Annuals in Containers? Some ideas...?

Hi, everybody--

I have picked up some new containers and hanging baskets at Big Lots and the Dollar Store and am looking for some new Container Planting combinations.

I did come across some interesting ideas that I thought I would share here with the Annuals posters.

Check out TomTom's posts (on the Container Forum) of her beautiful pots planted with annuals

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/579591/

and her website (even though I can't read Japanese)

http://homepage1.nifty.com/heartsease/

And Annie's Annuals has a feature on a couple of her favorite Container Plantings

http://anniesannuals.com/newsletter/02/02spring/mar02-2.htm

I am looking for some new ideas for planting containers--trying to get away from the usual petunias and geraniums, etc. this year.

I know posters here are starting some great annuals from seed...is anyone planning on planting out some interesting containers with them?

This is a combo from last year--EE, phlox, angelonia, allysum, --they didn't all thrive as much as I'd hoped, and I'd like to 'dress it up' for this summer...

Thanks. t.

Tabasco I have started a thread in container gardening requesting websites and container idea books. Here is a link:

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/577848/

A couple of neat web sites to check out! I am going through the book recommendations now as a lot of them I was able to get at the library.

I'll be watching your post here also.

Sue

Hi tabasco, this is a topic I love to think about! A few years ago I started to get bored with planting my flower beds and got into containers. Depending on the size of the container, you usually have at least 3 tiers going on it. The highest, the middle and the droopys (my word-stupid as it sounds lol)
For the highest, sun coleus ( a tall one) goes well, a larger lantana, red salvia, ele. ears, eucalyptus, caladiums, ornamental grasses
For the middle layer, yellow lantana does great, it gets kind of wispy and shows up well, begonias, dragonwing begonias, angelonia, ornamental chili peppers, pentas, some types of petunias, dahlias, setcreasea (purple heart), duckfoot coleus, scaevola, Profusion zinnias, evolulus
For the droopy layer-that hangs down, I love the purslanes, some types of verbena, Tidal Wave and Wave petunias, creeping jenny, the white and the lavendar lantana both trail great, all the sweet potatos, Trailing Rose coleus, Honeylove lantana (that really droops well)
Well, thats all the I can think of off the top of my head. These all do well in full sun. Hope you get some great ideas!

I just found there are some really beautiful pelargoniums with amazing foliage. Had'nt given geraniums a 2nd look for years, now I'm finding out about some great container canditates. I'm trying some finiky roses in containers this year; thinking I can baby them (and perhaps use chemical warfare, God forbid!). I've been contemplating what to conbine them with, and what to cascade. Still have'nt decided, but this is giving me some great ideas.

tiger lily-- sounds like you have the whole concept scoped out! I hope we will see some pictures of your containers later in the summer.

I will take the '3 tiered droopy' concept and work with it, too. But am not sure what I will put together. Hopefully something from my wintersowing seed crop!

Gem--- yes, I tend to discount pelargoniums unjustly. I know they have some interesting ones now but I can't warm up to them. I did have a really large one in a pot last summer and frankly it saved my front garden from the doldrums-- I just kept moving it around wherever there was a bare spot. And it got a work out! (I have it in storage in my garage now. 'Bout ready to bring it out.)

I'll be interested to see what you come up with-- are the fancies available at your local garden center or do you have to order them?

I confess I bought the most horrible looking snapdragons from Home Depot today to plant in my big pot to lure Hummingbirds to our yard during their first pass over later this month! I hope the strategy works because they sure are ugly (the snaps). (-:

tabasco-I will try some pics this summer-maybe I will get a digital camera and learn the whole process of downloading to the computer-it sounds painful to me lol. I have about 40 or so containers on the deck, and I can tell you that I am excited at the beginning of planting them, and then run out of steam at the end lol. I have too many containers-but I just love collecting the actual container-I love the greens, teals and blues that they come in. I must have been tired the other day when I posted the above-the word I use isn't droopy-its drapy, even stupider because its not even a word-but those plants do have to drape down so I just shortened the word. Hope your winter sowing turns out great and all the flowers grow healthy!

This is the pelargonium that really got me: http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=2087489
I just wish I could some cool ones like that around here, but I've never seen them offered.

I'm really wanting some standard roses in my big containers with floribundas at the base and annuals to spill over. I'm thinking I'll need to order, because Lowes does'nt have much of a selection, so I hope to see some good sales. I had considered brugs in them, but since this is my first go at brugs, I'm hesitant to use them in such a high impact area. Aahhh, dream on....

http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/annuals-for-containers.html

Here's a good WFF link for more annuals in containers. I am not sure if I like the combos, but there are lots of different plantings pictured that might produce a 'brainstorm' of ideas.

On another link Poor Man's Orchid was recommended for a container plant. http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/581121/

I am trying to Wintersow it. We shall see....

tigerlily:

If you can afford it, you should get digital camera. It is not "painful" or difficult to download photos to the computer. My only problem is the slowness of my connection. Modem is the only choice out here in the boondocks.

yes, if I can do it, anybody can. (-:

I think you are right, missgarney-as soon as I finish this crop in May I take on this challenge. Have been thinking it would be fun to have one. I have a camera in my cellphone, and can take pictures, but can't find them in there afterwards lol. I think I am happiest with my hands in the dirt, then on the keyboard. Wish me luck!

One of my favorite pots a few summers ago had dwarf nasturtiums and a homemade bamboo/twine teepee with black eyed susan vine growing up it. I had it in a cheap wicker plant stand and the nasturtium kinda dripped down and also crawled up the bottom third of the teepee to mix with the BES vine. I think I may try it again this year but want to get the BES that is white.