Many of us grew Rex begonias (Begonia rex and hybrids) as houseplants in years gone by. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The glossy heart-shaped “flowers” in shades of red, pink or purple stand high above the green leaves, the central spike, which is often yellow adding contrast, providing many months of color. Annual Plants . (Find out more flowers that attract hummingbirds.) Choose annual plants for colour and texture in your garden. If you love scented plants, you’ll adore heliotrope. They come in a rainbow of colours from soft yellow and peach to deep purple, with some blended colours in newer varieties. Often planted en masse in tropical landscapes and enjoyed as a houseplant in colder areas, crotons (Codiaeum variegatum) also offer spectacular summer color for shade containers. Photo by: Proven Winners. Container Grown Vine Plants One of the most important things to consider when growing vines in containers is support. In a previous series in growing plants in containers in the sun, trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals were described and their suitability to been grown in containers. Gaining recognition at last and offering an alternative to impatiens, browallia has flowers in shades of periwinkle blue, white or violet set on compact, mounding plants. There are many annual vines that grow quickly enough in Calgary. Heucheras are particularly suited for containers because they like well-drained soil and recover easily from winter. Learn more about growing lobelia in your garden. 24 Best Vines for Containers | Climbing Plants For Pots 1. A groundcover in tropical climates and a houseplant beloved by our grandparents—but have you tried these colorful beauties in your container designs yet? Fragrant, deer-resistant, and surprisingly drought tolerant, woodland tobacco (Nicotiana sylvestris) is a show-stopping annual that often self-sows. Planning makes perfect, especially for gardening. Also with a waxy leaf, Dragon wing begonias are superb short trailers or mounders, useful both for the landscape or in baskets and planters. Victorian gardens really put lobelia (Lobelia erinus) on the gardening map with their patriotic displays, combining dark blue lobelia with red geraniums and white alyssum. All Annual Container Garden Designs. Space plants adequately so that they can develop and flower. Thunbergia also makes a great flowering plant for indoor gardeners, so you may want to bring yours in for the winter. Compact wax leaf begonias have been popular for decades as bedding annuals, while newer varieties have improved form and sun tolerance. The trick to growing these successfully, especially in containers, is to not overwater them. Wishbone flower is deer resistant and heat tolerant. Since 1950 we have been providing a wide range of perennials, annuals, bulbs, shrubs, vines, amaryllis, gardening tools & … Sometimes called Floss flower, ageratum produces clusters of tuft-like flowers in blue, violet, white, or burgundy (a newer colour introduction in the past few years). Sweet Scents by Season Winter In winter, Daphne is the queen of container gardens. Annual climbers are ideal for rambling and trailing over fences, trellis, arches and pergolas. These gardening shortcuts will save you time, money and effort. Use them as screens or as centre pieces for annual planters: to grow up fences or hang in … One of the cheeriest annual climbers, black-eyed Susan vine produces many yellow, orange, white, or apricot blooms though the summer. In mild winters, this may be perennial or the plant can be saved as a houseplant if you prefer. The variety Catalina® Midnight Blue is especially effective in combination with orange Bonfire begonia. Vines in containers offer great vertical accent. Pick the Right Container. Some vigorous or larger-scale annuals require more space (ex. These easy-to-grow evergreen shrubs are versatile plantings. The fine needlelike texture is a perfect way to soften bolder foliage of tropical plants or break up the predictability of a flower-focused design. Photo by: Proven Winners. Vines are a fantastic plant to add a little drama to your garden. Native to Peru, this vine climbs by twining. This robust annual will fill a smaller container on its own, or you could use it as a tall thriller at the back of window boxes or in the middle of a large combination container planting. In a container garden, using fragrant plants is also a way to get the most joy out of a small space. Once you try wishbone flower (Torenia fournieri and hybrids), you will always include them in your shade containers. Copyright Once established it will flower until a hard frost. It’s an easy-to-grow flower for those who like their container gardening neat and tidy. A relative to the morning glory, the cardinal climber is another beautiful annual... Black-Eyed Susan Vine (Thunbergia alata). Try this deep plum shamrock (Oxalis hybrid) in your shade gardens this year. Photo by: Proven Winners. May be spaced half the distance of what is indicated on the label. New Guinea impatiens generally do best with afternoon shade in hotter climates but can tolerate full sun where temperatures are more moderate. * Required FieldsWe will never sell or distribute your email to any other parties or organizations. For a keen gardener, walking into our favorite garden center is like a being a kid let loose in a candy store! Basket & Container Annuals. You should know ahead of time if you plan to overwinter your plants in their containers. They're annuals that come in candy-coated shades—pink, purple, yellow, apricot, red, white, and stripes. The heart-shaped leaves are accented by five-petaled flowers in white, cream, yellow or orange with the deep-maroon central eye. Understanding that the best designs contain exciting, colorful leaves as well as blooms, we have included both foliage and flowers in our list to guide you as you create your best shade containers yet. Learn more about fun foliage plants from Proven Winners through these resources: Article: Container Garden Design – Foliage and Texture. Large leaves marked with swirls, spots, stripes or splashes in shades of silver, burgundy, pink or green enable you to select the ideal specimen for your color scheme. var theDate=new Date() Upright, annual or “bedding” types are fine for containers in cool climates, but for season-long container color in hot-summer areas, look for the 6- to 10-inch-tall trailing or “moss” types, such as purple ‘Imagination’, pink ‘Sissinghurst’, red ‘Taylortown Red’ or white ‘Snowflurry’. While chartreuse varieties may be the most well-known, there are also beautiful bronze and black options to choose from, with habits that vary from modest to extra-long trailers and leaf shapes from heart shaped to finely dissected. These are the deciduous hybrids with the beautiful, huge, six-petaled flowers in blue, purple, red, and many other shades. Morning Glory. An ideal annual for sunny containers providing you keep it well watered, nemesia grows less than a foot tall and is a great filler plant because it bushes out well. Once night temperatures are sustained above 55 F, it is safe to move the anthuriums and other tropical foliage plants to the patio. Fast growing vines with showy flowers can also hide a problem area in your landscape and quickly provide privacy when properly located. One of the best shade-loving trailing annuals, sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas) can be relied upon for adding a bold punch of color to baskets and containers. Commonly known as Black-eyed Susan vine, this annual is a beautiful choice for hanging baskets or for containers where you can provide some sort of trellis or stake. Although annual euphorbia may look delicate, this hard-working plant is in fact drought tolerant, heat tolerant and deer resistant. 6-12” tall x 12-24” wide. Height/Spread: 8 to 16 inches tall and 8 to 10 inches wide, Wishbone flowers to try: Catalina® series, Woodland tobacco. The blossoms resemble exquisite orchids or birds in flight. If you use a drip irrigation system, simply keep the lines away from the crown of the plant. . 8 of the Best Annuals for Container Gardening Thunbergia (Black-Eyed Susan Vine). Today’s varieties withstand the mid-summer heat and sun much better than their older cousins yet still perform well in partial shade. Bright, dappled shade such as under deciduous trees or at least some protection from hot afternoon sun offers the ideal conditions.