I really like how one my sister's urn arrangements turned out. She has some dark wine coleus and mixed pink/green coleus in with dracena spikes in the middle and the lime-green sweetpotato vine hanging down around the edge. I like the color contrast alot!

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jenny, that urn shows how you can have a nice display of color and texture all season without worrying about blooming times of flowers. I like it too. :)

My favorite container this year is Canna 'Roi Humbert', Coleus 'Oompah', Fuchsia triphylla 'Mary' and Hakonechloa 'All Gold'. It's a very striking combination. I couldn't even tell you which of my many containers I put it in, because you really don't notice the container for the sparking scarlet fuchsia blooms and the yellow grass.

Oooo, that sounds beautiful! I have to look up a picture of the Hakonechloa. I love grasses. Unfortunately the only ones that can grow up here as perennials are the blue fescues and one green maidengrass (I think). I would have to grow mine in containers or try heavy winter protection ideas.

You're right about the container. If the planting is amazing it would steal the show from the container. So it is actually a little harder to plant a special container you want to stand out...with plants that enhance the pot without looking like a boring planting...cause a boring planting can distract the eye too.

Would love to see a pic. Is the canna one of the dwarfs?

To say I got experimental this year with my 1/2 whiskey barrels is an understatement!

I started with the middle and put a black knight canna lily. In the centre back there is a 8' trellis for mixed morning glories with supports going to the other barrel 8' away (hoping to train the mg's to bridge the gap), on the left back there are orange coloured mums, left front there is lirope, on the right back there is verbascum (white and purple flowers), right front a bitsy green hosta and front and centre is nasturm jewel mix hanging over the edge. Too say that there is a lot going on is an understatement. But there is something different to look at from every angle and I think I will have colour through the whole season. I didn't worry about flower colours blending but I'll have a little bit of everything covered. The fun part is most of these are perennials and if I continue to like the way these look, I can leave them for years to come.

As these barrels are in front of the house at the start of the driveway (best sun in the whole yard and no room for a garden), my neighbourhood is getting the best view. I've noticed that some who have never bothered with plants are now putting out small containers.

Sure wish I had a digital camera so I could show you my complete garden in one pot!

Nett

Just a few of my containers this year.I can't decide which I like the most.wish that I had added a few more reds though...

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Eliza Ann

This is one of my favorite combos this year. This is a picture from about a month ago. I wish I had a picture of it now, it has doubled in size. But unfortunatley my digital camera is broken. :(

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I also like this one from last year.

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The last one is my first tufa trough. I like the smiling face, it adds a lot to it.

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I'm going to cross my fingers and hope this pictures work. I have been having a problem posting pics. lately!

These photos are absolutely scrumptious! Here's mine.

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All the arrangements are beautiful! FlowrPowr, what's the plant in the middle picture with the varigated leaves? Loved that smiling face-- kudos to you on your tufa trough. And Posiegirl, what's making up your container?

VaBreeze, the plant in the middle container is Fuschia 'Autumnale'. It really does have a pretty leaf. The only drawback using it in that mix was the fact that is had pink flowers.
Glad you liked the smily face, he is so darned happy it's contageous!

This is mine.
This one I have done for the last 2 years.
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My second favorite..Canna Tropicanna, begonia, and Dahlia it has grown a low since this pic.

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One of my containers.
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Oh my goodness! I go away for a few days and look at what you guys have done! Wow!! These are all gorgeous and I have a million questions!

Viola....what is the dark purplish leafed plant in the front?...nevermind, just tell me what they all are (I keep seeing other things peeking out in there)...and how big is the pot? If that is a sample of "one of your pots"...would love to see more. :)

marquest....I love the large dark green leaf with the light green veins in the white stand...what is it? I have to get some caladiums sometime...love 'em...but haven't tried to grow them since I left OK. Nice containers.

posiegirl....do tell....what is in your container??? If it also had an ornamental pepper plant it would look like a scrumptious fancy salad! I love the large ruffly leaf with the purple vein...what is it! Nice rose too!

FlowrPowr....you definitely picked a good name! Those are absolutely gorgeous!! I really think you need to hurry and get another camera! I would love to see the size of the first container now! What is the burgundy leafed plant in that combo? Beautiful begonias!....what is the tiny leaf plant trailing over the edge? (I have to have a Fuschia 'Autumnale'!!) Love the trough and its plants! Did you make the smiling face too? I still haven't gotten around to "Make some tufa" on my To-Do list! My list is so very very long...probably much longer than my life!

Eliza....all are beautiful! I love the one with the peach and salmon colors (one of my favorites!)....although I am a sucker for all the colors and combos!

