Day 210 - Ol' Yeller

Brought this in today to the greenhouse to replant for spring. Painful - it still had a some beauty left in it to enjoy but this client was, "so ready for spring plants". Scotch broom (cytisus x Allgold), Lemon Ball sedum, yellow pansy - see you next year! Monochrome has its place - especially in a black container against a red brick house.

Day 209 - Wordless Friday...

.... because I just spent the last 14 hours planting containers and annual beds.

Day 208 - One of Yelena's Creations

One of the gals that works with me, Yelena Petruk, has been busy planting containers - I like her mixture of texture.

Day 207 - Wordless Wednesday

Day 206 - Plants That Get Along Well

If you're gonna live this close together, you need to be with others that you can get along with. This combination of part shade plants has Homestead verbena, Begonia bonfire, Dianella, and two different type of coleus - all plants that can handle being a little on the dry side and don't need a lot of pampering. Plant this now if you are past frost date and enjoy until next fall - feed regularly with Haven Brand Compost Tea.
Water when soil is dry to touch.

Day 205 - Not Gonna Happen

Today I went to a client's home who likes to be one of the first on my seasonal change-out list for containers. I am already a few days behind due to the abundance of rain we've had so I was worried that he would be getting anxious to have his winter plantings removed and refreshed with spring/summer color.
This is what greeted me: Scotch broom (Cytisus x praecox 'Allgold') in full bloom, heuchera with its spires of flowers, pansies going strong, sedum starting to flower, lysimachia in golden glory. Sorry, Charlie, these are gonna stick around for a few more weeks.

Day 204 - The Cobbler's Children Finally Get Spring Shoes

Slowly but surely my own home containers are getting planted My standard procedure for planting my containers is to bring home any free plants that have been offered for trial or as a bonus on an order, or to use one inch plugs and give them a month to fill in. Then I make a container casserole with plants that like similar sun and water conditions. The planter above is a combination of 3 plants leftover from our garden show that had been damage in the move so they weren't fit for using in a client's planter. My part sun front door was a good location for these angel wing begonias, yellow crassandra (not really blooming yet), and swedish ivy. I love the rose scent of the swedish ivy by the front door.
I also had half a hanging basket full of Scarlet bonfire begonia that I added to my "water bucket" planter that already had ivy flowing from it.
I also had a few plugs of bonfire begonia that I added to these planters but you can barely see them.
Next weekend, the rest of the children will get their shoes...

Day 203 - And Speaking of Watering Cans...

...this nature gal looks ready for her watering chores, though that pink can she has might be useful for only watering her ivy hair and dress. Kinda cool how her watering can coordinates with the caladiums - even earthy-types can be fashion mavens.

Another great horticultural delight you missed if you've never visited the University of Tennessee Gardens in Knoxville, Tn.

Day 202 - Who Needs a Watering Can...

...when you have water-wise containers like these I saw at the University of Tennesee Botanical Gardens in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Day 201

Another full spring day: 44 planters completed and one landscape consultation accomplished. Miniature boxwoods planted with orange New Guinea Impatiens and Amethyst Torenia.

Strobilanthes (Persian Shield), Begonia bonfire, red ivy geranium, and asparagus fern added to the impatiens and torenia.
Morning sun and afternoon shade make this combo work.

Day 200 - Freshly Planted and Newly Placed

I almost said newly "porched" but there I go making up words again.
These are so new that the geraniums haven't even started blooming. These boxes are filled with Sun Parasol Crimson Mandevilla, Yellow Sanvitalia, annual Cora Vinca, and Setcresia... and purple geraniums that aren't blooming yet.

Day 199 - My Controversial Planting

Spilanthes 'Peek-a-Boo' with Peach Verbena
Phormium Rainbow Chief New England Flax
Subtlety has never been my strong suit - in life and in planting. But every once in a while I like to play with muted colors and odd plants to see what will happen. This was my combo that I put together for a very focal point in one of the neighborhoods.
I LOVED it - especially the little eyeball plants that you only notice when you are close to the planter (spilanthes). I just knew the kids all believed me when I said that these planters were watching them to see if they tried to get into the fountain.
But my co-workers said it was their least favorite of all my plantings - too boring. What is boring about a planter that is always staring at you!? Creepy, maybe, but NOT boring.
Chime in and let me know what you think.

