Diggin’ in the Dirt
Signature Gardens
The signature of God is written in flowers
The signature of God is written in flowers
Hi Everyone
By early to mid-April it is safe to plant warm season annuals. Here are a few suggestions for annual color in your garden or in containers. Any suggestions where the name is in quotes (i.e. 'Profusion'), planting these specific cultivars will yield the best results.
By early to mid-April it is safe to plant warm season annuals. Here are a few suggestions for annual color in your garden or in containers. Any suggestions where the name is in quotes (i.e. 'Profusion'), planting these specific cultivars will yield the best results.
As mentioned in my Container Crazy! post, when planting containers, remember you want...
By far the best container book I've ever had is called Easy Container Gardens by Pamela Crawford. She gives great plant combination ideas, and they all work for our Zone 7/8 climate!
A suggestion from the April 2011 Southern Living magazine is to first find a foliage plant that you love. Then choose a second foliage plant with complementary hues and contrasting textures. And finally, add a bloom that pulls it all together.
a “thriller” (tall plants),
a “filler” (plants to fill in the middle),
and a “spiller” (plants that trail over the edge).
By far the best container book I've ever had is called Easy Container Gardens by Pamela Crawford. She gives great plant combination ideas, and they all work for our Zone 7/8 climate!
A suggestion from the April 2011 Southern Living magazine is to first find a foliage plant that you love. Then choose a second foliage plant with complementary hues and contrasting textures. And finally, add a bloom that pulls it all together.
Some great annuals for summer SUN:
Thrillers: Purple Fountaingrass
Ti Plant or Cordyline (a.m. sun/p.m. shade)
Esperanza (Tecoma Stans)
Variegated Tapioca (Manihot esculenta)
Copperplant
Perilla Magilla and Perilla Vanilla
Canna
Fillers: ‘Profusion’ or 'Zahara' zinnia or zinnia linearis (Star zinnia)
Periwinkles/Vinca ‘Cora’ (plant periwinkles late May, early June)
Pentas – ‘Graffiti’ or ‘Kaleidoscope’ or 'Butterfly' varieties
Angelonia ‘Serena’ series
Crossandra 'Orange Marmalade'
Crossandra 'Orange Marmalade'
Begonia: 'Cocktail' or 'Whopper' series (bronze leaf) (a.m. sun)
Dipladenia
Melampodium
Gomphrena
Gomphrena
Cosmos
‘Intensia’ Phlox
‘Dakota Gold’ Helenium
Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’ (pairs great with pentas)
Ornamental peppers
Coleus (sun varieties)
Croton
'Dragon's Breath' Celosia
Asparagus Fern (filler/spiller)
Spillers: Lantana
'Cora Cascade' Periwinkles/Vinca (plant late May)
'Wedding Train' Coleus (a.m. sun/p.m. shade)
Mecardonia
'Cora Cascade' Periwinkles/Vinca (plant late May)
'Wedding Train' Coleus (a.m. sun/p.m. shade)
Mecardonia
Moss Rose (portulaca) or Spanish Moss Rose or 'Samba' Portulaca
Purselane
Sweet Potato Vine (Margarita, Blackie, Ace of Spades, Bewitched,
Emerald Lace & Midnight Lace, Medusa)
Emerald Lace & Midnight Lace, Medusa)
Blue Daze
Verbena tapien or 'Homestead' Verbena
Creeping Jenny
Creeping Jenny
Dichondra 'Silver Falls'
Sedum 'Lemon Ball,' 'Reflexum,' 'Potosinum,' 'Sarmentosum', etc.
Purple Heart
Scaevola - Fan Flower
Thyme
Purple Heart
Scaevola - Fan Flower
Thyme
Annuals for SHADE:
Thrillers: Iresine
Persian Shield
Variegated Ginger
Variegated Ginger
Lemon Lollipop or Golden Shrimp Plant (Pachystachys lutea)
Spike
Mona Lavender
Ti Plant/Cordyline
Caladiums (do not plant until soil temps are about 70 degrees)
Mona Lavender
Ti Plant/Cordyline
Caladiums (do not plant until soil temps are about 70 degrees)
Fillers: Dragonwing or Whopper Begonias
Waxleaf Begonias (green leaf)
Alternanthera (sun or shade)
Coleus (sun or shade varieties)
Hostas
Hostas
Oxalis
'Everillo' Carex/Sedge (filler/spiller)
Spider Plant (filler/spiller)
Spillers: 'Wedding Train' Coleus
Summer Wave Torenia or 'Bouquet' series
Summer Wave Torenia or 'Bouquet' series
Sweet Potato Vine (see above for varieties)
Creeping Jenny
Purple Heart
Hemigraphis
Asparagus Fern (filler/spiller)Swedish Ivy
English Ivy (Hedera helix 'Needlepoint,' Glacier,' etc.)
