A Well Behaved Sweet Potato Vine??

Could there really be such a thing as a "well behaved" sweet potato vine?  The jury is still out on this new one that I found at Thomas Orchards Nursery (local to the Athens, GA area) but I decided to give it a try.  The lime green variety always adds a punch to a container but the ones I've used in the past turn into thugs, taking over the container -- and pouting when it gets too hot or has too little water.  Not a pretty sight with a veil of droopy leaves hanging over the sides of the pot. 

This one is called "Spotlight" (Ipomoea botatos).  The tag says its will get about 8-10" tall with a spread of 12+ inches.  I'm seeing that height being true but the spread has exceeded the stated size.  That's okay though.  I like the mounded effect and one plant will cover a good amount of space - saving money.  So far, Spotlight is not a vigorous trailer like its counterparts.  I have spent far too much time whacking back the trailers so I appreciate this characteristic.

Check back with me at the end of the summer and we'll see just how well behaved this plant was.  It also comes in bronze and black but I'm not a fan of the darker colors - they get lost in a pot and only create a "dark space".  But maybe - just maybe - I'll give them a try next season.

The Vinca Cora Red is pretty happy in this pot.  It has been doing so well that I've had to pinch it back a bit - no complaints though.

The Angelonia Serena Purple is getting pushed over by the vinca but I kind of like the sideways growth.  Not sure if it will be able to muscle its way up through that vinca though.  The verbena is making a come back after struggling to get established.  But the spaces it left are now being consumed by that wonderful vine.  It's always fun to groom the containers each week and see who is doing what - who is winning - who is losing. 

Live and Learn

I titled this week's post "Live and Learn" but when you see the photo you'll wonder if I did learn anything.  In the past I have used verbenas a lot in the containers - they make great spillers.  But.....I forget that they have their own special set of issues they bring to the table -- or pot in this case.  One of them is spider mites.  Give the plants a long, hot, dry spell and the spider mites comes to feast on the weakened plant.  Since I use a systemic insecticide that didn't worry me as much.  Long, hot, dry spells are are a different problem alone for the plant - hopefully regular watering will help there.

What my memory didn't bring back up was that verbenas need deadheading!!!  Without regular grooming the plants won't bloom as vigorously.  With one or two containers it isn't much trouble to nip away the spent flowers, but with the large number I have in the city it is a chore. 

The flowers of Verbena Empress Flair White are worthy of using though.  Check out the fresh, full blooms here:

Unfortunately there is another aspect of this variety that I'm not happy with and that is how the spent blooms progress to seed head.  Yuck!!

The old, brownish petals are easy enough to remove by just shaking or brushing the flower head.  Easy enough to do if, again, you only have a few pots. I'll keep after these guys for this season but I have finally "learned" -- no more verbenas for the city pots. 

All that said, please don't give up on verbenas as a whole.  There are many other varieties that are real work horses and give great color.  One that I have used in the past is Biloxi Blue - strong grower with nice self cleaning habits. 

For now - I'm headed into town to tend to these fussy little guys. 

Caladiums

This week is all about the caladiums I've used in the containers.  Don't do many caladiums mainly because there aren't very many containers left that have enough tree shade.  Sadly, a lot of our beautiful, old trees have had to be cut down due to disease or the danger of aging limbs falling.  New ones have been planted but it will be years before serious shade will be available.

Caladiums offer so much in color and texture that they should be considered for any shade container.  I do have my favorites though.  Here are the ones I placed this year.

This might be my favorite - at least this year.  Gingerland has a crisp, clean look about it.  I really like the splash of red which makes it easy to combine with other reds.  For this container though I opted to do mostly whites.  This container is one of the few that are in shade most of the day with just a bit of morning sun.  The companion plants are Angelonia Serena White, and Torenia Summer Wave White. 

When you start with a totally white caladium you have a wide range of colors you can combine with it, but I decided to do an all white for this container.  It gets some sun but not enough to burn the caladium and just enough for the companion plants that tolerate the sun to thrive.  This caladium is Moonlight with Vinca Cora White and Scaevola Surdiva White as the trailer.  I have scaevola in other containers with more sun and it is very vigorous there - needing to prune it back a bit to allow for the uprights to fill in.  But once the uprights are strong, the scaevola seems to mind its manners and stay in its place.

