Other Deck Plants

 I didn't show all the deck pots last time.  I have others that were "holding places" of perennials and self-sowers that I wanted to nurture for more permanent planting next year.

They don't look like much now, but they promise to be good additions to the meadow bed next year.  

The meadow bed has been a challenge.  Grasses grow large, but meadow flowers grow slowly.  I thing I hand to get in carefully from the edges and prune (or at least cut) the grasses.  As I understand it, meadow flowers can overcome grasses once established, but it takes a few years of help.  

On the plains, they did that themselves naturally.  Here, they have more trouble.  Grasses love this region!  I found a few grasses growing in spaces between the deck boards where a few leaves decomposed and gave them a place to start!  How grass seeds get up to the deck, I will know.

I have had a few meadow flowers grow and bloom.  They aren't impressive individually, but if I can keep some alive among the grass for a couple years while they mature, theyy will shade out the grass.  Most are 2-5' tall when a few years old and will shade out the grass (or I think) grow up faster and not be shaded by grass.

I get a few nice surprises.  Some few have overcome the grasses.

I know it is a deliberate planting, since there is a landscaping flag next to it.  But I don't want to step near it lest I step on another (slower one) that is struggling to establish itself and grow.

There have been a few blooms earlier.  One is like a black-eye daisy, but the leaves are a little different, and it flowered way earlier.

The coneflower was nice.  It's not one of mine from the other parts of the yard.  The center is much redder.  

So there is some progress.  But it sure is going to take a while.  I have 18 meadow flowers planted in a 4x8' framed bed just to help them grow stronger without grass competition.  Some show growth above ground, some don't at first.  

But I've learned enough about some of them to understand that some will grow and some won't.  Establishing a meadow bed is not a cheap or easy "hobby"...  Still, I really want one.