Front Garden Containers

I am trying to simplify my garden a little bit this summer so I am cutting back on the number of containers I'm planting in the front yard. 

Since I have purple Salvia and Clematis growing in the garden I thought I would pull that same color into the containers this year.

I really like the way the purple looks against the soft gray here.

Petunia

Calibrachoa

Alyssum

Nemesia 'Juicy Fruits Papaya'

Osteospermum 'Lemon Symphony'

Verbena

Alyssum

Calibrachoa

White Osteospermum and Nemesia with a pocket of purple Alyssum

Front Door Container

For my Mother's Day gift, R and I spent the morning at The Growing Place choosing flowers for the large containers at the front door. 

I love, Love, LOVE this establishment and could easily visit once a week (or more), just to see how their display gardens change through the seasons, or to find a little something that needs a home in a corner of my garden somewhere, or to find inspiration in one of their display areas, or to get a question answered. 

As we arrived they announced that they were beginning a Garden Tour in five minutes so we joined in.  During our walk through the display gardens we decided that we wanted to try using a Hosta as the focal plant of the container.  R mentioned that he likes the way the Sweet Potato Vine looks trailing down the container so we tried to choose a Hosta that would be tall, but not too wide that also had a touch of yellow in the leaves.  Once we had those two plants we both agreed that we love the way Heuchera looks in the container.  We like the wispy blooms and the substance of the plant itself so I pulled out three or four that I thought would work and put them in the wagon to get a feel for the size of the leaves and the color of the foliage. 

As I was planting the container Saturday afternoon, I realized that three plants just was not going to cut it in creating the full and lush look that I was going for so I grabbed the Begonia that had been purchased for the patio grouping and added that in.  I was getting closer to the look, but wasn't quite there so this morning I went back to the nursery to grab a couple of extra fillers. 

I chose a nice Pennisetum for the wispy height it will bring in.  It will carry the color up and through the entire planting without making it top heavy.  I also picked up a Calibrachoa for the touch of hot pink to draw the eye in.  I knew the Begonia had a pinky flower, but couldn't remember if it was more coral pink or bright pink (it's coral - hope it still looks good together).

I'm thrilled with the look on day one. 
Now I just have to remember to keep it watered and fertilized so it will grow lush and full and lovely.  These plants each have the potential to get good sized so it will be fun to watch them fight for dominance in the pot.   

Hosta 'Sagae'
Begonia 'Gryphon' (??)
Ipomoea 'Marguerite' (Sweet Potato Vine)
Calibrachoa 'Cabaret Hot Pink'
Heuchera 'Burnished Bronze'
Pennisetum 'Rubrum' (Purple Fountain Grass)

Pergola Patio Container

Ostrich Fern  Matteuccia pensulvanica
Light to full shade
36-60" high
moist soil
Begonia 'Gryphon'
Part shade to full shade
12-16" high
moist soil
Impatiens 'Butterfly Salmon w/Eye'
Shade to part shade
8-10" high
Polka-Dot Plant 'Red Splash Select'
Part shade to shade

10-18" high

moist soil

Planted May 9th

R & I bought a different Begonia on Saturday that had the perfect foliage colors to complement the fern.  I thought it was "Gryphon" so that is what I picked up when I went back to The Growing Place this morning.  (I can't find the plant labels in the garage and I suspect they may have been thrown away in an attempt to keep things tidy)  However, I like the touch of red on the underside of the Begonia leaves and think it plays nicely with the Polka-dot plant.  I'm hoping that after a week or two of nice warm temps the plants will settle in and mix and mingle like they are supposed to.  The lightest green of the Begonia plays well with the Impatiens which in turn speaks to the green of the fern.  Then the red from the Polka-dot plant is supposed to create just the right sparkle in the Impatiens.  We shall see.

Coral Nymph Salvia

full sun
height:  24"

Graceful flower spikes of salmon coral and white blooms until frost.

Euphorbia 'Breathless Blush'

Chamaesyce x hybrida
full sun
height:  8" - 12"
spacing:  10"

This elegant and durable new series includes the only red-flushed leaf form on the market plus a White with terrific branching and denser flowering. Heat tolerant Breathless fills in fast, makes stocky and mounded plants, and displays a showy mass of self-cleaning flowers all Summer across a wide range of conditions. The long lasting, free-flowering plants are well-suited to solo and mixed containers.  From BallHort.com

I will definitely use this plant again.  I loved the blooms!  These plants bloomed all summer long - (even through mild neglect) and who doesn't love self-cleaning flowers.  It's nice to know that some plants live up to expectations.   

