I'm planting up two 20" containers for a friend. This guy is so good to me, I want to make sure this favor he's allowing me to do results in extra special pizzazz. The containers need to be symetrical-they flank his front door. The area gets only about 3 hours of morning sun. He prefers red, yellow, purple and white. Deer do occassionally graze there. So far I've come up with Caladium, coleus, creeping jenny, yellow archangel lamium, Japanese painted fern, new guinea impatiens and that way cool begonia that has an "R" name I can never remember. Reiter? Reuger? Riechter? whatever... I'd love to hear any suggestions from all you container garden pros. Got some ideas for me and Jim?
help with WOW in the shade
Cleo...sounds like you've got it all together already. Why not mix them all up? Maybe mix a little Sweet potatoe vine in there - blackie or lime green to drape over the pot. Maybe some Persian Sheild. New Guinea Impatiens is great if like watering...otherwise, I'd stick to these gorgeous colorful leafy plants...
Another one you could throw in there is Heuchera. I don't have the link handy, but I was looking recently on the Terra Nova Nurseries site, and they have pics of some incredible shade containers that really had the WOW factor. At least I'm pretty sure it was that site. Shoulda bookmarked it, darn it.
My favorite annual for a little color in the shade is Torenia Moon series. There is one now that is yellow and purple, I think. I also like the "Fusion" impatiens. I love Begonias, too. For some reason, my Coleus always gets chomped to bits, so every year I say I'm not gonna do Coleus (but I always do, lol)
This is Torenia "Magenta Moon", with "Sinbad" Begonia. I'll be trying other Begonias this year. Found a really cool metallic purple looking one..."Savannah Bay", I think it was called.
KatG and Noreaster--fabulous plantings! Thanks so much for sharing the pics. You both had great suggestions and I will indeed mix them up. Unfortunately, as much as I love them, the deer also love sweet potato vine, impatiens of all sorts, and persian shield. I'm not sure if they'll munch on torenia, but I'm giving it a try. Heuchera works wonderfully in pots. I do it for myself all the time and then transplant them into the ground in the fall. Have you seen Caramel and Raspberry Parfait? Be still my heart. Saw a new one this year called Something Marmalde that made me drool also. I ended up with a red caladium, creeping jenny, yellow archangel lamium, some vividly intense red begonias, both deep red and yellow coleus, torenia, Sweet Kate spiderwort and a bit of white vinca. I was going to do up the pots tonight but it's 50 and pouring so...
I'll post picks when they are done.
Thanks again for all the suggestions.
Cleo