Container Gardening
Low Water For a dramatic container display that can take summer heat without needing frequent irrigation, take a look at this planting trio in San Luis Obispo, California. Landscape designer Jeffrey Gordon Smith used a simple trio of a large-scale agave, a low-growing filler of blue chalk sticks (Senecio mandraliscae, zones 9 to 12) and orange-flowering parrot’s beak (Lotus maculatus, zones 9 to 11) for a hit of color. This drought-tolerant “recipe” could easily be reproduced with plants with similar attributes. For example, one could choose a focal-point succulent like an aeonium, a low-growing filler such as stonecrop (Sedum sp.)
10. Balcony With Flair Ornamental peppers, Madagascar dragon tree (Dracaena marginata ‘Colorama’), preserved milo berries, bronze mums (Chrysanthemum sp.) and flowering kalanchoes adorn this Chicago balcony. “Artificial materials can be a great accent,” says Kathy Molnar Simpson, the designer of the planters; she added the milo berries for a stronger hit of red. Water requirement: Moderate to high; the coconut coir-lined planters here dry out quickly and receive 10 minutes of daily drip irrigation Light requirement: Full sun
9. All Drama This eye-catching fall container by designer Stephanie Town of Garden Stories packs a major punch in a covered entryway. The design is all about dramatic contrast. Bright chartreuse Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’) sits alongside purple heart (Tradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’) and a hot-orange turban squash. A tall purple cordyline at the back of the container adds vertical interest above pale purple aster (Symphyotrichum sp.) and ornamental pepper. Clusters of artificial leaves provide more pops of color. “A lot of my clients like an added touch of Halloween,” Town says, “so I’ll add a wooden cutout of a cat, skeleton or a raven.” Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Partial sun
4. Dark Beauty Proving that you don’t need to rely on reds and golds to have an arrangement feel like fall, these seductive dark designs by Kathy Molnar Simpson of KMS Gardens and Design stand out with their cool color palette. “Interesting and unusual color combos will still read fall as long as the majority of elements are fall materials,” Simpson says. “The colors in the majority of elements should have some relationship to each other. I think complementary combinations, rather than opposite color combos, tend to work better in fall.” Here she used a range of purples, blues and lavenders, including Vertigo purple fountain grass (Pennisetum purpureum), ‘Ruby Perfection’ ornamental cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata ‘Ruby Perfection’), lavender-pink mums (Chrysanthemum sp.), purple-stemmed Swedish ivy (Plectranthus ‘Mona Lavender’), ‘Carnival Plum Crazy’ coral bells (Heuchera ‘Carnival Plum Crazy’), blue plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides), mizuna and green artificial berry stems. Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Partial shade
1. Fan Show In this simple yet sophisticated fall container by Barrett Lawn Care, preserved fan-shape leaves form a bronze backdrop for coppery bedding mums (Chrysanthemum sp.), gold pansies (Viola sp.) and chartreuse Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra). Golden bamboo stakes add height to the arrangement and visually contrast the mounded, half-moon plant forms in the container. Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Full sun
10. Texture Feast Ruffled red cabbages and kales combine with trailing and upright junipers, bronze ornamental grass, chartreuse ‘Ascot Rainbow’ spurge (Euphorbia x martinii ‘Ascot Rainbow’) and a small button-shaped mum (Chrysanthemumsp.) in this container by Joseph Basone Landscape Design & Garden Maint. Although it was designed for a fall show, this container could easily transition into winter by removing all plants except for the junipers, filling in the gaps with mounds of preserved moss or clipped conifer branches and adding a few springs of decorative red berries. Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Full sun
9. Ferns and Ivy Gardeners in mild-winter climates can turn to this fresh combination by Amy Martin Landscape Design of fuzzy foxtail fern (Asparagus densiflorus ‘Myers’) and trailing variegated ivy for a low-maintenance combination that thrives in part-shade. Foxtail fern stays green year-round in mild climates, forming bright red jewel-like berries in fall in all climates. Overwinter these plants indoors in cold-winter regions. Both the foxtail fern and the variegated ivy require little supplemental water in the cool season but will need more consistent water in spring and summer. Water requirement: Low to moderate Light requirement: Partial shade