Chocolate Mint

Mentha x piperita
full sun
height:  24"
spacing"  18"

I planted this in spring 2009 in my herb container for fun.  I had hoped to harvest enough to dry it for peppermint tea, but I think I had too many plants in the container because (amazingly, for a mint) it just didn't take off this summer.  This container got the best care of them all because it was on the deck just outside the kitchen door. 

I have only planted herbs for the past couple of summers.  Since I have no sense of smell I don't really remember to think about using them.  I'm trying to be more proactive in this area.  A. did like the scent once I led her to the whole "mint, mint & ...., choc-o-late...." 

Ansidontea 'Very Cranberry'

Cape Mallow
Proven Winners
full sun
height:  24" - 36"

heat tolerant, drought tolerant, deadheading not necessary

Since this plant (according to the Proven Winners website) prefers cooler temperatures it really did well this summer.  If I'd bothered to fertilize the containers regularly I think it would have been really spectacular.  I will definitely be looking for this plant again next summer. 

Here it is with Cordyline 'Red Sensation' and Coleus 'Tiny Toes'. 

Excuse the focus, I'm still learning how to use my camera and ended up focusing on the Cordyline instead of the flower.

Snapdragon

height 18" - 22"
space 9"
Best in fertile, well-drained soil kept evenly moist. 
Dead-head frequently or plants WILL stop flowering.

2009 was a very good summer for growing snapdragons; cooler temperatures, lots of rain. 

I grew them in two different containers (between the patio bed and the lawn - partial sun, and in front of the garage - full sun) and they kept growing strong throughout the whole summer. 

I was hoping to be able to use them in Emily's wedding bouquet, but it didn't work out.

Ipomoea 'Blackie'

Ipomoea batatas

Sweet Potato Vine

by Proven Winners

sun to partial sun

height: 6" - 12"

spacing: 18"

trailing habit

foliage color:  black / purple

Growing Tips from Proven Winners.  In fall before first frost, dig, dry and store tubers in dry medium (vermiculite or peat) in a cool dry corner of the basement.  When tubers sprout in spring, cut them into sections (at least one eye per section and plant the sections outdoors after last frost date.  Tubers can also be sunk 1/2 way into a large-mouthed glass jar of water in early spring to generate sprouts that can be removed and planted.  Container plants and or rooted cuttings taken in late summer may be overwintered indoors in bright sunny locations.

Look!  I actually got flowers on the sweet potato vine!

Easy Wave White Petunia

Wave Rave
sun
height:  6" - 12"
spacing:  10"
mounded, spreading habit

I put a couple of these in the containers with the roses and also with the black Sweet Potato Vine.  Our summer was just a little too cool and too rainy for the petunias to really take off.  I was also inconsistent with watering and fertilizing, due to our odd travel schedule and the odd weather so the flowers didn't really grow as well as I expected them to.

I did like the flowers and will use them again.

Alternanthera 'Royal Tapestry'

sun to part shade
height:  16" - 24" trailing habit
space:  20"
Multi-hued trailing foliage with deep burgundy stems (foliage color is darkest in sun). 
Can pinch foliage to maintain tidiness.

Cordyline 'Red Sensation'

Cordyline australis

full sun to part sun

bronzy red foliage

With it's long, tropical looking leaves, 'Red Sensation' is an exceptional plant to use for height and texture in container plantings.  The foliage is bronzy-red and grows to about 36 inches tall.  It's leaves are long and narrow.  'Red Sensation' needs good light to maintain it's color.  Don't let it dry out between watering. 

One of my favorite container combinations during the summer of 2009 included this plant.  I had it in combination with Coleus 'Tiny Toes'.  I loved how 'Tiny Toes' and 'Red Sensation' complimented each other.

this picture was taken in late May 2009

I must admit that due to all the wedding travel and other commitments during the summer my containers did not get watered or fertilized as consistently as they normally would. We also had a cool and rainy summer which impacted the growth of the plants. However, the Coleus and the Cordyline handled the odd weather and my mistreatment without showing any udue stress. 

Two BIG thumbs up for both of those plants.  I will be using them again in the future.

I read conflicting reports online as to whether it will live through the winter as a house plant so I think I'm going to try to bring it in. If I manage to keep it alive, it will eventually grow into a small trunked tree; similar to a Dracaena.

Coleus 'Tiny Toes'

sun to shade
height:  8" - 16" 
spacing:  20"

Tiny, very narrow whorls of green, deep pink, yellow and dark purple.
Very small grower. Tight mound like habit.