The brugmansia overwintered pretty well in the basement, and is just starting to really leaf out again, now that it's warm and sunny outside:
The iresine and the bronze sweet potato vine overwintered in the container along with the brugmansia, but the 'Vancouver Centennial' geranium--and, of course, the petunia--from last year's urn combo did not. The iresine can be seen at the back left sprouting new leaf buds, and the SPV looks better than most of the pots I see in local garden centers. I finished off this year's urn with a variety of coleus, eucalyptus, and 'Walkabout Sunset' lysimachia congestiflora:
I love these colors against the deep purple-green of the bronze fennel behind. When the brugmansia fully leafs out, there should be enough shade for most of the shade lovers, and hopefully enough sun for the eucalyptus--although I'm considering moving that plant already.
One "finishing touch" tip for those who are fairly frugal gardeners, like me: Instead of adding enough plants to this urn to make it look full right away, I took some of the groundcover sedum that I have in a few different places and used it in the urn. It creates a sort of living mulch that also adds a bit of green to the ensemble and makes the reds and yellows really pop. It's easy, cheap, and gives it a little bit more of a "finished" look... I'm going to have to remember this, myself, for future container plantings.
Okay, I've procrastinated enough for one evening--er, morning. Time to get back to the graphic design work... but please feel free to leave some inspiring frugal gardening tips of your own here for me to check out tomorrow. I'm going to need something to look forward to after my long night tonight!
8 comments:
I also take things from the garden and add to pots to fill them. Your plant combos always look so pretty. I was wondering if your basement has a window or does the brug go completely dormant during winter and not need light.??
I've over wintered sedum 'Autumn Joy' in containers that stayed outside in my zone 5b garden. Added a burgendy heuchera, lambs ear, and creeping jenny for a season long colorful container - and best of all - it didn't cost me anything.
http://gardeningnaturallywithclaudia.blogspot.com
Greenbow Lisa, it goes completely dormant and loses all of its leaves. It must get a little light, because once the days started getting longer its leaves began to bud out. I had planned to just bring it upstairs to the kitchen for a while, and then take it outside in mid-June, but we've had a weirdly warm spring so it skipped the kitchen entirely. Now that it's been moved to its sunny warm spot outdoors, the top leaves have finally started to get big so I'm hoping that means it likes that spot!
By the way, the darkness was the reason I lost the 'Vancouver Centennial' geranium. The basement isn't cold enough for it to go completely dormant, and it kept trying to put out new growth that got spindly in the lack of light. I only really go down to the basement for laundry, and every time I promised myself that I would dig out the geranium and move it to the sunny attic window instead... I forgot. :(
Claudia, I bet that looks lovely! I dig out the creeping jenny for container use, too--and I bet you have enough lamb's ear to dress up a few pots, since that grows so well! I have some peach heucheras that I plop into the garden for the winter, and then move into containers for the summer... now that you say that, I think I might use one of them to fill in where I pull out the eucalyptus. Hmm... :)
That's a great container grouping. I have plenty of Sedum kamschaticum I could use for filler, must give it a try.
Love the color of the container~it makes the combo look even better...I have a friend who makes bug cuttings that she roots in water~They always flower so that's another propagation method. gail
I often use some available trailers for finishing pots. I can almost smell the brugmansia as it blooms. Anticipation. Love purple and yellow/orange.
did you get my e-mail about my future visit to Cleveland. hope to get to see the botanical gardens.
anything else you would recommend?
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