tead102's ideas
Color in shade. Brighten up a shaded area of the garden or bring some color to a shadowy doorway with a container filled with low-light bloomers. In this container in a Chicago landscape, a low bowl has been filled to the brim with white-flowering peace lily (Spathiphyllum sp.), pink impatiens and begonias, as well as feathery Sprenger’s asparagus fern (Asparagus densiflorus ‘Sprengeri’, zones 9 to 11). Other partial- to full-shade-loving flowers to consider for summer containers include forget-me-not (Myosotis spp.), fuchsia, Chinese foxglove (Rehmannia elata, zones 7 to 10) and Natal lily (Clivia spp.). Water requirement: Moderate to regular; keep the soil moist for impatiens and begonia Light requirement: Partial shade to full shade
Bright lights. This primarily pastel display is far from being washed out, thanks to a few dazzling accent plants and the contrast of a dark container. Here, we see a mix of purple-flowering heliotrope, gold coleus (Coleus sp.), the coral torch-like flower spikes of red-hot poker (Kniphofia sp.), trailing ‘Silver Falls’ dichondra (Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’, zones 10 to 12) and foliage from both dahlias and sage (Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’, zones 8 to 10), not yet flowering. Re-create the vividness of this combination by using at least one plant with bright silver, gold or lime green foliage to act as icing in your container display. Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
8. Fresh fragrance. Pot a few fragrant bloomers on your deck or patio and enjoy their scent on warm summer evenings. Here, sweetly scented gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides, zones 7 to 10) and nonfragrant white-flowering gaura (Gaura lindheimeri, Zone 5) make a particularly fresh combination. Other great container-friendly plants for summer fragrance: Madagascar jasmine (Stephanotis floribunda), confederate jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides, Zone 8) and many types of roses. Water requirement: Moderate to regular; gardenia grows best when the soil is kept consistently moist Light requirement: Full sun
Mediterranean urn. Channel your favorite Mediterranean destination with a classic Anduze-style French urn overflowing with citrus, flowering perennials and herbs. For this container in Santa Barbara, California, the designer potted a ‘Dancy’ tangerine (Citrus reticulata ‘Dancy’, zones 9 to 11) with thyme and azure-colored ground morning glory (Convolvulus mauritanicus, zones 7 to 9) to trail over the sides. Like all citrus, the tangerine tree fruits in winter, but the fruits hang on the tree for months. In a potted display, this is particularly useful for adding interest to containers when the warm-season flowers are gone. Citrus grows best in containers with frequent fertilization (at least monthly, and more if leaves show yellowing). Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Full sun
Lemon sorbet. This frothy summer composition looks as fresh and zesty as a lemon daiquiri. To create the effect, the designer paired a number of finely textured flowers and bright, lacy foliage, including white-flowering ‘Diamond Frost’ euphorbia (Euphorbia hybrid, zones 10 to 11), white Angelface snapdragon (Angelonia angustifolia hybrid, zones 10 to 11), yellow-flowering Luscious ‘Tropical Fruit’ lantana (Lantana camara ‘Tropical Fruit’, zones 10 to 11) and trailing lime-colored Illusion Emerald Lace sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas, zones 9 to 11). Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Full sun to partial sun
Four-season interest. This clever combination of plants can easily transition from one season to the next without your having to fully dismantle and repot the display. At the back of the container, the toothy-leaved holly osmanthus (Osmanthus heterophyllus, zones 7 to 9) and clump of chartreuse coral bells (Heuchera sp.), now blooming pale pink, most likely remain in the container year-round to provide foliage interest. In spring, the addition of a pink bedding hydrangea and trailing white bacopa will add color throughout summer (as pictured here). Come late summer, you could swap the hydrangea and bacopa for a rudbeckia and ornamental grass, leaving the osmanthus and heuchera in place, to transition easily to fall. In winter, replace the rudbeckia and ornamental grass with heather (Erica spp.) for interest through the holidays. Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Full sun to partial sun
