I got some of the urn style, kind of formal/elegant planter from my in-laws for Christmas and I LOVE them. But I am more of a round whiskey barrel or plain hanging basket kind of girl usually.
So my question is this, many plants are classified as "trailing" and advised as container plants for draping over the edges. In my opinion, many of these do more "jutting out" than trailing down. Once they grow out, the weight normally forces them to hang down, but that's not what I want. Ones I can think of that do that are petunias, sweet potato vine, and even vina. In my opinion anyway.
I am looking for a plant that is really a trailer- like hugs the edge of the pot as it grows up and over, and hangs down. Something with small, dainty flowers peferably. My first thought was alyssum, but I don't know if it would do what I want. Any suggestions? Pictures would be helpful too if anyone has them!
Thanks!
Jamie
Container plant with a TRUE trailing habit
texasgarden,
I like to use the trailing 'Cascade' Lobelias. They come in 5 different colors (light blue, light violet, dark blue, red and white), are not agressive so they coexist well with other plants and they sometimes survive the winter if the pots are overwintered in a cool but not freezing environment. I've bought the seed from Thompson & Morgan. Your local nursery probably carries somes.
BettyDee
Bacopa came immediately to mind for me. I have the same plant from three years ago still going strong. It thins out in our mild winters and then fills in again around whatever I plant with it. I have just dug out pieces of it to plant something new and it doesn't seem to be much effected. Lacy, dainty and pretty hardy, at least here. Here are some photos from the plant file: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/367534/
BettyDee- THANK YOU! I will look those up as soon as a get some time this afternoon.
Stella- Thanks so much for the link. That looks exactly like what I want- do you use it in containers too or is it in your landscape? I just wonder if it will "cascade" the way I want it to.
Thanks guys!
Jamie
I second the Bacopa. There are purple/lavendar ones too.
I just had a chance to look these up, and both are gorgeous! The Lobelias info I found clearly states that they should be planted in partial sun in southern climates. The Bocopa says "sun to part shade" and in Texas, that almost always translates into NO FULL SUN! I want to put these planters at the stairs leading up to my sidewalk that goes through the middle of the yard. This is a full sun area. Both also state that they need lots of water. So, I will try it, unless someone suggests something comparable that can take the heat down here. I have to water containers every day anyway, so that isn't an issue. But a lot of times things will just fry anyway if they aren't intended to grow in the heat we get down here. Anyway, I have lots and lots of partial shade areas at my house, and I ordered a few container variety Dahlias from the co-op. Therefore, I will have a need for BOTH of these beauties. But I think I will try the Bacopa first in my full sun area and see if it can take the heat. If you can't take the heat, you gotta get out of my full sun containers. Ha!
Thanks again for the suggestions!!!
You could try portulaca. It has beautiful flowers, and can take hot and dry conditions.
There are two different types. One has single flowers and larger leaves, and is a "Proven Winners" plant. I have not been able to find seed for it, but you should be able to find the plant at any good nursery. The other one is your standard portulaca,(moss rose) that you can get seed for just about anywhere.
texasgarden,
I believe Park Seed and Thompson & Morgan sell both the single and the double varieties.
BettyDee
Once again, I thank you and will check these out as soon as a get a second!
Jamie,
I use the bacopa alot and love it. But it cannot take full sun in July and August. Believe me, it just fries. The portulaca/moss rose will take the full sun and it does trail but you won't see much color except on the weekend since it closes up in the early evening. When you find something that trails/cascades in full Texas sun, let me know!
Hey Terrie- the only thing I have had really good luck with are the Wave petunias (has to be those kind to take the heat) or plain white vinca. But I want something with a finer texture and smaller flowers. I may have to suck it up and put these particular containers in a partial shade area. They are that aged grey stone look (plastic though- not the real stone) and urn shaped. Sort of elegant and formal- a step away from why normal eclectic, whiskey barrel, country cottage look! :) I saw the picture of your million bells, but that looks like it was in part/full shade. Was it? I have never tried those so I don't know how they will do in full sun.
I have had several baskets of million bells and some get much fuller than those purple ones and they are just beautiful. They can really take the heat as long as you water good. One big basket had full sun until around 3:00 or 4:00 and then it got a break, so I don't know if they could take it all day long. Something that I think will take the heat is the purple fan flower. Can't remember the real name, though.