8. Bronze Trio A simple planting of ‘Sweet Tea’ heucherella (x Heucherella ‘Sweet Tea’) in matching bronze pots feels perfectly fall-like in this Pacific Northwest arrangement by Bliss Garden Design. Heucherella (a hybrid between Heuchera and Tiarella) comes in a wide variety of colors, all with showy foliage. The plants are evergreen in the Pacific Northwest and other moderate-winter climates, although leaf colors may fade in winter. Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
7. Jewel Box The brilliant foliage and rich textures of ‘Golden Mop’ sawara false cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Golden Mop’), red-tinged coastal doghobble (Leucothoe axillaris) and creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis ‘Wiltonii’) steal the show in this half-barrel container garden. “If you think about texture and form more than color, you are off to a good start,” says designer Amy Wilbur of Sweet Dirt Designs. “I like chartreuse-y plants, like the ‘Golden Mop’ in the photo, lemon-scented cypress and lime-y heuchera, with purple-leafed cabbages and kales.” Water requirement: Moderate to low, depending on season; Wilbur reports that the plants received no water in winter in New York. Light requirement: Full sun
6. Dwarf Conifer Keep it simple with a cold-hardy dwarf conifer potted in a handsome container for a garden accent that will last year-round. Here, designer Tish Treherne of Bliss Garden Design planted a dwarf Siberian pine (Pinus pumila ‘Blue Dwarf’) in a textured ceramic container, which she placed in a garden bed as a focal point. ‘Goldcrest’ Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Goldcrest’) is another standout conifer for containers but is less cold-hardy than the dwarf Siberian pine. Water requirement: Low Light requirement: Full sun
5. Butterscotch Beauty Purple ‘Midnight Fire’ ornamental peppers and cool blue-purple ‘Peacock Red’ kale help set off the butterscotch-colored foliage of a ruffled coral bells (Heuchera sp.) in this fall container design by Stephanie Town of Garden Stories. For more textural interest, the designer added dried dogwood stems, clips of bittersweet berries and wispy Red Rooster sedge (Carex buchananii ‘Red Rooster’). To transition the container from fall to winter, Town says: “I would transplant the Coral Bells and kale into the bed somewhere. This particular client loves red and a bit of ‘bling,’ so I’ll add spruce tips, red glitter lotus pods and bright red ‘Cardinal’ dogwood, with a skirting of white pine and pepperberry.” Water requirement: Moderate (watered by hand two to three times a week) Light requirement: Full sun Note: Oriental bittersweet can be invasive; American bittersweet is a good substitute. Both species are toxic.
3. Fall Embers With a warm, fire-like glow, this eye-catching container design by Karen Chapman of Le Jardinet makes for a welcome addition to a fall deck or doorstep. Plants include red-bronze ‘Tequila Sunrise’ mirror plant (Coprosma ‘Tequila Sunrise’), fiery ‘Delta Dawn’ coral bells (Heuchera ‘Delta Dawn’), red-leafed mukdenia (Mukdenia rossii ‘Crimson Fans’), black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’), wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) and yew (Taxus sp.). All of the plants used are evergreen in the Pacific Northwest, where this garden is located, allowing this container to transition seamlessly into winter. Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Partial shade
2. Foliage Medley Designer Toni Cross of Seasonal Color Pots created this trio of containers in Seattle for multiple seasons of interest. The contrast of bright plum ‘Spellbound’ coral bells (Heuchera ‘Spellbound’) with variegated periwinkle (Vinca minor ‘Bowles’), bronze ‘Jack Spratt’ New Zealand flax (Phormium ‘Jack Spratt’) and gray-green spurge (Euphorbia characias ‘Humpty Dumpty’) make for a dynamic foliage-forward container display next to an entryway. Tender plants, such as periwinkle and spurge, can overwinter in moderate climates and can be used as annuals elsewhere. Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Mostly shade
1. Ruffled Up A fountain of ‘First Knight’ fountain grass (Pennisetum ‘First Knight’) and a red cabbage anchor this handsome fall container, one of a pair of urns flanking the entrance of an elegant Chicago home. Designer Jennifer Hoxsie of Greenhaven Landscapes says she gravitates toward simplified and symmetrical arrangements like this one to complement formal homes. Layers of cold-hardy, extra-ruffled kales — ‘Red Russian’, ‘Red Chidori’ and ‘Redbor’ — fill the mid-layer with plenty of texture. Although Hoxsie changes container plantings for her client seasonally, the plants used here, save for the fountain grass, could last until the holidays. Water requirement: Moderate; irrigated two to three times a week in fall Light requirement: Full sun
Fall Harvest If your container already features a few edible elements, such as rosette-shaped cabbages, bright peppers or curly kale, take it to the next level by putting together a potted harvest arrangement like this one by Greenlife Gardens. Pile on pumpkins, gourds and any squashes you’ve picked from your garden, arranging them in a new container or among veggies already growing in a pot.
