Friday, August 2, 2013

August is Container Time

I really love all my containers but never more so than in August when they've filled in and are showing all their potential and before they start looking a little bit tired in September.  Both of my container borders are lush and full this season after one of the hottest and wettest summers I can recall.  I haven't much enjoyed the heat but the annuals and tropical plants have loved it. 

Here are a few pics from my west container border. This garden is on the fence line on the west side of our property.  There are forty containers in this garden and all the plants from the Japanese Maple to the large hanging basket are in pots.  The watering can be a real chore on these hot summer days but I like looking over all my lovelies every day. 


The bromeliad tree and one of the many Variegated Salmon Sunpatiens - Probably my favorite annual.  These plants bloom like crazy and have never had any pests or disease, grow and bloom in sun or shade and look great all summer.

The plants at the very top of this vignette are in large hay racks. There is a bench with pots on it between the fence and the foreground plants.  I painted the cement leaf on the lower left to match the colors of the Sunpatiens.


The fuchsias are coming back into bloom after some very hot weather that caused them to droop, drop flowers and in general look unhappy for a few weeks..

The Abutilon 'Souvenir de Bonne' is about seven feet tall.

Loving this giant hanger arrangement this year.
Really love Plectranthus 'Troy's Gold'



Fuchsia 'Beacon' standard and Caladium 'Gingerland'

Caladium 'Florida Sweetheart'





22 comments:

  1. What a pleasure to see these, Deanne! Next best thing to being there. So glad I saw them in person in an earlier stage, but still beautiful, in June.

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    1. Thanks Celia! Your visit is one of the highlights of our year. So happy you were able to spend some time there.

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  2. What a feast for the eyes! Do your Bromelaids get full sun there? I put a couple in a sunny spot (I have no experience with them), and they burned really badly. I adore your Bromelaid tree. I may have to steal that idea. Do you know the name of that big one with the pink edges?

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    1. Thanks Alison, the Bromeliad tree only gets a half day of sun from early morning until noon. Many of the neoregelias don't tolerate a full day of sun and the only way to find out is to try them out. I've found the leaves with less substance don't tolerate it at all. The Neoregelia concentricia hybrids like 'Sibella' and 'Big Mac' can take a lot of sun and in fact my 'Big Mac' is in a full sun location, but, you have to harden them off gradually in the spring when you put them out. Many of the Aechmea like 'Blanchetiana' take a lot of sun. Experience and trial and error I've found are the only way to know for sure what plants will deal with sun in your location. The large one in image #5 is Correia-araujoi (albo-marginated) and the large one on the tree is Neoregelia 'Picasso'

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  3. Oh Deanne, it's all so beautiful, full, lush, and tropical looking. These plants really love your summer heat. I wish caladiums would do better here but we simply don't have enough heat for them to look very full. Still some years when they show up at the big box stores for a cheap price, I'll pick up one or two for a container.

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    1. Many thanks Peter, Yes, the plants, except for the fuchsias have enjoyed our summer heat this year much more than I have. LOL

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  4. Omigosh, Deanne, I'm just blown away. I'm not much of a gardener, but I'm certainly an appreciative audience, and I can't imagine anything more beautiful. That big hanging arrangement is unbelievable! Perhaps to you, it's "normal"...LOL...but to me, well, I've never seen anything like it. A wonder!

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    1. Thanks Peggy!!! So very good to hear from you! and of course you are a fabulous gardener. You grow enough vegetables to feed a small city! So happy you like my big hanger, it's one of my favorite things.

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  5. Just gorgeous. I love Plectranthus 'troy's gold' too! I've grown it for at least 5 years. I take cuttings every fall to have for the next year. It has been a 'weird'(weather wise) summer hasn't it?
    Melanie

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    1. Thanks Melanie, yes, indeed, this summer has been hotter and wetter than I ever remember. Today it feels like September. Go figure?

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  6. I absolutely love your jaw droppingly beautiful garden! Fantastic how you've used a pink, yellow and green theme throughout this collection. Simply stunning on every level.

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  7. Wow Deanne, the explosion of rich colour in your garden is a delight to see :)

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  8. Wow no August vacations for you! (watering watering watering). What dedication and a big payoff!

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    1. LOL Loree, you are absolutely right, no August vacations for me. I spend a couple hours a day watering.

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  9. That SDB abutilon is not to be believed, and I'm loving all the broms dotted throughout. Wouldn't it be grand if August was mild and everything just maintained this perfection?

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    1. Thanks Denise, so far so good. August has been really nice so far. Things are still looking good

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  10. Deanne, your gardens are just lovely this year! A treat to see. Thanks so much for sharing!

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  11. geez I feel so inadequate as always your have some striking phots of your paradise..the cost of all those lovely pots cha-ching

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  12. Gorgeous, and...just awesome! If there were a prize for best container gardening, you'd win hands down!

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  13. Oh là là, c'est magnifique ! bravo, bravo bravo !!

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