Big Leaves - Big Impact

Went out to groom the containers -- thinking the pansies needed to be deadheaded -- and I was wowed by the growth of the big guys -- the kales and mustards.  They were taking over the containers and shadowing the poor little pansies.  Guess our recent cool weather made them very happy.  But no complaints here.  When the kales and mustards get happy they make a big statement in containers and in a garden bed.  Two of my all time favorites are 'Red Giant' Mustard and 'Lacinato' Kale.  Check out 'Red Giant' in the follow photo.

Forgot to mention that this shot was taken after I trimmed back half of it just to find the pansies.  Not to worry that there will be no more leaves -- lots coming back in the center.

I think it is absolutely stunning close up.  Just look at the texture of the crinkled leaf and then the striking contrast between the lime green of the veining and the burgundy of the leaf. 


I feel in love with this mustard at Calloway Gardens.  They had created a huge bed with 'Red Giant' as the back drop and burgundy and yellow pansies in front. 


With just an occasional trimming you can keep this gentle giant in check and get all the benefits.






My next favorite is the 'Lacinato' Kale.  What a work horse it is.  And you don't usually get this blue coloring in winter.  This is Container 7 outside the Welcome Center which gets different lighting than Container 10, located on the corner of Main and Washington.

 

 

Notice the difference in growth habit.  Container 10 is shorter and tighter.   Then look at the heavy crinkled surface in the following picture.  The light green viens also give you another color aspect to tie into your containers.

 

 

 

 

Two of my other favorite kales that provide lots of texture are 'Starbor' Kale and 'Red Russian' Kale. 

 

This 'Red Russian' Kale really needs to be trimmed back to give the poor violas a fair chance at the sun.

 

Not only is there great texture here, you get the added attraction of the purple tinted veins.  Another one of those connectors to your flowers.

And last, but not least by any means, is the 'Starbor' Kale.  This one might just win the "over the top" texture contest.

 

 

 

A single leave is exciting -- but a bunch is a "wow" factor.

 

 



 

There are lots of other kales and mustards on the market -- I've just found these to be proven winners every year.  And if you don't use pesticides in your garden -- you can even eat these!!!



 

 

 

 

 









Blue Crisp Fern Hanging In There

I told you early in the season that I loved the Blue Crisp Fern.  It is big, bold and bodacious and now it looks like it is also tenacious.  I intentionally left this "tropical fern" in a container to see when it would finally give up -- what low temperature would take it away.  Well, we've had low 30's in Madison many days and it still looks great......

.....but I do have to say that this container is situated on a busy street with lots of traffic and surrounded by brick buildings, so there is a microclimate created that probably offers warmer temperatures.  Stay tuned to see how it fares the remainder of the winter.

Also had to show you the heuchera that is in with the fern.  'Golden Zebra' is truly showing its "stripes" on the side that gets more sun.

 

 

Now look at the one which gets total shade.....

 

 

Still pretty but not as vibrant. 

 

The Golden Zebra heuchera will definitely be part of another season's containers since it is a perennial -- but I'm counting on Blue Crisp Fern to be part of them also -- we'll see.

 





More "Children" and they are getting bigger

In my last blog I told you that I would be doing the "giants" on the corner of Washington and Second Street.  Well, they are done!!  And so we now have 42 middle sized children, 4 baby sized children (urns inside the Park) and 6 "giant" sized children....for a total of 52 containers!  Madison is just getting prettier by the day.  Now that I'm done planting I can finally update that map.

But I wanted to share with you what I put in those gentle giants.  Took a lot of stuff to fill them -- they look good now so I can't wait to see them when they are fully grown out.  Of course, there are pansies, violas and kale, but to add some height in the middle I used a conifer.  Juniper communis 'Gold Cone' is in the shorter container.  It can tolerate the heat and drier conditions we are going to throw at it; and this variety won't get but about 18-24" wide so it won't overwhelm the pot.  New growth is yellow while fall color turns a slight shade of blue. 

 

The grass in the back container is a panicum -- a wonderful perennial grass.  Its winter look goes well with the juniper so I left it.  In the spring we'll cut it back and let the pretty blue blades stand proud.

 

Since yellow is one of the traffic stopping colors I used it as my main theme, adding purple as the accent.  Here is what I planted:

 

 



Delta Premium Pure Yellow -- a bright yellow face that will companion with just about any other color. 

 

 

The viola I used with it is Sorbet Sunny Royale (above).  There is enough purple to give contrast but also enough yellow to stand out.  I didn't get a close up of the kale that I used in both containers but it is Winterbor -- its ruffled leaf edges gives the container some movement.  These are all in the shorter container.  In the tall on in the background I used ---

 

 



 

Dynamite Blue Jeans....it practically glows (forgive the picture -- it was another windy day).  It is paired with the Delta Pure Yellow and, one of my favorite violas, Sorbet Yellow Chiffon, a non-stop bloomer -- pictured below. 

