Grouping of Three Containers
THE FIRST GROUPING OF CONTAINERS HAS DIFFERENT SIZES, shapes and colors
and provide a stunning look. She saw something similar at the flower
show and was on a mission to duplicate the grouping. She wanted
something to stand out in this area of her deck thus chose 3 containers
- one blue, one yellow and the third green. She put them together with
their different heights, shapes and sizes and thinks it turned out
great.
Click here for more info
Corner Grouping
IN ANOTHER AREA, A CORNER, SHE HAS BLENDED CERAMIC CONTAINERS WITH SOME
ORNAMENTAL IRONWORK. These provide different heights which also provide
an exciting look. This is by a doorway out to the deck thus she wanted
something in the corner. She started with a gold urn and thought it
needed something else, she wanted to add some height in the corner.
Thus she chose the iron stand on which a beautiful blue container was
placed and added grass which will grow taller and ultimately be eye
level. The trailing plant, Scaevola 'Bombay Blue' which would normally
be difficult to see at a lower level is raised via the container on the
iron stand and is now easy to see.
Click here for more info
Pruning Roses
ONE OF THE HOTTEST TRENDS IN CONTAINER GARDENING IS USING FLOWERING
SHRUBS. Of course, the king of flowering shrubs are Roses. Mindy has
several different examples of roses in containers. One was beautiful
last year, it bloomed all season long, but this season is out of
control. It's too big and gangly. Eric tells us roses bloom on new
growth. If cut back it would have blooms again in 6 or 7 weeks. Be bold
when pruning, take it back.
Click here for more info
Weeping Tree
MINDY HAD WANTED SOMETHING TALL IN THIS AREA AND LOVED THE LITTLE
WEEPING TREE FORM. The tree in the container wasn't quite tall enough
so she found an urn and has used it as a pedestal to bring the little
tree up to eye level. It's a neat effect and something one won't see
anywhere else. The Taxodium distichum 'Cascade Falls' is a beautiful
dwarf, weeping bald cypress. It is underplanted with Verbena x hybrid
'Tuscany lavender.' The soft purple against the deep greenish blues of
the container combined with the weeping dwarf tree make a dramatic
statement.
Click here for more info
Screened Porch
OUR HOSTS NEXT VISIT THE SCREENED PORCH WITH BEAUTIFUL OUTDOOR
FURNISHINGS, wonderful containers and interesting plants. All provide a
sense one is in nature. It is like a real room and therefore is used a
lot. It is not exposed 100 percent to the elements. The furniture is
rattan thus not meant to stay outside in the elements all the time but
is fine if under some type of covering, like the screened porch. The
fabric is great because it's water resistant but if it were to get wet
the cushions will drain through and dry in 10 to 15 minutes. And, the
furniture is comfortable. The room is attractive and most enjoyable.
Click here for more info
Shady Area
THE AREA OUTSIDE THE SCREENED PORCH IS A SHADIER AREA and previously
was comprised of mostly leftover containers. Mindy has some new
containers for the area. They brighten up the area, add a nice pop of
color to the shady area and make the space cheerful. The glazes on the
containers are called bell bottom blue and Woodstock green. Although it
doesn't bring back memories to Eric it does to Mindy. They're bright
and in this shaded area they stand out. Accordingly she wanted plants
with color. She's learned that she can have color without blooming
flowers. To accomplish this in one container she chose chartreuse
Heuchera.
Click here for more info
Question and Answer
Garden Smart Website Question and Answer department
ERIC IS JOINED BY ANNE WHO HEADS UP THE QUESTION AND ANSWER SECTION ON
THE GARDENSMART WEBSITE. Anne's a passionate gardener, a great
horticulturist and was recently awarded an Award of Merit from the
Garden Writers Association. Anne tells Eric about how she and her staff
handle the incoming emails and what the process is. First they pull the
emails off the website and answer them as completely and as in-depth as
possible. And, they have wide ranging questions. The questions may be
about vegetables, flowers, trees and shrubs, even some originate from
those that don't yet have a garden but want to know where to start.
