one more from the balcony

Oh my goodness!

Come teach me how to container garden because your balcony is stunning!

That last shot with the lobelia peeking out from beneath the fuchsia is gorgeous.

What a lovely balcony garden. It almost makes me wish I had a balcony! : )

Kate

Gorgeous!!!

So lovely!

Lovely garden! Nice to see blue skies!

Ann

Looks soooo pretty. Enjoy indeed!!

Love it! Great colors and diversity. Barbara, since you're a gardener in the PNW, I'm wondering if you recognize a rose(?) or some kind of giant poppy (?) that I saw while visiting Portland, OR. It was huge - approx. 8-10 feet tall with large 4-5 inch blooms.

The leaves don't look like rose leaves.

I apologize if this really isn't a rose and I'm asking on this forum.

Towandaaz - That's a Matilija Poppy. Not a rose lol. But a beautiful plant.

Native where I live in Southern California, and Northern Mexico. A little difficult to get established, but if you do it's an amazing shrub. Perennial but probably not too cold tolerant. I believe it's the largest flowering poppy in the world.

Fun fact. Their seeds cannot sprout until they've been burned in a wildfire. So we usually get big numbers of them the year after we've had fires.

Ordphien, thank you so much. I'm in Northern Arizona (4,500 Ft). I'll go research it now. It was a real stunner. What a bizzare fact about the wildfire cultivation and that something so beautiful can come out of something so destructive. Thank you for that.

I'm very sorry everyone that I hijacked this thread - please, go on about Barbara's lovely baloney garden. :-)

Great job! The 2nd picture with lobelia, geranium, bacopa and the spikey plant is so attractive. I'm trying to learn the rule of Thriller, Filler and Spiller for my pots. Haven't gotten there yet.

towandaaz I am so glad Ordphien was able to answer your question. I wouldn't have a clue but that is an amazing poppy! Definitely don't mind you joining in the conversation, we all like to talk plants. I don't just do roses:)

Irisgal I don't have an original thought in my head regarding planning what to put in a container. I go to the best nurseries in town and "borrow" their ideas. If the plant does really well, it can come back next year. Every one is different. The containers also hide the fact that my roses aren't the best at all times:) The spikey plants is Cordyline.

Ordphien I saw a lobelia and fuchsia basket at a nursery and thought I can do that. I recycled an old wire hanging basket, threw away the old coir lining and put in a black plastic bag, doubled, filled it with Miracle Gro potting soil, and as many 2 inch starter pots of fuchsia and lobelia as would fit. Then I poked holes in the bottom for drainage. The fuchsias grow to cover the plastic. It likes to be fed lots, just like roses. I ended up making 4 of them.

Thanks everyone for leaving comments, I really love reading them.

So wonderful!!! You have a very large balcony which could be so empty and barren and you've filled it with color and life!!!

What roses are you growing?

Carol

Ah, did anyone notice I wrote "baloney" garden? Yes, Oscar Myer would be proud Barbara. (Really LOL-ing)

No I didn't notice!!! Baloney - what a hoot!!

Carol

Shhh! I try to keep my baloney garden a secret! :)

I remember your garden Barbara from last year. I could be wrong but I remember the balcony and the beautiful roses. I think your garden is more beautiful than last.