![]() The plants don’t need any deadheading and are quite drought tolerant. Joyce put this grouping together with “leftovers” from other containers she’d planted up earlier, and it turned out great! Its bright and bold blooms from lantana and mandevilla bring warmth, excitement and a tropical feel to the patio. Tropical-inspired container garden Honorable mention: Joyce Hannaford, MA Then she fertilizes every 3 weeks with a liquid plant food, such as Miracle Gro ®.Ī) Angelonia Angelonia angustifolia Carita ™ PurpleĬ) Swan River daisy Brachyscome iberidifoliaĮ) Verbena Glandularia Lanai ® Compact Twister ™ Purple To keep this container flowering, Sandy sprinkles Osmocote ® on top of the potting mix at planting time. Just cut the stems back by a third for fresh regrowth by fall. In hot, humid regions plants can get lanky as hotter weather takes hold. But the Swan River daisy is more a fan of cooler temperatures and does great in the Michigan summers where Sandy lives. Most of the plants are quite heat and drought tolerant and take summers in stride. But sunny yellow from the variegated vinca and bright magenta petunia really adds some pop. Sandy’s combination uses shades of purple to bring a relaxing vibe to her deck. ![]() When you’re putting together a container, it helps to have a color theme to get things started. Sophisticated color palette Runner Up: Sandy Butkis, MI Shirley’s palette of bright, warm colors could easily be swapped for pastels or a monochromatic theme if that fits in better with your garden’s style.Ĭ) Globe amaranth Gomphrena pulchella Truffula ™ Pinkĭ) Petunia Petunia x Calibrachoa Supercal ® Premium Caramel YellowĮ) Lantana Lantana Luscious ® Bananarama ™ The only deadheading you may need to do is on the petunia, but the blooms aren’t sticky like some older varieties, which makes this task easier. They thrive in this south-facing spot, but Shirley still waters daily in the heat of summer. The globe amaranth and lantana are great for attracting pollinators, are super drought tolerant and don’t need deadheading. ![]() You can’t miss the large-leaved coleus splashed with pink-it makes an eye-catching thriller for this combo. They’re packed with colorful annuals that bloom from spring to frost. Shirley’s 17-inch-tall and 24-inch-square containers provide a brilliant greeting on either side of the sidewalk that leads to her front door. Finally, snip any wayward stems back to a leaf joint as needed to keep a balanced look.ī) Wing begonia Begonia Dragon Wing ® RedĬ) Potato vine Solanum jasminoides ‘Variegata’Ĭolorful entry containers Runner Up: Shirley Schultz, WI And a Liquid plant food at full strength every 12 to 14 days will help keep growth strong and the foliage colorful. These are vigorous plants, so once the roots have filled in, it will need almost daily watering in summer. Maintenance is simple for this windowbox: water, feed and trim. That left plenty of room to fill in the gaps with other plants she had found in 4-inch pots. They included wing begonia, inch plant and potato vine that were spaced out evenly across the length of the windowbox. To provide a foundation for the design, Stacey bought three 12-inch preplanted hanging basket combos from the garden center that she fell in love with. The antique shutter she secured to the front provides interest when the plants are still small. Our grand prize winning container by Stacey Toomey is a 60×14-inch windowbox that’s attached to an east-facing window in part shade. No-Fail Formula for Perfect Containers Everytimeġst prize foliage Container Challenge Grand Prize Winner: Stacey Toomey, PA Take a look through the top entries and you’re sure to find one (or several!) that will encourage you to try a new plant or color palette in your containers this year.Įnter Your Containers in Next Year's Challenge Here! The Grand Prize winner and two Runners Up received some beautiful containers from Gardener’s Supply Company. Thanks to everyone who sent in an entry, and congratulations to our winners. The response was amazing - our readers really know how to put together beautiful containers! Last year we put out a call to readers asking them to send in their best container designs in our 2023 Garden Gate Container Challenge. The other half is seeing what other gardeners have come up with - a little inspiration can really get the creative juices flowing. Half the fun of planting them is trying out new combinations or swapping plants out for new looks each season. This is the time of year that containers are top of mind for every gardener.
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