 

 

Violas are tough and bloom heavily, so if the pansies need to take a break there will still be lots of color.  Now that there are flowers in these pots maybe folks will stop using them as giant trash cans -- we can only hope. 

 

 





Small Garden in a Big Pot

First, sorry that I've been AWOL.  Between the holiday and trying to get containers planted before the Heritage Hall Tour of Homes I had no time left, or energy, to write.  But, as you will see in this blog, I found a solution for some of the extra work.

For those that live in Madison, Georgia, you will be familiar with the four large containers that sit in front of the defunct gas station across from the fire station.  When I say large, even I was taken aback by their four foot diameter -- which is why I titled this post "Small Garden in a Big Pot".  There are garden beds smaller than these behemoths.  Wanting them to be showy, I knew I needed something with height, a middle layer and then the winter color at the edges.  So here is what I used -- and who I used.

Starting with the little guys at the edge of the pot I used a viola called Penny Primrose Picotee.  It only gets to about 6 inches tall but it packs a lot of punch with its bright cheery face.

Behind that I added one of my favorite pansies -- and I don't use many -- Delta Premium Pure Primrose, which has a soft yellow color with big flowers so it is really eye catching, and a good perfomer.  Its color is echoed in the yellow of the viola, while the purple in Primrose Picotee makes a nice contrast to the soft yellow of the pansy.

 



Delta Pure Primrose will get to about 6" also but the size of the flowers will stand out against the Picotee viola. 

Next in line was the linear material that I used to give a visual contrast between the flowers and the center piece -- Cupressus 'Golden Pyramid', an outstanding conifer that loves the sun and drier conditions -- a cominbation of Carex 'Ice Dance' and Liriope 'Evergreen Giant'.  Grasses always provide movement which draws the eye.

The final arrangement looked like this.......

And this is at first planting....imagine how great it will look when the plants mature.

So now to "who" I used.  My time and energy was running short so I enlisted the help of my grandson, Grant.  The energy of youth is a wonderful thing!!  He planted all the pansies while I followed behind with the mulch (Lowe's Premium Brown - the only one I use). 

 



These should make for a very colorful corner on Main Street -- along with Grant's very bright green shirt -- but he doesn't stay, so just look for the containers.

Next containers are the two giants on the corner of Washington and Second Street.  Big containers need brighter colors and bigger plants so I have a challenge ahead of me, but that should then finish all the winter color changeout.  Be sure to walk around town and check them out to find your favorite. 

As soon as I'm done with the plantings, I promise I will change the plant descriptions on the map so you will be able to identify each one.  The photographer in me must now apologize for the less than crisp photos -- it was a windy day and I couldn't get those gals to stand still, but, hopefully, you get the idea. 

Low Maintenance Four Season Container

Here is an opportunity for me to share some of that "more" I told you about.  Just had to show you this container that is in front of the Madison Cafe on Washington Street.  I put this arrangement together for Sherry Clark last year to spruce up the front of her restaurant and gift shop (btw...great food and great gifts).  I'm not sure what she is feeding those containers but they sure are happy in their environment....which is mostly shade except for some morning sun. 

.

 

 

The plant on the right is one of my favorite shade plants -- which will take a lot of sun though -- Illicium 'Florida Sunshine'.  It is a bright spot in any situation.  Growing to about 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide it is a manageable size yet easily pruned to whatever you need.

 

 

Of course.....the fern in the picture is Autumn Fern....a standard for any of my containers.  It can withstand total shade and even full sun.  Tucked in amongst all that are a Carex 'Evergold' (the lighter one) and a Carex testecea.  The far left plant is a Heuchera, one of the lime colored ones, which tends to go to a bland green without enough sun...still the texture contrast is there. 

 

If you need an easy care container for a shady spot, consider any of these. 



The Pansies Are Coming

Well, to be exact, it is not pansies that are coming, it is mostly violas that are coming to the containers.  But I did want to share a couple pictures to get you enticed.  Still not done planting all the pots but getting close, then I'll redo the map and show you pictures of the finished products.  Have to explain why I do more violas than pansies.  The violas produce more flowers, need less deadheading and handle the hard cold temperatures better.  Besides that, I think that they are cuter. 

 

 

This viola Primrose Picotee jumps right out at you and asks to be taken home.  I've paired it with Liberty Yellow Snapdragon to echo the yellow on its face.