Green goddess. There aren’t many succulents that thrive in shady conditions, but among those that do, aeoniums, like the one featured in this container, steal the show. Use a large-scale one, like Aeonium ‘Mint Saucer’ (zones 9 and up), to anchor a container combination like an oversize flower would. Here, the edges of the container have been filled in with shade-loving plants that bring a contrasting textural element, including feathery foxtail fern (Asparagus densiflorus ‘Myers’, zones 9 to 11) and grass-like golden sweet flag (Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’, zones 5 to 9). Water requirement: Low to moderate; don’t let Aeonium sit in soggy soil Light requirement: Partial shade to bright indirect light
Growing Bulbs in Containers Daffodils and tulips also shine in containers, as do Japanese irises and the baby gladioluses. The general rule of thumb is to plant at the same depth as you would in the ground. Feel free to crowd plants a bit in containers — they look better when they’re massed. Other than that, treat them as you would bulbs planted in the ground, although you will need to provide protection from cold weather for pots that can break. Place the containers where you can enjoy the display once the bulbs start blooming, then move them out of the limelight afterward.
Pastel hues. Potted arrangements of fuss-free succulents look good now and will continue to grow all summer long with little additional care. Select a combination with a variety of colors, forms and textures, from rosette-forming echeverias to upright aeoniums and fine-textured ground cover sedums. In this container combination, a vivid purple echeveria (Echeveria ‘Perle Von Nürnberg’) is a particular standout. Other succulents in this container include ‘Angelina’ stonecrop (Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’), aloe vera (Aloe vera), ‘Mexican Giant’ echeveria (Echeveria colorata ‘Mexican Giant’), blue chalk sticks (Senecio serpens) and ‘Velour’ aeonium (Aeonium ‘Velour’).
Purple and chartreuse. Give your spring containers real pizazz with a high-contrast foliage combination of deep purple and zingy lime green. The designer of this container garden combined plum-colored carpet bugle (Ajuga reptans ‘Black Scallop’) with lime-green creeping jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’), purple-leaved Strobilanthes, African daisies (Osteospermum ecklonis ‘Lavender Mist’), and purple and gold pansies. Water requirement: Moderate to high Light requirement: Full sun
Scent of spring. For a delicious fragrance when you pass over your home’s threshold, cluster potted bulbs chosen for their scent by your main entrance. Hyacinths and paperwhites (Narcissus papyraceus) are among the most fragrant and widely available. Water requirement: Moderate to high Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Purple rain. Florist hydrangeas are bred to bloom on much smaller plants than shrubby garden hydrangeas, making them a perfect scale for spring containers. Buy them budding or already in bloom and combine with fragrant hyacinths (Hyacinth sp.), grape hyacinths and chartreuse stonecrop (Sedum rupestre ‘Lemon Coral’) to re-create this look. ‘Mathilda Gutges’ bigleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Mathilda Gutges’) grow in this container. After their peak, florist hydrangeas can be planted out into sunny garden beds. Water requirement: Moderate to high Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Celebration of spring. Welcome the season with a sunny arrangement of mixed bulbs of various heights and delicate pansies tucked to fill in around the base. Here, a pair of deep urns planted with medium-purple tulips, yellow daffodils, pink ranunculuses, grape hyacinths (Muscari sp.), pansies and variegated English ivy makes a glorious entry arrangement. It can be tricky to get bulbs planted in combination to bloom at the same time. To re-create this look, choose a bag of early, midseason or late-blooming bulbs packaged together and plant them in a container according to the instructions. If you missed planting bulbs last fall, pick up potted bulbs from your local nursery and plant them together in a container. Look for ones that are just beginning to bud for a coordinated bloom time. Water requirement: Moderate to high Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Celebration of spring. Welcome the season with a sunny arrangement of mixed bulbs of various heights and delicate pansies tucked to fill in around the base. Here, a pair of deep urns planted with medium-purple tulips, yellow daffodils, pink ranunculuses, grape hyacinths (Muscari sp.), pansies and variegated English ivy makes a glorious entry arrangement. It can be tricky to get bulbs planted in combination to bloom at the same time. To re-create this look, choose a bag of early, midseason or late-blooming bulbs packaged together and plant them in a container according to the instructions. If you missed planting bulbs last fall, pick up potted bulbs from your local nursery and plant them together in a container. Look for ones that are just beginning to bud for a coordinated bloom time. Water requirement: Moderate to high Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Bronze glory. A color palette of gold, copper, rust and green echoes the color of fallen autumn leaves in this container in the Northwest. Here, the leaves of heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica) are turning bronze against a chartreuse lemon cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa cv.) at the back of the container. In the foreground, copper-colored coral bells (Heuchera sp.), ‘Goldfinger’ New Zealand iris (Libertia ixioides ‘Goldfinger’), limey sweet flag (Acorus gramineus ‘Pusillus Minimus’), black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’) and orange-flowering pansies form a tapestry of rich fall colors.