Pollinator-friendly. Even if you’re short on gardening space, a couple of containers on a rooftop or city patio can help support native bees, pollinating birds, butterflies and other insects. This roof terrace in Marylebone, London, is bordered with containers filled with bee favorites like lavender and purple-flowering sage (Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’, zones 4 to 8) as well as olive trees and standard and horned violet (Viola cornuta, zones 6 to 11) to round out the design. Other pollinator-friendly plants to consider that grow well in containers: bee balm (Monarda spp.), honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.), catmint (Nepeta spp.), ‘Autumn Joy’ stonecrop (Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’, zones 3 to 10) and many varieties of herbs, like oregano, chives and thyme. Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Full sun
Raspberry delight. Raspberries and other prickly shrubs are usually tucked out of sight in the back garden. That’s not the case for this darling little hybrid called Raspberry Shortcake, which looks sweet as can be potted on the patio. This dwarf hybrid (from the Bushel and Berry collection, formerly BrazelBerries) thrives in a large container, growing to be only 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, and is also thornless. Plant in spring or early summer to enjoy sweet, large red berries by midsummer. Water requirement: Regular; keep the soil consistently moist leading up to and throughout summer fruiting season Light requirement: Full sun
2. Magenta beauty. Go bold with a high-contrast container with dark purple, magenta and zingy chartreuse plants. The designer of this container mixed pink-flowering, purple-leaved begonia with feathery papyrus, berry-colored million bells (Calibrachoa sp.) and two types of sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas, zones 9 to 11), dark purple and bright lime. This container display would be well-suited for a partially shady location, such as nestled in a bed in dappled shade or under a covered patio. Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Partial sun or light shade
Cozy Up a Porch With Candles and Throws If your porch doubles as an outdoor seating area, you can extend your enjoyment of the space well into the cool season. Draw inspiration from this inviting porch by Miyuki Yamaguchi Design Studio and add candles, flameless candles or twinkling string lights, pile up warm blankets and pick up a few new throw pillows in jewel-toned colors for the season.
Set Out a Harvest Tray To encourage yourself or family members to look for and appreciate natural elements of the season, place a harvest tray on a porch table or by an entryway to display items found on walks, in the garden or at the farmers market. For this screened-in porch in Atlanta, interior designer Kat Nelson used a three-tiered rack to display a pretty collection of pine cones and greenery as a seasonal centerpiece.
Layer Seasonal Elements Another way to style your porch for seasonal transition is to start with many layered elements — like potted plants, a wreath, pumpkins or lanterns — and then edit down as the season shifts from fall to winter. Take this traditional porch in Raleigh, North Carolina, as an example. The potted ferns were perhaps a carryover from summer; layering in potted mums, fairytale pumpkins and a magnolia wreath transforms the space for fall. For winter, one could keep the wreath, remove the pumpkins and mums, bring the ferns indoors to shelter them from the cold and fill their empty urns with cut conifer branches.
Choose a Wreath That Can Bridge Seasons Whether you make your own wreath or purchase one, look for a wreath that is largely made up of evergreen — but not coniferous — foliage. Fir and pine feel too wintery for fall, while evergreens like preserved boxwood, silvery eucalyptus or bronze magnolia can easily work for both seasons.
Invest in Evergreens Potted evergreens — like boxwood, privet or yew — look great year-round and can stand alone or act as a backdrop for seasonal ingredients. For fall, place a few white, orange or gray pumpkins on the ground near the base of the containers. When you’re ready to transition to winter, swap pumpkins for two sets of white string lights to wrap around the evergreens. Or, keep it simple and let the evergreens stand alone, as was done for this boxwood topiary pair by Molly Wood Garden Design.
Cottage perennial. Flanking a doorway, a pair of summer containers brightens the entrance of this backyard cottage in Vancouver, Washington. To get a similar cottage-perennial look, use strappy New Zealand flax (Phormium spp.) to anchor the container, and tuck in colorful perennials, summer-flowering bulbs and trailing plants to soften the sides of the pot. The designer of these containers used pink dwarf dahlias, purple heliotrope, pale lavender million bells (Calibrachoa sp.) and, to spill over the sides, golden creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’, USDA zones 3 to 9; find your zone). Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Full sun
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