Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Containers for July

The foliage of this begonia will make a beautiful pot arrangement for the whole summer long.
There are so many pots around our house this summer: hanging baskets on the porch, herbs by the potager, and flowers on the steps. Even while our summer days are full of going to the pool, the library, the park, etc., these hold their own and keep things looking pretty without much besides a good mulching at the beginning of the season and an occasional watering (every few weeks here with our current rain level). Here are a few of my favorites that are new for this year!

Begonia with a pretty pattern to its leaf and very fun flowers. This pretty "terra cotta" pot is actually plastic, which I can use it year round, even in PA winters.
A new pot with Sorbaria sorbifolia, the False Spirea, in our curb planting.
Its sumac-type leaves turn vibrant red in the autumn, and have these pretty white panicle flowers in the summertime.
A pot on our patio table of red streaked Echeveria (Hens and chicks) and dwarf Lobelia.

13 comments:

  1. So pretty! I especially LOVE the white panicle flowers!:)

    ReplyDelete
  2. We have a Sorbaria sorbifolia planted in the ground not in a pot, and it keeps moving! Each year it comes up in a different place about 2ft away from the previous year. So far it has moved about 8ft from where I originally planted it, I wonder where it will go to next!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is so good to know, Pauline. Thank you! I have just not found a spot in our borders for it yet, so that is good to keep in mind.
      ~Julie

      Delete
  3. I do like your Begonia combo - very useful to be around all summer. Lately I've emptied most of my pots and given the plants a home in the borders. I'm already planning for next year - I'll keep this in mind.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do often start by having perennials in pots until I find good places for them. Not sure where the Sorbaria will go yet!
      ~julie

      Delete
  4. A lot of my pots are on a covered porch, and it's hard to remember to keep them watered when it rains so much! I'm particularly fond of sweet potato vines in containers. Those hens and chicks are definitely not your mother's hens and chicks, as they say! They are quite eye catching. And I can't believe how nice your pansies and violas look in the pot with the begonia.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very pretty--I really like the idea of the False Spirea in a pot. Hmmm...I'll have to think about that. Very nice combinations! I usually go with a combination of Impatiens and Coleus, because they work so well in the shade. But this year I added some potted plants in some very unusual microclimates in my garden--one that's south-facing, so it got lots of sun in the spring but is shaded by giant Oaks during the summer; one that gets mostly shade and dappled shade, no rain, and direct, strong sun for a couple of hours in the afternoon. Oh, and Golden Hops in a ceramic pot in the middle of my main perennial bed. Most of them have been successful so far. It's always fun to try new arrangements and new plants! Yours are lovely!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad to hear you have golden hops! I just planted one in a garden I designed. It took forever to find one! I finally mail ordered it from CA
      ~Julie

      Delete
  6. Container gardening is one of my passions. What a great way to play with foliage and flower combinations.

    Good move to plant the Sorbaria in a pot. Just a couple of weeks ago I was discussing this plant with another garden friend. Both of us are attracted to the great foliage but are afraid to plant it in the garden and agreed a large year round outdoor pot would be best. My friend lives in zone 5 and has successfully grown Tiger Eye Sumac in a pot for many years.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Those are some very lovely container plantings! I tend to avoid annual lobelia and johnny jump up in summer because here they tend to frizzle in the heat. Not an issue for you, clearly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They do here are well some years, but it has been pretty rainy so far. Not as good for swimming, but good for pansies :)
      ~Julie

      Delete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...