Had an idea, want to know if this is possible?

I am a beginner gardener and my favorite flowers are Canna Lilies, Daffodils and Shasta Daisies in that order. I have a neighbor friend of mine who is building planter holders for my deck rails where the rails themselves will be the bottom of the planters, I will then put pots in the planter holders with daffidils in them. Here is my idea, I heard that since Daffodils are a fall flower and Shasta Daisies are a summer flower, I could plant both in the same pot, if I do so, then in the fall my Daffodils will come up and then go dormant in the spring, the daisies will come up in the summer and then go dormant in the Fall. Is this true? Has anyone tried this?

joy112854

Daffodils are a spring flower not a fall flower. People do companion planting like that in the ground all the time so that there's something interesting to look at after the daffodil foliage dies back so I don't see why you couldn't do it in a container as long as it's big enough to fit all the plants.

Told ya I was a beginner right? The Daffidils here in Florida are really a Fall flower as it doesn't really get too hot, they don't seem to like to grow here in the summer, and they are shipped out by most companies in September thru November. So; I assumed they were fall flowers. Are Shasta Daisies
Spring flowers? This past summer was the first time I've really planted anything, and I've had such a relaxing enjoyable summer doing it; that I've decided it is the hobby I need. I was wondering, what would be good to place in the pots with the daffidils, something that would bloom alternately so that I have something in bloom at all times of the year?
Joy112854

You plant daffodils in the fall, but then they bloom in spring. Daisies will die back over the winter, then the leaves will come up sometime in the spring, and then they'll bloom in summer--I don't grow shasta daisies so I don't know their exact bloom time, but they'll definitely bloom later than the daffodils, and if you deadhead them (snip off the blooms as they fade) then I think they'll keep blooming for a pretty long time

Joy, Daff's need to be selected carefully. Not all of them survive our hot humid summers (they can rot). Shasta Daisy is an annual here in the near tropics, it is another plant that needs drier conditions in summer.

I plant containers twice a year. One set of plants for winter, another set for summer. Since you are in an area that gets some frost every year I am not sure what you can plant for winter color.

I know pansy/viola can take hard freezes. You would have to ask around at the local nurseries for sound advice.

Our summer container plants would be exactly the same. Good ones for sunny places are Lantana, Salvia (some, not all), Purslane, Pentas, Coleus (my favorite), small flowered Zinnia, just to name a few.

In winter we have the largest variety of plants, because the weather is cooler and almost frost free in Tampa.

Just foilage is nice too.

Shastas bloom in June here in the north.

I love Shasta's too and in my experience they need lots of room because they spread. I have one Shasta that I put in a flowerbed three feet from a Montauk daisy and after two years, I'm going to have to move the Montauk because the Shasta is crowding it out so bad.

I deadhead and cut back the clump in the spring befor it puts up flower shoots to keep it from spreading.
Also you can plant them in large nurserypots with the bottoms cut out.
The plant won't go past the edge of the pot.
I did this with Jap Iris where I didnt want them to get too big.

Beautiful, dale_a_gardener!
I love the foliage-only.

Dave: What beautiful flowers you have. Thank you for sharing the pics with me. This will sound a little crazy; but, this summer is actually the first time I've ever had a garden, and went a little crazy with it, the only thing I really knew is that some flowers were annual and some were perennial, some liked direct sun and some didn't. So; I did a google search for flowers that would take direct sun. I wound up taking the list with me to the store and buying 50 packets of seeds, couldn't help myself, they all looked so pretty. Yes, I planted them all, some did well, some didn't. The Shasta's didn't do so well, which surprised me. I planted all in pots and then transfered them to a garden I had made with my brother's help. But; these were all from seed, so they probably won't be back next summer. I heard someone say they could plant fall and summer bulbs in the same pots and that way they always had flowers blooming. Problem I'm having is deciding what to plant together to see this happen, as they would remain in the pots on the deck and they would be getting direct sunlight. I like the croton bushes which are popular in south Florida; but they do not do very well here, as they usually die back in the winter and may or may not return the next year, the reason I chose Canna Lilies. So; I have chosen to plant cannas in all colors all round the house and down the sides of the deck and ramp to the deck; but not on the deck, they are too large for that. But, with the planters on the railings where I am going to be putting pots - lots of them- I thought it would be more practical to plant the pots with flowers that would bloom year round, perhaps planting two types in one pot, one that bloomed all summer and one that bloomed in the fall. I'm open for suggestions, as I have no idea what would go well together in the same pot. I'm looking to plant bulbs as maybe that will help them return year after year.
joy112854

Joy,

We have lots of problems with canna here, too many bugs that love to eat them. Both foilage and roots.

