Tag Archives: fall containers

Container Report: late September 2020

September 29, 2020 Katherine Tracey 6 Comments

Two words sum up this summer’s weather here along the coast of southern New England: hot and dry. Here at the end of September, our parched gardens are still waiting for the rain predictions to materialize. Sigh.

The gardens are looking tarnished but the container plantings held up better since their watering needs are more easily met. As in previous dry years, our containers planted with succulents were the stars. (Check out the recent article NY Times garden writer Margaret Roach covered on succulent containers).

You may recall the June report post which shows the “before” pictures. Now I’ll show you what some of these look like 3 months later, chewed up, cut back foliage and all.

The Drum Pot: Melianthus major grew taller and the Helichrysum ‘Limelight’ (Licorice Plant) needed to get cut back after the American Lady Butterfly caterpillars made dinner of most of its foliage…what we do for the butterflies…The Jewels of Opar didn’t show off as much as I hoped, and was cut back a few weeks ago. The Tradescantia sillamontana did fine, but this planter combo won’t be repeated.

We have a pair of these iron urns that are always planted to match. They are in dappled shade most of the day. One of the pair really was over by the end of August (the one that I photographed in June). It did get a bit more afternoon sun. Its complement held up better…. here the Helichrysum took off after an early cut back, as did the Copper Glow Oxalis. The Oxalis ‘Iron Cross’ is now fading, Begonia ‘Ebony’ bloomed well and its dark foliage added height and contrast, but the golden Moses- in-the-cradle (Tradescantea spathacea) just couldn’t hold its own, and is in hiding.

Another shady spot. Begonia thurstonii grew well, but held off putting out any flowers (not surprisingly). I used two 6″ pots in this vase, and probably should have used just one. The mostly gold Plectranthus ‘Limelight’ is not a strong grower, and wouldn’t cascade down the pot as hoped. The Oxalis ‘Zinfandel’ always does well and the ruby leaved Alternanthera did fine until some critter nibbled its trailing stems.

No complaints with this shady ensemble…Phlebodium aureum is my go to bold foliage shade container plant. Plectranthus ‘Mona Lavender’ is providing an end of the season supply of blossoms as is the Gold Leaved Mexican heather Cuphea hyssopifolia aurea. The golden jasmine vine’s foliage simply glows.

A pair of these hypertufa bowls, in the shade of our giant oak tree, were planted with ‘Moonglow’ Snakeplant (Sansevieria), Dichondra Silver Falls’, Pilea glauca and Liriope ‘Okimo’ (all selected for durable attractive leaves. The white flowered form of Black Eyed Susan Vine was the flower power plant, and it bloomed well until a couple of weeks ago. Figured a few mini pumpkins could add a little fun now.

And now, for the sun and heat loving succulents! This beautiful container, in itself, is eye candy….the foliage colors of the succulents were selected to complement it, and all did fine except for the tall Aeonium that had a mishap and lost it’s tallest stems. Blue Senecio talinoides and beige-pink Graptoveria ‘Fred Ives’ obliged by filing in much of the horizontal space.End of day light and cooler night temperatures bring out the glow of Sticks on Fire, Euphorbia turicali, with the Mangave ‘Desert Dragon’ added dark contrast. Graptosedum ‘California Sunset’ on the far left, yellow leaved Sedum mackinoi ‘Ogon’ and blue gray pink Graptosedum ‘Francesco Baldi’ filled in the foreground. This will look good right up until the frost. (Please, frost, wait until November.)

Someone purchased the seashell planter shown in the June post, but we did another version for a client. This image was taken at at the end of August, but the ensemble is still looking fabulous.Succulents can play with other plants that tolerate the dry well drained soil…Here Coprosma ‘Pink Splendor’ (Mirror Plant) works well with Sedum adolphii, Sedum mackinoi ‘Ogon’ and Pachysedum.

