Container Garden–A Green and Blue Theme
Debbie Teashon
When I found a green and blue container, I immediately fell in love with it. The real fun began when I chose plants that would coordinate with the color of the vessel. The pot was going to dwell under a shady porch, so each plant had to be shade tolerant.
The selection:
- Brunnera macrophylla 'Langtrees' (Siberian bugloss) has cool green color and silver variegated, heart-shaped leaves.
- Hosta 'Big Daddy' is exciting for its large, blue heart-shaped leaves.
- Epimedium rubrum is another heart-shaped, green leaf.
- Athyrium niponicum (Japanese painted fern) I chose for its contrast in texture and color.
Both the Hosta and Brunnera were in gallon size pots, and the Athyrium and Epimedium came in four-inch size containers. It became a tight squeeze to fit them all into the larger pot, but as you can see in the photo, the effect had a mature look four days after planting.
Three years later, my well-loved planting remains unchanged. The hostas grew a great deal larger, nearly concealing everything with its leaves. In winter, the container is set under a deck roof to protect from frost. In spring, I feed the plants a time-release fertilizer scratched into the top layer of the soil. Ultimately, the plants will grow on in the garden.
2005 Update: Four years later, the pot now has a whole new look with coleus.
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Wendy Tweton and Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners)
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