Why I Oughta...

I planted a pair of Silver Swirl Snowflake Dusty Miller annuals in the newly-created pizza oven bed back in early June.  I had designs of using these for cut flower arrangements.  But, the rabbits had other plans.  Over the course of the Summer, the (dang!) rabbits gnawed at these and ground them down to stubs.  They never got off to any-sort-of-start and the foliage was chronically short. But, recently...something has happened and the rabbits seem to have moved-on and began to leave these alone.  Now, the strap-y foliage is about 4" tall and with a little bit of watering, I'm thinking I can eek some of this white material out before the end of the season.   I'd like to try these again next year, but they won't be in the ground.  I have a different plan for them.  

I'm a sucker for silver foliage.  And, the best bang-for-my-buck comes via a flat of Dusty Miller annuals from the big box nursery.  Eight plants for four bucks.  I put all eight in the corner bed of the back patio.  These are in the 'lazy bed extension' that I created last Fall.  (note to self:  expand this bed even more this Fall.) I can use these in cut flower arrangements later this Summer and early Fall.  They did really well out in the front porch bed a few years ago, so here's hoping they'll like this spot, too. 

Silver foliage strikes again.  I've said it before, but I'm totally taken with the silver (or white) foliage trend that is popping up in garden centers.  And, when you combine that color with the idea that something can be grown as an annual and be 'Fantastic in flower arrangements', I'm sold.   That's how these Silver Swirl Snowflake Dusty Millers were listed at The Growing Place.  Here's their sign:  They had them in small quart containers - here's a couple of photos showing the plant and container: The new pizza oven bed is wide open and needs to be filled.  My plan includes running a border of Hakonechloa macra grasses around the edge, but I don't have them yet.  So, this year, these two Dusty Millers are going in instead: These will fill up this space and - once dahlia season is here - I'll start cutting the foliage to use in arrangements.