Help - Plants for 4inch pots

I need suggestions for plants that would work in 4-inch clay pots. I have a wall sculpture that holds 12 pots. It is on a wall facing east and gets sun until around noon each day. Last year I planted Johnny-Jump-Ups, which worked great because it was so abnormally cool and wet. This year I know will be hot & dry. I was thinking about Moss Rose, but don't know if it will outgrow the pots too quickly. Any suggestions? Flowers are not a requirement, but looking good is!
Thanks - Zone 7b (Heat Zone 9)

Cathie

Little asparagus ferns will be fine. How about some succulents?

Succulents would probably work best. But I'd sure be tempted to plant the moss roses. You could try to keep them trimmed back.

Maybe a wall of heuchera would work but I'd definitely use water crystals in the pots just to be sure (or more sure) they won't dry out too fast.

pirl, do you think heucheras would fit in a 4" pot??

The roots would surely fit but it would require daily watering, I'm sure. Maybe geraniums - as in zonal geraniums? They don't like wet feet and certainly won't have them there but would they get enough sun?

Thanks for the suggestions. I hadn't thought about the geraniums because most of the ones I see around here are LARGE. We have a couple of nurseries that specialize in growing them for this area -- I'll check and see if they have anything. I had thought about succulents, but wasn't sure if they were "showy" enough, since the top pots are pretty high. Never thought of asparagus fern, but it is plentiful around here right now, so I might try some of that, too, for variety. I think the spot is a little hot and dry for Heuchera ( I have some planted in a partly shaded area.)

I'll keep you posted on what I end up with...and still welcome suggestions!

Thanks,
Cathie

The string of bananas or pearls would look good on the upper ones. They sell tiny pots of them at Lowes. Plus then you can divide them & have them all year.

I vote for portulaca, or moss rose. Do they all have to be the same thing? We had lots of portulaca last summer and it looked good for a long time. Or maybe vinca, if you want a lot of flowy foliage, but portulaca could take the sun and wouldn't even mind if it dried out a few times.

C

I'd vote for Moss Rose too. Mine reseed every year.

I've been picking rose moss out of my yard for 2 years!

how about mini roses?

I t is sunny or shady, have found that you can really grow anyhting and everything as long as you keep them watered and under control. I have creeping jenny growing in 4 inch poys as well as creepind sedum.............clem

Whatever you decide on I think adding a few (not many, maybe two each) of the polymer crystals to the bottoms of the pots would help a bunch. If you decide string of bananas I have plenty really long and healthy starts that I'd be willing to share.

With 4" clay pot against a wall with an eastern exposure you are going to be watering everyday anyway so I would plant what you want. I wonder if you couldn't find some plastic pots that fit snuggly inside the clay? That might help a little.

A spokesperson for Fafard potting mix was speaking on TV last evening and he said they add some polymers to their mixes to help retain moisture and "it probably gives you an extra 1/2 day before you have to water again". I have to water my containers at least twice a day so I guess that would help me a bit.

Hey everyone, I just wanted to chime in that I have a cute pot holder that holds 4" pots also. At first I used the clay pots for it, then I switched them out for plastic about 2 years ago. What a difference that made!! When I used the clay pots I was watering morning and night and it still wasn't enough. I had to soak the pots nearly daily, or at least 3x a week...and I still had problems. So, go check out Wal-Mart or the Dollar Store for plastic pots. They are cheap because they are so small. I'd say to still use the water crystals (polymers) because the tinier the pot the less water it'll hold.

I've usually done a mix of Lobelia in mine just because it matches up with the rest of my hanging baskets in that area. It's done well for me the last couple of years. Usually I just plant whatever is left over from planting my big baskets, some is upright (but shorter) and some trails. It gives a neat look.

However, this year I think I'm going to go with the Moss Rose!! I had some last year that just went crazy in bigger pots and in the ground. I've found out that although it's known for liking it hot and dry if you water it along with everything else it does even better...at least it did for me. I just picked some up yesterday and can't wait to get them planted...but they are still just teensy so I'll have to wait a few weeks anyway.

We should really keep this thread going and update it with more good ideas. I don't know why I never thought of Moss Rose, but I'm loving the images it's creating in my mind. My little pots are in a heart shaped holder and it's right over my front steps. This is going to be fun! I'll come back and post some pics if I remember to...someone could remind me in about a month if I don't happen back by.

Thanks for sharing!
Heather

Just found a pic from last year with Lobelia in the pots. Hope it gives you an idea of what it would look like.

Sweet, Heather.

Me too...I love that too. Take new pictures of your plantings this year and share with us. I just love to see what others are doing. I've never had any problems with Moss Ross.

