Hello GPOD members!
Today’s entries are extra special to me because they come from the person who instilled my love of plants in me, my mother! Every year, she eagerly awaited the last remnants of cold weather that would creep into the northeast in the spring, and the day she could finally head to the nursery to pick out her summer pots. She had what she called “backbone plants” that she bought year after year, and would create new combinations and color palettes based on the specific annuals that caught her eye.
Normally, I’m very involved in this plant picking process (helping her make the final decision when she has to narrow down her choices), but this year I was traveling during the weeks she was shopping and planting so I got a wonderful floral surprise when I returned to Connecticut. After weeks of me begging to show her her creations, she finally let me take some photos last week, “now that they’re complete.”
In the past, my mom has been known to favor warmer, brighter colors—think hot pink, sunny yellow, tangerine, and pale green. This year, she took inspiration from cooler hues to create a palette of pale purple, various shades of blue, and powdery pink. In this first box, she combined:
- ‘Archangel Pink’ angelonia (Angelonia angustifolia ‘Archangel™ Pink’, Zones 9–10 or annual)
- Techno® Heat Dark Blue lobelia (Lobelia erinus ‘Techno® Heat Dark Blue’, annual)
- Lobelia Laguna® Sky Blue (Lobelia erinus ‘Laguna® Sky Blue’, annual)
- Cabana® White bacopa (Chaenostoma cordatum ‘Cabana®’, Zone 9–11 or annually)
Of course, she had to add some bright accents to the mix, and this bright ivy geranium (Geranium peltatumZones 10–11 or annuals) have done the trick. Combine with ‘Diamond Frost’ euphorbia (Euphorbia hypericifolia ‘Diamond Frost’, Zones 10–11 or annual), this simple potted plant will make a beautiful focal point without clashing with other combinations.
This next planting is a great relative of the first container, including many of the same plants as well as one of her “backbone” plants, the striped periwinkle (Big Vinca ‘Variegata’, Zones 7–9). The remaining cultivars are:
- ‘Serena Blue’ angel (Angelonia angustifolia ‘Serena Blue’, Zones 9–10 or annual)
- ‘Archangel Pink’ angelonia (Angelonia angustifolia ‘Archangel™ Pink’, Zones 9–10 or annual)
- ‘Archangel™ White’ angelonia (Angelonia angustifolia ‘Archangel™ White’, Zones 9–10 or annual)
- Lobelia Laguna® Sky Blue (Lobelia erinus ‘Laguna® Sky Blue’, annual)
- Techno® Heat Upright White Lobelia (Lobelia erinus ‘Techno® Heat Upright White’, annual)
Although she hasn’t grown many angelonias in the past, this one is a contender to become one of her new staples. Available in a range of gorgeous colors and shades, very heat tolerant, and requiring no frequent pruning of dead flowers, this low-maintenance beauty is ideal for containers in the height of summer.
One of my mother’s staple plants, the Chinese hibiscus. It’s not often found in colors that fit her cool palette, but this variety—hibiscus ‘Starry Wind’ (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis ‘Starry Wind’, annual)—has such a great character that she couldn’t resist adding it to the mix. A coral red that looks quite classic from the front…
But a gorgeous swirl of pink and orange from behind. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a flower that looks a little more interesting from behind than from the front!
The small window boxes on her garden shed are always planted with Rieger’s begonias and often periwinkles. This year, she brought a little more purple to the party with a Summer Wave® Large Blue herringbone (Torenia ‘Summer Wave® Large Blue’, annual). The begonias in this mix are Solenia® Light Pink rieger begonia (Cyclamen x winter ‘Solenia® Light Pink’, annual) and ‘Amstel Clara’ rieger begonia (Cyclamen x winter ‘Amstel Clara’, annual).
Finally, a gift that not only fits the color theme of the year, but is so beloved it will likely be kept in the house when the cold weather returns. Sun Parasol® Pretty Pink mandevilla (Mandeville x ‘Sunparaprero’, Zone 10–11 or annual) has grown to an impressive size and doesn’t look like it’s slowing down any time soon. Does anyone in the comments have any advice on overwintering a giant??
Hope you all enjoyed my Mom’s container tour! Too shy to submit, it’s great to be able to showcase her creations. I also hope this inspires some of you to share your summer containers! Send photos and plant ID to [email protected] or tag me in your Instagram post @agirlherdogandtheroad
Do you have a garden you would like to share?
Do you have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular plant collection you love, or a beautiful garden you’ve had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the photo and where you took the photo. We’d love to know where you are, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you’re proud of, failures you’ve learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Do you have a mobile phone? Tag your photo on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!
Have you received your GPOD via email? Sign up here.
