Annual Review II: Containers 2008

I've been complaining so much about the weather lately, that I should tell you that we are on our way to a mini-heatwave here in central Illinois. The temperature today is supposed to get up to 23, and 40 degrees by Thursday. Whoohoo! I'd better get out those T-shirts and shorts I've packed away for the winter.



Today's post has nothing to do with the weather, however, and is one I meant to do long ago. For the last two months I have wanted to post about my container plantings this past summer, but one thing or another kept me from getting around to it. I finally sorted through all my photos to find a few of the containers and through all my plant tags to remember what was planted where. I admit this post is really for me: every spring I try to think back to the previous year to remember what plants I used in each container and how many of each I bought. No I didn't write them down, and the gardening journal I started last spring is incredibly spotty. Not that there is anything wrong with my memory, mind you, but it seemed that recording my plantings here with photos was a good replacement for the journal entry.


I am disappointed that the photos I found are not that good. I kept waiting for the optimal time to photograph each container and spent more time taking close-ups of individual flowers. As a result, some containers here were photographed early in the season before they filled out, and some near the end of the season--as an afterthought--after a few of the flowers had died. Underneath each photo I've listed the plants in each container as best as I can remember and depending on the tags I found. Those marked with an asterisk* were new this year, and those marked in bold were exceptional performers. Not that the others didn't do well--although a few didn't--some plants are ones I would highly recommend and will definitely use again next year.



Near the back door an old wicker fern stand I bought years ago at an estate sale is filled every year with 3 zonal geraniums and two or three asparagus ferns. Not too original a combination, but to me it fits the vintage look of the container. Every year I try to overwinter this stand, and every year I neglect to water it enough. Although the geraniums had to be tossed out last spring, I did manage to keep the ferns. I usually also plant trailing vinca vines in this planter, but because the ferns were already so big I skipped the vinca this year. This photo was taken in late spring; by September the ferns were a mass of feathery fronds, engulfing the geraniums.

Two pots flanking the garage doors were planted with identical combinations:

1 Bourbon Street Acalypha*

4 Profusion orange zinnias

2 yellow lantana "Tiddley Winks"

3-4 yellow celosia*

By the time I took the previous photo the celosia had died for some reason, but I really liked them in this arrangement, and they gave a more vertical element to the planter. The Acalypha was definitely a disappointment. They never grew to the 20-30" they were supposed to, and will be replaced next year with something else--maybe some purple fountain grass?

A random post is situated next to the driveway and patio. I'm not sure what its purpose originally was, but a few years ago I placed an old, small, decorative birdhouse atop it and have planted it with various small trailing plants from wave petunias to verbena. Every year the flowers die within a month, it seems, no doubt from lack of water. I was so happy that this year the calibrachoa "Million Bells Cherry Pink" survived well into fall. Perhaps I got lucky in picking a healthy plant, but I think the potting medium made a difference this year. The birdhouse is small and dries out quickly, so this year I added a piece of coco mat as a liner, used good potting soil, and added some moisture crystals to the mix. Watering it every day--twice a day quite often--certainly helped as well.

Two pots flank the old buggy seat in the main garden and are usually planted with the same combination, which varies only slightly each year:

2 Pink Zonal geraniums
4 Profusion Cherry Pink zinnias

1 Strobilanthes dyerianus "Persian Shield"
2 Helichrysum (smaller variety)

1-2 purple Heliotrope

This photo was obviously taken soon after planting; both pots were much fuller by mid-summer.

This urn was given to me as a birthday present a few years ago and is definitely my favorite. It sits in a prominent place near the front porch where everyone can see it.

1 Persian Shield

3 Supertunias "Raspberry Blast"

2 Helichrysum "White Licorice"

4 Dianthus "Super Parfait Strawberry" (in the center--not really necessary)

Note: only 1 helichrysum was needed--it overshadowed the petunias this year.

I've used the same combination for the past two years with a great deal of success and have no intention of changing it next year. The dianthus were added for instant color, but if you can be patient the petunias soon fill in. I can't say enough about "Raspberry Blast"--it's a great performer!

You may remember this pink planter I purchased last spring. I loved the container, but the planting was a disappointment. This was probably the best it looked all summer, and that was before the salvia even grew up in the back. The verbena didn't last long for some reason; in fact, none of the verbena I had in containers did well this year, which was a mystery because I usually have good luck with them. The container is fiberglass, and I had trouble deciding if I was overwatering it or underwatering it. I think I may move it to a different, sunnier location next year.