Okay, you are going to question the name of this one - White Queen.  What's with the strong red?  Don't know - I wasn't in the room when they named this one.  But it is pretty.  A little harder to combine with other strong colors.  Penta Butterfly White is the filler with Carex Evergold grass around it.  The grass is a hold over from the winter containers.  The spiller is Torenia Summer Wave Gold.  The torenia is a combination of gold and purple which is a strong statement against the red and white of the caladium but it does pick up the gold from the strong yellow of the grass and is far enough away from the red that it isn't offensive.

Last but definitely not least is Miss Muffett.  The spots on this one are not quite red, more of a deep burgundy with a flush of rose running around the leaves.  And that made Vinca Cora Punch and Supertunia Misty Lilac combine very nicely.  The petunias I used this year were very happy with the cooler weather and healthy rains resulting in vigorous growth, so early pruning was called for to keep them off of the companion plants until they grew large enough to compete.  Not complaining - happy when plants grow!!!

Caladiums are great container plants - just remember not to over water them.

All In Bloom

The installation went so smoothly thanks to my new friends and super workers - Cindy and Jennifer.  And now we have the rains!!  The plants are so happy with the super charged water from the heavens and are blooming to excess.  But....it can stop raining any time now or those same very happy plants will be covered in mildew and struggling with root rot.  Let's think happy thoughts for now.  Here are a few pictures of the containers.  More to follow -- if the rain would stop long enough for me to take some.

This combination is a little "off" on the colors that were put together.  The spiller is Vinca Cora Cascade Magenta and it has a little too much fuschia for the red of the Whopper Begonia.  The fillers are Angelonia Serena White and Penta Butterfly White which give enough space between the reds to allow the eye not to see both at the same time.  Wouldn't do this again but all the players are performing really well so I won't complaint too much.

Went with no competing colors on this one.  Really like the cooling effect it gives.  The caladium is Moonlight with Vinca Cora White next to it and Scaevola White as the spiller.  The scaevola has been a great performer so far and is almost taking over some containers.  Gentle pruning is keeping it in check.

Believe it or not there are three different plants in this container!!  One of my favorite petunias - Supertunia Vista Bubblegum apparently is very happy in this pot.  In the middle is an autumn fern and some pentas.  Will have to do some serious pruning to find them though.  But if you are looking for a great petunia - here it is.

The rains have been good for the containers but a check of the pots today showed that a few of the vincas have rotted out.  The Cora series of vinca is a strong plant but they do need some drying out time.  Hope to see the sun on a regular basis next week.  More pictures to come!!!

Containers Are Planted!!!

It was a long winter - long, cold, and freezing - and I'm not a hundred percent certain that spring is really going to show up.  The official date has come and gone but the weather didn't act like it was spring.  The winter containers struggled to the end with just the snapdragons looking good.  Can't saw enough about the Liberty series of snaps.  To be fair though, the Dusty Millers were champs too. 

But they are gone and the spring/summer plants are in their new homes.  And I could not have done it without the great help of my grand daughter Lee and the magnificent duo of Jennifer and Cindy.  The weather gods were predicting rain for Sunday afternoon of the weekend planting.  Sunday morning is THE best time to do anything with the containers -- everyone is either at church or home thinking they should be at church - so the curbs were empty and there was easy access to all the containers.

The rain came as predicted just as the last of the containers were being filled.  But look at this dedication from Jennifer and Cindy

They had forgotten their rain jackets and had borrowed Cindy's mother's - thus the "too small" fit.  But they forged on and by the time the rains came with seriousness all the containers were done!!

The plants are not ready for their photo debut just yet, with the exception of a few that I'll share in a jiffy.  But I do have to say that the "keepers" from the fall/winter series look great.  Carex Everest and Evergold look robust while not overtaking their space.  Of course, the autumn ferns are true soldiers and now putting out new growth. 

This next photo shows the carex along with Torenia Summer Wave Gold - a trailer for part shade/shade. 

The carex, autumn fern in the middle and the torenia at the edge.

Close up of Torenia Summer Wave Gold.  Stay tuned to its future growth!!

The rain has stopped -- and the sun is out.  Should get lots of blooms - and then lots of photos. Be back soon!