Note: You will not see petunias, geraniums, marigolds on my list because they just can’t take the summer heat! They are fine for planting an early spring container, if you'd like, but plan to replace with more heat tolerant plantings once the temps start to rise. I no longer recommend impatiens because they are susceptible to downy mildew. Don’t be wooed by flowering snapdragons and alyssum; they are cool season annuals that should be planted in the fall.
Watering: I know this is contrary to my usual watering recommendations for your garden, but I have found that watering my container plants in the evening helps the plants to perform much better through the summer.
Watering: I know this is contrary to my usual watering recommendations for your garden, but I have found that watering my container plants in the evening helps the plants to perform much better through the summer.
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| sample layout options |
Scroll down to see pictures and suggestions for container combination plantings. I hope you give them a try!
Enjoy your gardens.
If I can answer any questions, e-mail me at signaturegardens@verizon.net
or post them to my Facebook page: #SignatureGardens
or post them to my Facebook page: #SignatureGardens
Toni’s Container Combos:
For SUN:
Perilla Magilla
Lime Sun Coleus
Violet Pentas
Lipstick Pentas
'Wedding Train' Coleus
Creeping Jenny
Mecardonia
Lime Sun Coleus
Violet Pentas
Lipstick Pentas
'Wedding Train' Coleus
Creeping Jenny
Mecardonia
Croton
'Salsa Verde' & 'Chiptole' Coleus
Crossandra 'Orange Marmalade'
'Salsa Verde' & 'Chiptole' Coleus
Crossandra 'Orange Marmalade'
Penta - Lipstick & Violet
Cora Cascade Periwinkle
Purselane (double yellow)
'Wedding Train' Coleus
'Wedding Train' Coleus
Creeping Jenny
Canna
Penta
Periwinkle
Star Zinnia
Sweet Potato Vine
Perilla Magilla
Gomphrena
'Cora' Vinca - punch
Purselane - yellow
Sweet Potato Vine
Variegated Tapioca
Blue Daze
Purple Fountain Grass
Blackie Sweet Potato Vine
Margarita Sweet Potato Vine
Angelonia 'Serena' Series - purple
Red or Pink Pentas
'Ace of Spades' Sweet Potato Vine
Angelonia 'Serena' Series - lavender
Cordyline (red)
Sun Coleus (lime green)
'Blackie' Sweet Potato Vine
Purple Fountain Grass
'Chilly Chili' Ornamental Peppers
Esperanza
Verbena tapien (purple)
Creeping Jenny
Esperanza (Tecoma stans)
Perilla Magilla
'Profusion' Zinnias
Spanish Moss Rose
(part sun)
Cordyline (red)
Pentas (violet 'Graffiti')
Sun Coleus (lime green)
Caladium 'Miss Muffet'
'Bewitched' Sweet Potato Vine
.jpg) |
| Dipladenia |
(part sun)
Angelonia (purple)
Dragonwing Begonias
Creeping Jenny or Sedum
Angelonia 'Serena' Series (purple)
Penta (red)
Sun Coleus (lime green)
Verbena tapien (purple)
Creeping Jenny
Topiary:
Cordyline
Begonia 'Cocktail Gin'
Blue Daze
Lower Containers:
Perilla Magilla
Pentas
Angelonia
Fern Leaf Tansy
Begonia 'Cocktail Gin'
Blue Daze
(Foreground)
Croton
Periwinkle
Star Zinnia
Sweet Potato Vine
(Background)
Sun Coleus
Penta
Star Zinnia
Periwinkle
Sweet Potato Vine
(part sun)
Sun Coleus
Sun Coleus
Dragonwing Begonia
Penta
Star Zinnia
Sweet Potato Vine
More SUN Combos:
Variegated Tapioca
'Cora' periwinkles - deep lavender or punch
Moss Rose - portulaca or Purple Heart
***
Angelonia (purple)
Profusion Zinnia (orange or fire)
Margarita Sweet Potato Vine
