Perennials for full sun containers

17 years ago

I was reading the Carroll Gardens online newsletter and wanted to share the following:

Question: I have several large containers on my deck and my patio. I am interested in growing some perennials in them. Can you recommend some perennials that do well in full sun in containers? I have listened to your radio show every week for many years and I learned a lot from you and your guests. I enjoy listening very much.

Answer: The absolute best perennial for full sun in containers is Stella de Oro daylilies. Other daylilies also work well.

Ornamental grasses do well in containers, as does Sedum Autumn Joy and some of the Salvias such as May Night, Lubeca and Wesuwe. In large containers, Russian sage does well, but it needs something lower around the perimeter such as Coreopsis Moonbeam or Allium senescens.

Comments (8)

anaiades
16 years ago
hello -
i am a new member and am hoping this is the right place for this message...

i have a small balcony in manhattan and would like to plant ornamental grasses (i think they are beautiful). the balcony recieves both morning and afternoon direct sunlight and is very windy (i am 10 stories up on a corner!). any recommendations (including flowering plants) would be greatly appreciated from others that have had good experiences!

i have always loved to garden (as much as possible in a 5 X 10 space!) but i have only had missed results. am hoping for advice to help make this a more successful season!

i appreciate any feedback! thank you, anaiades
containergirl
16 years ago
Welcome Anaiades!

I personally have never planted grasses, but I admire them in several of the restaurant plantings around town. I too have a very windy balcony. I think I lost several pea plants yesterday to horrible winds. Whine!

You may get more responses if you post a new thread with your own title. I have notice that the balcony forum is a little slow, so you might also try the container forum, which gets a little more traffic.
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suzi7
16 years ago
Hi,

I don't do perennials anymore because most of them needs special prep for over wintering otherwise they'll die so it might as well be annuals for a month of bloom. and i just don't have time and money. one perennial that i still do more and more is lilies. I bought some hybrid asiatic lilies and plated and they bloomed beautifully and overwintered no problem without any extra protection ( I live zone 7) . also you can plant fairly crowded. they are cheap. and no problem. fantastic plant for pot.

I've never done ornamental grass. but I know it could be done well. and I also think they are easy to grow plant. so familiarize yourself with the growing requirements of ornamental grass. I think many of them are drought tolerant and needs great drainage. full sun. probably in general. try to mimic the natural growing enviroment and I am sure they'll do well.
jenny_in_se_pa
16 years ago
Suzi - you seem sortof down. ^_^ Have you tried heucheras? I haven't had to do any winter prep with them and the blooms go for a good long time plus there are many different foliage colors, so that makes them interesting when they are not blooming. They can take sun or part sun as well.
suzi7
16 years ago
jenny, sorry, I didn't mean to be down. :0) i love perennials. you are right , there are many perennials that bloom for a long time. I had windflowers ( chinese anemones) last year and loved it so much. I didn't do anything for the winter and of course they died. I think that the thought of perfectly good plant otherwise will live many years dying only after a year is not really settling with me well. not that I feel sorry for the plant or anything like that, it just seem somehow so wasteful. It's wiered. I think I feel like I am wasting perfectly good plant, then again, I don't care about it enough to do the winter prep. so I think that's why I am just not doing it at all.

You make a good point there. alot of early spring bloomers would do just fine without winter protection. great idea. maybe I will try some next year.
maybe. Thanks for the advice.
jenny_in_se_pa
16 years ago
Suzi - I know the feeling. I have tried many many things over the years and it's heartbreaking to lose something that you were certain would make it, even when you try to protect it. But sometimes you stumble upon the unexpected and something you never thought would survive does and continues to surprise you every year. I figure that I am "rescuing" a plant that may never have been bought that may end up neglected and eventually thrown in a dumpster at the end of the season, so at least I gave it a little bit of a chance.

I do hope you will one day find that plant! :-)
paveuta
16 years ago
Hello,

I have moved to an apartment in Ireland, loads of wind and sun on the balcony, I have tried summer heathers and so far are doing well enough, they like full sun so they should make it (not gone through the winter yet though), need to keep them well watered though at least for the first spring/summer... will keep you posted....
OUTofSPITE
16 years ago
winter prep?
What's that?
LOL!
The only thing that gets any "special" treatment are the ones I have to bring in (callas, canas, etc)
Everything else is on its own.
The day lilies bloom all summer.
Another good one - black eyed susan - no special prep.
It comes back every year for the past 4 years that I have had them.
I think I'll have to divide them next year... the pot's getting a bit crowded.