2006 Container

I finally got a chance to take pictures of my new container planting that by the end of the summer will hopefully be worthy of entering in Fine Gardening's 2006 container contest.

Last year by the time I got my container planted it was too heavy to move to a more attractive setting. Didn't make that mistake this year - I planted it in place, right where I want it to stay.

Rules for this year: One tree/shrub, one perennial, one annual, one grass, and one wild card. I used:
Tree/shrub = Japanese Maple - 'Glowing Embers'
Perennial = Houttuynia cordata 'Chameleon' (Chameleon Plant)
Annual = Plectranthus - have to check the tag, I can't remember the name
Grass = Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra' (Japanese Blood Grass)
Wild Card = Iron Cross Begonia

This one is a little closer. My goal: hoping the Chameleon plant will trail over the edges by summer's end. With any luck, the Iron Cross Begonia will triple in size as our other Begonias did last summer. If the Blood Grass gets taller, I'll limb up the Japanese Maple. The Plectranthus has been trimmed and cuttings started to fill out the back of the container. The leaves on this one are huge with deep purple undersides and should spill over the sides as well. I realize now that I'm going to have to move a couple of the Houttuynias in the back to make more room for the Plectranthus cuttings.

I worked the soil in front of the planter yesterday to get it ready for planting a variety of plants to enhance the overall image of this area. Have plans to plant Sweet Potato Vine 'Blackie' and 'Marguerita' to swallow the floor of the gazebo and plant another vine - either Clematis 'My Angel' or a passion flower vine to climb up the left of the gazebo. The Clematis that is there now is suffering so something else needs to be added. To the right, I'll plant Euphorbia cotinifolia that has copper red foliage to pick up some of the reds in the container and incorporate Coleus 'The Line' with its bright yellow foliage and maybe Perilla 'Magilla'.

Last year's contest was Foliage plants only, no flowers and it seems I'm still hung up on foliage :)
I always figure if you can make an attractive container without depending on flowers, go for it!

A side note on the hypertufa container. We bought this 3 years ago and when it was delivered we had to use 2x4's as skids to get it off the back of the tractor trailer onto our truck! We had to do the same thing when we got it back home, and slid it off the back of the truck onto a table at the nursery where it sat for 3 years!!! I just had to find the right place for it in our gardens before moving it. My husband has severe back problems, so one day while he was busy elsewhere, I slid the darned thing off the table into the back of my van, drove as close as I could get to the gazebo - maybe 50', slid it off the back of the van onto a dolly with wheels and then used a rope to drag the thing onto the gazebo - Whew!, almost broke the rope! And they say hypertufa is lightweight? Not!!

Debbie

Debbie

Debbie, it looks great now. Can't wait to see what it will look like when it fills in later in the summer. Keep up updated. And good luck with the contest! gram

gram..that is one gorgeous container already. Once you get everything planted around the gazebo you were talking about and going the way you want it will be way past gorgeous. Good Luck with the contest!!

Dee

That is fabulous! I adore the container.

Gee Debbie, what a wonderful idea! I can do that with my little JM and mini Hostas!
Sylvia

Debbie, you chose the perfect setting. Looks like you built the gazebo around the pot.. This should really blow them away. I'm sure they'll recognize your name again. Good luck w/the new growth. It should be really lush in 2 months.
hilary

Hey, Debbie! What a great container! If you don't win there's something wrong.

Judith

I love the plants you chose, and esp the container! I know I'm being nosey, but how much did something like that cost? I bought a hose container this year, it was on sale for $12 at HD. Mine is lower than your first winning entry, with almost a southwestern feel. It's heavy too. :0)

Thanks everyone for the compliments. I'm just so glad that I finally found a spot for the hypertufa!

PrairieGirl, I think I saw one of those hose containers, or something similar, and I liked its low profile. The hypertufa container was purchased with a pallet of smaller containers that we bought to sell. Since they were being delivered I couldn't resist the temptation to have them "throw" on one of the big boys. Wholesale, it was around $100, but we sold enough of the smaller ones to make a profit, so figure it was "free" for me :) Best part is that since there is only one small drainage hole in the bottom, the container isn't drying out as fast as other containers so the soil is staying moist and doesn't need much watering!

That's waht I'm figuring on paying for a couple of nice big containers for my Alberta spruce trees that I bought to flank the garage,$100 each. I look at it as an investment, but my husband probably won't. I did find glacier ivy to underplant them for $1 a pot! Maybe I'll add a couple of red geraniums or pentas for summer.

Debbie, did you ever enter the contest? Did you take pics later on? Do tell! Tamara

Tamara, my container was a flop :( From my post above:

Oops, forgot to add the picture!

Here is a picture of one I did last year.

Oops - guess I posted this on the wrong thread.


This message was edited Mar 13, 2007 2:56 PM

This message was edited Mar 13, 2007 2:57 PM

Right or wrong, I like it, goldfinch.

xxx, Carrie

Thanks, Carrie :)

Debbie, are you going to try again this year? Your container was so gorgeous! Sorry to hear it got ruined. :-( I lost a lot of plants last year for the same reason. Tamara

LOL Tamara! I sure am!!! Been rolling ideas around in my head ever since I got my Fine Gardening a couple of weeks ago and found out what the specifics are for this year's container: A Thriller, A Filler and A Spiller :) Thinking I might try two different themes again this year - but heck with the number of pots I've painted, I could do a dozen! I saw a pot in town the other day that would be perfect for my first idea, but I'm sure it's priced way above my budget since it's outside at a little garden shop that's more like a 'boutique' :( Got me thinking though, if I could find a plastic wastebasket or something similar in shape and cheap - I could just paint it! LOL As soon as I get my containers done I'll be starting a new thread - We're pretty busy this time of year but I'm hoping within the next couple of weeks I can get them planted - at least before the first of May!

Debbie

Great! I look forward to it! As design-challenged as I am, I need as much inspiration as I can get. ;-) Tamara

rcn, that's not exactly a challenge, is it? A Thriller, A Filler and A Spiller? Or is it that you can ONLY use 1 filler, 1 thriller and 1 spiller???

xxx, Carrie

LOL Carrie, technically only one of each - although you can use multiples of each plant. I'm working on a burgundy and silver theme, but if I could just throw in one more plant (gold foliage) it would work perfectly :) I have a couple of ideas I'm tossing around, however when I finally get the opportunity to pick up some plants to finalize my plans, I'm sure there will be more possibilities that I can use, or afford!

Debbie, can you use other decorative items besides foliage?

Sandy

Sandy, you get a wink this morning - I've been thinking the same thing ;) There's nothing that says you can't! LOL I'm a dragonfly nut and I picked up a few 'ornaments' last week at Big Lots and planning to "sneak" them into the mix somehow!

Debbie

Can't wait to see the finished product!

xxxx, Carrie