Edible element. The brilliant leaves of edible ‘Bright Lights’ rainbow chard are just as stunning in a fall container composition as in the kitchen garden. To keep the arrangement looking good, and to encourage the chard plant to keep producing, harvest leaves at the base with a sharp knife or kitchen shears. Also planted in this Seattle container are coral-colored hypericum berries (Hypericum sp.), ruffled red ‘Fire Alarm’ coral bells (Heuchera ‘Fire Alarm’), ‘Blue Star’ juniper (Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’), ‘Tom Thumb’ New Zealand flax (Phormium ‘Tom Thumb’) and ‘Rheingold’ arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Rheingold’).
Fall flame. The aptly named ‘Sticks on Fire’ milkbush (Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Sticks on Fire’) lights up this potted succulent arrangement in Santa Barbara, California, with its branched, coral-like structure and brilliant orange color. Lean it against a post or provide sturdy stakes to support this tall, brittle plant. The addition of deep purple aeonium (Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’) and purple New Zealand flax (Phormium sp.) creates a rich fall color palette that is perfect for warm-winter climates. Green-leafed aeonium (Aeonium ‘Starburst’), blue chalk sticks (Senecio mandraliscae) and slender myoporum (Myoporum parvifolium) round out the front of the container.
Black and gold. This bold container composition has an unusual mix of black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’), brilliant gold ‘Delta Dawn’ coral bells (Heuchera ‘Delta Dawn’), yellow-leaved ‘Baggesen’s Gold’ box honeysuckle (Lonicera nitida ‘Baggesen’s Gold’) and white-flowering heather (Calluna vulgaris). The most unexpected part is the sweet, citrusy perfume of ‘Eternal Fragrance’ Daphne (Daphne transatlantica ‘Eternal Fragrance’), which blooms well into fall.
Grasses and maples. Use subtle container plantings to balance dramatic fall foliage for a pleasing composition. Here, a pair of textured black containers filled with a wispy orange sedge (Carex testacea) and a dwarf false cypress (Chamaecyparis sp.) create a rich yet subdued accent along this gravel pathway. The real show in this garden is the brilliant foliage of Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) beyond.
Dark chocolate. A dark monochromatic base palette can be particularly effective in highlighting bright accents. Bronze-leafed coleus, cascading sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas ‘Black Heart’ and ‘Blackie’) and burgundy canna lilies (Canna sp.) create a rich base to show off bright gold Coprosma, center left; a lime-green tuft of cape restio (Rhodocoma capensis), center right; and coral dahlia blooms, behind.
Light and airy. Bright green tendrils of maidenhair vine (Muehlenbeckia complexa) pour over the side of this tall rectangular container to create an eye-catching cascade in Seattle. Evergreen huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum ‘Thunderbird’), a Northwest native, provides dark berries in summer and copper-colored leaves in fall, as seen here. The larger green and bronze leaves of highland doghobble (Leucothoe fontanesiana) and variegated Japanese sedge (Carex hachijoensis ‘Evergold’) complete the display.
Velvety purple pansies and buttery yellow ranunculus play with cheerful miniature daffodils (Narcissus ‘Tete-a-Tete’), fuzzy pussy willow branches and white sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) in this deliciously rich spring container designed by Greenhaven Landscapes. To create a similar look, pair bright hues with deep purple for contrast, and stagger plant heights within a container. Water requirement: Moderate to high Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
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