The front of my house faces west, so this area gets full out sun from high noon until the sun goes down. I guess, now that I think about it, million bells get so full that they would probably take over the container huh? I just want something to be the accent hanging over the edges. I still don't know what I am going to put in the center- I was thinking copper plant but decided I don't like it that much. :) I want something really upright and straight in the center, then a fine textured casecading flower down the sides. Didn't think it would be this difficult!!! :)
This isn't a very good picture but this dark sweet potato vine always looks nice around the edges. Trailing geraniums are good, too.
Oh Terrie, I am the queen of sweet potato vine!!! LOVE IT! But I want something more dainty. I may even go with something like asparagus fern. That does well for me in shade, but seemed to tolerate heat too. Even in a container. I don't want anything that overwhelms the container- just for this particular arrangement. I want something with a fine foliage, small flowers (if any) and to stay sort of short and compact as it grows. Like spreads more than grows upright if that makes sense.
There are two different plants in these planters. One is the annual flower that starts with "tor" something but I can't remember. The other is a very dainty green trailing plant that does not flower but is very pretty. Another thought after this one.
The second pot has bacopa, the third has pink periwinkles and the fourth has million bells.
Don't look at me!
At the bottom of this picture there is some million bells (light colored). They are very dainty and if you only put one little pot in each container, they wouldn't take over. The asparagus fern gets tall and bushy (I have a bunch of it) and takes over much faster than a lot of other things. Plus, it isn't soft like it looks! Did you see my thread about Neil Sperry this weekend? He is putting on a container demonstration on Saturday and Sunday at 12:30.
The more I see of that bacopa the more I like it! Too bad it will likey fry where I want to put it. I also saw some DARK blue petunias on Parks website that are really pretty and it says that it can take the July/August heat of the south. They are located in Greenwood, SC so I think they test for that heat stuff! :) If I get that, it is so pretty it can stand alone. I won't even put anything else in with it. Asparagus fern has always gone over the edge and "laid flat" for me. I am trying to avoid that jutting out look. I even had another thought- I may put something big in the middle- not sure what yet- and english ivy around the edges and just let that trail down. Lord knows I have enough of that stuff!Black-eyed Susan vine is another thought. I still think all of your containers are just so pretty! I am even getting ideas for my other containers... my b-day is Saturday and my mom got me tons of containers for Christmas so I asked for plants for my b-day. She said she would get me a gift card to Home Depot or Lowes. But I am making her hold on to it for me until spring is REALLY here or I will be tempted to buy stuff the first warm day we have in March. Ha! That is a nice picture of you BTW- so we will all look at it anyway. Ha ha. :) No, I didn't know Neil Sperry would be around! I need to check that out!!!
Thanks for taking the time to give me ideas and post pictures. I appreciate it.
You don't have to thank me, Jamie; you know I can be a pest about these things. :-)
I love the bacopa, too, and always disappointed when it can't take full "Texas" sun even though the tag says "full sun." Those petunias sound great! I've never purchased annuals from an online nursery. Aren't they a lot more expensive that way, plus shipping? I'm going to have to head to the Parks website to check them out now.
Here is the link to the exact ones I am thinking about. And I only buy annuals online if they are in the form of seeds! :) Parks has really good seeds- I get pretty much 100% germination from them.
http://www.parkseed.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10101&catalogId=10101&langId=-1&mainPage=prod2working&ItemId=2957&PrevMainPage=textsearchresults&OfferCode=R1H
Wow, those are really pretty.
i have those petunias growing now - can't wait till see them flower. also got some lemon-colored petunias, and tidal waves from parks. i agree with the germination rate
For those of you who followed this and made suggestions... here is what I went with. I just ordered the seeds from Parks and will try to keep cuttings rooted indoors at all times so I don't have to re-order. $3.95 for TEN seeds?! Yikes! I will treat it like my sweet potato vine I guess. Anyway, it's called Dichondra Silver Falls. It gets only 6 inches tall but spreads up to 6 FEET. Heat and drought tolerant, compact habit. Just what I wanted! My little urns have a grey-stone color to them so I think the silver color of this plant will look great. Now I am searching for something to put in the middle as the "upright" in my containers. I am leaning towards a really cool SMALL canna made for containers. It's bright red and named "Lucifer." Ha!
BTW- I saw a hanging basket of Bacopa at Lowes this weekend but it was like $10! Is it normally that expensive? I was looking for just the small little containers of it but they didn't have any.
https://www.parkseed.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10101&catalogId=10101&langId=-1&mainPage=prod2working&ItemId=3235
That is some pretty stuff there, Jamie.
