Successful "what the heck" for my planter box.

Putting up a planter box this summer, I didn't want to spend the $$ that they wanted for spikes and the hanging vines. I had room in the boxes-after the petunias etc. so stuck in some of the sedum with yellow flowers and narrow oval leaves, that grows so well and is a great spreader.
Have Wonderful, long curtains of increasingly small leaves-so much lovelier than any of the filler plants that I used to use. Will just cut back after frost and re-plant in the garden..hope I remember this next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anuy chance we can see a pcture?

HI, Posting photos.

Hey, that's great. Looks like a million. Well done. /;-)

wow that is so neat ! good job

Marcia,

That is sooooooooooo pretty. I love that idea of using the sedum, why didn't I think of that? lol

Hugs,
Lani

Thank you, thank you..taking bows!!^^^^^^^
Lani-that is because you didn't have bare spots in your planter box!!:)
Should look good for a bit, our first average frost date is 10/5 and we are predicted for 80's next week-go figure!!!

Guess you might be right. All my bare spots seem to get covered in that dark purple/blue petunia that smells SO good. I even try to cover my bare spots in the garden with that particular petunia. I need to remember the name of it so I can order seeds next year because it is sinfully hard to find them now.

I can hardly believe that you are going to be in the 80s next week and we will be in the 60s. lol

Great job, Marcia! I've used some other kinds of sedums before but forgot to this year. I believe I have the same one you do. I'll have to remember to do it next year. It does tend to spread like crazy on the ground.
:) Donna

Looks great, Marcia! I like putting lamium in my containers - makes a great trailer and is so pretty with the variegated leaves.

Great idea Marcia, I want to do some drought tolerant pots this year and I think that just may do the trick.

wow, I have the lamium and the sedum. They both tolerate an amazing amount of shade as do the petunias. That dark blue/purple petunia is also a favorite of mine because of the scent.

I am going to do the same type of box this year, as the colors stayed so nice, and the sedum has zero maintence. I just left the box outside, curious to see if the sedums come back in the box, would be so handy.

Marcia they make the winter here fine in pots that are clear in the open. I have one concrete pot that has tons of sedum falling out the sides of it and they all seem to do fine. Also have a few pots with them and hen and chicks that do great over wintering. I am only one zone warmer and we get some zone 5 winters here so I would think they are going to make it for you. Will be interested to hear.


woodspirit do you grow your own petunias or buy them and if you do grow them where do you get the seeds? I can find the ones that have no fragrance but can't seem to find any with the great fragrance I know and love. If I lived where gardenias and jasmine would live I would think I had died and gone to heaven so my petunias fill that void just a little.

HI, they were green earlier this week-now under 14" of snow-so should do just fine with this awful cold snap.
Wishing for spring..wish I had won the lottery yesterday..Sigh..visions of huge gardnens..all gone..only had 1 number!!!:( right!!!

Marcia - smacking myself for not thinking of this! I have problems with the pots on the lower patio drying out, and hadn't though of using sedum. I have a big clump of it in the back that I could easily use in the planters! Also have lamiastrum nearly coming out my ears - that would be a great option for planters, too.

We have this weird and huge rectangular patio at the front of the house that I have never figured out what to do with. It's about 15 feet deep x about 40 feet long. I would love to have a bunch of pots out there to soften the lines and green it up, but the sprinkler system doesnt hit it and I am notorious for forgetting to handwater. The front edge of it gets 1/2 day of morning sun, which is about what my sedum in the back bed gets, and the sedum would be pretty forgiving of my absent minded watering tendencies. Putting curved beds in front of the shrubs there is on my spring project list.

Stacy

I just love sedums, so forgiving. I also use some of the water saving crystals in my pots, as I also forget and some of the annuals are much more picky.