Container Gardening Complete

Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 74 5/24/17 11:05 AM
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 75 5/24/17 11:05 AM

74 chapter 2

by frost. If you live in a gardening zone where

winter temperatures seldom dip below freezing,

know that some of these plants may continue to

thrive in your container garden for many seasons.

For those gardeners in northern climes, Chapter

5 offers tips on how to overwinter these frost-

sensitive perennials indoors so you can keep them

for many years, too.

Although flowers are a common reason for

including annuals in your container plantings,

foliage-based annuals are another important

group to consider. These plants create varied

interest through unique foliage coloration or

leaf texture, and are beautiful even when not

in bloom. In fact, many gardeners pinch or cut

off flower buds as they develop on these plants

in an attempt to further highlight their unique

foliage. I try to include at least one or two

foliage-based annuals in each of my ornamental

container designs. Not only are they gorgeous and

interesting plants, but foliage-based annuals may

require less care than their flowering kin.

The following chart includes nineteen of

my favorite annuals for flowers and foliage in

container gardens (I could have listed hundreds!).

The chart offers design usage ideas, growing

requirements, and other general information

for the species, and will be applicable to many

different varieties beyond the ones listed.

The term annual technically refers to a plant that

completes its entire life cycle in one year, however

gardeners also use the term when referring to a

tropical perennial, such as this upright fuchsia (Fuchsia

‘Gartenmeister Bonstedt’), that’s killed by frost at the

end of the growing season.

Foliage-based annuals, such as this variegated

copperleaf (Acalypha wilkesiana ‘Beyond Paradise’),

add a great amount of interest and texture to

container plantings.

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Designing and Planting Your Containers 75

Recommended Annuals

COMMON NAME BOTANICAL NAME USED FOR FOLIAGE OR FLOWERS? DESIGN USE HEIGHT GROWING CONDITIONS COMMENTS

Variegated

Swedish ivy

Plectranthus

forsteri

‘Marginatus’

Foliage Filler 12 in. Full sun to part

shade

Green and white variegated

foliage plant; vigorous

grower.

Silver falls Dichondra

argentea ‘Silver

Falls’

Foliage Spiller 2 in. Full sun to part

shade

Long cascades of small,

fuzzy, gray leaves; low-

maintenance; drought

tolerant.

Licorice plant Helichrysum

petiolare

Foliage Spiller 6 in. Full sun to part

shade

Gray leaves except on

chartreuse cultivars; fast-

growing.

Heliotrope Heliotropium

arborescens

Flower Filler 12 to 18

in.

Full sun Flat-topped clusters of

deep purple, vanilla-

scented flowers; dark

green foliage.

Lantana Lantana

camara

Flower Filler and

Spiller

1 to 4 ft. Full sun Attracts butterflies and

hummingbirds; clusters

of small, tubular flowers

followed by dark purple

berries.

Persian shield Strobilanthes

dyerianus

Foliage Thriller

and Filler

1 to 2 ft. Full sun to part

shade

Broad, purple leaves with

dark veins and a silvery

flush; keep as houseplant

during the winter.

Million bells Calibrachoa

cultivars

Flower Spiller 4 to 8 in. Full sun Covered in small flowers

that look like mini petunias;

blooms all summer; trails

over edge of containers;

lots of colors.

Nemesia Nemesia

hybrids

Flower Spiller 6 to 12 in. Full sun to part

shade

Delicate-looking plants

covered with small,

spurred flowers;

prefers cooler summers;

many colors available.

Diamond frost

euphorbia

Euphorbia

hypericifolia

‘Inneuphe’

Diamond Frost

Flower Spiller 12 to 18

in.

Full sun to part

shade

Dark green foliage

topped with tiny frothy

white flowers; blooms all

summer; drought tolerant.

Hanging

begonias

Begonia

boliviensis

Flower Filler and

Spiller

1 to 2 ft. Full sun to part

shade

Cascading plant with

tapered leaves and

elongated, four-petaled

flowers; orange, red,

yellow, or pink flowers are

the most common.

Continued

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