Our tall cylinder pot, each year planted with a different array of succulents, caught visitors’ eyes when they entered the parking area. Everything did extremely well with just an occasional watering, although some creature nibbled and pulled out some of the trailing Othonna capensis ‘Ruby Necklace’. The tallish green succulent with the arching branches is the large leaved form of Elephant Plant, Portulacaria afra macrophylla. Adding an array of pumpkins helps carry this container into the fall season.

In summary, we had a hot and extremely dry summer, and one group of plants, the succulents, met this year’s challenge beautifully. I realize this blog post reaches folks in all parts of the country, and your area may have benefited from more summer rain. If so, what plantings were you most impressed with this year ?

Container Ideas, Fall Interest, Perennials and Annuals

Abutilon ‘Dwarf Red’

September 1, 2020 Katherine Tracey Leave a comment

Are you looking for something different for a fall display in your containers? Check out Abutilon ‘Dwarf Red’...it celebrates autumn with multitudes of dark orange flowers, and can, if brought indoors and kept in a sun filled space, will continue to carry on the show.

We grow a number of Abutilon selections in containers which we bring indoors once the cold sets in, but if we were asked which form to grow, Abutilon ‘Dwarf Red‘ tops the list. It stays bushy and compact ( it has A. megapotamicum in its lineage) when grown in 4-6 hours of sun and blooms continuously with the biggest show in late summer and fall. We have been caught off guard when a frosty night has brought temperatures below 32F, and found that ‘Dwarf Red’ came through unfazed.

Some things to know about Abutilon. It is commonly known as Flowering Maple, and is a semi-tropical shrub with lovely pendant bell-shaped flowers that are attractive to hummingbirds. The flower display can continue year round when grown in bright light and temperatures above 45F, but in our experience, the flower display in autumn is most generous. Often listed as winter hardy in zones 9-10, we have been hearing that hardiness in zones 7b-8 is not unheard of when plants are grown in a protected spot with good drainage.

CARE: Abutilons like to be fed regularly for good flower output We use a fish emulsion/seaweed blend (Neptune’s Harvest 2-6-4 blend) every 2 weeks. allow the soil to become somewhat dry between waterings. Purchase online.

Tips for Fall Containers

September 2, 2017 Katherine Tracey 1 Comment

Black Mondo Grass with hardy succulents

Are your summer planters in need of a fall makeover? Are you thinking you would rather invest in perennials than toss away non hardy plants at season’s end? There are many fall-flavored hardy plants which will provide you with texture, form and long lasting colorful foliage. Plants to consider include Ornamental Grasses, Ophiopogon, Succulents, Heuchera, Euphorbias, Ivies, Dwarf Evergreens, to name a few.

Heuchera ‘Caramel’ with Orange Sedge, Euphorbia Ascot Rainbow, and Purple Tradescantia

Here are a few tips.
1. To achieve a fuller affect, use more plants than you would in the spring or early summer. We don’t want to think about this now, but the days have been getting shorter, nights cooler, and plant growth is slowing down or ceasing.
2. Select plants that have a variety of tones that will contrast and set off each other, (think amber Heuchera and black Ophiopogon).
3. Remember a pot of mums looks fresh for 3-4 weeks at most, then the show is over. Showy foliage will carry on and on.
4. Note that the fall foliage on evergreen Sempervivum (hens and chicks), Sedum ‘Angelina’, and Sedum album cultivars change and develop more dramatic color once the temperatures stay cool.
5. If you must have flower power, consider long and late blooming Salvia, Cuphea, or fall pansies.
6. When a night time temperature drop is forecasted, have light blankets, large pots or even an empty trash barrel handy to cover your container and protect the plantings from frost.
7. As November passes, the time will come to disassemble your planter. Tuck your hardy plants in a nursery bed or empty space in your vegetable garden plot to hold them over until next spring.

Cuphea ‘David Verity’ with Heuchera ‘Champagne’ and Oxalis

Container Ideas, Featured, Garden Musings

September Report: Containers 2016

September 30, 2016 Katherine Tracey 8 Comments

a winner…the tall cylinder pot aged gracefully, don’t you think?

