So many plants, so little space in the house

By Jane Clute - Special to The Herad

Heavens to Betsy. All these plants and nowhere to put them. Every year, I swear I won't let but a couple come in from the cold, but first thing you know the darn things have talked their way inside. Don't they realize I'm slap out of room?

Shhh…. Right now, one whole end of Matt's workbench is covered, but I'll have to come up with a better solution. Quickly too. Or get myself another address. If you haven't tackled this little chore and your plants are still smiling, better get cracking. Just promise not to bring 'em over here.

While I'm thinking about it, let me list a few favorite potted plants that don't know winter's headed this way:

Million Bells baby petunias have been at the top of my list for years. Still are. And beautiful as if it were mid-July and I'd been watering too. Even the transplant I spotted coming up in a broken flowerpot and the one that survived last winter on our deck.

Diamond Frost, the stuff that looks as delicate as baby's breath, is tough as nails and sports teeny white blooms from early spring till frost takes it out. Can't tell you how many folks have asked about it. While a single plant will fill a large pot to overflowing, it has the good manners to make room for companion plants and fill in the blanks.

Ivy geraniums, great for hanging baskets and wall planters. Ditto for Blue Moon.

Lobelia that slows down in hot weather but starts blooming like mad again soon as the days get a bit cooler.

Creeping Wirevine, with small, rounded, pea-size leaves that never fail to give each other space, thus contributing to its grace. I like this foliage plant so much I've rooted babies for next year although ours graced our deck all last winter and didn't seem to mind the cold one bit. Surprise, surprise. Just read it can be adapted as a houseplant so I lugged this beaut inside and found the perfect spot for it. Problem is the cat likes it even better than I do, so back out it went as fast as it came in. A plant — most anything — is cheaper than a sick cat.

Also trailing verbena, Cascadias Rim Purple petunia with a narrow white edge and Littletunia Purple have provided glorious nonstop color. Still are. But for the best value, small marigolds take the prize. Got the seed packet on sale for two bits, scattered the long skinny seeds in a couple of beds and let nature take care of the rest. They started blooming early in the summer and are still at it.

Talking about cold weather reminds me I haven't drained our fountain yet. Won't till we start having prolonged freezes, but this is something you don't want to forget. Otherwise, you could find yourself buying a new motor, or worse yet, a new fountain since ice expands and can cause cracking. Some folks rely on a couple of tennis balls in the water. The balls give under pressure and may help you avoid a disaster, but I've never been crazy about gambling, especially when the stakes are high.

You may recall last week's “ugly” cardinal story about the ruffled, discolored bird that looks like he's been in a terrible fight. And lost. A friend in York called to say she'd seen one and it surprised her so much she had to put a phone conversation on hold while she took another look.

Another reader said she'd also had a cardinal like this and read that mites can cause the problem and that the bird can recover. Presumably that means it can regain its beautiful red coat in the process. Hope so, because if their cardinals look anything like mine, they need all the help they can get. (As soon as I wrote about the one that had hung around here a couple of months, it disappeared. Maybe it likes to keep a low profile.)

Matt just got back from one of his pilgrimages to Santee with the guys. While they were golfing, they came across a striking squirrel with a coat as shiny and dark as a black lab's. The guys in his group had never seen anything like it; solid black all over except for a creamy white nose and ears. Black belly too, and, yes, it stood to greet them.

Obviously, it wasn't as tired as the crew that was playing 36 a day.