Crotons are a true tropical - low elevation plants from SE Asia area. Some times they struggle here and we have very mild winters.

Croton 'Stop Light'>

Dave: That croton looks beautiful. A friend of mine in southern Florida, Fort Lauderdale, but lives close to the everglades, has crotons and they are simply beautiful, was going to give me startings off his; but, the nursery here says unless they are in pots and brought in over the winter they wouldn't make it, as it does get cold up here in the Pensacola/Fort Walton Beach area in the winter, my cannas will make it though just fine. I love them, they are my favorites. Up north in Ohio I remember as a child the beautiful daffodils and so had wanted to plant them here; I tried a few times and they always seemed to wilt in the summer and never came back. This time I will try the variety that is for direct sun and see what happens; as the Easy to Grow company had some listed for direct sunlight. I ordered 2 pkgs of their Narcissus Perennial Daffodil Mix, and one of the Narcissus Classic and Cutting Edge Mix and their Narcissus Dutch Master. Do you think those will grow in pots as I really don't want to plant them in the grass or in beds but in pots on the deck? Do you know when they might bloom in this area and what if anything I might plant in the same pot with them that might bloom when they aren't blooming?
joy112854

Go to this site http://www.johnscheepers.com/catview.cgi?_fn=Item&_recordnum=8718&_category=Narcissi:NatMix The offer a mix of bulbs that are supposed to do well in warm climates, zones 8-10. I would just make sure to plant them so that the sprinkler system (if you have one) doesn't water their 'home'.

I am sticking with Rain Lilies, I call them the crocus of the south....

The rain lilies are beautiful, so lithe and graceful.

Hi Joy, welcome to the world of gardening, you will soon become hooked and gain much experience as you go along, I think the best solution has came from Dale-a-gardener who suggested placing your bulbs in separate pots from the summer flowering plants you want, there are a few reasons for this, first off, the bulbs need different treatment from the summer flowers, in summer, the bulbs need a rest period and the foliage be allowed to die down naturally as this sends energy/food down to the bulb to make flowers for the following year, when planted in the garden beds/soil they wont be harmed by constant watering, but if planted in the same pot (little soil compared with out in the garden) you will be constantly watering and possibly feeding your summer flowering plants, the bulbs can rot or be killed by the constant heat while in pots, better to remove the spring flowering bulbs in there pots, and have your next lot of summer pots ready to be placed where the bulbs were, you can grow lily bulbs for summer flowering together with say a lavender, Calendulas along with Nepeta (cat-mint) which grows into a wide feathery plant with purple/blue flowers, there are many plants that you can grow for summer flowering, I would suggest you go along to your book store and look for books on container plantings to give you all the colour combinations you could want and the plant/textures etc that you seem to be wanting but dont yet know what to choose from, these show pictures of all different combinations, care and flowering times in your area, they are sometimes expensive books to buy, but looking at them at your leisure will show you guidlines to follow. do remember pots need a lot of care and attention with watering and feeding etc as the plants are growing in such little soil and not all plants will be happy for longer than say one season then need transplanted into the garden. even a library book to use at home will be better for learning about the different plants to suit you requirements, good luck. WeeNel.

Anyone know what the purple-black leaved plant is in dale-a-gardener's 'foliage only' pic? It is gorgeous!

Monk,

Rhizome begonia, it is a named hybrid, I don't know the name however.