***
Angelonia ‘Serena’ Series
Penta – Pink ‘Graffiti’
Summer Wave Torenia – Pink
Purple Heart or Wandering Jew or Hemigraphis
***
'Bengal Tiger' or 'Pretoria' Canna
Red Dragonwing Begonias
or
'Tropicana' Canna
Margarita Sweet Potato Vine
***
(part sun)
Spike (dracaena)
Perilla Magilla
Summer Wave Torenia – blue
‘Margarita’ Sweet Potato Vine
***
'Dakota Gold' Helenium
Angelonia ‘Serena’ Series - purple
Punch 'Cora' vinca - (periwinkles) or
Red Penta 'Grafitti' 'Kalaidescope' or 'Butterfly'
Red Penta 'Grafitti' 'Kalaidescope' or 'Butterfly'
Moss Rose
***
(part sun)
Red Dragonwing Begonia
Coleus 'Lemon Sunsation'
'Bewitched' Sweet Potato Vine
***
Pentas 'Graffiti' - red or dark pink
Dakota Gold Helenium or Dahlberg Daisy or Melampodium
Purple Heart
***
Cordyline or Ti Plant
Dragonwing Begonia - Pink or Red
Blackie or Bewitched Sweet Potato vine
Silver Licorice plant
***
Cordyline or Ti Plant or Canna
Croton
'Margarita' or 'Emerald Lace' Sweet Potato Vine OR Creeping Jenny
For SHADE:
#1 Shade Combo:
Assorted Caladiums
Dragonwing Begonia (pink or red)
Creeping Jenny or Swedish Ivy or English Ivy
Cordyline (red)
Dragonwing Begonia (red)
Assorted Coleus
Creeping Jenny
'Diamond Frost'
Euphorbia
Impatiens (or Pentas)
Oxalis (purple)
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| Dragonwing Begonias |
.JPG) |
| Variegated Ginger (part sun/shade) |
 |
| 'Guacamole' Hosta |
 |
| 'Everillo' Carex |
(hanging basket)
Caladium 'White Queen'
Dragonwing Begonia (red)
Creeping Jenny
Caladium 'Miss Muffet'
'Diamond Frost' Euphorbia
'Diamond Frost' Euphorbia
Impatiens
Summer Wave Torenia (blue)
(great for hanging baskets)
Spider Plant
Purple Oxalis
Spider Plant
Purple Oxalis
Caladium 'Carolyn Whorton'
Dragonwing Begonias
Creeping Jenny
Wax Begonia (rose)
Torenia
'Midnight Lace' Sweet Potato Vine
Caladiums:
'Red Flash,' 'Carolyn Whorton,' 'White Queen'
Caladium 'Miss Muffet' and 'Tom Tom'
Shade Coleus
Dragonwing Begonias
Sweet Potato Vine
More SHADE Combos:
Iresine ‘Blazin Rose’
Dragonwing Begonia – Pink
Penta – Pink ‘Graffiti’ or Pink/purple impatiens
Coleus
Rosebud Caladiums
‘Margarita’ Sweet Potato Vine or Creeping Jenny
***
Persian Shield
Coleus - lime green
Impatiens - pink
Creeping Jenny or Purple Heart or
Sweet Potato vine - 'Margarita,' 'Bewitched,' or 'Emerald Lace'
***
Golden Shrimp Plant -(Lemon Lollipop -pachystachys lutea)
Dragonwing Begonia
Coleus - pink or purple shades or Persian Shield
Summer Wave Torenia - blue
Sweet Potato vine - 'Margarita' or 'Emerald Lace'
***
Persian Shield
Caladium 'White Queen'
Begonias - pink
***
Golden Shrimp Plant - (Lemon Lollipop - pachystachys lutea)
Golden Shrimp Plant - (Lemon Lollipop - pachystachys lutea)
Red Pentas
Lime green coleus
Blue Daze or Blue Torenia
Creeping Jenny
***
Caladiums 'Carolyn Whorton'
Coleus - lime green
Begonias - pink
Summer Wave Torenia - pink
***
Cordyline
Kong Coleus
Pink Begonias
Creeping Jenny
***
Spike (dracaena) or Cordyline
Caladiums (strapleaf)
Dragonwing Begonia
Creeping Jenny or 'Margarita' or 'Emerald Lace' Sweet Potato Vine
Remember...
A day without dirt under your nails is like a day without sunshine
Toni :-)
Follow me on... Facebook: Signature Gardens
A day without dirt under your nails is like a day without sunshine
Toni :-)
Follow me on... Facebook: Signature Gardens