Here it is, the very end of September 2016, and at last we are finally getting the rain we’ve begged for all summer. Good thing, but I’ve been waiting for a cool crisp sunny day to capture images of the end of the summer containers, and with a prolonged rainy spell in the forecast I probably should not wait any longer. As you would guess after a summer bereft of rainfall, the containers planted with succulents and drought tolerant plants held up beautifully. In my July 1st post I posted the “before ” shots. Now for the “after images”. First are the top five, in my humble opinion, plus more of the before and after images shown side by side.

The cast iron urn, with Beschorneria ‘Flamingo Glow’ and other succulents, grew in a spot with about 4 hours of midday sun.

Really really love the Agave substitute Beschorneria ‘Flamingo Glow’.

The green drum pot, with Phormium ‘Evening Glow’ and more assorted succulents: x Graptoveria, Echeveria, Aeonium, Senecio, and more.

I’m suddenly realizing that areas which once in more sun are now getting more shade. Interesting to discover which succulents still do well.

Out by the road, and under our sign, a spot with heat, and little attention. Succulents again rule.

the Grecian Urn received only a few hours of early morning sun: Two types of Asparagu ferns, a silver leaved Sansevieria, Begonia ‘Concorde’ and Alternanthera

And now for the side by side transformation after 3 months….

Cylinder Pot 6.29.16 and 9.29.16

Iron urn 6.29.16 and 9.29.16

Green Drum Pot 6.29.16 and 9.29.16

Sign Pot 6.29.16 and 9.29.16

Grecian Urn 6.29.16 and 9.29.16

Hummer’s Pot 6.29.16 and 9.29.16

Planted with Hummingbird visitors in mind, the Phygelius bloomed tirelessly, but is now at its end. The Fuchsia gave up during the August heat, but the Abutilon ‘Kentish Bell’ picked up where the others left off.

Splendor in the Grass Bowl 6.29.16 and 9.29.16

This grass combo in a big bowl with Chocolate Cosmos and Ornamental Oregano held on right through August, but the Cosmos needed consent deadheading, and the Heuchera became smothered by the Stipa and Carex.

Winterberry Pot 6.29.16 and 9.29.16

This planter only gets a few hours of midday sun…but the combination of tall Sansevieria, Aeonium ‘Kiwi’, and Tradescantia ‘Pale Puma’ thrived. The small dark Aeonium Tip Top, melted, so I replaced it with a silver green Echeveria.

Zen Bowl 6.29.16 and 9.29.16.

The Zen bowl gets only afternoon sun. Everything grew well, but we are still waiting patiently for the orange tassel blossoms of the Senecio ‘Blazing Glory’ to provide an end of the season show.

Footed Trough 6.29.16 and 9.29.16

Hypertufa troughs are usually planted with alpines, but they are also great containers for smaller succulents. On its own, this planter isn’t a superstar, but it worked very nicely as an accent on the ledge of Chris Tracey’s stone wall.

Terra Cotta Planter 6.29.16 and 9.29.16

This 18″ planter does not look worse for wear after a lengthy drought. Again, succulents rule!

Was your summer as hot and dry as ours here in New England? What container plants held up best for you?

Container Ideas

September Container Report: 3 months later

September 27, 2015 Katherine Tracey 5 Comments

When planning container combos to display throughout our gardens and nursery, I want each planter to showcase unusual selections and color combos, have a beautiful rhythm, be easy to care for and still look terrific at the end of the season! Of course with our unpredictable summer weather (some years too wet, others too dry) some combinations hold up better than others. Above are my five favorite ensembles, and below are the dozen pots shown in the early summer “Before Shots” blog post , ( the end of September shot is right beside it).

Tall Cylinder Pot…The Verbena bonariensis, Tradescantia and Lantana exploded! The Melianthus held its own, but the Lemon Coral Sedum lost its battle with the Pale Puma Tradescantia, and the Heuchera ‘Southern Comfort’ has wimped out. Note that the Lantana montevidensis has never needed deadheading and shows no signs of stopping flower production.