Nett....I think you should beg, borrow or steal a camera! :) I would love to see a pic. Your display sounds very impressive! (apparently your neighbors think so too...you seem to be infectious!)

I need a patio. Containers look so nice grouped on or around a patio or deck. My yard is humongous so I have lots of flower beds but few pots. Actually not much plant choice up here so I was waiting til I get my own greenhouse/nursery before doing a lot of pots. The 6-stacked 1/2barrels I started this thread with weren't for my yard...that were in a public garden...and I never got a pic...just have the planting diagram for it.

All of your beautiful arrangements just reinforce why I want a nursery...the baskets & plants for sale around here are so common and boring! I want to show the public there is so much more out there!!

Thank you DaisyLover. My container is a 14" Mexican clay pot fired in cobalt blue. In the back is a fancy coleus. In front of that are three geraniums. (They have dark maroon leaves and pink flowers-they didn't have an ID stick.) To the left is Diascia. (a little out of flower in the picture.) Far right is Calibrachoa. (aka Million Bells) In the front is a Sweet Potato Vine 'Blackie'. Finally, in any bare spots left, I plopped in some old fashioned petunias (not the super kind because they would take over the pot. They are the type that come in six packs. I think their color was called denim blue and I belive that there are four of those.)

Thanks Daisylover, I think you are asking about the tallest plant in the pot. It is a EE (ariod) the tag said African Mask it has a purple back. The other is the Zebra plant that blooms yellow, and the Caladium I think you recognized. The entire pot cost about $10. I winter it in a sunny window every year just pull the Calads out. Then replant them and out on the porch for the summer.

I planted it in a black plastic salad bowl from the dollar store.LOL

Glad you liked the containers, Daisylover. I do need to get another camera. I have missed so many pictures in the garden!
The burgundy leaved plant in the first container is Magilla Perilla. I see that Viola has it in her container also. It is a great plant for mixing.
The tiny leaved plants common name is wire vine. We sell it at the nursery I work at.
I didn't make the face in the tufa container, but he is really neat. I have a friend that does clay work, and I am going to see it she can make me a couple of them. It would be neat to have faces with different expressions.
I like your container Viola. Those are some of my favorite colors.

You gals are so lucky to be in areas where you can find such cool plants. Sweet Potato Blackie, Wire vine, African Mask, Zebra Plant, Magilla Perilla, etc. Our greenhouses here have only the most common things (all bedding plants)...begonias, impatiens, common petunias, red geraniums, marigolds, dusty miller, moss rose, ageratum and allysum...that's it! You could only get wave petunias, lobelia, white bacopa, verbena, scaevola, and strawflowers in some hanging baskets. You couldn't even buy coleus, licorice, dracaena spikes, or any ivies this year. No osteopermums, lysimachia (the ivy-type or the flowering-type), diascias, marguerites, gazanias, calibrachoa, bidens, brachyscome, gerberas, torenias...none! There is no such thing up here as a greenhouse (or any store) that sells houseplants, which I find so very very odd.

One place had 3" pots of abutilon...but everyone just walked right by them because he had failed to make it up into a hanging basket so they could see what it could look like. Can't introduce a new plant (to the area) and expect it to sell if you don't show what it can be. I have seen customers in this same greenhouse go nuts over large pots and barrels of nastursiums...and they were always amazed when they found out it was just common nastursiums. They thought they had discovered a new plant! :) He sold tons of large pots of nasturiums that year (which had to be a big profit maker!). I watched customers pick up small starter plants and look around the room to see if it was used in a hanging basket and then say "Oh! Yes! That WILL look good!" Just proves you have to show (and educate) customers. They don't always know and most are afraid to experiment...you have to give them ideas. Okay...off the soap box now! ;)

I was very disappointed by the plants this year...but I did learn a lot more about what to do and not do in a greenhouse business by just watching the shoppers. Now you can see why I must have a greenhouse/nursery here. And why I want to manage somehow (with a small business purchasing volume) to find sources and introduce all the neat plants like you guys are using (and more). Can you imagine how excited shoppers would be to find baskets, pots and urns for sale planted up like yours? And to find the starter plants available to make their own?? (This is when my credit card machine will come in really handy!...while they are still excited!) ;) This area is starved for plant variety. And there is a market cause every house has tons of pots and gardens...but they can only plant the common things they find. And they do spend...I watched tons of $25 baskets flying out the door! I have seen lots of houses with at least a dozen of those baskets hanging all along their porches (lots of wrap-around farm porches up here). Anyways...I am getting carried away and this should really be in the other forum...sorry...it's just you guys got me excited! :)

Another thing I just learned: if you can't find Magilla Perilla use a fancy coleus, as FlowrPowr and Viola did! :) posiegirl didn't come back yet but I still want to know what the large ruffly leafed plant in her pot is...the rest looks like herbs. Anyone have a guess what that plant is?

