garden inspiration and design
A few weeks ago I was at the happiest place on earth. We traveled to Disneyland with my parents, five siblings, and niece. It had been over three years since we’d all been on vacation together, and it was a blast. Disneyland is magical, there’s no question about that. I believe part of the magic comes from attention to detail, specifically in their planting.
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I have a May birthday. But even better than having a birthday during the month that the official growing season starts in Utah, I have an end of May birthday. This means that the wisteria is blooming, calibrachoa and potato vine are starting to creep down the sides of planted containers, and lilacs have just stopped blooming but viburnums are still going strong.
When I was growing up anticipation of my birthday was always coupled with that of the end of the school year. Now that I am relatively “grown up” and I teach school the excitement of the end of the school year is even more intensified even more. This might be because this was my very first year teaching high school. or maybe because I’m leaving for Disneyland the first of June. I’m guessing a combination of both. Which, lets be honest, do not sound like things that a normal 23 year old is excited about on their birthday. But hey, that’s just how much I love Disneyland.
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I’ve been excited to write about succulent containers since I snapped the above picture outside a cathedral in Moneglia, Italy. This tiny town, set picturesquely on the Italian Riviera, was full of succulent inspiration. Outoor cafes, storefronts, and the beautiful brick archways that lead to the beach all sported succulent plantings. Its a less common style for containers, where full blossomed beauty is prevalent. The stark, geometric appearance has come to be associated with “modern” design. But instead of considering them modern, why not think of them as Mediterranean? Their simplicity emulates all things Mediterranean, with few blooms and an emphasis on texture. Water wise and full-sun loving, succulents thrive in containers providing maximum impact for minimal effort. There’ll be no need for dead heading or heavy fertilizing here, just a willingness to venture from petunias and marigolds.
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I have a wonderful friend named Beth, and we have a yearly tradition. Every year in late May or early June {depending on our varying Utah weather} we head to the garden center to design her pots. We meander down the rows of plants and flowers admiring blossoms, and picking out color palettes while chatting. Beth is great to chat with. She is one of those women, so easy to talk to because she really does care about the new recipe you tried or plans for your upcoming Disneyland trip. The combination of flowers and Beth makes for a wonderful morning of shopping. But our tradition will be absent this year since I’m in Spain. In leu of a visit to the garden center I’ve decided to write this post and dedicate it to Beth. Its our virtual shopping trip. All that’s missing is the great conversation, the smell of dewy,freshly watered blossoms, and the almost tangible humidity of the greenhouse. Well actually, not the humidity. I’m about 15 minutes from the Mediterranean Sea and learning to live with frizzy hair and slightly soggy potato chips. It’s okay though, the Bougainvillea and palm trees are worth it : ) But I digress… Beth has five pots that we design. She has two north facing on either side of her front door, two south facing for the back patio, and another south facing pot that is usually placed on the patio table as a centerpiece. So let’s take a look at the pots and Beth, don’t forget the red geraniums for the beds in front of the porch.
Let’s start with the shade pots on the porch. North facing doorways are the perfect canvas for continuous summer blooms. Without overwhelming southern or western sun, plants never experience that parched,dry look.
For southern facing pots, especially those on patios or decks {where they tend to get even hotter}, proper plant selection is crucial for blossoms that persist through August.
When using containers as centerpieces on tables make sure to check the tags and keep the mature height of the plants in mind. Avoid aggressive trailing plants like potato vine.
I’ve just spent a few days in London. Amid the beauty of Westminster Abbey, Parliament, and Buckingham palace, I couldn’t help but admire the presence of English garden style. English gardens are renowned for their splendor. Deep shades of green and dashes of bright color. Sculpted boxwood and long expanses of velvet lawn. Most envision large English garden estates or majestic city parks, but the beauty of English gardens is alive and distinct in urban England. Container gardening is a wonderful way to adorn your garden with English style. First, begin by selecting a few plants in different shades of green. Consider plants of varying heights, including trailing or vine-like plants. Remember to mix different textures together to add interest. Pick one color or one blooming variety to add to your container. The green shades of foliage create a wonderful backdrop for bloomers. Remember to keep it simple. English landscapes are formal in appearance and limiting your plant selection to three or so plant varieties will better achieve this style.
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Must haves for an English garden container: ivy and boxwood. Ivy can tolerate part sun, but if your location is too sunny (usually more than five hours of direct sunlight a day), consider an alternative like potato vine. Here’s a few other plant suggestions. Trailing Vines for Sun Potato vine-chartreuse, variegated, or dark purple TrailingVines for Shade/part-sun Wire vine-dark green English or California ivy-dark green or variegated with light green and white Silver falls Dicentra- grayish green Medium height Licorice plant- either chartreuse, gray, or variegated green Tall Plants for the Center Tru dwarf boxwood- medium green Italian cypress- blue green Lemon cypress-bright chartreuse green. Find your inner Brit!
