This one uses a Lunaform pot with a red banana plant (Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelii’) paired with upright fuchsias (‘Gartenmeister Bonstedt’), red nemesia (‘Serengeti’), a ‘Margarita’ and ‘Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Light Green’ sweet potato vine. This container garden design was a cooperative effort between Kerry Michaels and floral designer, Liz Micheels, of Artful Blooms in Newton, Mass. With help and advice from Bill Cullina, Director of Horticulture/Plant Curator for Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. First, stuff them with potting soil and slow release fertilizer in the foot part. Then add your plant of choice. Lobelia was used in the photo above. Hens and chicks were used to make filler plants to cover up the rest of the soil. They make great filler plants, especially when doing quirky container gardens. You can place these on your back steps or hand them on a wall by tying some string to the backs. If you want them to look like they’re floating use nylon fishing line. To make this succulent plant container garden: These formal container gardens add a perfect elegance to this front entry. The urn looks like it is made from concrete, but is made of polyethylene so it is lightweight and durable. It and can even be left out all year. The urn and container garden kit comes from White Flower Farm. Buy a box of Clementine oranges and you have a great, free container for spring or fall. This little garden makes a cheerful centerpiece for a picnic table or looks great on a deck. You can do multiples and put them on your outdoor stairs. It’s filled with potting soil, mixed with good all-purpose, slow release, fertilizer. This combination of flowering plants will need a lot of feeding to stay happy for the whole summer. That said, you want to follow the directions on your fertilizer and be careful not to over fertilize. The combination is by Proven Winners and is made up of:
Superbells® ‘Yellow Chiffon’ CalibrachoaLucia® ‘Dark Blue’ LobeliaSupertunia® ‘Bermuda Beach’ Petunia
Coleus is a great container plant for shady areas. Coleus are disease resistant and low maintenance and come in a staggering number of varieties. Coleus is a perfect plant for beginners because it is super easy to take care of and is very forgiving. This gorgeous container garden is from a White Flower Farm kit. This container garden picture was taken in Ireland, where nasturtiums grow almost like weeds. Made of rough stones, this container garden, looked fabulous with nasturtiums spilling out from between them. The pink and purple calibrachoa, also known as million bells, looks fresh and elegant with the purple sutera, and sage green of the lamb’s ear foliage in this ornate, hanging basket. Strawberry pots are great for planting strawberries, but they are also wonderful for many other plants. A combination of coleus, “Big Red Judy.” and English ivy make for a container garden that presents a strong visual statement. This container garden is easy to care for and thrives in shade or partial shade. You could also make a tower stacking four, even five pots up. Just make sure that the tower is stable enough so that a stiff wind wouldn’t blow the whole thing over. To construct the pot within a pot tower: This container is filled with:
White Superbells® Trailing White Calibrachoa hybridLobelia, Laguna™ Heavenly LilacLobelia, Laguna™ Sky BlueWhite zonal geranium, Daredevil® Snow