Viola...I am confused about the Blackie. I just picked up magazine "Miracle-Gro Container Gardening Made Easy"... and in it were two different pots using the sweet potato vine Blackie....but they looked like completely different plants. One had the leaves like yours...the other had black heart-shaped leaves...do they change as they grow??? I like your type the best...color plus a unique leaf shape.

Btw...lots of cool plants in this magazine. Would love to find the Silver Sage (salvia argentea), Dusty Miller (Centaurea 'Colchester White'), Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus), Alternanthera 'Red Thread', Fiber Optic Grass, and New Zealand Flax - just to name a few. :)
I am thinking the cardoon might be found in the herb seeds...not sure, just a niggling thought and I can't find my herb books right now. :)

FlowrPowr, I also liked the plants in your trough...but couldn't identify them all.

Anyways I have babbled long enough to put you all to sleep. I have to go do some more research and make some new lists and plans now. It really is a shame there isn't a gallery for this forum where all the pics could be posted.

DaisyLover, sounds like you are the one to get your area into the next century! Regarding 'Blackie', I don't know the answer to that but I know what you mean. When I first started buying it, the leaves were fuller. Maybe they have improved it over the years. (I like it better with the fine cut leaves.)

And FlowrPowr, I learned something from you. I picked up what I thought was a coleus. It was good size but totally pot bound in a tiny pot. My garden center had a few that had been sitting around for a while and they wanted to get rid of them, so I picked it up for $1.00. (Personally, I would have repotted them into bigger pots and sold them for a profit....but I'm not complaining.) It does look like your Magilla Perilla. Here is a close-up. Is this MP?
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Yes, Viola, that IS Magilla Perilla! I "discovered" this plant two years ago, and have kept cuttings going every year - I won't be without it! Unlike coleus, Magilla can take serious sun and never miss a beat. And it never seems to get leggy, as most coleus do (without pinching). Here's my container of Magilla from 2003 (click on the pic to see it larger):

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It can get BIG!

Here's one of my favorite combos - coleus "Inky Fingers" and SPV "Margarite":

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Re: the "Blackie" SPV - there are several varieties of the dark-leaved SPVs. I like the one in your pic best - that's the one that's actually called "Blackie". There are two others - called "Ace of Spades" and "Black Heart" - both of which have the heart-shaped leaves. And there are lots of others as well - tricolored, bronze-leaved, etc., etc.

Everyone's containers are beautiful! FlowrPowr - that container in your second photo is gorgeous on its own - and the plantings make it drop-dead gorgeous!

Wish I could remember the name of that ruffly-edged plant in posiegirl's pic ......

PV

Thanks PV, those are beautiful! I can't believe I didn't know about that plant. How funny that I found it by accident. Now that you mention it, mine is in a sunny spot and isn't skipping a beat. Coleus would have had some burning. I always take cuttings of my coleus and overwinter them in the house with grow lights. I plan to do the same with MP.

Here is another container that is on my patio. I think it is a little busy but good for ideas. I have morning glories climbing up the center. Last year I had black-eyed susan vine and it looked awesome. I couldn't find it anywhere this year so I went with the morning glories.
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Blue in the front is Lobelia Laguna Compact Blue with Eye by Proven Winners; The yellow in the back/left is Sanvitalia speciosa ÂSunbini by Proven Winners; Just below that is Bacopa. The yellow in the front/right is: Bidens ÂSolair Yellow by Proven Winners (It goes out of flower which I don't like); The coleus is a trial plant that I don't think is on the market yet. In the lower front is a perennial veronica with pink flowers and scattered about are a few regular petunias and a few morning glories.

This one! I just posted in another thread that it's a big problem for me.. too impressive!

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..."your area into the next century!" haha! You hit the nail on the head with that one, Viola! :) So the magazine had it wrong labeling both plants as Ipomea batatas 'Blackie'. hmph...I wish people would be more responsible when labeling plant pictures. No wonder beginners get so confused. I just checked my 2003-04 JollyFarmer catalog and they list these five varieties in their rooted cuttings:
1. Ace of Spades - leaves are spade shaped, dark burgundy black.
2. Blackie - deeply serrated leaves are dark burgundy black.
3. Ivory Jewel - mid green leaves with cream yellow variegated streaking.
4. Marguerite - lime green heart shaped leaves.
5. Tricolor - oak leaf shaped leaves are green with pink and white markings towards the outer edges and tips.