As far as the bacopa, it isn't cheap, but you can find the four inch pots at Calloways or Jackson's Pottery on Lemmon. I would imagine Northhaven will also carry the 4 inch pot.
And as far as the Lucifer canna, it must be a new dwarf one. The Lucifers I have had in the past were tall.
Jamie,
Look at this link:
http://www.cannas.net/shop/cart.asp?action=catalog_start
I have ordered two different cannas that are dwarf (3 ft.) and would be happy to share two with you if you would like them for your pots. They are the Journey's End and Maudie Malcom.
Yeah Terrie- it is new. I saw it in the Select Seed catalog (I think- I have so many I could be mistaken). It says it is new and the "smallest canna yet, perfect for containers." That's why it caught my attention. I think the max height for it was maybe 2 feet. So the words small, container and Lucifer caught my attention. :)
I will check out some "real" nurseries for some bacopa. Thanks.
T-G,
I have a small succulent viney thing- it gets tiny little white flowers on it. I have NO idea what it is. I think it is a weed I saved from work.
The leaves are teensy weensy and it is very delicate looking. It does fine in full sun here in my zone. (roots easily too)
If it doesnt get enough light (say, in my bedroom lol) it tends to 'stick out' like you stated earlier.
If it gets enough water, food and sunlight it drapes beautifully over the edge of my pots. It can also get pretty dry and not croak.
I will give you a cutting for a SASE ifin` ya wanna try it out.
My address is in the Address Exchange. Just send me a note with what you want. (Tiny Viney Succulent Thingy) would work, haha.
-Jocie.
Jocie- I will send you a SASE. Thanks! Have you tried posting a picture in the Indentification forum? I bet someone could ID it... even to say "um, it's a weed." Ha!
Terrie- THANK YOU! Those are both really pretty! Whatever I do I want the same thing in each pot so they match. If you can spare 2 of either of those, I would love to have some! If not, those prices are so cheap I will just order my own. :)
Jamie,
You can have two of whichever you want. Just let me know. They will probably be arriving the week before I am at your house for our packing party.
Thanks Terrie- I think I would like the Journey's End. It's different from the stuff I normally get so I want to have something a little different. If I have anything you want I can trade you for it, or I will be more than happy to pay you for the two you give me. No biggie! :)
Glad you can use it! I just put some outside today- so it should be ready about the time your mail arrives. I'm trying to 'green it up'. lol
Soon as I can get a picture I'll post it in the ID Forum and we shall see what this weed is.
I started a few plants of Dichondra, 'Silver Falls' from seed last year, and they were great in my very sunny windowboxes on the deck. I think my seeds came from Territorial, and they were on the pricey side with just 10 per pack, but the delicate, soft silvery fall of leaves might be just what you're looking for. I also like creeping varieties of thymes for cascading over the lip of a container.
Well I'm glad you liked it Critter! I also ordered the "Silver Falls" variety. Creeping thyme is a good idea too. Thanks!
Alright Jocie- and if I like it as much as you maybe we can campaign for it to stop being called a weed! :)
BTW- Terrie, I looked up knotweed (that stuff they had in the container of mini-roses at the garden show). I couldn't find anything in PF about it, but I did a google search and all I found was info on how invasive it is and how to iradicate it! It sounds like some really hard-core stuff... I tried searching various ways such as specifing NON-invasive. I even did a product search on a few rose suppliers to see if they sold it as a companion plant. No luck. Isnt' that strange? I wonder if it's the same stuff.
I saw it this last week at Jackson's, I believe (might have been Calloway's), but it wasn't called knotweed. It was definitely the same thing but the tag said it was groundcover for shade. How strange that the guy at the Neil Sperry show would put it in a pot with roses. I have a feeling all of his pots are for immediate gratification and get changed out on a whim.
This message was edited Mar 15, 2005 7:18 PM
The pictures of knotweed on these websights I found weren't great, but it did sort of look like the stuff they had up there. I wonder if they just called it the wrong thing?
But I'm with you, after I saw him put 4 cala lilies and all those coleus in one container, I was done listening. Um, that would need to be changed out in a month... maybe less.
I need to hit some of the "real" nurseries soon. But I guess I should plant all the stuff I have ordered and started indoors before I go buying anything else. :)