Thanks! I thought I had more pics from last year but either the computer ate them or I just never got around to going into the garden with the camera. My DB always yells at me because I usually have a million pics of my flowers and dogs, but no people. The problem is that people can run and hide...flowers can't and dogs don't care if they're having a bad hair day!

Thanks for everyone's input! This has been a fun project. Here is what I picked for now:
2 pots - Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca) - a compact form in the bottom 2 pots
3 pots - Yellow Ice Plant (Delosperma nubigenum)
7 pots - Moss Rose (Portulaca)
The Moss Rose were purchased from a local nursery as "mixed", so I have no clue what color flowers I will end up with. The beauty of it all is that I can rearrange any time to suit my fancy!

Also, thanks for the advice to change to plastic pots. I will probably do this when the next replacement round comes. I will take another photo when everything is blooming!

Boy, did we even think to mention Ice Plant? That's a winner, and underutilized, at least in this area.

That is going to be lovely when things start blooming. I still think you can just pop some same size plastic pots into the clay ones so they won't be visible. Maybe even plastic bags with drain holes punched into them.

That's a winner! Ice plant would be great! Maybe next year...

That is really nice. Hmmm, wonder if I can find one of those planters...and some Fescue, Ice Plant and more Moss Rose....tee hee hee! Can't wait to see it all in bloom!

ice plant, picture please?

Here's a listing in the PlantFiles...
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1928/

They are really cool flowers and get neat little seed pods on them that are small but very intricate looking...they kinda have a star shape on the top of them. They are happy plants!

Some are hardier than others - I mean some acts like an annual and will do great with 4" of soil and some I am trying to use as a ground cover on a hard-to-mow hill before DH loses the ability to mow anything that steep. The hardy stuff I got from High Country Gardens and some from eBay.

HEATHRJOY, thanks for the link, very pretty pink color! Clem

My DSIL had some Ice Plant a few years ago that was supposed to be perennial but it never came back. I swiped some of the seeds from those cool looking pods and winter sowed them and got a few to germinate...I almost gave up on them though, they took a while. I think hers didn't come back because her mulch was too heavy for the seeds to get both soil and sun light. Something to keep in mind for your DH Carrie. Have you tried any other ground covers? I have some Catmint that is just going crazy spreading and I adore it.

It's not a huge area and it borders the lawn obsessed neighbor - i think sedate iceplant 'mesa verde' is fine. I checked on it today - it's NOT spreading like crazy, but it;s not leaving either. I only plant mints in containers.

Carrie, you're smart to put mint in containers, they never die, even if you do no water them and they will not spread! Clem

Okay - here are pictures after one week. Please excuse shadows - the morning sun and my pergola make this area difficult to capture, but the blooms aren't as prolific in the afternoon when shaded. This pic is of the entire wall. Below the sculpture, I have a Sago, some M-I-L Tongue and bromeliads. This wall is directly across a little pebble path from my waterfall.

Picture #2 - A closer view of the blooming Moss rose.

And picture #3 - a really close look. I never dreamed I would have more than one color in a single pot! I'm loving it!

Spectacular! Congrats! We won't have moss rose in bloom up here for a while, yet. At least not in my yard - I winter sowed tons of it because I love it, a plant that can take my abuse.

bEAUTIFUL!

Those are gorgeous. I really do want one now!!

Carrie, Catmint isn't like the other mints. It's not a crazy, wild, "take over your garden" type of plant. It will reseed, but you can clip the blooms before they go to seed...or let them go to fill in an area. It's much more upright than mints and it remains tidy...not sprawling all over the place. Hummers love the tiny little blooms. I've had one out front for 2-3 years now in a mulched garden, and I've just finally gotten a new plant starting this spring. I would love for the whole area to have an underplanting of Catmint, so I let it go. I do harvest some of the seeds to share with others though. I also trim it back pretty low in the spring and also once or twice a year...and it always comes back strong with pretty little blue flowers. It also has a fragrance when you work with it...it reminds me of eucalyptus. The oil can get on your hands...and it will cause your mouth or eyes to burn, but not horrible...just enough to know you got into something. Some say that their neighborhood cats love to lie in it, but I've never ever had that problem and there's tons of strays around here...Baxter just chased one out of the Holly and Rhodies last night. I'll have to see if I can catch that kitty!

Heather, how tall is it? would it look good WITH mesa verde? I think if I'm going to put anything else on that hill, it should be low like the delosperma I have is. Maybe thyme?

It's a little late now, but blue daze would probably work. It can certainly take the heat! I know what it's like in San Angelo. At least your pots get afternoon shade.

DP