There Is Ugly Too

As I was redecorating a room in my home a friend told me "you can't ignore the elephant in the room".  The "elephant" was drapery that I didn't want to remove because of the cost - but it was UGLY - and trying to decorate around it was not working. 

And so, while I  tell you about the pretty pots around town I have to admit there are a few just plain ugly ones that could never recover from the heat of last fall and then had to endure the long, cold temperatures that sapped their meager strength. 

But this has been a great learning experience.  This is where garden diaries are a great help.  Write down the winners AND the losers - and the reasons for the success and failures.  The "why" of both is important to the success of your garden.

Every time I plant something in this container it struggles.  Why?  Too much shade!  Just maybe, I tell myself, these plants will work this time.  Violas need sun.  Snaps need sun.  And the hour or two the container gets in the morning just isn't enough.  There is an autumn fern in the middle but even it isn't happy.  Time to address the elephant in the room.

Wish I could just take out everything in this container, leaving it bare until the spring changeover, but that can't happen.  Unfortunately, folks seem to think a container with no plants is a giant ashtray or trash container.  So until the April changeover this will have to do and just maybe the violas will rally to the challenge and fill out more.  They are Sorbet Lemon Chiffon, one of the tougher ones I use, so stay tuned to see if they do meet the challenge.

Lesson to be learned!  Know the elephant in your garden. 

Sunshine Yellow Brightens The Day

Grooming the containers is now a real joy as the weather warms just enough to encourage new growth and blooms.  While all the violas have a cheery attitude, some of them really bring a smile, and Penny Clear Yellow really does that. 

These are also large blooms for a viola, adding to the impact.  Really like the subtle shading of the colors, which gives the flower more depth.

Here it is in one of the containers.  The snaps haven't started to bloom yet so the violas have to carry the whole show - but do that pretty darn well.

The parsley is filling out very well -- but you can hardly hold parsley back.  Without constant pruning it would take over they container. 

This will be the last season for the Rosemary BBQ.  It is a good winter/summer plant for its evergreen habit but after two full seasons it gets woody looking.  Put in a different one last past fall - Rosemary Tuscan Blue.  Much prettier, with softer leaves - but it was NOT happy with the low temps and burned out.  Waiting to see if it recovers enough to stay and will seriously consider using it again if the Farmer's Almanac predicts a better year.   Rosemary is a nice change from kales - the other winter staple used as center pieces.  And nothing eats it!!! 

Nature Triumphs

I should have been more confident about the plants I chose to put in the containers -- they not only survived the freezing temperatures -- they are happily blooming.  Well, most of them are anyway.   The violas that struggled with the long warm days had an equally hard time with the long cold days.  But take a look at this container --

The Redbor Kale loved those low temps, which brought out the bright fuchsia color in the center.  And that really connected with those shades in the Sorbet Orchid Rose Beacon violas.  Tucked in between is Dusty Miller Cirrus, giving a little relief to the eye with its silver tones and soft textures. 

Sorbet Orchid Rose Beacon's shadings add a lot of interest in the container - almost like have several different violas instead of just one.  It has been a good performer, jumping back after losing most of its blooms to the freeze.  A definite return companion. 

Lesson learned - don't be too quick to throw out the plants that might look to be goners.  A careful pruning back of just the seriously dead material allowed enough of the plant to make food for new growth. 

Be back tomorrow with some photos of Penny Orange violas -- their color is really catching the eye on these long dreary days. 

Blog Site Revived

The Madison Container blog site has been revived!!  It is with renewed energy that the containers themselves will have a new look this spring along with the blog site.  But oh where is spring?!  There are still weeks ahead before we can safely think about putting out those tender pretties.  In the meantime, I'll at least get the blog moving along again.

The winter weather gods have not been kind to us this year.  Tried and true plants that have been used in the past struggle to even look alive let alone bloom.  I've always used violas instead of pansies because they can handle long periods of temperatures in the teens but they met their match this year.  Many hours  were spent grooming the containers, cutting out the dead material and hoping what was left would fill the empty spaces.  Only warm weather and a dose of fertilizer will tell us the outcome.

When the rain stops long enough to allow me to walk around and take pictures I can report on the "winners" of this long, cold battle.  I can safely say that the kales have revived and are standing upright again.  Poor snapdragons are attempting to hold themselves up but many continue to droop.  Dusty millers have also perked up and tough old autumn ferns only have a few browned fronds.  So, if nothing else, the containers will have green and a bit of silvery gray color in them.  But I am holding hope that those violas will prove themselves just as tough and start blooming.  Back soon with photos!

