A New Worthy Plant To Consider

As I was walking through town with a friend, she stopped in her tracks by one of the containers.  "What is that neat plant" she asked.  Duh, I couldn't tell her and I'm the one who planted it.  I didn't know because it was new to me this year and it has a tough name to remember.  But I sure will remember it from now on....Cherianthus 'Gold Dust'.  At the time of planting it was just a little pile of forgettable leaves.  But I am a sucker for new plants so I decided to give it a try. And when the flowers came out in late winter I was rewarded for my decision.  

Does this not shout cheerful

In the container with 'Gold Dust' is the pansy Dynamite 'Blueberry Thrill', Liberty Yellow Snapdragon and Carex 'Ice Dance'.  If you look closely you can see that the flowers fall away from the bottom, leaving you with color at the top for a long time.  Not sure how long it will continue to bloom but I will definitely use 'Gold Dust' again, even if it only has a short bloom time.  The impact is well worth it.

Another new pansy for me is Ultima 'Purple Lace'....dark purple petals edged in silvery gray.   Talk about a class act.  It is paired with Euphorbia 'Rudolph' and Dusty Miller 'New Look'.  Check it out.....

'Purple Lace' has been blooming consistently through the season, spent heads just droop quietly, not calling attention to themselves.

The addition of the Dusty Miller really pulled out the silver on the leaves of the pansy, and the dark purple stems of the Euphorbia made the final connection.










For whatever reason Dusty Miller has been able to shoulder its way to the forefront of the containers this year.  In the past it was lost in the crowd.  I'm glad it was able to strut its stuff so that this combination could come together.

I'm off to groom again this weekend and get more pictures.  Be back soon.

The Containers Are Strutting Their Stuff

It is with great regret that I have been away so long.  In February I told you that I had a personal event that brought a curtain of sadness over me.  I thought I would be back on track sooner but unfortunately that didn't happen.  Well, here I am now and excited to show you how great the containers look.  The cool weather and regular rain has provided a recipe for success.  Check these out.

This container holds Sorbet Ruby & Gold Babyface Viola, Bull's Blood Beet, Erysimum variegated and Euphorbia Rudolph.  All of these grew so well together -- no one was a thug.  

This is a close up view of the erysimum.  I love the purple flowers that seem to just pop out of nowhere.











 Another euphorbia that is performing really well in the containers is 'Shorty'.  Where Rudolph has darker green leaves and burgundy stems, the leaves on Shorty are bright green with green stems and its height is several inches shorter.  But both put out neon yellow flowers that look like fireworks.  

The viola in this container is Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.  Why the name?  Not sure, maybe because the flowers range from white to light blue and to deep blue.  Anyway, it's a catchy name.  Tucked in between is Bull's Blood Beet.   It provides such a nice deep burgundy color and here it made for a good separation.

A close up of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow gives you an idea of how the colors change.

More photos to come soon.  I took photos of the containers in numerical order -- they all have tags on them.  This is just the beginning....so come back soon.  

Checking In On The Pansies - and others

Sorry I have been away for so long and not sharing what is happening with the containers.  A sad, personal event has kept me from writing.  But the joy of the flowers is helping me, so I'll be back on track.

The cold weather has made the kales and mustards very happy.  They are busting out of their assigned spaces.  Every time I am in town I stop by containers and cut them back to give the poor little violas a chance to get some sun.   The common question I get is "do I eat them"....no can do...I put insecticide in the soil.  Yuck!

But I wanted to share one of the pretties with you.  The container that sits on Main Street by the Perk Avenue Cafe is so striking right now.  There are Liberty Yellow snapdragons in the center with Carex Ice Dance woven in between.  The pansies are Silhouette.  A neat combination of purple and yellow.  It is such a cheerful arrangement.  

Probably should have tidied this one up before the photo but it was darn cold outside I just promised them I would get back later this week.

The faces of the purple pansies are so striking. What a great contrast against their yellow companions.  

I braved the wind and went down by the Town Park and got this photo of the Red Russian Kale.  It is not only thriving but is so well behaved, not nearly as rowdy as the Red Giant Mustard -- much less pruning is needed to keep it in check.  

Okay, a little grooming on the parsley would have helped this photo too but it is also doing really well.  Another cold weather fan.  But check out this cute little viola that is poking its way through the foliage.....

Now back to the really cold weather issue....here is an update on that tropical fern 'Blue Star' that I have left in the container on Main and Washington to see how long it would last.  I'm northern by birth (but southern by choice) and I could not have withstood the latest frigid weather we have had.  Looks great -- still no frost burn.

