Back in March I posted some pictures of the containers I had painted http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/704141/#new - finally had an opportunity to take some pictures of some of the containers I've planted. Will try to post more in the next few days.
First one - one of the smaller pots with two new Euphorbias this year - 'Blackbird' (dark foliage) and 'Helena's Blush' (love the variegated bracts on this one!) with Sedum 'Angelina'
Coleus ('The Line' but maybe too much sun, "line" isn't as prominent as I thought it would be), Ipomoea 'Ace of Spades' and a poor little purple 'Million Bells' Calibrachoa that's getting swallowed by the Coleus.
Left container - hoping this one "grows" into its large pot - Sambucus 'Black Lace', Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost', and Tradescantia zebrina.
On the right - have to check the names of these - a gold leaved Salvia, Coleus and a red Pennisetum on the back of this pot that I keep coaxing to grow, it was supposed to be a tall backdrop for these two plants and right now it's just sitting there!
Unfortunately this Japanese Maple is losing its color in the shady area of the front entry. Earlier this spring the trees in the front garden hadn't provided as much shade and the foliage was a lovely deep crimson color with Lysimachia 'Aurea' spilling over the edges.
I love these photos of your containers. Such masterful combinations of colors and textures!
Thank you Zuzu, I've had alot of fun with them - some of the combinations are working better than others!
This is one of the larger and more shallow containers I painted - not sure why I was even concerned about the color of the container - this one is out of control and you can't even see the pot! I need to severely pinch this one - the petunia is taking over!
This has been a huge disappointment although the Alternanthera has performed beautifully. The Coleus 'Fishnet Stockings' ? just isn't growing and the 'Lime Zinger' in the background is pathetically small - although it is finally starting to grow some larger leaves and will hopefully provide the backdrop for the Alternanthera I had intended by the end of the summer.
This was supposed to be an all Euphorbia planting - E. cotinifolia, E. 'Helena's Blush' and E. myrsinites to spill over the sides. The myrsinites isn't spilling and actually looks like it might be rotting away - the other two are requiring more water than it likes. I've wintered over the E. cotinifolia for two winters and this is the first year I've got it in a container that it's happy with :)
This one is starting to look better - Albizia 'Summer Chocolate', Persicaria 'Red Dragon' (I keep pinching this one to hopefully keep it bushy) and a trailing silver Plectranthus although it's turning more green than silver :(
The lighting wasn't too good the morning I took the photos and I didn't get a good shot of my favorite by the front door. Hopefully within the next couple of days I'll get a picture of it to post. This is a view of the front entry - had lots of plans for this area but haven't finished painting the entryway - the door got painted (used to be white), need to finish painting the storm door to match and the sidelights (now white) are supposed to be the same color as the house (tan) to "tone" it down a little.
Tried to get a picture of my favorite yesterday morning - an awkward position to grab a shot - had placed the container on a table to give it more 'height' and I'm not tall enough to look 'down' on it! Cordyline in the center, 'Freckles' Coleus and Senecio - the icy blue plant that was supposed to spill over the edges but hasn't yet!
And a little closer
Your entryway is simultaneously sophisticated and inviting. You've combined the different types of plants and the different types of containers so well. I was crazy abioiut the Albizia/Persicaria pairing, but now the Cordyline/Coleus combo you just posted is my favorite. They just get better and better.
opps...posted to the wrong thread
This message was edited Jun 27, 2007 1:12 PM
I love planting containers and as usual, rcn's are fabulous! I look forward to seeing what you come up every year, you have the eye for some gorgeous combinations. I bought 'Helena's Blush' euphorbia this year too. I will keep it potted up over the winter (inside, unheated room) because it is only marginally hardy here, and I wanted to see what great combo idea you came up with. Looks good, but how does the 'Angelina' sedum like the extra water?
This subject came up (indirectly) on another thread, and I would like to ask it here, if I may: If you plant something in a container that is potentially invasive, like the 'Summer Chocolate' albizia (or is that one sterile?), do you just deadhead the flowers to keep it in check? I have heard that, but do not have direct experience. Or is it done more as a containment measure, such as you would do for phalaris? I'm really curious, I don't want to start an argument, so please don't take this the wrong way. Thanks.