The California Hydrangea Pot has aged gracefully. While the Ornamental Oregano ‘Kent Beauty’ had a great showing all through July into August, it finally allowed the ‘Gold Wings’ Tradescantia to take over spilling, while the slower growing Abutilon ‘Pink Charm’ is now dazzling into fall.

The Cast Iron Urns have retained a subtle beauty all season. (The purple cast to the September shot demonstrates how the end of day light is changing. ) A super easy combo that required only an occasional cutting back of the Pelargonium sidoides flowering stems, the plant selections of Beschorneria, Cuphea hyssopifolia aurea Tradescantia Pale Puma’ and variegated Ivy held its scale well for the past 3 months.

Hummer’s Pot. Perhaps the least impressive pot at the beginning of the season but with real staying power as the plants aged beautifully. The Cuphea ‘David Verity’ has only asked to be watered regularly, and has never needed deadheading, the Helichrysum ‘Limelight’ did need a cut back once this summer, and the Oxalis ‘Zinfandel’ continues to shine with its dark foliage and tiny yellow flowers. Heuchera ‘Southern Comfort’ is working well here. Hummingbirds loved visiting, and this is still an impressive planting for autumn.

The white form of Lantana montevidensis began to overwhelm the other plants in the White Bean Pot , even after being cut back several times….Oh well, too much of a good thing has its drawbacks.

Charcoal Urn... I wasn’t surprised that this combination of Phormium and Succulents would be easy care and would age well. It needed only occasional watering, and cutting back the Silver Falls Dichondra when it dripped onto the pathway.

Can you notice any difference in the Living Wreath of Mini Spider Plants (left–June, right–late September)? This is the perfect vertical garden for a shady door, needing only twice a week watering, even during the hot dry summer we just experienced.

This ensemble spoke quietly at first but became more memorable as the summer continued. The Abutilon ‘Pink Charm’ became more floriferous, the Heuchera ‘Beaujolais’ is taking on fall appropriate tawny tones, and I just adore the little Rosary Vine, Ceropegia woodii, dangling over the sides, with its peculiar pink and charcoal gray flowers.

This shady pot grouping was an experimental mix of similarly colored foliage…the tall Amorophophallis konjac(Voodoo Lily) never put out a spathe, but looked okay until early September when it very quickly began to go dormant. I was left with a nice full pot of Begonia ‘Wild Pony’ and little B. bowerae.

The Zen Bowl of succulents hardly needed any care so we didn’t pay attention until it became overwhelmed with Sedum ‘Lemon Coral’ in early August, which completely smothered its shorter neighbors. A harsh cut back helped, but it was a little too late for the buried plants to put on much growth. We’ve had such a warm September that the succulents have yet to take on their fall tones…will try to get another image now that we are starting to get cooler nights.

The Succulent Martini Pot was the hit of the summer…we sold this combination of plants over and over again. Notice how the rosy red flowers of little Crassula schmidtii add that perfect zing.

Our classic Seashell Pot with Succulents has aged beautifully,wouldn’t you agree? The September image shows how different the end of the day light is three months later.

Which combination ideas might you borrow for your containers next year?

Previous years results:

September shots 2014

September shots 2013

September shots 2012

Container Ideas, Featured

September Containers, the after shots

September 22, 2014 Katherine Tracey 2 Comments

Each year I take pictures of container combinations in June (see post) and then again in late September, to document and evaluate for good looks and ease of care. No two growing seasons are alike here in New England, so it’s difficult to say for sure that plants that showed off this year will do so next. What started off being a moist summer ended up quite dry here in Dartmouth, MA. We haven’t had measurable rain now for 6 weeks or more, and August was particularly cool. A few of the containers in the June post did sell, and I’m hoping they fared well. I added a few combos planted with late summer and early autumn in mind.

