really helps the plant re-direct energy and space to growing more, especially in Petunias.  For those of you interested, some of the plants we currently have on the steps are: White Knight, Petunias (heavenly blue), Snow Cone Candytuft, Nemesia (rose pink), Lanai twisted Verbena (peach and purple), Lavender, Lobelia and Rusty Foxglove. They were all picked from the amazing collection at our local garden center.  I find Petunias to be very manageable and the Snow Cone Candytuft has lasted for ages! Lavender has been another trusty companion.

We hope that you enjoy looking at them as much as we do.  I know that I post them all too often on my Instagram so will be venturing inside our home next to give you a bit of a break!!