Perfect plantings: Cannas

A plant that was frequently found in the gardens of mid-century homes was the canna, a colorful and hardy perennial. My grandmother always had both red and yellow cannas in her yard. These plants have made a comeback and are popular again today.

We have two varieties in our "mid-century correct" flowerbed, the Rosemond Cole and the dwarf Picasso. In some areas, the tubers have to be dug and stored for the winter. Luckily, in the Southern U. S., cannas usually survive when left in the ground.

Rosemond Cole canna
eutopiamall.com

Picasso canna
uniqueplantsandtrees.com

When we had a few below-freezing nights a week or so ago, it was time to cut back the plants...which were still blooming into November. I'll look forward to the return of their showy blooms next summer.

Low bowl planters

I recently discovered several collections of modern fiberglass and resin low bowl planters at Plant Containers, and it was love at first sight. Finding an attractive modern planter can be a challenge, but this store has several.

We had a mix of coleus and kalanchoe in a low bowl on the patio this summer, and I think we'll be adding a few more next year, some for decorative plants and some for herbs. These are definitely being bookmarked.

Barkly fiberglass low bowl

Neometrics resin low bowl

Neometrics resin platform bowl

Meditation bowls

Changes at the Modernist Nest

For those of you new to Mid2Mod, I built a small house behind my main house a little over a year ago. My daughter and her family moved into the larger house, and I moved into what one longtime reader lovingly called "the modernist nest." One reader after another started calling it that, so the name stuck. (If you want to read my chronicle of the build process, Google "mid2mod construction saga" for the whole story.)

The little "yard" behind the Modernist Nest just underwent a redo. I put down black mulch last year after the construction was complete, primarily because it was a cheap, quick fix. I didn't put in grass, because the entire area is in almost constant deep shade from 60-year-old pecan trees.

The pecan trees turned out to be the culprits that made Plan B necessary, because mulch didn't hold up well to the constant blowing and raking of leaves and those pesky male pecan flowers called catkins...nasty little caterpillary-looking things that make a horrible mess. (If you have pecan trees, you know exactly what I'm talking about!) By the end of a year, most of the mulch was gone, swept away with pecan debris. On the other hand, we were able to use the leaf blower on the rocks in front of the house and keep them clean very easily.

As a result, I decided to replace the mulch in back with rocks, and the job was finished today. Here's a before and after of the yard.

Before: Loved the contrast in colors, hated the mess

After: Rocks!

After: Edging around my flowerbed
and vintage Russell Woodard outdoor furniture that may be going for a powdercoat soon