Funny I never noticed this listing before (color instead of B&W photos would have helped), but I was happy to see they gave a definite description of each...then you are sure you are getting the one you want! A very impressive variety of one type of plant that appears to make a great filler for large pots. (I just looked in the 2005 catalog and they dropped the Ivory Jewel for some reason).

So, everyone who has one...the Magilla Perilla looks like a coleus, is more care-free than a coleus, but looks like it has a firmer less-fuzzy leaf than the coleus? And that is MP (and not coleus) in both Viola's and FlowrPowr's pots?

PVick, I love the pics! That Coleus 'Inky Fingers' is amazing! I can't decide if it is that unique on its own or if it is the lime of the SPV that makes it pop! So the MP...you root the cuttings in water like you can with coleus?

Viola, love this arrangement too! It also looks like a really big planter. It may seem a little busy but I can imagine it all balances out when the morning glory takes off up the trellis. Sometimes I like simple...sometimes busy. I love plants with "eyes". I am always drawn to them. The Sanvitalia is another new one to me. I always loved the tiny yellow flowers and feathery foliage of the Bidens but you say it goes out of flower? :( Does the Sanvitalia hold its flowers all season? I like the tiny yellow daisy blooms on it. Do you think it is a good plant to use in place of the bidens?

..."your area into the next century!" haha! You hit the nail on the head with that one, Viola! :) So the magazine had it wrong labeling both plants as Ipomea batatas 'Blackie'. hmph...I wish people would be more responsible when labeling plant pictures. No wonder beginners get so confused. I just checked my 2003-004 JollyFarmer catalog and they list these five varieties in their rooted cuttings:
1. Ace of Spades - leaves are spade shaped, dark burgundy black.
2. Blackie - deeply serrated leaves are dark burgundy black.
3. Ivory Jewel - mid green leaves with cream yellow variegated streaking.
4. Marguerite - lime green heart shaped leaves.
5. Tricolor - oak leaf shaped leaves are green with pink and white markings towards the outer edges and tips.

Funny I never noticed this listing before (color instead of B&W photos would have helped), but I was happy to see they gave a definite description of each...then you are sure you are getting the one you want! A very impressive variety of one type of plant that appears to make a great filler for large pots. (I just looked in the 2005 catalog and they dropped the Ivory Jewel for some reason).

So, everyone who has one...the Magilla Perilla looks like a coleus, is more carefree than a coleus, but looks like it has a firmer less-fuzzy leaf than the coleus? And that is MP (and not coleus) in both Viola's and FlowrPowr's pots?

PVick, I love the pics! I have to go back and check the rest of your pics out. That Coleus 'Inky Fingers' is amazing! I can't decide if it is that unique on its own or if it's the lime of the SPV that makes it pop! So the MP...you root the cuttings in water like you can with coleus?

Viola, love this arrangement too! It also looks like a really big planter. It may look a little busy but I bet once those morning glories zoom up the trellis it all balances out. Sometimes I like simple, sometimes busy...it depends. I have always wanted to have a black-eyed susan vine...the flowers are so unusual looking.

I love plants with 'eyes'...can't pass them up. The Sanvitalia is another new one to me. I always wanted a bidens with the tiny yellow flowers and its feathery foliage...but you say it doesn't hold its flowers? Would you say the Sanvitalia is a good substitute? I love its tiny yellow daisies (of course I would!). The foliage isn't as feathery but it is tiny. Do you find the bacopa flowers nicely all season?

Okay, Viola, you said, "Personally, I would have repotted them into bigger pots and sold them..." & "The coleus is a trial plant..." Let me guess...both you and FlowrPowr work in or own nurseries? How do you get lucky enough to get a trial plant??? btw...do your nurseries get plugs & cuttings, larger finished sizes or grow from seeds & cuttings?

karenminbrooklin, as I said in the other forum this pot is beautiful and I can't believe that is just one months growth from very tiny plants! Now...I recognize the pink and purple petunias, the dracaena spike, and the Sweet Potato Vine. But what are the little pink daisies in the back left (Marguerites?), the small white flower in the middle, the burgundy foliage on the back right (Magilla Perilla again?), and the big red cluster on the right (or is that your rose bush?)??

Well, girls...my plant wish-list just got a lot longer and my file folder reserved just for your pictures just got fuller! Plus more to-do plans for my nursery. I already had planned to have some display gardens and sell the required plants bundled together with a planting diagram. Now I know I will need to have some large display pots like yours and sell the correct plants with a diagram. No way those urns could be sold finished...I would need a fork truck to deliver them! Would be nice to find a wholesaler for large urns in small quantities affordably priced. I already have lots of plans for wooden planters, obelisks, wagons, etc to make for sale & display. I also plan on gathering up a bunch of 'found items' to turn into planters. It's gonna take a lot of planning to be able to start small with a good variety and build up from there.

