Visit Every Corner of the Garden Center When Choosing Plants for a Mixed Container

Shop every aisle of the nursery to discover fresh new textures and unexpected focal points

One of the great thing about being acontainerdesigner is the amount of clip I get to pass in baby’s room looking for unequalled and interesting plant material . Strolling through your favoritegarden centercan be an easy way to express creative thinking and develop your own one - of - a - kind excogitation .

Keeping the size , appearance , and planned localisation of the container in brain , I enjoy tapping into my suspicion while systematically walking each nursery gangway . Which plants catch my eye ? What colors do I find most interesting ? Is there a theme I could explore based on a late misstep or a client ’s favorite color ? I often pick up plants I particularly love and keep them with me as I go along to shop .

Sometimes it ’s helpful to begin by identifying the orotund or the most prominent component of your design , but this is not a hard - and - fast principle . Keep an open mind as you roll your cart through the display in the nursery . tree diagram are naturalfocal peak , and smaller cultivars can often stay in their containers for multiple season . bush , particularly those that flower , offer many excellent height and color options . perennial are hardworkingfillersthat add interest as they modify through the season , and they can be go into garden beds when you change the planter . Annualsare useful for filling inflorescence gap , and something from thesucculentortropicalaisle will loan a touch of texture and esthetic whim . To get your creative juices flowing , here are a few best-loved displays I ’ve designed with industrial plant from every corner of the garden center .

Embrace some seasonal magic

When nurseries bring in loads of new spring blood line , look for pot of draw bulbs with the foliage just lead off to poke out of the filth . At this stage , bunch of bulbs are easy tease aside and tuck in throughout a container , where they will fill in attractively . Cheery pansies and nemesias will reliably offer compatible vividness until summer heat go far . Pussywillow stems are another seasonal token often found in the yearly surgical incision or near the register , and they are utile for creating early - season height and interest . Dark - colored hellebores have a longsighted bloom aliveness , from very other outflow into late outpouring or even early summertime . When they finish flowering they can be added to a garden bed . The euphorbia is evergreen and can stick around in a container class - round in milder winter climates .

A long-blooming shrub is effortlessly entertaining

Hydrangeas are some of my favorite shrubs for multiseason sake . From early spring through early fall , they dependably allow for ever - alter display of foliage and flowers . ‘ Limelight ’ looks especially bring when fudge with likewise free - blooming annuals such as angelonia , euphorbia , and sports fan efflorescence ; these have been implant here in cascading layers that yield the container ’s edge .

Unique leaf patterns add a tropical vibe

This shady lady has a fabulous mix of texture , pattern , and colors . Ferns , which give containers a woodland palpate , can be found either in the perennial section or the yearly discussion section , depending on the variety . For this jazz band I shit first for plants to supply fullness , then went looking for gloss in the annual section . Coleus , caladium , and rex begonias ( sometimes see in the houseplant department ) offer bountiful options for mixing and matching patterns and chromaticity . Planting a pair of closely link up begonias together is an interesting way of life to make a shimmer color event .

Dwarf evergreens have enduring appeal

Trees , both deciduous and evergreen , make excellent focal points . Many smaller cultivars can remain in their containers over multiple seasons , accompanied by a mix of perennials , annuals , and ground covers that are swop in and out as needed . In this pigeonholing , the golden color of the dwarf conifers is picked up by a few splashy reason covers and pay some strong dividing line by dark - lead heucheras and silky black mondo grass . cosmetic genus Brassica were pucker in for some fat , unexpected seasonal color .

Bring in a houseplant to get the garden party started

summertime is a cracking time of year to play with variety . check out out the houseplant gangway , where you will find many plant that would love to drop the summertime alfresco . ‘ Tineke ’ gumshoe plant ’s painterly foliage pattern inspired this joyful mix of perennials , succulents , and annuals . Autumn Charm ™ sedum ’s heart - catch foliage will later be topped by blooms , and nebulizer of eucalyptus add movement and an alluring olfactory property . yearly were pucker in for some all - season color ; for case , the Asarum shuttleworthii Methedrine plant life clothe over the edge will be spit with ruby-red blooms from mid to late summer .

Perennials are the key to reliable autumn color

sour to the recurrent aisle for plant that save optic - catch hues for hebdomad or months on end . In this combo , the stature and texture of the variegate iris create a pleasing background for a tapestry of heucheras and decorative grasses . Fall favorites like croton , decorative cabbage , and miniature mum are woven in for extra vividness , along with a few imitation berry branches from the floral section .

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Working With Large Plant Containers

An oversizedplanteroffers abundant infinite for piece a unique medley of plants . Here are a few pointers for go withbig containers .

Track down a hand truck or dolly

With a set of impenetrable - duty wheels , you may gently conduct a container into position without injuring your back . A blanket or tarpaulin direct between the can and the dolly will protect the pot ’s finishing .

Get help on moving day

Nurseries and garden center of attention often have staff who can help load a new purchase into your vehicle , and many workshop offer delivery Robert William Service . Once the container is home , it ’s helpful to have two mass to move it around — one to cycle the dolly and the other to withstand onto the container .

Find a planter you love

Like a piece of furniture , this will be part of your home interior decoration for years . It ’s deserving put some time and money to chase down a container you ’ll be truly happy with over the long term .

Add weight if necessary

For pots made from lightweight fabric like fiberglass , you may like to fill up the bottom portion with Lucy Stone or pebble . Add pine - bark mulch up to about the halfway point , then fill the rest with high-pitched - quality potting mix , leaving blank space at the top to plant .

Plant focal points first

Measure the height of the largest root ball and lead that portion of the kitty empty . Position your large plants , backfill around them with soil , and then tuck in your filler .

Don’t forget to water

A great bonus to induce large containers is that they do not dry out as quickly as small containers . Check the moisture level regularly , and water as needed .

Carolyn Meeker Wubbenhorst is founder and possessor of Wubby Designs in Colonia , New Jersey .

*Invasive Alert:

Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)

This plant is considered invasive in AK , CT , IL , KY , MA , NH , OR , PA , RI , TN , VA , WI , and WV .

Please visitinvasiveplantatlas.orgfor more selective information .

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