Container gardening with summer flowers

Container gardening has become very popular because it allows the flexibility to create a garden that fits any situation and location. There is such a great feeling of pride and satisfaction when you create a container garden with summer flowers.

In this post, I will share five different summer container gardens that I assembled. My goal in each container (except the window box) was to anchor each container with a perennial. I will describe the container and plants used. In addition, I will let you know how the arrangement worked as the summer progressed. All of these containers were located in an area that had morning shade and afternoon sun.  Before we get started, just a few quick tips on creating container gardens:

• Drainage – check to ensure that the container you are using has drainage holes in the bottom.
• Potting – fill the container ¾ full of damp soil and then add your plants. Add more soil to fill in around the plants after they have been added.
• Fertilizer – apply weekly. If you are using a controlled-release fertilizer, then apply monthly. I started all my containers with a slow-release fertilizer mixed into the soil and then applied a liquid fertilizer monthly.
• Water – If the soil is dry 3 inches below the surface, then watering is required.

For more detailed information on the requirements of assembling a good container garden, see my blog post titled “Container Gardening with Spring Flowers”.

The artist in me cries out for design.

Robert Frost

Sweet Flag Container Garden

Golden Variegated Sweet Flag is the anchor plant in the center. Sweet Flag is a perennial plant in zones 5-11, can grow up to 10 inches tall and takes full sun. Because Sweet Flag thrives with consistent moisture it can be used in a water garden. It also tends to spread and nicely filled in the empty spaces of the container.

Plectranthus madagascariensis (Candle Plant) is the tall plant towards the back. It has white margined serrated small green leaves. A perennial in zones 9b-11, it is also commonly used as a ground cover. I love the dimension that it adds to the container. Trim this plant every two weeks because it spreads quickly.

The bright magenta color in the container is provided by two of my favorite annual plants. First is the Superbells Calibrachoa (Tropical Sunshine) on the left. This is a great no maintenance plant as it does not require deadheading and is stunning. It produced beautiful blooms all summer with minimum maintenance. Second is the Garden Geranium on the right which is always a nice addition to any container garden. To encourage more blooms, it is important to deadhead the spent blooms.

Dianthus Rosebud Container Garden

In this container, there are two perennials: Dianthus Rosebud and Lysimachia Aurea (Creeping Jenny). Also included is one annual Begonia ‘Nonstop Yellow’. The Dianthus Rosebud resembles a perfect miniature rose and has been a delight all summer because it continually produced flowers. Dianthus prefers full sun and the more you cut the more blooms will be produced. It’s also important to remove the spent blooms.

The ‘Nonstop’ begonias are beautiful and bloomed continuously all summer with minimal care. It is important to remember that begonias are very sensitive to the cold.  I really like the trailing look of the Lysimachia as it flows over the edge of the container. Lysimachia grows aggressively and needs to be continually cut back or else it will take over the container. In addition, Lysimachia is a ground cover and so it’s behaving exactly as expected. The great thing about Lysimachia is that it does well in either full sun or shade.

English Lavender Container Garden

English Lavender is the anchor plant of this container. I love the aroma of lavender and the beautiful blooms. Lavender likes full sun and tolerates more frequent watering in a container than if planted in the ground. The other standout in this container is the New Guinea Sonic Pink Impatiens. These impatiens can tolerate full sun but prefer afternoon shade. It dries out quicker than most other container plants and so it is important to water every day. Besides water, the impatiens is maintenance-free.

Tucked in and barely visible, is a Phlebodium Aureum Blue Star. Overtaken by both the lavender and impatiens, Blue Star is a fern that can be grown as an indoor plant. I plan to transplant and bring the Blue Star indoors after the summer. Finally, there is a variegated Vinca Vine that adds a nice trailing feature to the container. The Vinca is interesting because the stems can take root where they hit the ground. Dug up from my garden, this variety is a perennial. Keep an eye on the Vina and trim as needed. The Vinca Vine prefers full sun.

Echinacea Container Garden

The Echinacea Hybrid ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ is the centerpiece of this container. Echinacea (coneflower) is a perennial and loves full sun; it grows 18-30 inches tall. The Cheyenne Spirit produces a wide variety of colors including orange, scarlet, rosy red, purple, cream, tomato red, and golden yellow. The cone-shaped flowers are an attraction to butterflies and hummingbirds.

On the right side of the container is Superbells Calibrachoa (Tropical Sunshine). This is a great no maintenance plant as it does not require deadheading and is stunning. It produced beautiful blooms all summer with minimum maintenance. You can see the overlap in color between the coneflower and the calibrachoa. On the left side of the container is the trailing Lysimachia Aurea (Creeping Jenny). Lysimachia is a ground cover and it’s necessary to cut it back every two-three weeks because it will take over the container if left uncontrolled.

Wave Amethyst Window Box

This beautiful flower box is on the outside of our shed. and contains (starting on the left) Begonia cochineal Sinbad with pink flowers that grow under the leaves. The Sinbad is grown for its foliage which is light green/pink with silver specs. Grown as a perennial in zones 10-11 but treated as an annual in cooler zones.

The standout in this box is the trailing Torenia Summer Wave Amethyst with magenta-purple blooms. It’s both heat and drought tolerant. This Wave Amethyst became more beautiful as the summer progressed. It attracts hummingbirds and bees. Finally, there is a New Guinea Impatient called Sonic Pink. This impatiens can tolerate full sun but prefers afternoon shade. It dries out quicker than most other container plants and so it’s important to water every day. Besides water, the impatiens is maintenance-free. Finally, there is a variegated Vinca Vine that adds an additional trailing feature to the container. I keep an eye on the Vina and trim as needed. The Vinca Vine prefers full sun.