As the days grow longer and the weather warms up, there’s no better way to kick off the spring season than with a rewarding container gardening project. Don’t let the fear of frost stop you! Many flowering plants can tolerate cold night temperature dips, including the vivid Senetti pericallis varieties from Suntory Flowers. They enjoy the same cool conditions as pansies.
Last year, we partnered with Crescent Garden on a container gardening challenge. Ten designers each received a large Crescent Garden planter, spanning 20 inches in diameter at the top, tapering to 12 inches in diameter at the bottom. And we sent them four Senetti pericallis varieties – Blue Bicolor, Red Halo, Magic Salmon and Lavender Dawn. These were mature plants in one-gallon nursery pots, like you’d find at retail.
The designers were free to include any other plants and accents they like to complete their designs. We were really impressed with the types of plants chosen to provide color and texture. While our Senetti plants served as the “filler” a successful combo also needs “thrillers” (upright) and “spillers” (trailing).
Here are four of our favorites:
Diane in Pennsylvania
A pink hydrangea creates a larger mound to fill the pot. Woody branches create the upright thrilling accents. The spotted lungwort is a perennial that is cold tolerant and can be replanted in the ground. Trailing lobularia/alyssum also can tolerate cold weather and adds a nice fragrance. The Senetti Blue Bicolor daisy flowers really pop!
Elizabeth in Oklahoma
The weather is warmer here, which makes the Boston fern an outstanding option! Love the texture and the way the sunlight hits it. It plays nicely with the creamy centers of Senetti Lavender Dawn. Fragrant lobularia trails off to the sides. Senetti Red Halo and Blue Bicolor are also tucked in nicely.
Jessica in Ohio
This is a beautiful Easter arrangement with the tall snapdragons and fragrant blue hyacinths! Spring bulb varieties combine nicely with Senetti and can handle cool temperatures. Petunias and vinca vine finish it off as nice spillers. This is a nice mono color arrangement in shades of blue, periwinkle and white.
Lynn in Missouri
The star of this container is the Senecio ‘Angel Wings’ with large frosty silver leaves. It’s flanked by the two jewel-toned Senetti plants – Blue Bicolor and Red Halo. Sunny yellow osteospermums dazzle above, contrasting with purple and burgundy perennials, pussy willow branches and foliage accents. Variegated vinca vine and trailing calibrachoa complete the look.
One thing that’s nice about large container plantings is you can keep changing them as the season progresses, swap out what’s no longer looking good, replant perennials in the ground. Having more soil volume makes the entire arrangement more forgiving and low maintenance, if you forget to water.
By Barbara Schneider, Gibbs Gardens
Photos courtesy of Gibbs Gardens
Gibbs Gardens' Inspiration Garden was designed especially for home Gardners. And, it provides great plant ideas throughout. click here. to read the article.
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