Organic Gardening News

Looking for dazzling trailing container plants that stay lush and vibrant on the hottest days? These unstoppable cascading beauties bring effortless color to patio pots and hanging basket displays all summer long

There are two simple tools that beat weed killer every time...

Make sure to give your lemon trees a little extra love this month if you want a juicy harvest later this year. Here's what your citrus plants need right now.

These beautiful blooms are here to do the seemingly impossible; establish quickly and extend the season when it matters most!

I've been searching for the perfect budget-friendly potting bench and I think I finally found it. Plus, 8 other options to fit every price range and landscape.

If your shady garden spots look a little dull and flat, these silver-leafed plants act like natural outdoor lamps, adding luminous sheen with their gorgeous, glowing foliage

Growing flowering vines around doors and windows looks great, but it can also help with mosquito control!

Last July I was invited to visit the Ball Corporation’s head office in Chicago to view their display gardens. As a garden communicator, I appreciated the great opportunity to see many new plant introductions from various companies around the world. I also had the opportunity to see how the plants compared to each other in various landscape situations, especially when used in containers.

It was also great to see some of Chicago’s best garden stores and their summer planters. At 40 C, in very sunny weather, it was the ideal time to evaluate their performance under challenging conditions.

What struck me most was the juxtaposition of unique plants brilliantly used together in combinations you seldom see. It was exciting to see a wide range of tropical plants blending seamlessly with everyday annuals.

Rex begonias, which we always baby by running them extra-dry for fear of overwatering and the resultant mildew, were showing off their unique colour variations as the focal points in many containers. They seemed quite at home when combined with New Guinea impatiens and sun tolerant SunPatiens, and were treated with no special care, even being watered overtop of their foliage like any other bedding plant. Many were in flower, adding another element of creativity to the containers.

Dracaena Massangeana were perhaps the most widely used in the containers, especially varieties like Limelight, with its neon lime green foliage, and wine-dark leaves of Ruby Red. In many cases they were used as the central focal point, replacing traditional canna lilies, phormiums and fountain grasses. Their vibrant colours added excitement to the planters alongside traditional bedding plants.

On the West Coast we seldom use caladiums, because they need significant heat and are not fans of rainy, cool weather. If we wait until the weather warms up in early June, I think we should find space for some in our containers. Their vivid leaves are truly spectacular. With a rainbow of stunning colours and patterns, from speckled white, hot pink and lime green to multi-hued reds, they add the pop often missing in many of our planters. They also thrive in the heat of summer, when many annuals fade and look tired.

Caladiums also tolerate warm shade and can add a much-needed lift to those darker areas. However, if you can acclimatize them to the sun, they make a refreshing new addition and are far more resilient than you might think.

In our part of the world, we have finally discovered the brilliance of mandevillas. They are now available in a wide variety of plant forms from upright to both trailing and climbing, so they make great ‘spillover plants’ for our containers.

Mandevillas are the ultimate top-performing heat lovers. In their many colours including hot reds, vibrant pinks, brilliant yellows and of course the ever-popular white, they deserve star billing in any container. It seems that the warmer the days become, the better they perform.

Mandevillas are just making their debut now in garden stores since they need that heat for optimum performance. Like caladiums, June is the beginning of their summer show and they elevate the look of any container garden. They play nicely with companion plants but are vigorous growers and can overwhelm if allowed. They are not frost-hardy, but you will enjoy them well into September and even October.

Coleus have now become a go-to plant for many combination containers, especially the sun- and heat-tolerant varieties like the Main Street series from Ball. The many hot foliage colours like rusty-ruby-red Beale Street, the hot lime variety Chartres Street, and multi-hued Sunset Boulevard and Franklin Street make all the difference. They add that punch of colour and they are so easy to maintain. Their colours are a natural fit alongside other vibrant tropicals, and for smaller containers, Ball’s dainty new miniature coleus MicroBlaze series is just delightful.

The popular tropical vine Pothos, or epipremnum, now comes in a wide range of colours and variegated foliage blends and they too were used extensively in outdoor containers. As a spillover, they offer a unique flourish, adding a surprising sense of depth and fun to the planters.

All these warmth-loving tropical plants add a whole new dimension to typical containers but combining them with the more traditional foliage plants increases the level of sophistication of the overall effect.

For added impact, don’t overlook the velvety silvers of senecio candicans Angel Wings, and c. aurea Silver Swirl as well as time-honoured Dusty Millers. Formerly called centauria, they create a dramatic contrast to all your other foliage and flowers.

The hot lime of a Japanese forest grass like hakonechloa aurea, is a must-have, and even some of our carex grasses like c. Everillo fit nicely in planters. Golden Creeping Jenny, lysimachia nummularia aurea, is another favourite for any landscape situation as well.

Ornamental sweet potato vines, especially the black, red and hot lime varieties also tie in beautifully with these combinations. They love the summer heat and perform well in either trailing or upright forms.

The secret to using tropicals is to set them outside in a sheltered spot out of the sun and the wind for at least ten days to acclimatize them to our particular conditions. Then, test them gently in your summer hot spots to make sure they won’t burn.

The beauty of containers is that they can be easily moved if necessary.

As we move into the warm summer months, we have the wonderful opportunity to kick up our outdoor planters this year, so why not take your containers to a whole new level?

I do thank the folks at Ball for their innovative leadership in introducing so many new plants and creative ideas to our horticultural industry.

Related

• Brian Minter: Want a colourful garden? Here are the keys to success
• Brian Minter: Add these B.C. gardening sales and events to your spring calendar

From crepe myrtle to elderberry, these stunning flowering shrubs deliver the goods, and fast!

If you're thinking about selling your house or just want to get the biggest ROI when you do, avoid these outdoor features that make buyers think twice.

May is the time to secure next year's beauty. Follow our expert checklist to supercharge your bulbs' energy reserves and ensure spectacular future flowers.

Every small garden needs a shelving unit to maximise growing space and create exciting new possibilities – it's time to raise your gardening game.

I don't know how I didn't think of this sooner! Simple, sturdy and effective storage is about to transform your messy shed.

A designer-favorite with hand-sized blooms? No wonder people are in love with this pretty flowering tree...

From choosing the right varieties to harvesting and storing your crop, this guide covers everything you need to know about growing beets in the garden.

My skepticism didn’t quite survive the results....

May is a make-it-or-break-it month for houseplants. Treat your peace lily right and it'll reward you with huge leaves and non-stop blooms.

Sort out your shed and organise your garden clutter with these clever upcycling ideas.

Providing the proper lighting conditions is essential for good germination. Find out which seeds need light and which ones need dark to sprout.

Don't even think about growing these illegal plants. Steer clear of the law by avoiding these invasive, patented, or psychoactive varieties.