Even though I’m quite late in posting this, I still wanted to share some of my containers with you this summer. I took many of these photo’s around the 4th of July, but to my surprise, many of my containers are still looking lush and full due to the unusual abundance of rain and lower temps we’ve experienced this summer (usually temps are in the mid-90’s this time of year), and of course, with the faithful application of Annie Haven’s Manure Tea.
Having designed and planted all my own containers for years, it’s truly still one of my favorite ways to be creative in the garden. This year I played around with lots of different colors and I even dabbled a bit in miniature container gardening this year.
Hope you enjoy the photo gallery of just a few of my containers…
Romanticwhite…
Ingredients: Sun Parasol White Mandevilla, ‘Diamond Frost’ Euphorbia, Lobularia ‘Frosty Knight’, Scaevola ‘Bombay’, Supertunia white, White geranium, Dusty Miller ‘Silverdust’, trailing Mezoo, ‘Silver Falls’ Dichondra.
Canna ‘Australia’, Cosmos ‘Choca Mocha’, Heuchera ‘Obsidian’, ‘Black Velvet’ petunia, Creeping Jenny ‘Midnight Sun’, Iris chrysographes ‘Night Ruler’ (bloomed in spring see below), Scaevola ‘Romeo’.
Iris ‘Night Ruler’
Succulent Fever…
I turned a non-functioning fountain into a succulent planter.
Ingredients: Variety of Succulents- Sedums, Echeverias, Trailing Mezoo and my favorite-Kalanchoe ‘Fantastic’. Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’ was also used in this planting.
Cool Blues…
Blue and White Container Nook in my garden filled with: Plumbago, white scaveola, white petunias, Endless Summer hydrangea, lobelia, Angelonia and Lobularia ‘Frosty Knight’.
Succulent Basket…
My favorite container in my garden- this huge cement basket- which I purchased over 15 years ago, is filled with an abundance of succulents. They thrive in this basket! Ingredients: Assortment of succulents: Sedums, Echeveria, Sempervivums, Kalanchoe and my fav-‘Zwartkop’ aeonium.
Ingredients: Small variegated English Holly ‘Argenteo Marginata’, Lamium maculatum ‘Beacon Silver’, surrounded by Japanese Painted fern and Golden variegated Sweet Flag.
I gave miniature gardening a try this year and love it! So fun …
I designed a ‘scaled down’ version of my own backyard when I planted this miniature garden container. Lots of stone, dwarf conifers and texture. What do you think?
Of course, I had to plant a Mini-Zen garden….
Mini- Herb Garden with some cucumbers…
Probably my favorite of all- My Frog Prince Miniature Container.
Purple Foliage…
A newly purchased container this year filled with ‘Black Magic’ Elephant Ear, Persian shield, Purple heart Wandering Jew and ‘Black Dragon’ coleus.
Ahhh.. the potting bench, practically every gardener’s dream (at least mine) for their garden. A place used for starting out young plants, storing our small garden tools, clay pots, soil and watering cans. Oh, and I forgot to mention an opportunity to unleash the ‘design diva’ in those of us who love to decorate!
I wanted my potting bench to be simple and functional, as well as, adding a bit of character to my garden. Mine is situated in ‘a sweet little spot’ between my garage and chimney wall under an overhang somewhat protected from the outside elements. The fact that’s its located in the coveted morning sun area of my garden allows me to garden in a wonderful shady spot during the hot afternoon. My garden spigot is located right next to my potting bench so watering and hosing down my dirty mess is super easy.
My Potting Bench- Dragonfly hooks that I recently purchased from Lowes hold some of my garden items: watering cans,small hand shovels,etc.
I made this wreath earlier this year specifically for the wall above my potting bench using garden items I rarely used. I did have a faux bird nest & eggs but the crows attacked it this spring. Oh My!
When my potting bench isn’t in ‘work mode’ I sometimes decorate it with the change of seasons adding a focal point to that area of my garden…..
