Pot up a winner

While I was on the California Spring Trials road trip last April, I was impressed with the depth and variety of the containers displayed at the different stops. I've picked a few of my favorites - there were many great combos that didn't make it in -to share with you  and hope they inspire you to take your containers to the next level.

Color Creativity

The same variety can be used to create a completely different look with a container and companion plant switch, seen at Sakata. Left: SunPatiens Compact Red and Bidens Bidy Gonzales; Right: SunPatiens Spreading Carmine Red and Loublaria White
 

Left and Middle: Combining different hues of the same flower is a visually interesting, and simple, look. Techno Sea Breeze Mix, Syngenta (left); Reddy Cleopatra mixture, Hem Genetics(middle); Right: The fantastic color contrast between the petunia and the coleus and the coordination of the pinks in this combo made it one of my favorites at Ball. Petunia Black Magic, Coleus Kong Jr. Chocolate Covered Cherry, Geranium Zonal Presto Light Pink + Eye, Gaura Bellera Dark Pink.
 

Great Grasses

Left: The greens and purples in this Pennisetum Graceful Grasses Vertigo complemented those same colors in the Calibrachoa Superbells Apricot Punch and Heuchera Dolce Cinnamon Curls foliage, and contrasted nicely with the Verbena Superbena Royale Peachy Keen and Calibrachoa flowers; Right: Colorgrass Stipa Pony Tails added another textural dimension to this PanAmerican Seed combo, which also featured Spilanthes Peek-A-Boo and Petunia Debonair Dusty Rose
 

Left: The Cordyline Paradise brought together the variegated, more muted colors of Heuchera Marmalade with the brighter tones in the Penstemon Riding Hood flowers and deeper green of the foliage. The Cordyline Paradise contrasted the lighter colors of the Helicrysum Italicum and Salvia Golden Delicious, while giving this Histil combo a bit of a funky flair; Right: The star in this Proven Winners' combo was definitely the Cyperus Graceful Grasses King Tut. Other plants used were Calibrachoa Superbells Grape Punch, Verbena Superbena Royale Iced Cherry, Nemesia Sunsatia Coconut, Heuchera Dolce Licorice
 

Fantastic Foliage

In these two Skagit Gardens combinations, we saw Brunnera used to complement the other plants in different ways. The left combo used Brunnera 'Sea Heart' as a focal point mixed with the delicate Phlox Paparazzi Britney and Viola Penny Marina. In the right pot, we see Brunnera 'Silver Heart' used as a backdrop for the more compact Primula Balrina Cobalt Blue and Viola Penny White flowers.
 

Left: This Hishtil container kept my attention for a few moments with its array of textures. Featured here are Gaillardia Naomia Sunrise, Helichrysum Italicum, Anigozanthos Cape Amazon, Salvia Golden Delicious, Carex Everillo; Middle and Right: Even though technically it's a flower, to the amateur gardener, this flowering kale looks like foliage. These were two of my favorites from American Takii. Flower Kale F1 Coral Prince and Kamome White, Pansy F1 Nature Mulberry Shades, Nature Red and Nature Red with Blotch (middle). Flower Kale F1 Crane Pink, Coral Prince and Glamour Red, Pansy F1 Nature Frosty Blue, Lemon Yellow and Plum Purple (right).
 

The author is editor of Garden Center, sister publication of Greenhouse Management.

All Photos: Karen E. Varga