Boxes, baskets, pots, planters, walls, and grates...

This year's window boxes and cone baskets, wall hanging, grate-climbing vines, pots, planters and vertical succulent gardens came out great. They're ready for the big show in two weeks, the big show being Garden Walk Buffalo.

Figuring out what annuals go best where for each is a years-long learning process. I've forgone most flowering annuals because they need constant watering, fertilizing and deadheading. All things at which I do not excel. For most window boxes and baskets, I use coleus for color. They come in such varied colors and texture, and I don't have to worry about deadheading. And their color is constant.

The trailing vines are a variegated creeping Charlie. When I bought it I was told it was ideal for window boxes (and it is) and also, much like the U.S. flag, to never let it touch the ground.

For the new window boxes on the shed, I wanted plants with some colors from the shed. And I wanted to keep the plants with more fine leaves, since the boxes are below eye level – and very near the viewer.

These photos are just over a week old. They're even more full now.

In context.

These easy to water window boxes look good with a different mix of plants than elsewhere.

The potting shed upper window box is just out of reach for watering, so I keep a ladder not too far away.

The succulent frame needed to be filed in. I  lost about a third of the hens & chicks over the winter. Didn't loose any sedum though. They've been happy there for three years.

We finally, after many years with different annual climbing vines found that Black-eyed Susan vines work best in this sun challenged spot.

Many annuals end up in our hodgepodge of pots and planters. They get mixed with the houseplant tropicals – out of the house for summer vacation. There's some herbs mixed in here too.

Hostas in pots, stored in the garage over winter, are now a staple in the garden. Not only do I get hostas at taller heights around the garden, but they're pretty much unreachable to slugs and snails. This year, I planted my canna tubers in pots. I can keep them in the sun for quick growth, and then for tours, move them around for tours where ever I need height and color. We also have two large pots with tomatoes (not seen).

This little pine I took from my parent's cottage about four years ago. It's been in this hypertufa pot I made since then. I think I want to grow more trees in pots.