Videos => Trial by Rain and Wind

If the plants can survive this storm, they will be strong all season long. These new guys had somewhere between 7 days and 7 hours of acclimation. No new root growth to hold them. Mother Nature has this all figured out, Don't Ya Know?

Yes, I know that I was early to plant this season. Let me just blame that on enthusiasm. When the planting was completed for my 2 tier system, poor weather was predicted for the next two days. The initial rainfall was lovely:
Then the rain fell with increasing enthusiasm. Sorry I got no thunder recorded herein, it was just a quick "boom" and then gone.


Later, the rain stopped, and the wind Huffed and it Puffed (with gusts recorded over 45miles per hour). We had over 12 hours of this wind.

I am happy to report that my window boxes were intact and unwavering. More than I could say for myself as that howling wind was a bit unsettling.


My one causality from the storm was a knock-down of my shade garden container. Yeah yeah, it was totally my fault as I know better than to leave empty trough planters on the balcony. The wind lifted up these boxes and hit my shade planter. Ouch.

Progress Photos - Phase 1 Window Boxes

On May 1, 2010, I planted 3 window boxes. The photos below document the progress of these 3 boxes just 7 days later:




[L. to R.]Torenia (violet moon hybrid), Nemesia (Angleart Pear), Gerbera, and a blue pansy.





The photos are beginning to show a need for the first trimback on spent flowers.



I am pleased to see that most of these plants have weathered the first week very well.





A few adjustments will be made to the plantings in the next week or so. This will will in any gaps. Did I say "gaps"? Some of these look a bit overplanted, especially for the first week.



The lovely pale yellow Calibrachoa (Cabaret Yellow) has charmed me and I returned to the nursery for additional colors.



That dahlia is actually a lovely orange, though it appears "peach" here. Same for the Gerbera.


My alyssum did not do very well. I had two 4-packs and most of them look pretty dead thus far.



Here in the last shot, croton, zinnia and gerbera. I was inspired to use the foliage plants instead of flowers for my center speciman plants. So far, I am really liking that concept.