Winter Containers Are Planted

It has been a long time since I posted and with good reason.  I have been super busy designing, sourcing, and installing the little lovelies.  But the collection of plants are now gracing the many containers throughout Madison.  At this writing we still have no rain, which always makes plants so much happier.  But I can say that I'm pretty sure all the plants are just happy to be out of their tight little size 4" pots and into the wide open spaces of the 24" containers.

So what went into these containers this year.  As always with winter plants, the selection is limited to the hardy guys -- violas/pansies, parsley, kales, snaps, -- and a few more specialities that can handle surprise temperatures in the low teens.  One that I love to use is Red Giant Mustard.  It has such great color, texture and size, but it absolutely melts with the lows.  Not a pretty sight -- nor a pleasant smell when they wilt and rot.

I stayed with violas and in particular the Sorbet and Penny series.  Check out a couple here:

Sorbet Lavender Pink has soft colors that blend well with white snaps, blue kale or gray Dusty Miller

Sorbet Delft Blue is very tidy looking.  It married well with white snaps and Euphorbia 'Glacier Blue'.

I was bold this year and put in several camellias - "Yuletide".  In one gallon pots they are the perfect size -- not taking up too much space in either the roots or their foliage.  The ones selected were loaded with buds and are going into full bloom right now.  Would have liked them to strut their stuff during the Christmas Tour of Homes but, Oh Well.  The plan is to enjoy them for this year and move them on out to a garden setting when they outgrow the space.  Pictures on the next blog!  Gotta hurry though before the blooms fall off.

Also did more autumn ferns.  They are absolutely tried and true friends...loving either shade or sun.  The one gallon plants are ideal for the containers, only growing up to be "big boys" in two seasons and ready to be transferred into the garden.  A real win-win situation.

Be back soon with more pictures and updates on the containers.

Fireworks

The season is finally nearing an end.  It has been brutal and I, for one, will be glad to take out the summer plants and bring in fresh, fall friends.  But before the summer friends leave I do have to give kudos to one tough plant -- Gomphrena 'Fireworks'.  It has been abused by people wanted to pull of a flower or two; neglected by the watering schedule; and temperatures that even heat loving plants struggled with.  But look at it after five full months in the pot and just weeks away from going to compost heaven.

It is still going strong.  I will definitely put this in my Habitat Garden at home.  While I was grooming Fireworks a butterfly landed in front of my eyes and I watched it eat its dinner.  I can only imagine how wonderful this plant will look with adequate water.  If you are local to the area (Morgan County or Athens area) check with Thomas Orchards to get this one for next year.  They can get just about anything you desire.

I'm headed to Asheville, NC for a few days and hope to get by Biltmore Estates and see their gardens.  I'm sure they are filled with autumn goodies.  Maybe I'll get some "estate" ideas to plant here in Madison.  It will be fun looking for sure.

New Blog Address

I had the distinct pleasure of being featured in the Lake Oconee Magazine and I mentioned my blog address.  Alas, my memory is definitely fading.  I used the older address.  So if you have come here looking for my site, please use "madisoncontainers.blogspot.com".  That has historical and current blog postings.  Sorry for the misdirection....see you at the new site.

Bountiful Supply of Caterpillars

This morning's posting is not specifically about the City containers this time.  I wanted to share the fun I have had drawing caterpillars to my yard.  It wasn't by design actually.  My friends, Chris and Chuck Steward, who own a wholesale nursery, shared a pot of parsley with me that happened to have a "couple" caterpillar eggs on it....caterpillars that would eventually become swallowtail butterflies -- the gods willing and hungry birds don't find them first.  The caterpillars kept on multiplying and so I begged more parsley plants.  Then one day it looked like something out of a Hitchcock movie -- there were over 60 caterpillars (as many as I could count anyway) munching away on these plants.  I loved everyone of them and hoped to see 60 fluttering friends one day.  Check out this out.

And this is just one of the many pots they used.  When there was nothing left but tiny stems, I watched the few remaining guys chewing on the stubs.  Mother Nature is amazing!  Not sure where they all went but I am keeping an eye on six chrysalis (where the pupae develop into butterflies) and hoping I won't miss the "big event".  Surely, I'll be rewarded for all my efforts with at least one!!