I like the dark leaves>

Dale a Gardner and Wee Nel: Thanks for the advice and the links you two, will check out both. Dale, I had a problem with leaf rollers but used systemic and that took care of it, I of course, cut the cannas back and now they are just fine. I do spray for aphids and other bugs when I see them, just the leafs though under and on top. You sound like you have had quite a bit of experience and that is a plus for me hey? LOL If I plant bulbs this fall when it comes time to plant the other ones, what do I do? Use new pots and just keep the fall bulbs in the ones they are in and take them in the house or what do you suggest? I know that sounds like a dumb question; but if they are bulbs they will return the following year right? So how do I make them go dormant until their turn to flower again?
joy112854

Joy,
If you leave them in the pots you grow them in you will have less work and the bulbs will benefit too. Do not put them in a dry place, I think they will dehydrate. Since they are in potting soil they will have good drainage. I would just leave them in an out of the way place, if you have one. I have never grown bulbs in pots, always in the ground, so my advice may not be the best.

Bulbs have an internal 'clock' that tells them when to grow and when to go dormant. Just make sure you feed the pots after they have bloomed so that the bulb will store up energy for next years blooms. I use time released fertilizer, with trace elements, but, Miracle Grow works too, if you have the time.

Here is another tip-if you really want to give potted plants and annuals a boost always use time release fertilizer. You can call around to the farm supply stores or greenhouse grower suppliers. You can get a 30-50 lb bag for $30-50. It keeps well if kept dry and that large amount should last most gardeners 2-3 yrs. Never buy Osmocote (or any brand) in those small amounts they sell at the big box stores, that stuff costs $5 a lb or more.

crinum lily>

Dale-a-gardener has given the same advice I use here with pot grown bulbs, I just leave them aside to let the foliage die down naturally, this dying down of the green foliage helps feed and send energy back down to the bulbs, also a feed as the foliage dies down gives an extra boost, once the foliage looks like dry straw, then give a gentle tug and it will just come away, this will help to prevent the birds pecking to see what goodies are under the soil, after all this has happened, early spring time, check the bulb pots to see if there is any new growth starting for flowering and give another feed when you start to water them more, you should get another seasons flowers again and possibly even more flowers as the bulbs will have had a chance to increase both size and maybe even made more bulbs, depending on what bulbs you have planted, always remember to label your pots as with in the garden, you forget what type are what and you would want to maybe keep a note of what they are and how well they did with the growing conditions you gave them, this also allows you never to buy more if you were not too keen on any type. Bulbs are different from plants that form roots to make most of there growth, the bulb part is like a store cupboard and all the goodness is inside the bulb from the moment you buy them so it is worth treating them well from that day on. I would suggest you use other new pots for the plants you wish to grow to follow on from your bulbs, as Dale said, leaving the bulbs in the original plots saves you time and gives you the chance to have your other plants started of growing before your bulbs have completely died away, all you will do is change the pots around from bulbs to other summer flowering plants, store the bulbs in a shady area if possible and just water them enough to stop the soil going bone dry, then as your summer flowers die back after giving you a good show, you will be able to change over again for say some winter foliage or flowers, so it goes on year after year, the difference being, you will always have plants sitting in pots tucked away somewhere and will need a little attention, I would re-pot everything after 3 years into larger pots and sooner if you feel they need it depending on what type of plants you are growing, by checking the roots (knock the plants out from the pot every year to make sure the roots have not used up all the soil and nutrients) soil in pots gets depleted from all the goodness faster than in the garden borders. hope this gives you some ideas and some good solid advice, but at the end of the day, we can only give you guidlines and you will, like us all, soon learn your own ways as you go along. Never think any questions sound dumb, everyone here understands what it is like when we all started of, no one is born a gardener, we all have to learn and still are. Good luck. WeeNel.

Dale a Gardner and Wee Nel: Thank you both for the advice, I will take it and am looking forward to my new hobby in gardening. Investing a few dollars in joining this site has saved me tons of buying books.
joy112854

Daves Garden has been well worth the fee.
It has changed my thinking on a lot of issues concerning gardening,and the people are great.

Happy gardening to you both, hope to see some pictures of your good results Joy, it is an exciting moment when you see all your own work come to life. Good luck, WeeNel.