Wednesday, September 3, 2008

GOOD CONTAINER COMBOS




I found this picture on one of the retail gardening sites. I just love it. This container features white sweet alyssum, purple-leaf fibrous begonia, and pink tuberous begonia. Don't you just love the old bread box?



Here are a few suggestions they gave for good container planting combinations.

SPRING: Hellebores, with tulips and ferns. When bulbs die down replace with pink impatiens.

BEGONIAS: Mix rex begonias with their colorful foliage with tuberous camellia-flowered begonias in colors to blend with the rex leaves.

SILVER: Helichrysum petiolare (licorice plant) trailing under annual dusty miller. Add pale pink or red geraniums depending on the effect you want. Or try it with purple heliotrope.

SHADE GARDEN: Trailing ivy and ferns with nicotiana, impatiens or pansies.

FOLIAGE: Palace Purple heuchera with Bowles Golden sedge and Margarita' sweet potato vine

SUCCULENTS: Sedum `Vera Jamieson' and `Bertram Anderson' with Sedum sieboldiana.

BLUE AND YELLOW: Yellow daylilies (Penny's Worth, Stella d'Oro) with Campanula carpatica `Blue Clips'.

PINK AND PRETTY: New Guinea impatiens (bright pink flowers) and pale pink verbena and pink zonal geraniums.

DRAMATIC: Black Dragon coleus with Ipomoea batatas `Blackie' and Helichrysum petiolare `Aurea'.

I love containers but sometimes I can end up with things that just didn't grow the way I thought they would. I have had things that should trail, grow straight up. LOL. But I keep trying. These all sound so pretty. I am going to try the foliage because I started a sweet potato vine that is yearning to be potted up in some sort of arrangemnt. All I need is some purple heuchera and Golden sedge. That sounds so pretty to me. I like purples and golds together.

16 comments:

Lib said...

Hi Eve,
I love using unique containers .
Makes it more interesting .
Hope youre having a good week.
Blessins'.Lib

tina said...

Containers are something I am going to venture into soon. Thanks for the info!

Susie said...

I enjoy container gardening a lot. I'm always on the lookout for some different or unusual container. The one pictured was unique. Purple and golds always make a statement to me. Really pretty together!

DP Nguyen said...

Eve, those are really cool and unique containers. I've never had much luck with container gardening. I don't know why but my plants never have much success.

Skeeter said...

Plant groupings are great. I have a few but need more for next year...

cinnamongirl93 said...

I love that picture! Too bad for me that summer is winding down. Next year.
One of my all time favorites go to's with purple is orange. I love how they compliment each other.

Anonymous said...

That photo is both nostalgic and cozy-looking. I think I had one of those once that likely ended up in a garage sale years ago! I love various arrangements in the same pot. Gives some interest.
Brenda

countrychicken said...

That's a really cute container. I am always looking for something that is good to plant in and going to my husband could you drill some holes in the bottom of this. Right now I have a big galvanized tub with mums in it. Fall is approaching here in the North and flower season will soon be over. Keep yourself safe from Hanna and Ike.

Cindy said...

I love purples and golds together too. Those are some great container ideas. I'll have to file this away for next year.

Gail said...

Eve,

I have to admit, I rarely do mixed containers. I am not any good at picking out the container! maybe it's time to try them!

Gail

Rose said...

I love experimenting with container planting. But even when I've planned it very carefully, not everything turns out as well as I had expected. Sometimes, though, something will really surprise you!
I just tried more foliage planting this spring and find it does very well.
I'm always looking for new combinations--thanks for some good ideas!

Anonymous said...

Unique containers really can make a container combo special. I currently prefer to put one type of plant in each container and then grouping them together in groups of 3 or 5. Makes a big statement to me. The combinations you listed sound pretty good though. Love the bread container.

Anonymous said...

That is a pretty container. I like the unusual. I'm trying a container mix called Daddy Pete's Mix. It is the best I've ever seen. I got it at my local nursery. I did notice it was made not far from where I live.

Part ot the success I have with containers is mathching the plant size to the pot size. Give the roots plenty of room to grow all season. Container plants usually need a regular feeding and flushing of extra salts because of the feeding.

So--it's the mix, the size of plants per pot, and regular feeding. Watering every day or more than once a day is vital also. I almost always use Proven Winners plants in pots. They just do better for me.

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Anonymous said...

Forgot to say, glad you are safe. I think Hannah is coming my way. We need the rain.

Eve said...

flowergardengirl..thanks for the good advice. I like the proven winner plants too. They just seem to develope a better root system.

Beth said...

Hi Eve - I like the combinations that you mentioned - especially the pinks. I like doing containers but by the end of the summer I'm exhausted from having to water them so frequently!