Plant a Valentine's Day Heart in Your Garden

by Elka Karl 3

While I don't do a lot of Valentine's Day decorating, when I discovered this metal heart at the Alameda Flea Market on Sunday, I knew that I could find a fun way to use it around my house.

It turns out that it found the perfect spot by our mailbox, which had been neglected as of late. The lavender plants that had been adding some greenery to the area had withered and died, and the mailbox was now surrounded by a sad, bare patch of dirt. Want to see how I spruced it up? Find out when you read more.



I used Isotoma, or Blue Star Creeper, for the ground cover in the heart, and in the middle I added a few antique pink and dark purple violas. All of these plants work really well for shady areas, which is definitely the situation in the area in the front of our home, close to the mailbox. I added some shredded cedar to the exterior to keep the look tidy. Since Isotoma grows very quickly — it's actually considered invasive by many gardeners — I usually keep it relegated to bricked-in areas and pots.

Do you ever plant Valentine's Day-inspired flowers or plants? Check out all of the steps I used for planting this arrangement in the slideshow!