FlowrPowr, you said "have been having a problem posting pics. lately!" I don't know if it is because I am on slow dial-up but some of the pics in here that are photobucket either don't come up for me or they only come up half-way. The others work fine. I have to look at the pics properties then copy the link to it and go look at it that way (that was the only way I could see the trough pic and the complete pics of your other pots). On Eliza's and marquest's I have to right-click and select "show picture". Like I said...may just be my dial-up.

Sorry for the long message....again....but you guys give me so much to ask about!! :)

Don't worry about the long posts Daisylover. It's great to have enthusiasm!
I work at a local nursery, and I love my job! Not everyone can say that, so I feel fortunate. My boss Cindy is really a great lady, and she is as big of a plant nut as me. Every spring she hands me her catalogs, and tells me to pick some stuff out that I just have to have. How great is that?!
We have a huge selection of plants at our nursery. We have at least 150 different scented geraniums. We also have a large selection of fancy leaved geraniums also. We also have a large selection of herbs, hierloom vegetables, perennials, and of course annuals. I am like a kid in a candy shop working there, thank goodness I get an employee discount! I have been trying to convince my boss to get a website going, I know there would be a demand for the plants we carry.
To answer your question about the Megilla Perilla, yes that is what is in my container, and I think it looks like what is in Violas also. It does take more sun than most coleus, but there are several types of Sun Coleus out there, that will take full sun. As some one else said, you can easily take cuttings from the Perilla.
You were also asking about how the nurseries get their plants. There are several, (zonal geraniums, petunias, etc.) that we order plugs in the spring. But many plants we either start from seed or cuttings. We grow our Scented/Fancy Geraniums from cuttings along with herbs, tender salvias, and several types of houseplants. We start our cuttings on heat mats until they root out. The heat mats are also used for starting seedlings.
You are correct that people love the containers with the unusual stuff. I do planters for the local gas station every year. 10 huge planters filled with our Mother plants. That's what we call our plants that we take our cuttings from. I love doing these planters, because I can be creative with all of those big geraniums, coleus, lavenders, etc. We get so many comments from people that have seen them at the carryout. We also make several smaller versions for sale in the greenhouse, and those do well too. It's a good way to use plants that other nurseries throw away.
I'm trying to go back over the posts and respond to stuff, but I might miss something. Lets see, the ruffly green plant in posiegirls container reminds me of a plant we had last year called 'Dinosaur Plant'. Sorry about the common name, but I think it was related to the ornamental Kales. The dinosaur plant got very large if I remember right. Unfortunately I did a search and the only thing Dinosaur Plant brings up is what we call Resurection plant. I hate commone plant names, and this is why! I am trying to learn more latin, but it isn't easy!:)
Someone was wondering about the plants in the trough. There are a couple of Dianthus, a little tiny evergreen, Saxifragia (sp), and Irish moss. The trough is one of my favorites. Here is a picture of one I did just this spring. I can't wait until it fills out a little more. This one has a couple of dwarf conifers, a tiny little geranium (the pink flower), a dwarf contoneaster, and a potentilla. I just go nuts for tiny plants!
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Sorry to jump around so randomly here, but I keep reading back and finding things to comment on. (Once you get me started, I'm hard to shut up)

PV, I like your Inky Fingers, Potato vine combo. I love contianers with just foliage in them. Unfortunately I don't make many at work, because if it doesn't have a flower in it, people won't buy it. I did a conatianer with all coleus once, and I loved the way it looked.
If you like plants with eyes, check out Spilanthes, it's an herb. It's common name is toothache plant. (I know that was really random, but I think I remember someone commenting on that)
Last but not least, the problem with posting pics. I don't know what is going on with that. I resize them so they aren't too large, but still sometimes I get the red X. This time, all 3 pictures I posted were there the night I posted them. By morning the tufa picture was an X. By the next day the tufa picture was back! I can't even begin to guess at the mysteries of the computer! :)

Oooooo, FlowrPowr, I love that trough, the plants in it and around it! Nice clematis and red sedum (in the bottom corner). I too love dwarf plants. To me that was the most interesting part of driving to the top of Mount Washington here...seeing the naturally dwarfed and alpine plants. (Driving up Mt. Washington is a big tourist attraction around here and cars that make it proudly display bumper stickers that they made it! Or you can chug up the hill slowly on the old Cog Railway) :) All of my favorite pics of tufa troughs that I would like to make someday are filled with mini-plants. I don't know...they just seem to look better than normal flowery plants.