 

 

 

Doesn't that bright yellow color make you feel good....and think how it would pair up with reds, purples, blues....just about anything.

 

And then there is sweet Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow....yep that's its name.  Each flower is slightly different....sweet is the best way to describe this one.

 

Be back next time with more pictures and finished containers.  Gotta get those containers planted....folks seem to think they are giant trash bins and are putting their cigarette butts, lollipop sticks, and more, into the fresh dirt I had prepared.  

 

 



The Lovely Lantanas

I love lantanas.  They are tough, the deer don't like them, handle drought conditions and yet they give you a wide variety of colors for your garden or containers.  But this year, my little friends did not do so well.  Lots of green stuff....not so much color.  Someone in the industry told me that if they get into stressful conditions they go to seed.  Well, I got a lot of seeds so those poor things must have been very stressed.

For sure the ones that were paired with the aggressive grasses did the worst.  Won't do that again....for two reasons.  The "buddies" never got the water or food they needed but worse than that when I had to put the plants those grass roots were everywhere.  After digging forever to get those deep roots out I found I had lost most of the soil in the container.  But I digress...back to those lovely lantanas.

Early in the season when all was well with their world, they were impressive.  Check them out....

 

Lantana Confetti

 

Yellow, pink, purple

Full sun

Spreads to 36"

Height to 24"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a perfect companion for Confetti is Homestead Purple Verbena.  This particular container also had Purple Persian Shield as the centerpiece....a nice arrangement that did well together.

 



 

 

While I loved Confetti for its color, I will always be a major fan of Lantana Chapel Hill Yellow.  It shines in every department -- vigor, bright yellow flowers, tough and it's perennial. 

 

 

A lantana that I came with the containers this season was Lantana Spreading Sunset...a bright orange number that has a mounding habit and gets to 24".  I liked the bright zing of color but can't say I was overwhelmed with its behavior.

 

 

 

Although this bumblebee seems pretty darn happy with it.

 

 

Another favorite lantana that unfortunately I didn't get a picture of is Samantha.  While the light yellow flower is pretty, it really is the variegated leaves that makes this one a winner.  It got big, even in a container, so you can count on it becoming a small shrub in your garden. 

 

 

For small lantanas that spread  more, I like the "Lucky" series, which comes in a variety of colors.  I did use Lucky Yellow in a couple containers but I still prefer the Chapel Hill Yellow.  You will be able to find most of these lantana next year in your local nurseries and even the box stores, but for true variety, you can always count on Thomas Orchards in Bishop.  For now, just put these names on your garden list to design your beds and containers in the spring.

 

Lysimachia Persian Chocolate

I have been in love with Lysimachia 'Creeping Jenny' for years.  Mainly because of its bright yellow color that adds so much to a container -- talk about an awesome "spiller".  But this year I found Lysimachia 'Persian Chocolate', and while its color isn't as exciting as Jenny, it makes up for it in tenacity.  Heat, sun, shade, lack of water -- none of them slowed down its growth or its beauty. 

The rose colored stems and new growth give this plant a bright, lively look. Depending on whether it gets sun or shade -- and it does great in both situations -- the older leaves will take on a dark brown shade (sun) or more green look (shade).  Against the backdrop of the dark green City containers it doesn't stand out as well as it could.  But can you see it against a white pot? 

I also planted some in the ground and have left them there to see how they fair this winter.  They are zone 6-9 so I'm expecting good things.  And since I have some in pots, I'm going to leave those in place along with the winter violas and kales.  I'll update the map when I'm done to let you know where they are.

Speaking of that, we have moved containers all around the town.  Lots more on Main Street this time, so the map will really look different. 

Working hard on getting the winter color change out but it is taking me longer this time because I'm cleaning out the soil debris and amending it with some peat moss in the hopes that it will help retain more moisture.  Remember those grasses we talked about last time...egads, they were monsters to get out of the pots.  Thanks to hubby Tom and his machete -- roots, roots, roots -- no wonder the poor verbena and lantana struggled to survive.  Someone in the trade told me that if lantana doesn't get enough water/nutrients they will think it is time to go "to seed" -- guess that explains why I had more seed than flowers this year. 

Time to play in the dirt and get those pansies settled in.

Those Awesome Summer Grasses

As I type this, the wind is howling and the temperatures are dropping.  Summer is finally coming to an end.....and so will all those great summer grasses planted in the City containers.  Unlike the begonias and coleus, which will melt with the first freeze, the grasses will just go into their "tan" look.  While that might be okay in a garden, not so good in a container.  But I have to tell you which one was the winner in the group that I used.  A big surprise to me....it is Pennisetum 'Fireworks'....because earlier in the season I complained that it was not keeping up with its cousins.

