PRETTY FLOWERS THROUGH THE WINDOW

I don't know about you, but when I look out of my home's windows, I don't want to look through the glass to see a miserable view.  Unless you live in a high rise apartment with no window box and no way to hang anything, I don't see any reason not to look out on window boxes and hanging baskets which jolly up the view.  Even if you live in a high rise apartment, you can always have the baskets and boxes on the inside if the light is right!   I'm really fortunately to have a decent view of trees and lawn from the front of my home, and to be able to look out on my garden at the back.  Earlier this year I decided to plant fuchsias in my hanging baskets after years of planting the baskets with a mixture of various suitable plants but the fuchsias have won me over.  I love the way they are framing the window below the green-striped awning.  They have been flowering for weeks, months, on end and I think the only thing that is going to stop them is a really hard frost.  All being well, I'll certainly be planting fuchsias again next year. 

Southgate and Swingtime fuchsias through the kitchen window

When I sit on my lounge chair, this is what I can see through my window.  I love it.  While the roses have been a bit disappointing this year because they have succumbed to blackspot and rust, they have still provided plenty of flower.  I put the disease down to the mild winter we had 2013/2014 which was probably too warm to kill off disease spores, and to my experimenting with not spraying my roses.  That experiment will not be repeated next year!

Red Pelargoniums in a south-facing wall trough with

Yellow Arthur Bell roses in a narrow garden border beyond

These pelargoniums have been propagated by me from just a couple of mother plants last year.  It's so easy to propagate them and the display has been absolutely fantastic, due probably to good luck, good weather, and regular dead-heading. 

Red pelargoniums in a south-facing wall trough