I have "understudies" waiting in the wings if and when the weather finally takes this soldier away but I'm thinking it may be a player again this summer.  Stay tuned!

Trade Show Treasures

I have been out-of-pocket for the last week attending trade shows and garden conferences.  Normally I just share things  about the plants in the city containers or beds, but I just had to share these photos with you.  They made me either giggle or sigh in awe.  Hope they give you some pleasure too.

This vignette was done by my favorite ground cover nursery, Evergreen (sorry, wholesale only).  They have a very talented designer who comes up with something different each year for the trade show.  Not saying that you should take your old toilet and place it in the front yard, but isn't this  a clever idea for a casual setting.

While the toilet may not be as desirable for a container, this sink could easily fit in amongst low growing shrubs....and hey, it has its own drainage hole.

Now I have to share a couple pictures from the conference I attended at Callaway.  Looking for vertical gardens I found these in the Sibley Horticultural Center.  How easy can gardening get?  You might not have the option for vertically stacked stone walls like this, but there is no reason that any stone wall needs to be "bare".

The Flapjack kalanchoe is not hardy in zone 8 but there are lots of sedums and echeveria that could work.

How easily this sedum and rosemary drape over this wall. And they prefer drier conditions!  

Got lots of good ideas at these conferences and hope to showcase them in the summer containers.....stay tuned!

Parade of Pansies -- and Violas

I really should have titled this "Parade of Violas" because there are way more violas than pansies -- but "Parade of Pansies" had such a nice ring to it.  So anyway.....let's take a look at some of them.  And I say "some" because there are so many different varieties that you would get bored reading about them in one sitting.  So, I'm going to spread them out over the next few blogs.  Hopefully, you will find a few that you like for next year, because there isn't much left out there to buy now except for the same ole same ole.  As I go through the season I'll let you know which ones did the best so keep checking in.  But I'm going to start with the all time winner and one that I use over and over -- Sorbet Lemon Chiffon Viola.

This dainty looking little flower makes such an impact because it creates an 8"x8" mound covered in blooms -- all season -- and it doesn't get poutty with freezing temperatures and handles the heat just as well, so you will be able to enjoy them for a long time.  I plant them shoulder to shoulder in the containers for a quick impact and they have never complained.

A new favorite for this year -- and I may like it more for its name than anything -- is Penny Marlies viola.  The subtle purple and gold colors are so rich looking; and this viola always looks as though it isn't in a hurry -- just gonna hang out here and grow pretty.

Like all violas, Marlies will stay compact and handle the cold well -- and oh yeah -- just be pretty.

Let's jump over to a couple pansies for contrast.  The reds don't usually draw me to their table but I do like Panola Fire. It had a 'sassy" look that I thought would go well with some fine leafed companions.  

It has been doing well in the containers and not "melting" like some of the other pansies have done on these cold days.  The red/yellow combination is just bright enough to catch your eye -- not getting lost in green foliage.

In contract to the sassy look of Panola Fire is a really sweet pink pansy called Nature Frosty Rose.  

I do love this one but I have to admit it doesn't like partial shade and is stretching a bit; but it seems to be working well with the companion plants to give the whole container an "airy" look.  

You are probably asking why I put pansies in partial shade.  Not much choice with containers in the town:  tall trees, tall buildings, short days -- but I wanted to add some color so we are taking what we get.

Need to make a point about the names of these pansies and violas.  Sorbet, Penny, Panola, and Nature are all a series of plants from a grower; so there will be lots of others with that as their first name.  If you find you like that series, check the website for more and you will find lots of different colors.  

So, that's probably enough for today.  Many more to talk about so check in again real soon.  Well, not too soon -- I'm headed to a trade show and a conference this week to find more great plants for the summer containers.  Be back "sorta soon".

A Rose in January - 'Old Blush' - Its Friend 'Pink Frost'

I had to share this with you.  As I was grooming the pansies this past week inside the Welcome Center garden a lovely soft fragrance was drifting around my head.  Pansies do have a sweet fragrance in mass, but this was different.  And then I looked up and realized that it was the Rosa chinensis 'Old Blush' that had several flowers fully opened and sharing their loveliness.  Not only does it smell great, it has the sweetest soft pink flowers that bloom and bloom and bloom.....even in January.  

Is that not absolutely beautiful?  And the fragrance is soft and fruity -- no need to stick your nose into the center, this fragrance comes to you.