I'm telling you all this to encourage you to plant more butterfly-attracting plants.  The beloved monarch butterfly unfortunately only eats the butterfly plant (asclepias) which is often hard to find and most certainly nearly impossible to transplant, but worth the effort to get it in your garden.  Good ole fashioned zinnias are major attractors - and talk about cheap.  Throw a handful of seeds out and you have a field of flowers.  Pentas, lantanas, yarrow, coresopsis, echinacea (coneflower) - are just a few of the easy to find plants you can put in your garden or in a pot for easy viewing on your patio.

I had the wonderful pleasure of watching, up close and very personal, literally eye-to-eye, a Gulf Fritillary land on the gomphrena "Fireworks" that is in a pot by the Courthouse.  While there are many pentas in the pots not many butterflies have visited those.    I can only assume the environment is not good for them -- too much traffic.

So when you plan for next summer's garden or pots, see which plants will not only please your eye but will also please the eye of the butterfly.

Counting The Days

I am counting the days until fall color change out can happen, and it can't happen soon enough.  Even though the containers have done exceptionally well through this intense drought, some are looking weary and ready to be relieved of their 24/7 hours of duty.  Some, I am happy to say, are still strutting their stuff; and there has even been a couple surprises in the batch.

As I mentioned before, the petunias are dropping off one by one.  Although good ole Easy Wave Misty Lilac is putting out a second (or it might be the third or fourth by now) wave of blooms.  For the most part, the plants themselves are buried under the heavy foliage of the true survivors, but straining for the sun as lots of pretty pink flowers, hanging over the edge of the boxes.

Who are those survivors?  Looking better than ever are the Dragon Wing Begonias.  Some of the pentas are turning into small shrubs.  And those alternatherias could vie kudzu for take-over status.  I am not complaining about these potential thugs though.  There really is a plan for the designs when I put at least three varieties of plants together at the beginning of the season.  I know that at least one group will fizzle out towards the bitter end of summer, leaving the hardiest ones to take over.  The container won't have its "wow" factor of colors and textures, but at least it will be full of lush foliage.

This week I put together the design for the fall plantings and sent it off to the supplier....with lots of prayers that I get my "wishes".  Notice I didn't say get my "order"....it always starts as a wish list and only after the supplier verifies which crops survived their planting schedule, and who on the ordering totem pole is ahead of me, will I be told what I can have.  And this year I have been told that the suppliers have cut back on what they are growing.  Keep this in mind when you shop for your garden gems.  Each year the list of available plants gets shorter and most certainly the unique, speculative plants are not being grown.  That's okay with me because I have to use only the survivors in the City containers.  Not so good with me when it comes to my own containers where I test out new things that might be added to the city group.  Fingers are crossed as I wait for my order to get approved.

Another quick note on the happenings in my back yard.  I think I told you that I have become fascinated with the life of caterpillars and butterflies.  Well, thanks to the generosity of my friends who grow herbs I had a goodly number of parsley plants -- hosts to a number of butterflies.  On just three medium sized plants I had over 43 caterpillars -- all to become black swallowtails.  More parsley needed and it came --- and so did more caterpillars.  I was up to 60 when I stopped being able to count.  Not sure where they all go but I have only found three cocoons scattered about the patio.  I can only hope the others made it to a safe place to grow into the pretty stage of their life and did not become dinner for the many birds that I also attract to the yard.  Ah well, thus is Mother Nature doing her thing.

Some Summer Winners

Once again Madison missed an opportunity to get that blessed rain we so badly need.  The perfect hurricane -- if there is such a thing -- entered the Gulf, did not do horrific damage, moved its way up into Georgia with lots of rain to share.  But not with us!  Oh well, there are still several months of hurricane opportunities to come.

On this otherwise rainy day I thought I'd share some sunshine with you through some pictures of containers from the past years.  All with the "tough as nails" plants that I like to use.

The plants in this photo are two of my favorites.  Coleus 'Redhead' and Supertunia Vista 'Bubblegum'.  In a normal year, not one like this overheated disaster, Redhead will keep its color, not go to seed quickly and not bolt.  This year it did hold its color well but struggled with too much heat and not enough water, wilting frequently.  A daily watering would have kept it handsome.