 

 

This picture will not do justice to the colorations that finally came out as the summer ended but this grass really did look like a fireworks scene.  The leaves took on more red but it was the "flowers" that were most impressive -- almost glowing in the sunlight.

 

 

 



'Fireworks' also grew a little smaller and tighter than the common Pennisetum 'Rubum' so there was less flop.  Something to keep in mind if you have a small space to fill.

 

And speaking of 'Rubum'.....

 

 This one did great in the containers -- not surprising though since it is a tried and true grass.  You can see the slight differences between it and 'Fireworks'.  There is more green in Rubrum's leaves and the flowers droop a little more -- less of that "fireworks" effect.

And then there is 'Skyrocket'.....I did like this one a lot.  Clean lines, upright structure, lots of flowers.  Nothing special about the colors but if you need a good background grass this is one to look for. 

 

Scattered about in various containers were some Carex 'Ice Dance', Carex 'Evergold' and a new comer Carex 'Amazon Mist'....no pictures cause they are not very photogenic on their own.  Of course, Ice Dance and Evergold  will always be in my containers cause they do so well and add lots of texture and movement.  Amazon Mist got lost in the crowd of big players so I don't know that it is best for these containers.  For smaller pots where it can stand out on its own it should be considered. 

 

I'm prejudice about grasses and would use them at every opportunity but maybe next summer season I'll try something that is more willing to share the container space. 

 

Next posting....let's talk "bugs"....a few managed to get by my systemic barriers....and we'll talk about why.

 

 

 



The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Well, here we are at the end of the summer season and it is time to report on how all the "children" did in their little playgrounds around the City.  There is so much to tell you about that I'll do this over several postings, so check in frequently.  The first plant to tell you about -- well, I'm not sure where it falls in the categories -- it was good, at times it was bad and -- you decide if it ended up "ugly".

This container holds three Kong Coleus Rose, a couple Raspberry Moon Caladium and three Carex Ice Dance.....guess who won the race?  The caladium was able to poke its head out here and there but Kong lived up to its name and overpowered everything.  Not a bad thing but next time I'll be aware that there is no need to put anything else in a container with them.  This container had short morning sun followed by shade all day.  It did well with the every-other-day watering, although it did droop when the heat was intense.  I recommend using Kong coleus wherever you need to make a big impact but it is a coleus with big leaves so it will need water!

I'll be sure to use Raspberry Moon Caladium next year....if I can find it again.  The leaves are huge and the coloration different.  This would look good with pink torenia as a spiller and autumn ferns as fillers. 

While I'm on the subject of coleus I'll tell you about the others that were part of the plan.  We're naming the "bad" now....Coleus Indian Summer....bad girl.  She never got with the program, and I had been in love with her in previous years.  True, I put her in full sun but she had been there before.  She looked like wet laundry hanging on the line more than she did a proud flag flying on the mast.  Every other day watering did not do it for her.

Coleus Indian Summer
Vinca Cora White
Sweet Potato Vine Bronze
Cuphea Totally Tempted


















While I had hoped the colors of the coleus, cuphea and the sweet potato vine would all compliment each other, the sad state of the coleus overshadowed all of the potential glamour.

But on to the "good girls".   To be sure I'll be using Coleus Wasabi and Dipt in Wine next year, along with the ultimate winner -- Coleus Pineapple.  Wasabi and Dipt in Wine were in the ground at the Welcome Center garden so they did have the advantage of in-ground moisture and the shade of the tree.  But Pineapple worked her magic no matter where she was.  When she had more sun the colors were brighter yellow with bolder burgundy stems and accents.  In the shade, it was more lime green with less accents, but it made up for it in size.  Check out the photos -----

 

 

This container had 3 Coleus Pineapple, 3 Vinca Cora Pink, 3 sweet potato vine Sweet Carolina Sweetheart Red, and 3 Sunpatiens White (you all know the sad story about the Sunpatiens....gone, gone, gone).  It did get morning sun and some late afternoon sun....but it was one happy container.

 



The colorations on Pineapple are so striking and will compliment just about anything you pair it with....think red, burgundy, purple, blue, and even OMG...pink.

Now check out the color when it sat in the shade all day......

Coleus Pineapple (3)
Vinca Cora white (4)
Angelonia white (4)
Autumn Ferns (3)
Lysimachia Persian Chocolate (3)

















In another posting I'll tell you about the awesome Lysimachia Persian Chocolate but for now, can you believe that coleus??

