Spring is coming , let's plan our planters!

» wyldeangel - "Foliage Only" Planters; Suggestions desperately needed!

Greetings everyone! I am new to the Suite 101 community and fairly new to container gardening. I have tried flowers for the last couple of years and my results have been less than spectacular, in fact the flowers have died halfway through the summer because a combination of haphazard care on my part and heavy duty heat and sun on the weather's part. I have a south-easterly-facing terrace that receives full sun from 6:45 a.m. until 4 p.m. from May until early September, no word of a lie. I have made the decision to give up on having flowers because I am pretty busy and don't have the time to keep dead-heading them and trimming them, etc. to keep them blooming constantly. What I have in mind is to have lots of assorted foliage in my planters instead. Could anyone suggest some different kinds of foliage that I could purchase and plant? My only specifications are that they are they are hearty, like sun and are a bit forgiving in the watering department eg. they could miss their morning watering and be watered in the evening instead... I would be so grateful for anyone's help!

Thanks in advance,

Caolainn in Toronto, Ontario

-- posted by wyldeangel

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» Georgene A. Bramlage - Re: "Foliage Only" Planters; Suggestions desperately needed!

In response to "Foliage Only" Planters; Suggestions desperately needed! posted by wyldeangel:

Hi!

Here is what worked for me in a similar spot where the maintenance had become a terrific problem and containers looked not so very attrative.

Proven Winners / Proven Choices where there are several categories of plants as well as "recipes" for planters. These growers are excellent...I just don't know if they export to Canada. But you could probably find the same types of plants at Toronto Garden Centers. BTW, have you ever visited the Botanic Gardens at St. Catherine's? There might be ideas for you there.

Hope this helps...

Let us know what you decide to do...

Anyone have any more ideas?

G.

-- posted by Georgene A. Bramlage

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» plantsandpots - Re: "Foliage Only" Planters; Suggestions desperately needed!

There are a number of foliage plants that should work for you, especially given that you've got full sun conditions. I lived in Toronto for 20 some years and although I suspect things have changed, I always found Sheridan Nursery to have a good selection, so you might look for some of the following suggestions there.

Asparagus Fern (Asparagus densiflorus 'Sprengeri') -- this plant is very forgiving and has lovely long stalks with needle-like leaves (it really isn't a true fern). It can take either sun or shade but its leaves are deeper green in sun. Watering at least once a week will keep it happy.

Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) -- these are beautiful little shrubs with dense foliage that love the sun and don't require much care. Look for 'Atropurpurea' with bronzy or purplish red leaves or 'Aurea' with bright golden yellow foliage.

Any evergreen like juniper, pine or spruce -- look for a dwarf variety. These make great container plants as they keep their form well and don't require any care. And they love sun!

Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica) -- these plants have delicate leaves, turn to rich gold, red and bronze in the fall and have winter berries. Look for dwarf varieties like 'Compacta' and 'Woods Dwarf'.

Another thing to consider is vines -- once you plant them, you basically just watch them grow. most of them don't require much care. Check here for an article I wrote on vines.

Take a look at the type of pot you're planting in. Terra cotta is very porous and drains very quickly. Something like stone or plastic will not drain as quickly and thus, minimize your watering frequency. Also, put a 2 inch layer of mulch on the surface of your pots to conserve moisture.

Good luck!! Let me know what works for you and if you have any other questions.

-- posted by plantsandpots

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