Phormium ‘Pink Stripe’ with Pelargonium sidoides, and Dichondra, an effortless combo, and look how much the Phormium has grown!

Phormium ‘Apricot Queen’, with Lantana montevedensis, and Tradescantia ‘Purple Heart, probably should have been cut back a bit, but I swear the only upkeep we have provided is watering.

Begonia thurstonii, with Foxtail Asparagus Fern, Fatshedera x lizei, and Coprosma,The Begonia grew a lot but is going through a quiet flowering spell.

This planter for shade was really about foliage, although the dark leaved Begony ‘Ebony’ is still flowering, and the Hemizygia is about to dare the frost with spires of soft pink blossoms. Other plants featured are Pellonia repens (Watermelon Begonia), Pilea m. ‘Variegata’, and Begonia ‘River Nile’

The Agonis ‘After Dark’ (Peppermint Tree) put on some growth, the succulents grew a little, and although this container stills looks good, it didn’t transform much.

I’ve has this shell embellished pot for years. This turned out to be the best pairing yetsucculents…this combination of colors and textures match the patina. Included are Echeveria ‘Melarco’, Pachysedum ‘Blue Pearl’, Crassula, Sedum adolphi and dasyphylluym, and Senecio ‘Mini Blue’.

Echeveria ‘Afterglow’ with Aptenia cordata, Foxtail Asparagus and Phormium ‘Sundowner’ in a 14″ pot.

Planted this up in August for a fall Container Class, using some hardy perennials: Sedum sieboldii, Schizachyrium ‘Carousel’, & Euphorbia ‘Blackbird’ plus a few tender succulents: Aptenia cordata and a pewter gray Graptoveria.

All hardy plants in this display: a 1 gallon Hydrangea ‘Little Lime’, with Hakonechloa ‘All Gold’, Euphorbia ‘Ascot Rainbow’, Heuchera ‘Frosted Violet and ‘Circus’ plus Ajuga ‘Black Scallop’this contain will put up with frosts and look good into November.

How did your containers do? What were your favorite combinations?

Container Ideas, Fall Interest, Featured, Succulents

Autumn Containers II: Using Succulents

September 2, 2013 Katherine Tracey Leave a comment

After the lazy days of August, September can seem like the busiest month of the year. So many neglected chores, both inside and out, await attention. For a lot of us, the summer containers gracing our entryways need a makeover. You can buy a pot of mums or……

You can plant succulents.

Followers of this blog must know by now that I am a big succulent fan, and even after a wet and extremely humid spell, I can still say the succulents planters we did up earlier not only still look sweet, they are going to get better as the night temperatures become chilly. Cool night temperature bring out deep and rosy tones in the blue, olive and bronze foliage colors of the many non hardy succulents. Many tender forms such as Echeveria ‘Black Prince‘ and Senecio ‘Blazing Glory’, begin to bloom as do many hardy species of Sedum such as S cauticola ‘Lidakense’ , ‘Turkish Delight’ and‘Dazzleberry’.

Succulents are mix and match plants. Of course, they all like the same sandy, well drained soil mix, and the colors all work well together. I’d like to add that the most interesting combinations include plants which have light, medium and dark tones. In this pair of planters, I’ve used Euphorbia tirucalli var rosea, commonly called ‘Sticks on Fire’ (guess how it got its common name) for height, the blue gray rosettes of Senecio ‘Blazing Glory’, a coppery orange tinted Sedum nussbaumeranum, the soft yellow Sedum makinoi ‘Ogon’ and an olive tinted Sedum tetractinum to spill over the sides. Tucked in for added dark tones is Sedeveria ‘Jetbeads’.

Tips

1.When you group succulents together you can pack them in quite close together. They do not need a lot of nourishment nor water, and they don’t grow very fast.

2.The selections that are not hardy in your area will need protection when temperatures dip below freezing, and here we sometimes get a really cold night in late October, followed by a spell of Indian summer. Either move the pot inside if a frost is in the forecast, or cover with a large tarp or blanket.

