growing out nicely…
It’s summer, the heat is on, and we’re all working overtime to keep our landscapes looking as fresh as they did in the spring…thankfully we’ve been getting rainfall to help us out!
I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the planters and arrangements we’ve done through the spring and now into summer – some are succulent designs, some will enjoy the hottest part of a landscape, others are meant to stay inside or in a shady spot outside. And there are some just for a party or gift – but since they’re created with live plants they’ll last so much longer than cut flowers!
a gift for someone…
early spring…a centerpiece for a party….
Arrangements for parties or gifts using orchids, indoor flowering plants, and any other plant that catches our eye are a lot of fun to put together, and we stay very busy creating them for folks…there really is no end to the combinations that can be used for this type of arrangement. And, once the party is over, the whole thing can be taken apart and the plants used elsewhere! The copper planter shown here was used for a party – and we’re assuming the flowers and herbs were planted in a sunny garden or container and are probably still going strong!
deadheading, judicious clipping and consistent watering kept this planter beautiful all last summer…
For long term plantings, smart plant choices need to be made, taking into consideration pot size and amount of light they’ll receive, Last, but definitely not least, the plants need to look good together! One of the most important aspects of container gardening is maintenance. Watering, deadheading, pinching, or, even more drastic, cutting back need to be done consistently to keep your container gardens looking their best.
The planter at left is filled with herbs and flowers designed to handle a lot of heat and sun – just what we have in the middle of summer in Birmingham! This combination grew out quite happily last summer in the front of the shop on the hot asphalt…and inspired many other planters just like it throughout town. Herbs and flowers just go together!
aloes, succulents and a trailing rosemary…
Succulents and herbs work quite well together…the trough planter shown here combines succulents, a couple of different aloe plants, and a trailing rosemary. Whoever said you can’t mix it up wasn’t talking to us!
succulent and orchid arrangement…
The succulents that have been available this spring and summer have really been beautiful, and we’ve been using them in all kinds of containers, on their own in long term plantings, and in gift arrangements too. Here’s one used in an orchid arrangement as an accent…they’re quite striking used in this fashion. If you’ve been keeping up with our posts on cork bark planters , you’ve seen us use the succulents in them as well.
houseplants in cork bark…
more house plants in cork bark – this one ended up on a mantle…
this cork bark piece was large…
Speaking of cork bark planters, here are a few pictures of some interesting things we’ve done with them…succulents aren’t the only player in this fun sandbox! A cork bark planting done using carex, ajuga, selaginella and perennial ferns ended up at a mountain home in Highlands, North Carolina. The other planting in that post also went home with a happy customer.
The ones shown above utilize a lot of houseplants and will be happiest either on a shady terrace or porch or inside in bright light. Some of the plants used include episcias, pilea, angelvine, creeping charlie, dracaena, selaginella and philodendron…all good houseplants. These will work nicely in a shady spot and there are other planters we’ve done that will too. Let’s take a look…
for shade…
Shade containers are some of the most fun plantings to do because so much depends on foliage color and form. This might not be as flashy as an entire pot of flowers, but it is very long lasting and beautiful when done well. The hayrack shown here uses maidenhair fern, caladiums, an angelwing begonia and episcias in a very pleasing combination…the ‘Sweetheart’ caladiums seem to float above the maidenhair, and the episcia is a very subtle addition to the composition…
The last planting is shown to serve as an example of how you can definitely have color in the shade using foliage in addition to flowers…the ‘Garden White’ caladium in contrast with the golden carex and sunpatien really catches the eye! The planter at the top of this post is also one for shade, and, once again, the foliage is the star.
It’s always nice to have customers walk through the nursery with the same plants in their hands as we’ve done in our display planters. We are happy to have our designs in your landscape, and know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!
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Butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa, is the pretty orange flower, shown in the picture on the right in my very hot and sunny front border. It’s right at home with other butterfly attractors including salvias, trailing white lantana, purple and red gomphrena, zinnias, mexican heather, other 
If you’d like to have us put one together for you we have containers here, or you can bring something of your own in and we’ll create one for you. All we ask is that you give us ample time to put your miniature garden together – they may look less time consuming to make than a full size garden, but we promise you the devil is in all those minature details!
Some plants that can be used for gardens that will be used outside are many low growing sedums, echevarias, hen and chicks, euonymous standards (They make great trees!), tiny bromeliads, air plants and miniature jade plants to name just a few…indoor gardens (or 
The garden is a teaching garden, and this year our market manager, Dená Hand, is lending her teaching abilities and helping Billy. This is a fun learning experience for kids who sign up with the “Dig Into Reading” program. Feel free to come by even if you’re not signed up though!
It’s a display garden as well, and folks are encouraged to come by, see how things are growing and ask questions throughout the summer. Do you have an elderly neighbor or friend that would appreciate any of the vegetables that are grown? Feel free to harvest and share with the community!
Ok, this might not be the moss hanging basket for your front porch…in fact, its proportions are massive, at least 30″ across and almost as deep. This basket belongs to a customer who hangs it in in a shady garden area.
This year, she wanted an all white and green foliage basket filled top to bottom with shade loving plants. What a fun project! The basket itself is a heavy duty plastic coated metal frame with openings that plants can be inserted into. Many folks use sphagnum moss or coco liner for these type of plantings, and it works well. However I prefer to use fresh green sheet moss and layer the plantings from the bottom up.
