Do your summer containers need a refresh?
Toward the end of summertime , containers you planted up in spring may need a refreshing makeover like this one from our test garden . One weekend when this container got too teetotal , I compensate and water too much for several solar day . While the gaura and New Zealand sedge did n’t mind , other plants suffered from the attention . So I force out the angelonia , phlox , celosiaand licorice industrial plant that struggled , along with some of the potting mix that was too waterlogged . The sedge and gaura stay on , and because they are very OK - leafed plant , the new plants needed substance .
Add unique and dependable plants
To get your money ’s worth on these late add-on , use plant that will continue to bloom late into the time of year as well as plants that can be brought indoors ashouseplants . For unspecific , pictorial leafage , I bring orison plant life and genus Iresine . The ruby stems of genus Iresine draw your oculus up and sound reflection gaura ’s pink spikes , while red line in the prayer plant leaves punctuate the pappa of color from the late - summer - flower ornamental pepper and red snapdragon . To keep the snapdragon blooming and the container look clean , do n’t forget to do somedeadheading .
You Might Also wish : Summer Container Makeover How To VideoSummer Flowers That Can Take the HeatSummer Garden ChecklistContainer Plants That Do n’t take Deadheading
Using houseplants in outdoor containers
Before plant open air , puthouseplants , like the prayer plant life in this makeover , in a suspect spot and gradually give them more sun each daylight to keep them from getting appall from a sudden transition to shiny sunshine . Plant a houseplant directly in thepotting admixture , or simply rapier pot and all in the container with the rest of the yearly plant around for an easy style to remove it at the end of the season . Just be indisputable to irrigate carefully as it may dry out out faster than the sleep of the container . When temps dip into the 40s F , dig up the houseplant and replant into a new container ( if it is not already in its own potbelly ) . Shower the foliage to splash off any insect stowaway or spray withinsecticidal soapbefore mark it in a burnished spot indoors .
In this container makeover , the supply perk is that genus Iresine ( or you could habituate coleus this fashion , too ) can be treated like a houseplant andbrought inside for winter . They ’ll get long-shanked in depleted indoor light , so pinch staunch back to keep them shaggy . Or take thinning 4 to 6 in . long , strip off the lowest two or three leafage , then place them in weewee with the leaf leaf node below the surface and they ’ll root in a few weeks . Come leaping , you’re able to set them outside again .
You Might Also wish : Container Gardening Class with Karen ChapmanTry Houseplants in Your Garden PlantersHow To Grow ColeusVintage Urban Garden : My Houseplants Are vacation Outside
Summer container planting plan
Now check out the industrial plant we used in the summertime container makeover in the lean below that correspond with the illustrated planting plan .
A ) Gaura(Gaura lindheimeri‘Siskiyou Pink’)TypePerennialBloomsRed bud that open to pink in summerLightFull sunSize24 to 30 in . tall , 24 to 36 in . wideHardinessCold hardy in USDA zone 5 to 8
B ) New Zealand sedge(Carex testaceaPrairie raise ™ )TypePerennialBloomsGreen foliation brush with goldLightFull sun to part shadeSize18 to 24 in . tall and wideHardinessCold hardy in USDA zones 6 to 10
deoxycytidine monophosphate ) Iresine(Iresine lindenii‘Formosa’)TypeTender recurrent ( usually grown as an annual)BloomsBright green and white variegated leaf and pink stems , insignificant flowersLightFull Sunday to part shadeSize1 to 3 foot . tall and wideHardinessCold hardy in USDA zones 10 to 12
D ) Ornamental pepper(Capsicum annuum‘Sangria’)TypeAnnualBlooms2 to 3 in . red and purple fruitsLightFull sunSize10 to 12 in . marvellous , 12 to 18 in . wide
E ) Prayer plant(Maranta leuconeura)TypeAnnualBloomsColorful , variegated parting , insignificant flowersLightPart to full shadeSize6 to 12 in . tall and broad
F ) Snapdragon(Antirrhinum majusSnaptastic ™ Red)TypeTender perennial ( ordinarily grown as an annual)BloomsDeep red in spring to fallLightFull sunSize12 to 18 in . tall and wideHardinessCold hardy in USDA zones 8 to 11
Tools to Make Container Makeovers easygoing : Potting TrowelSoil ScoopGarden Snip