Most of the questions you answered were mine. And I was the one who loves "eyes". :) I looked up that Spilanthes in the database and there were several but finally found this one...is it the one you mean? Looks like a bunch of yellow eyeballs?? (I tried copying and pasting the link to the pic...hope it works). If this is it, I love it! I have seen that in a catalog but can't remember the common name they used.

http://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/jour/p/86/gw1038686/559391043102506.jpeg

I get frustrated even with the latin names of plants. Either they keep changing them or decided they have been using the wrong name all along. One example is the Strawflower...which was being called Helichrysum then became Bracteantha...and all the Licorice plants are really Helichrysum, but if you want the Helichrysum Silver Mist you ask for Helichrysum...but if you want Licorice you ask for Licorice Plant, Licorice Petite, Licorice Icicles or Licorice Variegated...and not Helichrysum. :) (And that may all change depending on who you are dealing with!) It's like the 10-key keypad...why in the world after all these years every object with a keypad isn't made with the zero at the bottom is beyond me!

FlowrPowr, you are indeed a very lucky gal...great job, great boss, employee discount, AND access to the catalogs?! I would never have a paycheck to take home! Is this nursery open year round? 150 Scented Geraniums? Wow...do you know I have never even seen a real one? I'm still trying to find out what the difference is between seed geraniums and zonal geraniums (other than zonals only come as rooted cuttings). My Mom bought red geraniums every year for the cemetary...figure those were probably the seed ones.

I love plants and greenhouses. I'm not really a religious person (and nothing against anyone who is) but the first time I walk into a greenhouse in the spring the first thought that goes through my mind is "...and he restoreth my soul..." (especially after our very long cold winters). Sounds silly, I know, but happens everytime.

Up here most people order annual/perennial plugs & cuttings from Jolly Farmer. I know of one that probably starts a lot of stuff themselves too. For the small size that I will be (and the cost of GH heating an extra month or two) I will probably not be propagating much myself at least until we move to a new house where I could set-up an area inside for it. We have decided to go for it and start the business this year...small at first (to make it easier to move, in case we do sell our house - which after this can only happen in the warm off-season). With our weather we have to build the greenhouse this fall so it will be in place and operational in time for plants to arrive in the spring. If we waited til snow cleared in the spring to build it, the season would be over before we were operational!

So now I am busy making lists of plants and paring it down to fit in a small GH but still give me a good variety (and of course designing planters!) Not to mention all the "to-do" lists necessary for opening a business (#1 - get the well fixed)! Perennials are easier to pick than annuals because I only want ones hardy for this zone (unlike the local Home Depot - plants for zone 6 & 7 and Walmart plants don't even have a zone on the tag!) I think making up a name will be the hardest part. :) Plus I am studying and researching everything I can absorb, which is difficult cause this old brains leaks. But I do now know that Viola's Sanvitalia is Creeping Zinnia...and Cardoon is like globe thistle. :)

Anyways...I love your combos...you have a good eye. Do you actually sell large combos at the nursery like your first pic? What price range would that be out there? I have to remember to restrain myself on some combo designs and not make it too expensive for the area...or make it in limited quantities. Now hopefully I can find sources for some of the plant material you guys made me want without a $2500 minimum!

I know what you mean about the jumping around...I get dizzy flipping up and down this page to see who said what. Nice to see I am not the only "chatty cathy" in here! I think we would get along great! :)

The only bad thing about planning to do this (if it actually happens!) is we won't be able to pack up on a whim and go visit the grandbabies for a few days! Gotta run...my lists are calling me....thanks for all the info!

Common name for Spilanthes, Toothache Plant. It actually makes your mouth go numb if you chew a leaf. We had a local chef in the greenhouse tasting herbs one day, and Cindy gave him a Spilathes to taste. She said it was funny because he scolded her because he could no longer taste the other herbs. Fortunatley the effect wears off pretty quickly.
And that's my ramble for today. I'm tired, so I'll keep it short! :)
Oh yeah, (see, I just couldn't end it there) you were asking about the containers price. I don't really know, I just do the grunt work, I don't decide on the price. If I had to guess, for a really big one, $75.00 to $100.00. But these planters we do up are huge. I guess the cost of the container adds too it. Sorry I can't be more help in that department.

Why was he tasting your plants?? Doesn't he know what they taste like? Guess I have to grow some Spilathes now to stop people from eating my inventory! ;)

That is about what I figured a large container would run for too...or more, depending on the area...it would be lower here. Large nice containers are not cheap. Add to that more soil & fertilizer, more plants and larger plants, more time to plant it, and more labor to move it around...and up goes the price. Then there is the 'wow factor' and the price goes "CHI-CHING!" ;)

Now I have to go make a list of which plants could be rooted up or seeded and grown to a sellable size in a short time span. I would like to not have to buy all my plants. Plus then I could have more variety without having to buy 140-280 of each plant. That is the problem with trays of plugs...there are just some plants I don't want that many of! Plus it fills up the greenhouse space awfully fast.

