All of our container plantings have been planted for at least a month now and everything is filling in… slowly. We have had a really cool May and June so the heat loving annuals have been slower to mature compared to last summer. As I make the rounds over the next few weeks will have more photos of containers to share.  The following two sets of containers are neighboring houses, but the containers are completely different designs from each other.

PALE AND SIMPLE

This classic home has a refined modern interior and the garden design reflects that clean, simple design. The central Buxus ‘Green Mountain’ spirals have been in the containers for around five years, and we just refresh the under plantings season to season. This year we designed using the lightest shades of grey and whites with plants that will trail down the sides of the container. We used Senecio mandraliscae (Blue Chalk Stick), Lotus berthelotii (Lotus vine),  Helichrysum petiolare (licorice plant), and Senecio Angel Wings in the corners to ground the plantings.

Here is a comparison of the same containers from 2017. In the past we have often used Tradescantia ‘Purple Queen’ which always makes a strong statement with the lush green boxwoods in the containers and hedging.

HOT MESS 

For this client we like to change up the container designs drastically from year to year, from heavily floral, hot tropicals and this year is a fresh, punchy pink. The combo of the lush pinks with the clementine orange blooms are balanced by the moody deep purple from being too sweet. The other element of these containers are the two smaller containers placed inside the front hedge row that repeat the seasonal color.  Our client also changes up the accent pillows on their furniture from year to year to match the containers.

The plantings include, Dahlia ‘Mystic Dreamer‘, Tradescantia ‘Purple Queen’, Lantana camara Luscious^® Royale Cosmo, and Angelonia ‘Perfectly Pink’. 

The miniature HOT MESS containers swap the Dahlia ‘Mystic Dreamer’ for Salvia Rockin’^®  Fuchsia.

Here are the client’s containers from 2017.  The Tradescantia ‘Purple Queen’ was in both client’s containers that year, but when you compare the designs they feel nothing alike. Also, I submit both these designs as proof I design using hot colors which I am often claimed to never use.

I will be traveling with my camera in the truck all week to keep documenting containers designs. It is great to see when one or two plants repeated between containers but they all take on their own personality.