Yesterday I picked up a trunk full of perennials and a couple of cold weather annuals and started planting. I totally ran out of potting soil so I only got about half of the plants into their new containers. It was getting too cold to keep working outside so I finished up this afternoon. I actually got snowed on at one point yesterday.
Mother Nature didn't appreciate me thumbing my nose at her and got the last laugh by bringing a hard freeze to the valley last night. There is another one expected tonight. I covered my big pot with a large moving box last night and will cover it again tonight. The small pots get moved into the garage. Another day or two and they will be ready to stay out permanently.
I figure this is going to be a learning year for me with keeping my container gardens healthy and alive. The altitude is different which means the sun is much more intense. There is also a noticeable lack of humidity and summer rain showers. We don't have sprinklers or drip irrigation set up yet so I won't be able to put my containers on a neat drip system like Laurie and Brian have done. Hopefully that will come. And hopefully, I will be able to figure out what to grow, where and how much water everything needs to stay healthy.
The containers nearest the front door won't get much, if any, direct sun, even though it is a southern exposure, because of the roof over the porch. But the containers on the sidewalk will get a lot of hot southern sun. I think they will bake pretty fast, so I may be moving them once things heat up.
The back deck and back patio will get some east or west sun depending on where they end up. The north east exposure I'm not too worried about, but the hot west sun will be interesting to work around.
Container #1 - near the front corner of the house by the front walk.
Full on Southern and Western Exposure.
I tried to group plants that liked full sun and had lower water needs in this pot. All of these plants are perennials. IF they manage to live through the summer I can hopefully transplant them into the yard in the fall.
(the thriller)
Variegated Feather Reed Grass
Calamagrostis acutiflora 'Overdam'
I put this in because I knew, at least, I had a pretty good chance of keeping this grass alive through the summer. It might outgrow the other plants in the container. I'll have to keep an eye on it.
(the spiller)
Grace Ward Lithodora
Lithodora diffusa
Bloom Time: Spring, Summer, Fall
Blooms: Blue
(the fillers - since it was a large container, I used a combination of four plants, two purple, one red and one yellow)
Fragrant Star Wallflower
Erysimum 'Walfrastar'
Bloom Time: Spring, Fall
Blooms: Yellow
I liked the variegated foliage on this plant, so even though it won't be in bloom all summer it will still add interest and color to the container.
Fire Star Dianthus
Dianthus 'Devon Xera'
Bloom Time: Spring
Blooms: Red
My plan is to pull this out once it has finished blooming and replace it with an annual). I liked the red popping against the purple pincushion flower in the shopping cart. We'll see how I like it as they grow and settle in.
Butterfly Blue Pincushion Flower
Scabiosa columbaria
Bloom Time: Summer through Fall
Blooms: Lavender
This is a good, no nonsense plant that I've grown in the past. It did well in my flower garden in Texas so I'm hoping it will do well here too.
Boysenberry Ruffles Lavender
Lavandula stoechas
Bloom Time: Summer
Blooms: Pink and Purple
This was totally a last minute addition. I was going to use two Pincushion Flower plants and then I saw this and added it in. I don't know if the colors will work with the other plants in the pot but I was so intrigued by the flower that I grabbed it anyway.
I'd love some advice when I'm putting my pots together. I will have five on the upper deck and three bigger ones on the lower level. I need to figure out a better plant food this year. The Miracle Grow in the hose end sprayer is just too hard to haul up the stairs.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to help. I love doing pots.
ReplyDeleteFor fertilizer I'd suggest using the pelleted fertilizer and add that into your potting soil. I think there are several varieties on the market, Osmacote, being the one I use most often. That will help a lot. But honestly. Miracle Grow really is the best worker for the job. It is a hassle though to measure and mix and haul. Especially up those stairs of yours. My deck doesn't even have access from the yard so I will have to schlep everything through the house. I did not think about that! Poor planning on my part.
Oh, also, compost tea - if you have it, is fabulous for pots! Fabulous! But there is that schlepping issue again.