LOL, PrairieGirl - I won't start any arguments on the Albizia :) We're fortunate here, they are marginally hardy and don't create a problem for us. One of the reasons I potted it up in a container! It's only the second year we've had the plant and yet to see it flower and when it does I'll probably pluck them - even though the flowers are pretty, the reason I used it is for the foliage alone - it loves the heat and humidity and keeps its rich chocolate color all through the summer.
I've gone crazy with Euphorbias this year and love 'Helena's Blush'! Had no idea the bracts would be variegated as well - even better! Now, if I could just get my hands on E. 'Tasmanian Tiger' I'd be a happy woman :) Re: the 'Angelina' - the Euphorbias like it as dry as the Sedum, although I've found in pots 'Angelina' doesn't mind the extra water.
Zuzu, I'm having way too much fun with these containers and your compliments are much appreciated :) I picked up a couple of plants last night to substitute for the Senecio - hate to pull them, but they're not doing what I want them to do! Also grabbed another combination I hope to plant up today and will post pictures soon. Now I have to get busy pinching the others!
I will have to keep an eye out for that albizia then! I have Red Dragon (in the ground) but I now know it's got to go inside over winter too, to be on the safe side, lost mine last year.
And there are still more euphorbias? They are exciting, I love their changes too. Blackbird looks yummy. I am a huge fan of dark foliage.
What did you replace the senecio with? That was my favorite too, he he. I also love coleus. We sure are fortunate to have such a varied palette to choose from!
I meant to tell you, thanks for linking to your painted pots, I missed it the first time. I actually don't mind the plastic terra cotta (holds moisture better than clay), but I know it looks dated to some. I have some blue stone spray paint...
rcn48 Love all your posts. You do great combinations. Your entryway is very inviting. I founf E. Tasmanian Tiger at Molbaks, a large nursery in western WA on the way home from the coast. I for the life of me cannot remember where I planted it. I did manage to make a list and marked off where I planted all the other things I bought , for some reason did not write down where planted TT, i will find it.
DonnaS
DonnaS, thanks! Wow, I'm thinking if TT will live for you in Z5a, maybe it will have a chance for me? Always heard it would be marginally hardy for me but I still wanted to try it - wouldn't be the first time I've killed a plant! LOL Hope you find it :)
PG, still more Euphorbias to acquire, but done for this year. One of the newer ones that I planted in the garden is E. 'Rudolph' http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/121344/ - supposedly the tops of the foliage turn red just in time for the holidays. I'll have to start a thread in the fall when they all take on their beautiful fall color and maybe 'Rudolph' will be sport his red "nose" before the holidays :)
I haven't replaced the Senecio yet - I had picked up Artemesia 'Silver Brocade' because it would definitely cascade over the edges, but my husband says it will look 'ratty' by August so now I'm not sure what to do!? This particular container is one of the ones I wanted to enter in the Fine Gardening container contest and I have until Sept 1 to finally send in the picture, so maybe by then the Senecio might actually "spill". As for the painted pots - get out that blue spray paint - you won't be sorry, it will give your pots a whole new look :) Next year I'd like to try my hand at something a little more creative, like a marbled design, etc.
Hoping to get my last container potted up today and will post pictures soon!
Debbie
Silver Brocade is the one that lasts into fall here, definitely does not look ratty, but it doesn't spill, it's more upright. He may be thinking of Silver Mound, which I just acquired, it doesn't like to be watered or it dies out in the middle? Hence, a bit of a challenge to get started, but I planted mine in the garden.
Oops, hit send too soon. I meant to add, the Senecio I saw was spilling, but it was an older plant. So I think you're right, it looked kind of woody in the middle, so maybe expect that?
rcn, I have enjoyed your various container threads so much. I am still very new to gardening, and container gardening in particular really challenges me because I don't really understand what plants are gonna do in there over the course of one season. I think I have reworked my containers about eight times this year already, lol. I'm attracted to the same sort of colors and plants I have seen you use in many of your container threads/posts...you really have a gift for putting those plants together and I always feel inspired by your pics.