Another all time favorite of mine that seems to be appearing in nurseries under slightly different names is Big Red Judy or as this year's version is called Redhead.  It did well in full sun -- would have liked a little more water than it got, but still strutted its stuff all summer.  It is still in a container as of this date -- we'll see how she holds up to the 30 degree temps coming our way.

I've shown you these guys before but to round out the story, here are photos of Wasabi and Dipt in Wine again.

Wasabi is in the background


Dipt in Wine in the foreground


















The retail nurseries are placing their 2013 spring orders now so if you like any of these plants, let the owners know so they can be sure to have them available next year.  Paula at Thomas Orchards works with a grower who does lots of "proven winners" -- but it is a tight market so get your requests in early.  Next posting --  the grasses!

Ryan's Pink

Gotta tell you about a neat plant that isn't part of the container plans but it had such a "wow" factor that it needed to be mentioned.  Chrysanthemum x morifolium 'Ryan's Pink'....take a look.....

Is that not one happy looking flower....

At this time of the year when we see mountains of mums at all the local nurseries, box stores and even grocery stores, this one stands proud.  It may not be as easy to find as the ordinary white, yellow or red mums, but please look for it and put it in your garden.  In the back of the border though as it does get tall -- up to 3 feet when it is happy.  Although you can keep it in check by pruning it several times during spring and early summer.  Leave it alone by July 4 and it will give you mountains of big blooms in the fall.  And guess who else will be happy with your choice....butterflies.  As their season ends and they are looking for food this will be one happy landing spot. 

My good friend, Chris Stewart -- owner, along with her husband Chuck, of the wholesale nursery Tapestry here in Madison -- is a butterfly's best friend.  She grows, and shares, anything they want to eat and host on.  She is the one who has shared this great plant with me.  They sell to most of the local retails stores here and in Atlanta so call around and see who has this gem. 

 

 

And....after the butterflies have dined on this, you can cut a bouquet for your dinner table when you are ready to dine.   It is a great passalong plant too....grow a batch and share it.

 



Chili Cookoff -- Fall is Official Here

The Madison Chili Cookoff was this past weekend and it was a fun event....and that means  Fall is officially here.  If you didn't attend the Cookoff, make sure that you put it on your calendar for next year.  It was lots of fun and well attended.  I was working a booth so I didn't get to taste all the different varieties submitted, but my husband had a bit of one and he was still sweating when he found me in the Park.  Good chili, he admitted, but he did have to find a "cold" drink to cool off his taste buds.

With Fall officially here, it is time to change out the color in the City Containers.  I know that some of you are not going to be happy with me when I take out those summer plants that still look good; but the pansies need to get their roots established before the really cold weather comes along.  So just to make you feel a little better I thought I'd share a few pictures of what is to come.  I'm still running back and forth to the nurseries to get the varieties that are coming on -- pansies really aren't happy unless they get cool weather -- and we are just now getting those 50 degree nights. 

How sweet is this -- Dynamite Blueberry Thrill -- it almost sizzles.  The Dynamite series is such a good one that any of the colors will make you happy, but I admit that I'm partial to this one.

How about adding Snapdragon Liberty Yellow to Blueberry Thrill to compliment the yellow in the pansy face.

Snapdragons will continue to give you color through the season if you remember to keep them deadheaded.















And speaking of snapdragons.....take a gander at this.....

Is that not awesome.   Down right "snappy" if I say so myself.....groan.

Okay one more teaser and then I need to get to more designing. 

Sorbet Pink Wing....yeah, I know it looks more lavender....but I wasn't in charge of naming so don't blame me.  It's still a pretty little thing.  The pansies are moving out of the nurseries fast so don't wait too long before you make your choices. 

Torenia - BetterThan Impatiens

Like a good mother, I need to tell you the good things about all my "children" before I mention any of their shortcomings....even if their shortcomings are really key to dealing with them.  This year, several of the containers were planted with Torenia Purple - Moon Series and, as I have said in the past, Torenia are the ultimate replacement for impatiens, those water sucking little critters.  

Getting a late start this season I could only get the purple and the white variety, and for some reason the white did not survive as well as the purple.  One never really knows what they are getting from the grower -- healthy or not?   Anyway, the purple are doing an outstanding job this year.  Check out these photos.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is no doubt that the perfect marriage of flowers is the combination of Dragon Wing Begonia and Torenia (any color).  They both love the same condition -- semi shade.  But, honestly, you could hand them more sun and they would both do just as well with a little acclimation.   Pop in an Autumn Fern and a couple Carex Ice Dance and you have one awesome container, both of which will handle some sun themselves.

 

So next year, when you are holding those impatiens in your hands and asking yourself if you really want to spend all summer watering them only to get home to find them pouting at you, think about Torenia -- awesome plants that ask for little and give so much.