'Old Blush' is one of the oldest roses around.  It is also one of the first cultivars to come from Eastern Asia and reached Europe in the 1700's.  First noted in Denmark in 1752 and then England in 1793.  

The semi double flowers bloom continuously on a 5 foot bush -- living happily in zones 7-11 with minimal maintenance.  It will make a lovely hedge or an outstanding specimen.  This one is situated at the front of the garden where it gets some hours of direct sun and then partial shade in the late afternoon.  

Stop by the garden if you are in town and enjoy this special rose.  And while you are there, step to the other side and gently touch the leaves of Illicium floridana 'Pink Frost'.....it will give off its own sweet fragrance.  While working under it to clean up that area, I had the pleasure of its company.

As the temperatures get colder, the white margins on 'Pink Frost' leaves will turn pink, matching the deep pink stems.  In the spring it will put out red-maroon colored flowers -- not showy but an interesting addition to this shrub.  It can grow 6-10 feet tall but responds well to pruning if you need to keep it in check.  Zones 6-10 and shade tolerant.  It has performed well for me in different situations and survived the benign neglect that I impose on plants that wait for their turn in the soil.  

'Old Blush' may need to be ordered online but you can find 'Pink Frost' at independent nurseries.  For locals, check with Thomas Orchards & Nursery in Bishop.  

Little Leaves - Still a Big Impact

This is a side note before I start the blog.  Actually, I started this blog a few days ago only to find out that I had a serious software glitch and could not upload my photos.  Pure Panic!!  I have to thank my dear friend, Carol Brown, for patiently holding my hand and helping me find a solution.    Her patience with impatient people like me is incredible, her artistic and creative ability is sensitive and deep -- and last but not least, her technical savvy is amazing.  She has a new blog that you really need to check out to see just how talented she is.....click on her site - Inspirational Nature -- which you can find here in the right-hand column.  So back to the blog.........


In my last post I showed you pictures of the big leafed plants I've used in the containers.  This time I wanted to share the fine leafed plants I used.  What they lacked in leaf size they made up for in overall size and impact.  I used two euphorbias this year -- a burgundy and a blue-green.  My favorite of the two is probably Euphorbia martinii 'Rudolph' - and when you see the picture you will understand why it is called " Rudolph".

Does that not look like the red nose on Santa's Rudolph?  Although when I see it in the container my first thought is fireworks.  But whatever you choose to see, it makes an impact in the container.  All euphorbias exude a milky sap when cut, which can irritate the skin and eyes so keep that in mind when pruning them.  But they are so worth having.  

Rudolph can grow to 24 inches tall

Happy in zones 6-9

Produces chartreuse green blooms in spring









The other euphorbia I used is Euphorbia wulfenii 'Shorty'....with soft blue leaves and soon to have bright yellow flowers.  Notice in the photo the "nodding heads" of the upright branches, which indicates they are ready to strut their stuff.  

This one is so easy to pair up with almost any color pansy or viola -- great with yellows, blues, reds....purples are better left to hang out with Rudolph.  Check out the photo below of the "nodding head".   If you look closely at the plants you might be able to see the flower buds tucked in the leaves.

Shorty is true its name and grows only 12-17 inches tall.  Perfect for that middle section of your garden or for a smaller container.

A not so well known and little used plant that I really like for the winter arrangements is Erysimum variegated (there is also a cultivar called Bowles Mauve that has less variegation).   The variegated leaves alone would create a bright spot in the container but then the lavender flowers are a pleasant surprise when they erupt.  

18-24 inches tall
15-18 inches wide

Spring blooms attract butterflies

Needs full to partial sun














In anticipation of the heavy shade I'll have for a lot of the containers on Main Street where there are large trees, I've planted Autumn Ferns (Dryopteris erythrosora) -- my "go to" plant for shade.  Since they are evergreen they do well in winter, experiencing only some leaf aging which can be clipped off.  Come spring though they will reward you with awesome bronze colored new growth.  A mature plant can easily reach 2' x 2'.  Once it outgrows a container it is easily transplanted into the garden where it will thrive with little attention.  

Here it is mixed in with Carex 'Ice Dance' -- a perfect companion.  For that linear look 'Ice Dance' and Liriope 'Evergreen' are frequently used in my containers.  

While all these plants are used in the container design, they will do equally, if not better, in your garden beds.  Independent garden centers are your best bet for finding some of these, but the box stores will sometimes bring them in -- just be first in line when the truck arrives.