They deal with gardeners from all over the U.S. with widely different
knowledge levels. The questions are handled on a question by question,
individual by individual basis and often require in-depth research.
Anne and her staff don't provide pat answers, all questions are
answered individually.
Click here for more info
LINKS:
Containers
Outdoor Furniture
Garden Smart Plant List
Complete transcript of the show.
5/3905. At Home With A GardenSMART Viewer
Garden Smart makes a point of visiting some of the most beautiful
public, private and resort gardens in the country. To provide a change
of perspective each year we make a special trip to one of our viewers
homes and look at what she's been doing and changing in her yard and
garden. As always she has many new, beautiful, unusual plants as well
as stunning ceramic containers and some very stylish and functional
garden furniture and accessories.
Our guest host, Mindy, fills us in on her gardening adventures during
this past year and how she has progressed as a gardener. She has always
loved decorating the inside of her house and suddenly realized she was
missing an opportunity to decorate the outside as well. By decorating
the outside it has made it more inviting and enabled her to better
enjoy the outside with her lake view.
Eric notices immediately the new chairs on her deck. They look like
historic Adirondack chairs but have a contemporary feel. They swivel
and are taller affording a great lake view plus they create a very
comfortable, intimate living space. They not only look great but
importantly are very functional.
Additionally, her plant palette has expanded. This year she has added
plants not normally seen in containers. The unusual plants with neat
textures and colors compliment the new, unusual containers.
Mindy feels she has grown as a gardener over the years. When going to
the garden center she felt she kept seeing the same type of plants. She
decided she wanted more unusual plants. Mindy views the plants as
accessories in her containers. Many of the plants are perennials
because she loves the idea of something coming back every year, which
means she doesn't have to replant. She is also attempting to make the
containers, with unusual plants, focal points. She knows she has been
successful because her friends, when visiting, will say, "Ooh, what's
that? I want one of those." That's been fun.
THE FIRST GROUPING OF CONTAINERS HAS DIFFERENT SIZES, shapes and colors
and provide a stunning look. She saw something similar at the flower
show and was on a mission to duplicate the grouping. She wanted
something to stand out in this area of her deck thus chose 3 containers
- one blue, one yellow and the third green. She put them together with
their different heights, shapes and sizes and thinks it turned out
great. Eric, too, likes the arrangement. The plants in those containers
are neat as well. In one container is a contorted Cypress,
Chamaecyparis obtusa x which adds a nice vertical element. The shape of
the foliage and the tall plant draw the eye. It's evergreen thus has
year round color and it looks nice in a container. It is combined with
a Scaevola 'Bombay Blue' which trails over the side providing a nice
combination. In the second container is a Pentas lanceolata 'Starburst'
which is in the center and on the outside is Heliotropium arborescens
'Iowa' which trails down. That trailing will continue as the plant
grows and gets heavier. This container is a butterfly attractor which
is an added plus. These plants are great at bringing nature onto the
front porch or into a living space. It is a nice color combination. The
unifying plant theme of purples and pinks is carried throughout the 3
containers which contrasts beautifully with the containers themselves.
In the third container is Angelonia angustifolia which is a great
little plant, has a vertical element and blooms its heart out all
summer long. They produce purply-pink spikes but will sometimes have a
white hue depending on the strain. It is a nice combination and a
fantastic look. Because the containers are very colorful Mindy wanted
to keep the color scheme of the plants fairly simple because she
thought it might be too busy if too many different colors were
utilized.
Top
Corner Grouping
IN ANOTHER AREA, A CORNER, SHE HAS BLENDED CERAMIC CONTAINERS WITH SOME
ORNAMENTAL IRONWORK. These provide different heights which also provide
an exciting look. This is by a doorway out to the deck thus she wanted
something in the corner. She started with a gold urn and thought it
needed something else, she wanted to add some height in the corner.
