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.

 

Plant and They Will Come

Just had to share these pictures with you -- human visitors aren't the only ones happy to have the City containers filled with colorful plants.  As I was grooming the containers I had to work my way around these two little visitors.  The bee would not move -- may have "drunk too much of the good stuff". 

All of the lantana are attractors but this particular one is 'Spreading Sunset'.  It has been a great bloomer.  Predicted to have a 2-3 foot height but in the container it isn't getting anywhere near that.  This particular plant is paired with a yellow coleus and yellow and orange portulaca and you can find it on lower Jefferson across from the Town Park.

You can count on the vinca to attract the butterflies....this one would hardly stand still long enough for me to capture his image.  These are welcome visitors....not true with the caladiums in the Welcome Center Garden.  I need to find out who is munching on them....they are having a feast.  I'm all for sharing with Nature, but half a leaf seems mighty greedy to me.