In our zone Mother's Day seems to be the cue to gear up for planting of pots, baskets, and beds of annual flowers. The date of the last average frost is just a couple of weeks away. We can handle bringing tender plants indoors at night if need be for that amount of time. We just can't wait any longer to bring home some summer-in-a-six-pack!
Before heading out to the greenhouse let's review the formula for surefire success in creating dynamic flowering containers.
1. Start with a thriller, or three for a large basket or pot. These will be the primary focus of the container. Geraniums or petunias are popular in this role, or for a shady basket, begonias or New Guinea impatiens. Edible choices might include ornamental kale or peppers.
2. Add some filler. Again, perhaps three for a large basket. Try diascia, callibrachoa, nemesia, Johnny jump-ups, or other smallish plants alternated with the thrillers. Herbs such as variegated golden sage, basil, and parsley work well here too.
3. Add a spiller. This one you want to creep out from the center and spill over the sides. Good ones are licorice plant, ivy, and sweet potato vine.
This year I am going to try:
3 assorted thrilling coleus - Peter's Wonder, Chaotic Rose, and Flamingo
3 filling petunias - Pretty Much Picasso
1 spilling sweet potato vine - Marguerite or Bronze Desana*
The possibilities for combinations are endless. Have fun choosing!
*Tag description which I did not read until I got home says - Desana ipomoea adds drama without overpowering the other plants it is combined with. The lush compact habit provides color and texture that complements rather than competes with its companions. Superb in warm, humid climates.
(Is being pretentious less annoying than being a diva if you are an ipomoea trying to get along in a mixed container planting?)
4 comments:
Alright. I will do "one" pot of flowers.
My herb pot near the door....
Spill: light yellow licorice and burgundy-ish ipanema.
The floral (Thrill?): Yellow Moon Torenia...miniature flowers...each is both purple and golden.
Tall: cilantro, French tarragon, rosemary.
Fill: marjorum, bay leaf, thyme.
My onion chives, garlic chives, two kinds of parsley, and mint (mistake) are in the garden proper. Gonna try leeks this year again.
Same PW tags here in Canada! No dramatic statements about qualities, though, just boring things like drought and deer resistant. Maybe too little space after leaving room for the French translation.
I let the experts pick for me. My pre packaged six pack for my shady front porch includes: Catalina Midnight Blue Torenia, Laguna Sky Blue Lobelia, Goldilocks Creeping Jenny, Infinity Orange Impatiens hawkeri, Illusion Midnight Lace Sweet Potato Vine, and Rockapulco Dark Orange Impatiens Walleriana.
For the sunny back steps: 2 each of Laguna Sky Blue Lobelia, Illusion Emerald Lace Sweet Potato Vine, and Surfinia Patio Yellow Petunia. To add my own touch to the latter I added coleus that I overwintered indoors. Three different types all became one similar purple, but that's alright, I like them just as they are for surviving the winter with me.
Went out and checked: also sage and sweet basil
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