I know that underplanting Brugs has been talked about a couple of times, but have we talked about specific applications? As I was welcoming "Hostanquilts" (Jan) to this forum, this was the essence of our discussion:
"If you planted a Brug in a large container, so that it could be moved around to various locations in your garden, thereby adjusting for sunlight/shade/moisture requirements, I don't see that planting Hostas or other ornamental plants would be a problem.
Your Hostas might grow REALLY BIG, given all the nutrients that Brugs receive during a growing season, but I think it would be an interesting application".
How many different underplantings (common & unusual) can you come up with??? Has anyone tried planting Hostas or other ornamental plants underneath Brugs???
Common & Unusual Under Plantings for Brugs
Shirley, since the hostas are hardy perennials, and the brugs have to be overwintered indoors or in a greenhouse, I am not sure that would be worth all the transplanting?
I like coleus, the leaves seems to go so well with the brug foliage. For flowers, I think petunias are terrific companions.
My brugs seems to fill their pots with dense roots pretty fast, so I don't do much underplanting, but hope to try more this summer.
I am considering the sweet potato vines, like 'Margarita' with everything!
I have the same experience as John. I have a lot of my Brugs in containers, and they are constantly outgrowing them. Several are quite rootbound so I really don't have any extra room in their containers for additional plants, but I do have some with impatiens. Also, I have creeping thyme in with this hibiscus, and I also have a lot of alyssum growing everywhere:
That is going to be beautiful John. I love imps.
I love the different ideas everyone!
Coleus, IMHO, goes with EVERYTHING!!! Love those bold colors and statements that they make. I also agree that cascading Petunias, in various colors of the rainbow, and the Sweet Potato Vine would really look awesome as underplantings of Brugs. "Margarita" is a favorite with her lime colored leaves. John, don't forget about "Blackie" . The dark foliage, almost black in color, would really add a lot of dazzle to a container grown Brug, as it spills over the sides.
Brugmansia, adding more of a "punch" with New Guinea Impatiens (can tolerate more sunlight) would really put on quite a show. I like the hot pink color that you have chosen as your underplantings. Are those pine needles that you mulch with? Do they affect the acidity level by raising it to high or does it not really make a big difference?
I love the picture of your Hibiscus you posted Clare_CA. It never crossed my mind to combine herbs with ornamental foliage plants, but there is certainly no reason why you couldn't. They are already use to high temperatures, high humidity and thrive in dry conditions. However, how do herbs perform when given too much water & nutrients. Do they grow lush foliage and become mega-sized plants? A lot of the silver colored herbs would be able to tolerate more sunshine than other varieties.
Since John & I are both in cooler climates, Zone 7a, we can't leave our Brugs outside year round. I grow the majority of Brugs in large containers. Since I bring in all my containers in late Fall, wouldn't Hostas be able to overwinter right along with the Brug plants? It's just a thought, but I think I would like to give it a try next year and see how they would do. Anyone else game?
P.S. I forgot to add that I love Ferns as underplantings! Which types of Ferns do you recommend that can tolerate more sunlight?
This message was edited Dec 18, 2003 5:51 PM
Shirley, if you decide to try hostas in a container, make sure they are common ones that would be easy to replace. Hosta really needs to sleep during the winter, and they won't go dormant if the temps are high enough to keep the brugs happy.
Hmm, good point, Ronna. I overwinter 1/2 of my Brugs in my basement near grow lights & the other 1/2 upstairs in our sunroom. The basement is usually 5-10 degrees cooler, but I can always turn the heat down a bit. What temperatures do you recommend overwintering the Hostas at, so that the Brugs will survive too?
Yeph! Common Hostas would be excellent trial material too! Thanks !! :~)