Noreaster, thank you so much :) I'm holding myself back and trying not to "rework" any of the containers - there are a few that I would really like to change but it is still only the first of July and by the end of August, who knows they might just look how I intended them if I just leave them alone! I've been 'lurking' and have seen your progress on your landscaping - although you may be still very new to gardening you've made leaps and bounds in just a year and with some wonderful combinations I might add. And yes, I do believe we have the same "taste" :) I've taken a special interest in your project since I'm originally from Bangor and my daughter still lives in Portland, so who knows one of these days I might just be looking you up on one of my trips up north!
Debbie
Debbie, I can't wait for something to look good in August- that's a blink away from winter up here! It's gotta look good now or even yesterday, lol. Yes, that is one thing I have to admit that I don't like about container gardening- the wait for things to look "just so" .
So your coleus "the Line" lost it's line in the sun? I have coleus "Pele" in a pot in total shade and that one also lost all it's veining/color...it's just solid,hot chartreuse. I figured it lost the secondary color due to too much shade?
Thanks very much for the compliments on my shade garden progress. Now that I know you may look me up one day I'm gonna have to get busy and tackle the front yard!
Debbie - beautiful containers. Your entryway is so welcoming and so much to see - I probably would never make it to the door. I'd be enjoying the containers. Eleanor
Noreaster, I'm thinking the same thing about 'The Line' - even though our front entry has basically always been full sun, now that the trees have grown so much in the past few years they're providing more shade than I remembered - a good thing for the scorching my plants used to take, but presenting new problems for plants that really want more sun! Would love to visit your gardens one day, but looks like it might be a couple of years before I can make it up your way during the summer months - so you have plenty of time :)
grammyphoeb, thank you, I'm really enjoying the "new additions" this year :) I was getting a little frustrated the other day because everything was getting too crowded. I had been pinching a little here and there, but they would grow so fast - I grabbed the scissors on Friday and cut everything back hard - looking a little pathetic right now but I know within two weeks the pots will be full again - hopefully!
Prairiegirl, even though I cut back everything else, I'm still paranoid about cutting back the Senecio - it is starting to grow a little and maybe it will finally "spill" over the edges when it gets too large to grow upright. For now I've decided to leave it because the icy blue is the exact contrast I was looking for. Ended up just sticking the 'Silver Brocade' in a "throw away" container - it was already starting to suffer in the heat so decided against including it in my favorite container :)
I still have two more containers to take pictures of, one I absolutely love and one that's just limping along - it's a large hypertufa container that's just giving me fits - last year's planting was a disaster too :( Maybe third year will be the charmer? LOL
I took these photos two weeks ago and just now having an opportunity to load them and share - major computer problems - someone "nailed" me when I was on the internet - lost access to my control panel, etc, etc - a huge mess, but I'm back :)
This container might just end up being my favorite. I had seen this fern, Rita's Gold Boston Fern, earlier this year and knew I had to have one! Found a small pot of it at a local nursery and searched for companions. Loved the copper color of Sedona Coleus and then found the apricot flowering Portulaca as the "spiller". Haven't had a chance to fertilize this container yet but it's already starting to fill in nicely.
Another view
And this one was just for fun. I've had this container for about 5 years and never found anything that looked like a fit for it. Have had this Betula 'Filigree Lace' with a "bad habit", more horizontal than upright, thought I would plant it and fool with training as a bonsai as it continues to grow.
Love that pot, I need something similar for my Black Lace elderberry.
PGZ5, yikes you'll need something BIG for your Black Lace - it's a vigorous plant once it gets going! Mine's in a pot that has about a 24" inch diameter and will probably have to go into the ground this fall.
Mine is barely a stick now. :-(
I bought it in a distressed state for $10, if it makes it I'll be thrilled.