The perfect combo for a shady area.  Caldiums, Dragon Wing Begonias and Torenia.  It must be said though that the begonia will outsize everyone else by the end of the season if it isn't kept in check.  But that is so easy to do and it doesn't show stubby stems when nipped back.  If I were to do this arrangement again, I might consider putting the begonia in the middle with the caldiums around it with torenia as fill-ins between them.  There is a container now near the Courthouse with these plants and it has done very well all summer -- no wilt and continuous blooms.

Perky is probably the best word for this arrangement.  Purple Angelonia with Vinca Cora Punch. The middle plant is a rosemary that doesn't add any color but gives a stable centerpiece.  This year's plants have done well against the heat -- a continuous bloom and finally given their Monday drink, reviving themselves after a long weekend without water.  The vinca does need to be clipped back regularly or it will sprawl and not maintain its upright behavior.  Again, easy to do and with no sign of the haircut. While the angelonia doesn't need clipping, randomly nipping out the spent flower heads will encourage more blooms.

Hopefully, these cooler day and the light rain we did get will revive the containers -- giving them enough hope to keep on going until the fall/winter plants can be installed.  I know I'm looking forward to the change.  Hopefully you enjoy this pleasant change in the weather.  A cup of tea and a gardening magazine await me as I plan for the fall colors to come.

And The Heat Drags On

The weather man, well actually it is a weather woman on Channel 2 am TV, must be bored to death with reporting the weather.  It is the same exact report every morning:  "Temperatures will range from lows in the 70's to highs in the super high 90's -- and by the way -- NO RAIN.  I have given up even hoping for relief from this heat and I know that the containers have surely given up all hope.  As I told you in the last posting, a goodly number of containers had to be redone.  As I groomed them last night I see that even the new plants are toast.  I really didn't imagine they could get their roots spread out enough to collect the precious water that is given to them three days a week, but one can hope.  With the intense heat from Mother Nature and the equally intense heat from the passing cars -- well, it just was a lose/lose proposition.

But I am not a woman to give up.  I'll head back to the nursery and get a couple more pretties to keep the containers looking at least passably good for the next 6 weeks until I can install the fall/winter plants.  Good news though!!  I just received the availability from my supplier.  The tried and true varieties are on the list and I think I'll stay with them for the most part.  Although the creative creature in me will still seek out a few new and unusual ones.  Something for folks to seek out and for me to watch and write about.  Winter doesn't give many opportunities for unusual plants but maybe a new cultivar would be interesting to try.  In upcoming blogs I'll tell you about some of the ones I will source so you can check them out for yourself.  And I'll be sure to let you know where you can find them.

Which plants are thriving and striving?  Well, it depends on which containers you are looking at.  For reasons yet to be determined, the same plants are struggling in one yet bursting out of the pot in another place.  The alternatheria is turning into a small shrub by Chop House but at death's door by the old Ricky D's.  Watering maybe!  This is a worthy plant for a solid, backdrop color in a bed.  Interestingly the torenia that nearly died right after planting is now filling out and blooming.  I have no answer for that, sorry.  Just glad it revived itself and decided to join the party, even if it was late.  It is another worthy plant that would be happy in a semi-shady garden at the edge of a bed.  The newly planted crotons are doing okay so far.  They do like the heat and can withstand low level watering so just maybe they will hang in there for fall.  Their bright yellow, orange and green variegated leaves are perfect backgrounds for those pumpkins we will soon be buying.

I have actually spent some time in my own garden - a promise I made to myself in January - no not a resolution - those get broken before the last bubble in the champagne glass bursts.  This is part of my vision for my yard - put in plants that attract birds, butterflies and bees!  Yes, bees.  They are an integral part of nature and need to be encouraged to visit by planting their favorite food.  Remember, no bees - no food for you!!  I'm telling you about my own garden because some of the treasures I have found are at the big box stores -- Lowe's and Home Depot.  Lots of goodies on the 75% off racks - perennials to be nursed back to health for next year and annuals to add a bit of color in this year's beds.  But get there early -- I've had near epic "hat sale" events with gals grabbing pots as fast as they can.  With that said, I'm headed to Lowe's to see what else I can add to my slowly growing "Martha Stewart" garden.  And as soon as I find out who her gardener is mine will look just like hers.

