Replacements

Purslane in a pot

The red petunias were so great but by mid July they had gotten leggy and sprawly. So I replaced them with some stuff from Lowe's. 

I got a pot of portulaca - purslane - in bright colors for the table by the glider. 

I didn't realize they only open their flowers in bright sun but the foliage is plump and green in shade and in the evenings and mornings.

The Windwalker Red salvia had gotten way too tall and leggy in its pot by the deck. I should have cut it back in spring and maybe again by 4th of July. 

I loved how it looked all wild in what I call my prairie pot garden, but really it was way too lanky and big. So I cut it back to some basal growth at the base.

Radio Red Salvia greggii in the ground

I found Salvia greggii plants at Lowe's and got three. I replaced the big salvia with these three pots and I hope they bloom as long and brightly as the Radio Red Salvia greggii I had last year (none of those pots survived the winter in the garage but two transplanted to the kitchen courtyard did.)

And the trough by the kitchen door behind the bistro chair now has blue lobelia in it, replacing the elegant red petunias. The tiny vivid blue flowers are sunny and bright.

I got some black petunias mixed with red pentas to refresh the brown urn in front. There's something yellow and trailing in there too, but I lost a bit when I divided the Lowe's pot to make it fit the small container inside the mouth of the urn.

Petunias and pentas

The other half of the planting is by the table at the garage door. 

Looks nice enough. Summery and full. 

All the replacements lack the elegance, shape, and rich color of those red petunias, but the mix of things in pots is nice now and I bought them already filled out and big.

The back yard looks good. Most things are liking this relatively cool and wetter summer. The only things that seem "off" are the butterfly bushes -- they look sparse and aren't flowering much.

My orange rose, just planted, has a couple bright flowers!