Thus she chose the iron stand on which a beautiful blue container was
placed and added grass which will grow taller and ultimately be eye
level. The trailing plant, Scaevola 'Bombay Blue' which would normally
be difficult to see at a lower level is raised via the container on the
iron stand and is now easy to see. The texture of the weeping
Pennisetum setaceum stands out and will ultimately have beautiful rosy
spikes which will make a great contrast against the deep blue
container. The other container has some interesting plants not normally
found in a pot and was inspired by a Garden Smart show. Here in a bold,
gold container is Ice plant, Delosperma floribunda 'Starburst' which is
combined with Vinca minor 'Alba.' It is the only white Vinca she's
seen. Mindy wanted a simple combination of purple and white because
again the containers are colorful enough, they are the star of the
show. Campanula punctata 'Pink Octopus' is brand new and has flowers
that look somewhat like little Octopus legs. It has little pink
freckles, is lightly pubescent, has little fuzzy hairs, has a
tremendous amount of flower power and is deer resistant. One clump is
already starting to divide and over time will fill an entire area. As
well it will keep throwing up bloom spikes as it matures. It's a great
selection for a vertical element. It's hard to beat the contrast of the
rose color against the gold container. It must be working, all her
friends have inquired about this plant.
Top
Pruning Roses
ONE OF THE HOTTEST TRENDS IN CONTAINER GARDENING IS USING FLOWERING
SHRUBS. Of course, the king of flowering shrubs are Roses. Mindy has
several different examples of roses in containers. One was beautiful
last year, it bloomed all season long, but this season is out of
control. It's too big and gangly. Eric tells us roses bloom on new
growth. If cut back it would have blooms again in 6 or 7 weeks. Be bold
when pruning, take it back. Mindy doesn't have the nerve to cut so
dramatically, thus lets Eric do the job. He gives it a serious haircut
to get it back in shape. He is bold. He shows us the cuts from last
year and they were high. A rose when it flushes out will put on about 1
foot of growth depending on the type of rose. Since this is a shrub
rose it will put on approximately 12-16 inches of growth and the new
buds will be set on the new growth. Once it's cut back there will be a
new flush and the new buds will form there. Eric wants to cut it back
so it is in proportion to the container. To do this he cuts the heavier
canes, leaving some of the smaller branches in place. He evens it up
leaving the bigger canes about pinky thick, some of them pencil thick.
He removes one shoot that is part of the under stock of the rose
because it is not the same cultivar, it is the under stock that the
rose was grafted onto. The last few branches are cut leaving some small
off shoots to provide maximum area for bud break, so that it will get
extra blooms. Eric doesn't want the plant to expend too much energy on
too few bud sites thus leaves a lot of different breaks. Once done it
has a nice rounded shape. In 6 or 7 weeks it should, again, be covered
in beautiful roses.
Top
Weeping Tree
Eric and Mindy next look at a little alcove that has several different
elements, all quite different. Eric thinks that quite often when one
finds innovative, neat things in design someone has been daring, they
tried something different and experimented. Here there are water
elements, fountains, and that theme has been repeated with a kind of
cascading plant. One fountain is a pond in a pot. Mindy loves the sound
of water, it's refreshing on a hot day, very soothing. MINDY HAD WANTED
SOMETHING TALL IN THIS AREA AND LOVED THE LITTLE WEEPING TREE FORM. The
tree in the container wasn't quite tall enough so she found an urn and
has used it as a pedestal to bring the little tree up to eye level.
It's a neat effect and something one won't see anywhere else. The
Taxodium distichum 'Cascade Falls' is a beautiful dwarf, weeping bald
cypress. It is underplanted with Verbena x hybrid 'Tuscany lavender.'
The soft purple against the deep greenish blues of the container
combined with the weeping dwarf tree make a dramatic statement.
There are many different ways gardeners can use containers, one is to
draw attention to nooks and crannies. Mindy has done that in one area
by utilizing a container with bold colors. She had wanted something
dramatic in this location because there are steps here. The container
alerts people, that aren't expecting steps, to look down and take
notice. In the container she has used Alternanthera ficoidea, it is a
perfect example of not needing flowers to have great color. Oftentimes
flowers can be short lived but foliage will last the whole season. It's
nice to have something that will consistently provide a splash of
color. As an added bonus it's her patriotic container because with the
blue container it turned out to be red white and blue.