Succulents -- Beautiful and Easy

Okay, I know these aren't City containers but I had to share them with you so that you might consider using succulents in your own containers.  Wish I could use more in the City pots but besides the fact that they are a little too fragile to be left at the mercy of the many visitors who would be oh so tempted to touch them, it would be too much to ask for their watering needs to be the "exception".  But that is the best reason for you to use succulents in either your garden or containers -- they don't want, need or like a lot of water.  In fact, the thicker the leaves, the less water the plant needs to survive.  

There are so many different succulents from which to choose that you will feel like a kid in a candy store when you get started using them.  Naturally, I have my favorites.  Check out this container....

The tub I used is from Tractor Supply -- love the silvery look that picks up on the light gray of the Kalanchoe tomentosa - Panda Plant.  It is such an easy plant to grow and perfect for kids to start with in their little gardens.  Isn't cold hardy here in Madison but I have left mine outside until the temperatures got into the low 20s and it was fine.  I'll bring it indoors for the worst part of our winters.  It propagates so easily -- even if you lay a piece on top of the soil it will send out roots.  The other plants in this containers are sedum, sempervivum and echeveria.

This echeveria is one of my favorites called 'Black Prince'.  The color is so intense that it can be the star in any combination container and looks wonderful alone in a low bowl.  

Tucked under the kalanchoe is Sempervivum 'Red Rubin' and behind that is Sedum 'Red Dragon'.   Way in the back is Echeveria 'Topsy Turvy'... it has a soft blue leaf that echoes the kalanchoe.  

I love this one!!!  Sometimes you just get all the right components together in the perfect pot.  That big guy in the back is another kalanchoe -- yep, they look different.  This one is 'Flapjack'.  The more sun it gets the brighter the red edges are.  It is another one of those that can take some cold temperatures before you have to bring it inside.  This one sat in my garage without sun or water for several months before it went back outside -- lost a few leaves but it bounced right back.  

If you aren't using succulents, plan on using them next season.  There are lots of cold hardy ones available if you don't want to baby them through the winter months.  Just be sure to provide excellent drainage -- mix lots of grit into your soil; and don't over water them.  Less is better.  A slightly shriveled leaf will bounce back nicely after it gets a drink.  And the last bit of info is to use pebbles as a mulch -- it will keep the moisture away from the leaves so they don't rot.  Other than that, it can't get any easier and with such wonderful rewards.  Enjoy!

Pushy Petunias

Pushy Petunias!!  How could I say that about my favorite, most reliable petunia?  I mean it in the kindest way.  Petunia Easy Wave 'Misty Lilac' has proven itself to me over and over.  This season is no different.  While many other petunias have hit the market with their flashy colors or unique names, Misty Lilac just continues to outperform all of them.  And don't be swayed by its generic soft pink color.  This gal coordinates with so many different color combinations.  Admittedly there are lots of individual plants in this container, but it is a giant of a pot and needed lots of stuff to fill the space.

This is very early in the season before Misty Lilac even got going.  I have had to prune it back several times since to keep it full at the top.  Petunias tend to sprawl, leaving the middle open with few flowers.  But if you clip some (about 1/4) of the trailers back to the middle every couple weeks, it will stay full.  But....most important of all....you MUST feed these guys at least once a week with a liquid fertilizer.  Even Misty Lilac likes her "drink".  

If you are wondering what is in the background, that is the companion pot that has a grass in the center - a panicum for sure but I don't know the cultivar since I didn't plant it.  Around it are/were white petunias and pink verbena.  I say "are/were" because this side of the container did not get watered properly and the plants all died so I had to replace with what I had around.  Oh well.....

In the center of this container is a juniper communis called "Gold Cone".  It will only get about 5 feet tall by 2 feet wide.  We'll see how long it stays in this container.  Around the base of it is Sage Bergarteen which will eventually get full and much taller as the season goes along.  I'll keep you posted on how this one evolves.  

Here is another container with Misty Lilac -- it has Angelonia 'Serena White' between it and the Centaurea 'Colchester White' in the middle.  One thing I need to mention is turning the pots.  All of these are round pots sitting in the square outer containers and every several weeks I (and a wonderful young man named Jack) give them a 180 degree turn to allow for all sides to get sun.  Otherwise the "dark side" gets skimpy.  So if you can, turn yours to be sure the plants get an equal opportunity to grow to their max.  