Sorry you were so tired last night. Guess that is the down-side to your wonderful job...but I imagine it all balances out. :)

Here is the link to the picture I found. When you aren't so tired see if it is your plant. (I also like that plant they called 'fried eggs' or something like that).

You all are amazing!

I guess the chef was tasting the plants to see which ones he liked the best. I would say we have over 20 different types of Rosemary alone. We also have several different types of Thymes. I guess he was trying to see which he liked the best.
The picture you have is of spilanthes. Strange looking plant, isn't it?
If you are looking to sell ornamental plants I would go with things like Coleus, Fancy Pelargoniums (geraniums), and Salvias. These are plants that we use in almost all of our containers. And they are all easy to propagate.

This is for Shadygardenerzone6. I have some bad news. Those perennials you have planted in the whiskey barrels may freeze out because if they were planted in the ground they would be insulated more than in the barrels....just a thought... SunriseFairy

Rosemary and thymes... :( Can only grow them as annuals up here except for the common creeping thyme that gets rather tall and spreads rambunctiously (is that a word?)! I would love to have some of the low growing thymes, especially with the gold edges.

Have to apologize to all for the super long post above that duplicated within itself. Don't know how that happened...I know I checked it before posting. Geez...bad enough that I babble...it doesn't need to make me look like a blubbering idiot! ;)

Two plants I want to grow that I am not finding a source for are the Magilla Perilla and Silver Sage (Salvia argentea - very large leaves). Is MP fast from seed (if I can find a source for seeds!)? Also looking for the tall lacy Dusty Miller (Centaurea 'Colchester White')...this must be a perennial and definitely is related to my Centaurea Montana.

Just noticed another greenhouse closing for the season in the area (within 50 miles) and it has a big sale on containers. Should go check out their operation. So one greenhouse had a one-month season, and one had a 1 1/2 month season. hmmmmmm.... gotta think about the whys of this and how the business season could be extended. Boy, FlowrPowr, you gals wouldn't work much up here!

I'm still trying to figure out how karenminbrooklin's plants went from such a tiny size to overgrown in only five weeks. What kind of weather do they have in Ontario??!! Our rainy and cloudy weather this year is really messing up the plants. Some just aren't growing and others are taking over. We need a heat wave.

I just saw a cool grouping of plants. Dwarf Sunflower, surrounded by ornamental peppers and fiery colored French Marigolds. Would look great in a blue urn or a mexican-looking pot!

Gotta go searching for plants....

DaisyLover, the Centaurea gymnocarpa 'Colchester White' was available inn spring 2005 from Singing Springs Nursery. I can attest to this plant being the best silvery-white toughie in heat, full sun and high humidity ...but most of all it's so beautifully filigreed. Great as filler in containers or for cutting. This nursery specializes in unusual tropicals and annuals...I've got 10 Coleus and many other favorites from there. Can't wait to see what's offered next spring...best of all descriptions are accurate and give you good ideas for combos. Ignore the "closed for this season" notice...catalog will load with great photos afterwards.

I've really enjoyed all the enthusiasm, inspiration, and great photos in this post. Don't forget you can also have a minibog and mini-watergarden. Plus hardy-to-your-zone seedling trees and shrubs are inexpensive and can later be transplanted to your garden. josh

All of your containers are beautiful and I have really been inspired by all of the pictures and ideas on this site. When I first started this spring I only intended to plant herbs and was not interested in ornamentals at all. But over the past 6 months, I have been so inspired by the pictures and ideas I got from everyone here that I have actually attempted a couple of combination pots.

I dont have a digital camera so I cant post pics. And they aren't anywhere near as impressive as the ones I have seen here, but not bad for someone who knew virtually nothing about growing things until this year. They are pretty basic, with caladiums, coleus, liriope (sp?) and sweet potato vines but but I am pretty proud of myself. (I still cant believe I am actually managing to grow things!) So thanks for all the inspiration y'all!

Lydia

Josh, thanks for the link. There is a lot of info on there about a lot of plants but I doubt I would buy anything from them cause I wouldn't pay that much for annuals (in this zone anyways). But it is nice to have the link in case I ever get tempted for one very special rare plant for my own use. :)

Actually I was looking for a wholesale grower. I can't believe after searching all over the net I just found one right here in NH that has every plant I want and tons more! The only thing they didn't have was the Magilla Perilla. Actually there are two large wholesale growers plunked right in the middle of the state and I never knew!! DOH!!