Top
ScreenedPorch
OUR HOSTS NEXT VISIT THE SCREENED PORCH WITH BEAUTIFUL OUTDOOR
FURNISHINGS, wonderful containers and interesting plants. All provide a
sense one is in nature. It is like a real room and therefore is used a
lot. It is not exposed 100 percent to the elements. The furniture is
rattan thus not meant to stay outside in the elements all the time but
is fine if under some type of covering, like the screened porch. The
fabric is great because it's water resistant but if it were to get wet
the cushions will drain through and dry in 10 to 15 minutes. And, the
furniture is comfortable. The room is attractive and most enjoyable.
Top
Shady Area
THE AREA OUTSIDE THE SCREENED PORCH IS A SHADIER AREA and previously
was comprised of mostly leftover containers. Mindy has some new
containers for the area. They brighten up the area, add a nice pop of
color to the shady area and make the space cheerful. The glazes on the
containers are called bell bottom blue and Woodstock green. Although it
doesn't bring back memories to Eric it does to Mindy. They're bright
and in this shaded area they stand out. Accordingly she wanted plants
with color. She's learned that she can have color without blooming
flowers. To accomplish this in one container she chose chartreuse
Heuchera. It can have some flowers but usually not. The foliage of the
Huchera is nice, very attractive. Heuchera 'Lime Rickey' is in the tall
blue container and Heuchera 'Crimson Curls' and a little Japanese
Painted Fern, Athyrium niponicum var. pictum 'Silver Falls' is in the
smaller green container. Often tall containers are terra cotta. Terra
cotta is an old world kind of style. With these bright colors and
ceramic pots it blends the old with the new. The benefit of tall
containers is the tall soil column. This provides good drainage because
the height of the pot allows the plants to develop deep roots. Because
of the amount of soil they hold they have a lot of water holding
capacity yet don't stay too wet. These tall containers are great for
plants like Heuchera that don't want to stay too wet but also don't
want to be dry. These pots are a good selection for these type plants.
Another plant in the area is Begonia coccinea 'Angel Wing.' It provides
color and blooms all summer long, they're easy to grow in a shaded area
and are classic. The pink and green is a great combination. Combined
with the little Lamium maculatum with its silver foliage splashing out,
it makes for a fun area.
Mindy is thankful that Eric visits personally and answers her questions
but when he's not here she still has questions. Last year she wanted to
know if she could over-winter her Banana, then plant it in the spring
and still have her Banana tree. She went to the gardensmart.tv Question
and Answer section of the website and received the best, most complete
answer. It told her exactly what to do to save the Banana and it is
coming back beautifully. This is a great service for all Garden Smart
viewers. The trained horticulturists that staff the site can answer
most all of those tricky questions and the Banana is living proof.
Top
Question and Answers
ERIC IS JOINED BY ANNE WHO HEADS UP THE QUESTION AND ANSWER SECTION ON
THE GARDENSMART WEBSITE. Anne's a passionate gardener, a great
horticulturist and was recently awarded an Award of Merit from the
Garden Writers Association. Anne tells Eric about how she and her staff
handle the incoming emails and what the process is. First they pull the
emails off the website and answer them as completely and as in-depth as
possible. And, they have wide ranging questions. The questions may be
about vegetables, flowers, trees and shrubs, even some originate from
those that don't yet have a garden but want to know where to start.
They deal with gardeners from all over the U.S. with widely different
knowledge levels. The questions are handled on a question by question,
individual by individual basis and often require in-depth research.
Anne and her staff don't provide pat answers, all questions are
answered individually.
Eric and Mindy reconnect. Eric has enjoyed this container gardening
show. In particular he is in awe with what Mindy has done with new
plant combinations, the way she's used trees and shrubs in containers,
the unusual plants not often seen and the neat ceramic containers and
wonderful outdoor furniture. It was a great time and he appreciates
Mindy inviting Garden Smart into her home.
Top
LINKS:
Containers
Outdoor Furniture
Garden Smart Plant List