3. Once it becomes apparent that temperatures will be below freezing at night on a regular basis, bring your container into a frost free area that gets bright sunlight. If your container is too big to bring indoors, dig out the specimen plants you would like to keep and pot them up in a sandy quick draining soil mix. I plan to do a blog post about what to do about wintering over succulents in a month or so.

Autumn Containers I: Fresh Candidates

August 19, 2013 Katherine Tracey 4 Comments

Come on…how about a little imagination? There’s more to fall container gardening than a pot of mums which are already on display at the supermarket entrance. I can allow that some folks love their tidy appearance and that these almost perfect balls provide an immediate color fix, but really, do we all have to be that predictable? Of course not.

Here in Massachusetts, I like to pot up end of summer/fall containers in late August to give plants a chance to kick in with some growth before cooler temperatures and shorter days slow things down. I had this lovely turquoise pot begging me to fill it, so I selected colors that would sing, still nodding to late summer, but with approaching autumn hues.

The winter hardy perennials used here include: Heuchera ‘Southern Comfort’ and Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’. The Hedera ‘Amber Waves’ and the Coprosma repens ‘Tequila Sunrise’ can take temperatures in the 20’s without being fazed, and the Plectranthus ‘Velvet Elvis’ with its dark green/purple foliage will star as the flowers begin to show off in September and October. Yes it could get frosted on a really chilly night, but should one be forecasted while it is still showing off, cover the planter with a large tarp or move inside for the night.

Container Ideas, Fall Interest

Planting Containers for Late Summer into Autumn

August 24, 2011 Katherine Tracey 2 Comments

Late Summer Planter

As the end of August approaches, summer containers may be in need of renewal. Save the fall mums and pumpkins for October and November. There are dozens of cool season container plants, including small shrubs, perennials as well as “fall annuals” that will put on a show for the next 6-8 weeks, at least.

A few tips about late season plantings: If your original planting included strong foliage plants that are still looking fine, leave them and pull out the sad looking offenders. Add some fresh soil in the pockets. Select some new plant material to replenish the bare spots. If starting a new combination, consider this. Plant growth is slowing down, due to fewer hours of daylight, so plant more densely than you would in early summer. Give a feeding or 2 of Dynagro, or other liquid fertilizer.

Here’s an example of great late season ensemble. This combination has been a favorite for years, and works well in an 18-20″ pot. For height we?ve used Purple Fountain Grass Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’, and added a pair of Cuphea ‘David Verity’, a hummingbird magnet, with its tubular orange flowers and handsome foliage that takes on burgundy tones in cool temperatures. A robust Heuchera ‘Caramel’ adds weight, a dark leaved ornamental pepper adds fun, and ‘Dreamsicle’ Calibrachoa cascades over the pots for dramatic effect.

Container Ideas, Fall Interest

Caliente Container Combo

August 19, 2010 Katherine Tracey

Here’s an easy ensemble that gets its color from foliage and fruit. These five plant selections will fill a 12″ tall tom pot easily. The ingredients are Pennisetum s. ‘Rubrum’ for height and movement, Heuchera villosa ‘Caramel’for body, and Hedera ‘Amber Waves’, a golden leaved ivy that trails beautifully and will take temperatures into the low 20’s. What makes this collection “caliente”are the adorable ornamental peppers. We tried two new varieties this season, ‘Sangria’ and ‘Prairie Fire’, which have been producing an endless supply of round and pointy peppers in shades of creamy yellow, orange, red and purple. Oh yes, they are edible, but very very hot.

Garden Foreplay

Tag Archives: fall containers

Container Report: late September 2020

Abutilon ‘Dwarf Red’

Tips for Fall Containers

September Report: Containers 2016

September Container Report: 3 months later

September Containers, the after shots

Autumn Containers II: Using Succulents

Related Blog Posts

Autumn Containers I: Fresh Candidates

Planting Containers for Late Summer into Autumn

Caliente Container Combo

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