Creeping Fig Vine

My current most favorite climbing vine is Creeping Fig Vine. We have it planted on a wall in our courtyard, and it has almost completely covered the wall this summer.

Creeping Fig Vine is a perfect choice if you need to cover a blank brick or stucco wall (it will ruin wood). Its dark green heart-shaped leaves can transform a blank wall into a lush, green screen, and it can be shaped into a design, or just left to randomly cover.

This is a picture I found in Southern Living, which shows how it can be trimmed to grace a blank wall and steps at an entrance (I love the idea of wrapping the steps!). The article said that one quart-size plant is responsible for that beautiful entrance.

Fig Vine is very easy to grow and can handle a vast range of light conditions, from mostly shade to full sun. It requires no fertilizer in most any soil conditions, and has no serious pests or diseases known. The only down side is that it is a somewhat high maintenance plant, because it is capable of covering everything in sight if not kept under control.

Here are more pictures of the wall in our courtyard:

Creeping Fig at a Glance Size: Capable of eventually covering a three- or four-story building Light: Sun or shade; not for walls with hot southern or western exposure Range: Lower, Coastal, and Tropical South Warning: Use only on stucco, brick, or stone; it will ruin wood.

Out with the Old, In with the New!

This is a follow up to my story yesterday about the toll the extreme summer heat has taken on some of the flowers in our courtyard. If you would like to read that post you can click here. And now for "the rest of the story."

You may recall that my red Verbena was languishing on what I call "death row" (a place where my plants go when they are scraggly, faded, and sad looking).

I couldn't stand to watch their suffering any longer, and bought some "Chapel Hill Gold" Lantana plants to replace the Verbena.

Late yesterday afternoon some dark clouds started rolling in and I took advantage of the sun screen and went out to plant the Lantana.

It was painful to have to pull up the Verbena plants. They had been so pretty and had really struggled to be "good flowers," but they were no match for our sizzling Mississippi temperatures hovering close to the 100-degree mark for several days in a row. Perhaps they will be given a "new lease on life" when they reach the landfill.

I would like to think of them reviving themselves and standing tall and proud, their bold red blossoms beautifying their final resting place. Sorry, I tend to get emotional about losing my "death row" plants.

Oh, well ... as they say, "Out with the old, in with the new!"

And here are the Lantanas in their new home. Is it my imagination, or is that a welcoming smile on Harry the Heron's face? And look at that frog beside the pond in the background on the left. I think he looks kind of happy to see some new flowers, too!

Remember the pink Verbena (from yesterday's post) that was languishing away in the urn?

I had a couple of Lantanas left, so I "recycled" the pink Verbena, too.

I love it when a plan comes together, and I'm very pleased with my new flower bed. I just hope the Lantana remembers the "Promised Performance" pledge on their tags ...

... Because I surely don't want them to end up "you know where."

And to give them a little extra "encouragement," I couldn't resist adding this little sign.

Landscaping Project: Stone Path

I have been working in our yard and a couple of days ago, this was my project:

It is the path between our house and our neighbor's house that leads to our backyard. That picture was taken in July last summer when everything was blooming and the Majestic ferns were just starting to come back from their winter's hibernation.

If you would like to read about the construction of the path and its "rocky" beginning, you can click here.

Unfortunately, the extremely cold winter we had took its toll on the ferns and we lost several of them.

I love the way they make the path look lush and green, even during the hot summer months, and hope to replace them this week.

The latest addition to the path area is what I'd like to share today. I'll give you a hint: it's something I've wanted ever since I saw these, which I captured with my camera during past photo shoots:

I just love those gazing balls, especially the bright cobalt one in the first picture, and was delighted to find one in a catalog from Touchstone.

[Photo borrowed from Touchstone's web site]

Aren't they pretty! I think I'd like to have one of each color, but that might be a little too much, I guess. Here is mine in its new home, along with some pictures of the path after I finished working on it.

This is a view of the path standing at the front looking toward the backyard. The gazing ball is at the end of the path.

I took this picture of the arbor early this morning and like the way the flash highlighted the arbor and gate.

This old rusty lantern was in a storage shed at my mother-in-law's house. I love it hanging beside our path.

This is the view of the path we see from our bedroom windows. That's Trailing Verbena in the planter, and I'm hoping it will trail out over the path.

This shadow caught my eye as I was taking pictures of the path. It's a shadow from the fleur de lis design in the metal gate cast on the stones.

This is the view of the path looking toward the front to our courtyard and waterfall area.

The path has certainly come a long way from its "rocky beginning," and is like a little garden linking our courtyard to our backyard.

I can't wait for the Crape Myrtles to bloom because that's when the pathway is at its prettiest. I'm sure I'll take more pictures to share with you then.

Picket Fences

I don't know of anyone who doesn't love a picket fence. In fact, when we were young girls dreaming of the future, most of our dreams probably included images of a rose-covered cottage with a white picket fence surrounding it.

A white picket fence has become a symbol of "the American dream" of owning a nice house in which to raise your family and live "happily ever after."

I am always drawn to houses with picket fences. There's just something about them that says, "Welcome ... come on in!" They come in all sizes, shapes, colors, and condition.

Some have tops like popsicle sticks ...

Some have pointed ones ...

Some are plain ...

Some are grand ...

Some are old ...

Photo courtesy of Phil Douglis. You can see more of his stunning photography at Phil Douglis's Photo Galleries

Some are new ...

Some are pink!

Some are blue ...

Some have roses of red ...

And yellow, too!

Some are small ...

And some are tall ...

And some are graced with splendor in the Fall ...

This was a fun post to do, and while gathering photos for it, I was surprised at how many "picket fence photos" I have taken in and around Vicksburg. Photos 3, 4, and 5 above are mine, and here are a few more:

I don't have a picket fence, but seeing these has inspired me to try to add a small one somewhere in our backyard landscaping. Hmmmm ... I wonder -- should it be white, pink, blue, or yellow? Or what about a rainbow fence?

Sounds like a fun project, doesn't it!