Misty Lilac should be easy enough to find at most garden centers since it has been around so long and has become a staple.  If you don't see it, ask for it.  May not get it that season but the nursery should be able to bring it in for the next one.  Try it....you'll like it!!!

The Vibrant Vincas -- And Their Friend Angelonia

The last check on the containers showed that the vincas were doing great.  Most folks know about vincas -- those tough summer annuals that can withstand all the heat and drought you can throw at them.  In fact, they don't really strut their stuff until it is hot.  So anyway, I had to share with you what the containers around the Town Park look like after two months of growth.  

For the center piece I had left the Rosemary 'Barbeque' from the winter arrangements.  Unfortunately, not all of them put out new growth in the spring so you'll see a few brown branches and skimpy growth, but please look past that. Normally this variety of rosemary will nearly take over a spot, turning into a small shrub, so I'm not sure why some of these decided not to play with their friends this year. 

But let's check out some of my favorite vinca colors.

The variety that I used -- and always use -- is the Cora series.  They have proven themselves over the years to be strong, disease resistant and to produce mountains of blooms.  One thing I can say about the producers of the Cora series is that they didn't spend much time naming these guys.  This one is Vinca Cora 'Pink'.  Makes it pretty easy to ask for it at your local nursery.

Notice also that in every container I used Angelonia Serena 'White' or 'Purple' for a contrasting color and to bridge the area between the vinca and the rosemary.  If you haven't used angelonia in your containers or your beds, you have been missing out on another outstanding performer.  You will get continuous blooms all summer with little or no pest or disease problems.

This next variety of vinca is one of my favorites this year....Vinca Cora 'Apricot'.  It has such a fresh look to it.

It looks so good paired with the purple angelonia.  I plan to use this one in more containers next season.

There are eight containers around the Park so I used four different colors of vinca and mixed them with either the white or purple angelonia.  Unfortunately, I didn't seem to get a picture of Vinca Cora 'Burgundy' yet.  But imagine if you will a very deep version of the 'Pink' variety.  It looks great with the white angelonia.

Speaking of white....here is Vinca Cora 'White' mixed with Angelonia Serena 'Purple'.  This combination has a really crisp, neat look to it.

There are other combinations around town using Cora vincas but these are the most concentrated and easiest to find.  

You probably won't find the Cora series at the box stores but you will likely find them at the independent stores.  For locals, you can always be sure to find them at Thomas Orchards Greenhouse & Nursery in Watkinsville.  

Frucrea -- A Really Cool Plant

Frucrea -- weird name, hard to spell and not so easy to say, but I love this plant.  Its full name is Frucrea foetida mediopicta.  It looks like a classy "mother-in-law's tongue" or sanservia.  The leaves are stiff like the MIL Tongue but the color variations are so much brighter and defined.  It comes from the agave family but this particular variety doesn't have the sharp spines and extremely stiff blades as the others in the same grouping.     Here in zone 8 we still have to treat it as a houseplant in the winter, although my friend Barbie has kept hers outside in a pot through the winter.  The outer leaves do get burned but they peel off easily and the new growth comes in nicely to fill out the plant.  She also has lots of little "pups" coming up around the edges.  Take a look at it....

This plant is in Barbie's yard but I wanted you to see it alone to get an idea of the shape and also the good coloration.

Here it is in Container No. 16 on Main and Washington....

......nicely nestled in among two Kimberly ferns, two White Christmas caladiums and a scattering of Kauai White torenia.  Barbie gets maximum growth on her plant by feeding it "blue water" a few times a week, although the writeups say that it does not need much fertilizer.  Her plant is also in full sun while this one gets morning sun and late day shade.  It will be interesting to see how they both do.

Haven't decided if this one will stay through the winter in the city container.  The micro climate on Main Street is warmer -- lots of heat from the passing vehicles -- so it might do as well as the Blue Crisp Fern that is across the street.  The fern lived happily with its companion heuchera through the winter of 2012 and come spring they both flushed out with lots of new growth.  

But at any rate, I think it makes a neat summer container plant and would be happy indoors in a bright window, waiting to come back out next year.  And you guessed it -- not easy to find but worth the search.