Lydia, this forum should flash a warning sign: "Caution: Contagious Area Ahead - Enter At Your Own Risk!" :) Glad to hear you are having so much fun.

".....pretty basic, with caladiums, coleus, liriope (sp?) and sweet potato vines".... None of those are 'basic' in my neck of the woods...can't buy most of them up here. :) Your container doesn't sound basic at all. It sounds like a good combination.

Oh...another line that should be on the warning sign for this forum... "(Note: Purchase of a Digital Camera is an incurable, uncontrollable side affect)" :)

I would have guessed the yellow and orange were begonias, but in skimming through the posts, I thought somebody mentioned fuschia.

What plant has those beautiful variegated leaves with the bright colors?

And finally, what is that trailing plant that looks the closest I can think of to maidenhair fern?

There are some gorgeous baskets here, didn't see any I didn't like, and I was running around today trying to find some dusty miller and that grass that starts with "D" to fill out my two pots with other plants I started in the house. Lowe's said they would be getting some dusty miller in, I want to put it together tomorrow; HD didn't have any; called my regular nursery, none; finally called another nursery, and they had some so I ran out there to pick some up. I also like that licorice vine. They had a pot made up with it at Lowe's, and it would have made a nice substitute if I couldn't find DM. They had to ask somebody what it was.

{{gwi:36422}}

Scroll up to the response FlowrPowr posted on Sun, Jul 3, 05 at 1:41 for the name of this beautiful colored plant.

Thank you, vabreeze. I did see that and was confused about the begonias, but I guess the fuschia wasn't blooming. Those leaves are spectacular. Now if I can find out what that trailing plant is, I'd be pleased. It looks so dainty. I jotted it down, don't know if I can find any or not, don't need it this year, but would be nice to line some up for next year.

I need suggestions for a vine I can grow in a container that I can train on a trellis up and across a trellis on my hot brick wall. I don't really care if its annual or perenial. I was considering maybe a sweet potatoe vine or a confederate jasmine. I don't think the wall itself gets a lot of direct sunlight as the eave shades it a bit, but the pot will get a lot, and it is very bright hot light on the brick, so nothing for shade. Anybody got some pics of anything similar? Maybe I could mix a trailing petunia or something in with the vine for a little color? Thanks in advance for your input.
Debbie

Will give the thread a bump, but it is timely. I'm no expert, but a clematis might do ok, would ask before I'd buy one. Don't know about sweet potato vine.

In general, from personal observation, vines don't like hot brick. Euyonomous grew up the entire chimney of the house across the street, facing west, before they finally took it out. My sweet peas weren't real happy in front of a brick stoop last year. I have an invasive one I've fought for years, and it does not grow, or very little, where there is full sun. It's the worst on the east and covered the whole north side of my garage before I had a girl tear it off.

Morning glories are more tolerant, I think, but I had some get wilty in the worst heat last summer, watered them, and they bounced right back.

Creeping fig vine will go up a hot wall, and Sweet potato vine adores heat. It's mostly grown as a ground cover but I planted some variagated sp vine at the base of a sunny trellis and it weaved its way up to about 8 feet, and was mighty impressive.

Aliska12000, I think the vine in FlowrPowr's display is called Muehlenbeckia or Maidenhair/Angel/Mattress Vine. I saw it in one of our local gardenshops today. A good picture is here- http://www.glasshouseworks.com/trop-mn.html

[IMG]http://i7.tinypic.com/4r8ncsp.jpg[/IMG]

Sometimes I like to use simple, graphic plantings like this one. it's a Mexican bear grass in the center underplanted with purple ice plant. It's full of blooms now, almost solid purple, so I wish I had a picture of it now!

Hey, sorry to hijack this post for a sec, but LYDIA, I live in Austin, too! Whereabouts?

Flowrpwr or anyone else who knows, what is the name of your beautiful blue Clematis? Wow!

mammie, sorry about not responding to your post. I haven't checked this post, (or forum), in a very long time. I need to try to make more time to get on the computer, but the garden is calling me this time of year.
The blue clematis is a large flowered variety called 'Mrs. Cholmondeley'. I have heard that it is pronounced Mrs. Chumley. I can't describe how beautiful this Clematis is. It is probably my favorite of all. Most of the pictures in
catalogs don't do it justice, and it comes out looking more purple than blue. For me, it is baby blue with just a hint of violet at the tips.
Here is a link to a picture that is very accurate in color.

Thanks for the info. It is just beautiful. I hope to get one sometime and try it.