Day 198 - Flowers and a Raffle Ticket for Natalie

Tonight my 18 year son brought his long-time friend, Natalie, over for dinner. He had taken her to a lacrosse game where they watched the game through the window of the car. Natalie is one of the kindest, sweetest girls I know and she has always loved to come to every sporting event to cheer her friends on. But a little over three weeks ago Natalie found out that she has Leukemia.
Just beginning her two year and a half year round of chemotherapy, Natalie is limited in the activities she can be around - both for fear of germs and from the constant fatigue that consumes those fighting cancer. To have her come and have dinner at our house was an honor to be trusted with her care. On the table sat the plastic cup full of flowers that we had cut from my yard yesterday that my son had wanted to take to her, but yesterday she was feeling too weak to see anyone. So she got to see them today, though we learned that my son's plans to regularly bring her fresh flowers from the yard are on the "do not bring" list from her doctors.
But Natalie loves flowers so we are going to be taking lots of pictures. And today's post on 365 Days of Container Gardening is a hope for Natalie - may you rise above this disease that is delaying your college plans and making your future so uncertain. May God grant you healing and strength. May you know the joy and thoughtfulness that you give so many others.
Oddly enough, this week we will finish planting all the landscape around the St. Jude Dream home - a home built by the company I work for, Southern Land Company, that will be raffled off to help raise money for St. Jude Hospital - a hospital that treats cancer patients like Natalie.
Sometimes I think I only get a tiny glimpse of the way God intertwines such random threads of our lives.

Day 197 - A Simple Beauty

Mandevilla Sun Parasol Mini-crimson, Royal Velvet Petunia, Red Verbena, and Petunia Surfinia Lavender Lace. That's it, and it's just as pretty all spring and summer long. (If you remember to water and feed it!)

Day 196 - Euphorbicize Your Containers

Yes, I just made up that word. But I love Euphorbia and the addition of Euphorbia 'Ascot Rainbow' brings a great pop of color to this evergreen planter.

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Day 195 - Gardeners, You May Plant Your Summer Windowboxes (in zone 6 and warmer)

Petunia 'Lavender Lace' and 'Bubblegum', Thunbergia 'Black-eyed Susan Vine', Trailing Coleus, and I think a little annual phlox make up this windowbox.

Day 194 - Today's Fun at the Greenhouse

In the middle of this planter is the new Strawberry Lemonade Mandavilla vine

This is a tiny little bit of what I got to do today in the 75 degree sunshine and with two truckloads of brand new plants...

Day 193 - Same Location as Yesterday's Planter, Another Gorgeous Planter

It beckons you, doesn't it?

Day. 192 - A Container Without a Hole is a Water Garden

This old iron kettle boiler is a perfect pot for water loving plants - a visual delight from the Garden Writer's Symposium tour near Raleigh, NC.

Day 191 - Ok, Springtime - The Fun is Just Beginning

What a beautiful, odd combination. Soft, fuzzy, reliable Chenille planted with thorny, delicate, finicky bougainvillea. Maybe opposites do attract.

Day 190 - I Am BloomNExhausted

These have been some fun, full, exhausting days at the BloomNGarden Show. My favorite part was doing the Potting Parties and seeing folks come up with their own container ideas. Education is incredibly rewarding! With all the fun we had, I never had a chance to take any pictures so we're just going to pretend that this is one of the planters that was made this weekend.
This Bromeliad beauty was actually made by Denise Meier in McKinney, Texas and is paired with Lamium and Impatiens.

Day 189 - Look What's Blooming Now!

Kerria in a container - try it, you'll like it!

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Day 189 - Look What's Blooming Now!

Kerria in a container - try it, you'll like it!

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Day 188 - tooooo.......tired..... to type.....

One hour lecture given on container plantings, 2 potting parties, 2 TV interviews, 12 hours and a few hundred attendees at the Bloom N Garden Show later, I needed help from a friend for tonights post:

From my friends at Gardener's Confidence.

Day 187 - Shiver Me Timbers... It's the Black Pearl!

Capsicum 'Black Pearl' is one of my FAVORITE ornamental peppers and black foliage plants. Tough against the elements (will take full or part sun), doesn't need to be babied (it will forgive you if you forget to water), and produces screaming red and black pearl shaped peppers. But unless your mouth is lined with asbestos, don't try eating those peppers. My memory of that experience still makes me break out in sweat.
Paired here with dwarf dahlias, this was one of my low maintenance planters last year.