1-2 Helichrysum

1 (or 2?) Supertunia "Royal Velvet"*

2 Superbena (Verbena) "Large Lilac Blue"

2 Euphorbia "Diamond Frost"*

4 Salvia "Victoria Blue"

Definitely not a good photo! Two green planters are placed in front of the porch planter, facing the front yard. This photo must have been taken early in the summer before the plants filled it in and definitely before either the zinnias or lantana bloomed. All the planters in the front of the house are in the shade most of the day; while the sweet potato vine and coleus did very well, the zinnias and lantana could have used more sun. As much as I like this combination, I might have to look for more shade-loving flowers to use next year.

1 "Kong" Coleus (other pot had a "regular" coleus "Glennis")

4 Profusion "Cherry" zinnias

2 Lantanas "Patriot Petite Rainbow" (needed sun!)*

1 Ipomoea "Tricolor"*

Two old crocks I've had for years also are placed in front of the house. I usually fill at least one of them with the typical impatiens, but I got a little more adventurous this year and was so pleased with the results. (Of course, using much better potting soil this year also helped!)

1 Ipomoea "Marguerite"

1 Heuchera "Dolce Creme Brulee" * (later planted in the shade garden)
1 "Fusion Glow" Impatiens*

1 Calibrachoa "Superbells Yellow Chiffon"*

1 Kong Coleus

The second crock--ignore that hose wrapped around it; it must have been mowing day:) The begonia was my favorite annual this year--what a beauty! I'm sad to say it hasn't survived the winter in my garage; I do hope I can find this same plant next year.

1 Spike (I don't remember botanical name)

1 Ipomoea "Marguerite"? or ""SweetHeart Light Green"?

1 Begonia "Illumination Apricot *

This Adirondack chair sits in front of the old oak tree near the road and holds a planter of bright blooms all summer and then a big basket of mums in the fall. There are two problems with its placement: 1.) It is in constant shade, which doesn't help the sun-loving annuals. 2.) It's a long walk from the house, so too often I neglect to water it. I don't remember exactly what I planted here last spring, because several plants died and were later replaced with others . . . which eventually died. The geraniums, helichrysum, and of course the spike were the hardiest of the bunch and did last all summer.

2-3 Red seed geraniums

1 Helichrysum

1 Calibrachoa "Superbells Saffron"

1 Torenia "Summer Wave Blue"* (shade-lover)

1 Spike

I usually also include a coleus or asparagus fern, but somehow forgot this year; one or both of these might be a good addition for this shady planter next spring. My goal this year is to keep this watered. I need to remind myself that carrying two half-filled watering cans down my 1/8 mile lane ought to count as a good weight-bearing exercise!

Every spring I get a little carried away with buying annuals, especially when Beckie and I go on one of our plant-shopping sprees. I seem to wind up with leftover plants that I can't resist but have no place planned to put them. I usually have one or two pots reserved for the "leftovers"where they are planted with no regard to design. This year was no exception--several beauties just insisted they had to come home with me--but the end results included two welcome surprises.

One pot, which I neglected to photograph, was placed in the shade garden, containing 1 helichyrsum, 1 caladium,* 1 lavendar-white verbena,* and 1 ipomoea "Bewitched." *A strange combination, but it worked; the "Bewitched" was a gorgeous, glossy dark sweet potato vine--I definitely want to find one of these again next year.

But my most successful "leftovers" were in this pot below:

2 Petunias "Double Wave Pink" *

2-3 Lantanas "Tropical Temptation Mimosa"*
3-4 Salvia "Victoria Blue"

The tag for the pink petunias didn't give a more specific name, but I do hope I can find these again next year. Next to the "Raspberry Blast," these petunias outperformed all the others with constant blooms until frost. The salvia--my favorite "Victoria Blue"--eventually did pretty well here, although I've discovered it doesn't like overcrowding and prefers being planted directly in the ground.

There were a few other pots I didn't include here--a basket of double pink impatiens, a small pot with volunteer dianthus, and another urn that contained flowers that changed through the season from pansies to verbena and "Diamond Frost" Euphorbia.

I enjoy planting containers and creating and coming up with new combinations of plants. The annuals provide instant gratification while waiting for the perennials to bloom and provide a constant supply of color throughout the season. And, of course, it gives me an excuse to visit all the garden centers in the spring and indulge in my favorite type of shopping. This summer there will probably be a few familiar displays in my garden; after all, if something works and I like it, I'm not going to change it. But I'm open to new ideas, and if a gorgeous annual calls out to me from the nursery displays, I'll find a place for it and some new companions in one of my containers.