Big containers - bold foliage

I bought some large terracota pots today for my patio. I'd like to plant one plant, two at the most, in each. I'm looking for mostly greens, big foliage, tropical look, etc. But all I can find for inspiration are "many-cute-little-flowers-mixed-together"!!!
If you know what I'm talking about, please send me your pics for inspiration!!! Thanks all!

Try this thread: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/563917/

and then try the tropicals, like EE's, at http://www.glasshouseworks.com/pageone.html

Scroll all the way down to the olive green box and the first yellow line says "Tropicals" - lots of pages there for you to go through.

Or order some Cannas from the DG Co-op. It's going on until the middle of April and the prices are very good.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/802050/

Some of the shorter varieties are especially nice in pots.

Here's another source for you to check out. Easy to Grow Bulbs in Fallbrook: http://www.easytogrowbulbs.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=168

You could try Agapanthus in pots. Or they give other examples, too. I have ordered from them and they were very helpful. Call them if you have questions...

I do Elephant Ears in pots and they work well.

Hi
I agree about the Canna's
Here is my Wyomming in one pot behind and Cleopatra with asparagas fern in the front pot.
The back one is probably 10+ feet overall as the rock is 4ft tall.
Both pots do not have holes for drainage as I have found that more moisture is better than less for the Canna.
You didn't say what way the patio faces as with your zone it may be different with the heat.
Ann
Yikes I don't know how to put the photo the right way in here. It's the correct way on my computer. Please excuse the oops.

Oooh. Now that's a pretty pot set up!

So happy to see the C. 'cleopatra'--I just purchased it in the Canna Co-op along with several others. It will be perfect for my container garden!

Never thought about a Canna in a container! That's beautiful.... My climate is such that things I would love to grow I just can't ~ Like Cannas. My father grew them like crazy when I was growing up (in a much warmer climate) but I keep trying. I have found a mini-microclimate that at least I got green growth last year, tho' no flowers. Perhaps they'll flower this year! And, perhaps I'll try the container thing!! Thanks for the idea!

Sanna,

Plenty of sun and plenty of fertilizer and water. If we can grow them here, you should be able to!?! No?

Did you know there is a canna co-op going on from Horn's. You just call them and give them the DG co-op code. The rhyzomes are something like 75 cents each.

I love Cannas too! I planted 30 bulbs or so this month, but in the ground. The pots are for the patio in front of a North facing wall - so not much sun there. But I'm in zone 10. Love the elephants years too, I actually went and got one today!
Thanks guys, I'm going to check the recommended threads too!

you can put in Caladium if your pot is in a shadier spot. Also, a smaller bird of paradise which would give you height and large leaves and they bloom in San Diego. How about ornamental grasses? or a large succulent like agave or echeverria? You don't have to stick with tender stuff.
You have a large selection of stuff because of where you live!
Things we northeasterners consider houseplants.
Try some of those.
Martha

Martha, what kind of grasses would you recommend for shade? Carex maybe?
I guess we're never happy with what we have, I myself still can't get over the fact I can't have some beautiful Hostas! lol!

Rob,
I am not really a grass expert and only know a few that do well here in Massachusetts. You probably should check your local nurseries for these. They would be in the perennial section rather than with the annuals.
I did look at a plant called New Zealand Flax or Phormium which flowers and gets beautifully colored leaves and comes in several color and variegation patterns. The Plant Files have several pictures you can check out. These are commonly used in containers. I have seen them used here where I know the containers spend the long New England winter in a greenhouse. They are fond of it in England for this purpose as well. I get the BBC Gardening magazine and it shows them in containers all the time. There are different sizes from smallish to landscape specimen size so you pretty much have your pick.
Hope this helps,
Martha

That's a great thought, Martha, but a difficult one for me to hold over winter. It wants such a minimum of water that I always felt I was neglecting it. Eventually I lost it.

I know it is tricky to care for here, but I thought it would really like the San Diego climate. I did when I was there!
Martha

Me, too!

Yes, Phormium is very popular here!

You are so lucky!

If you want bold foliage and like elephant ears - check out black magic elephant ears - they start out green then turn so dark a purple they look black - They are hardy here - zone 7 - bulbs multiply - like to be quite wet - any questions - let me know.
Esther

Esther, I loooove elephant years! I actually do have one, and it's exactly the black magic! I had a red-stemmed one in the ground too, but my tortoise ate, yes, ATE it! There is a 1/8 inch leaf comming out of what was left of the main stem now...I'm babying it!

keep tortoise far away from black magic - It is poisonous - all parts
Esther

Oh no! Are all colocasias poisonous or just black magic??

Just Black Magic - In Hawaii Poi is made from a colocasia
Esther

ok!