Saying Goodbye to Summer Annuals

It’s time to say goodbye to my summer annuals despite the temperate weather. In central Indiana, weather turns on a dime and procrastinating will only lead to a very chilly or wet time-consuming task. It’s hard to say goodbye after all the hard work that has gone into designing and caring for the containers. On a recent Sunday morning, I took a close look at the patio containers near the pool deck. I thought it would be fun to build the composition through video. So many times, I photograph individual pots and details never giving a sense of scale or composition. Though my video techniques are lacking finesse, I think you’ll get the idea of what the small poolside patio was like this season.

Click on the thumbnails below to find out more details. I’m starting to document my work with annuals more closely so I can reference the silhouettes and plant growing habits for future projects. Up to now, annuals were not a big deal to me, but as my role at the garden center advances, I am beginning to understand and appreciate their function in the landscape a bit more.

Question: Do annuals play a big role in your garden? 

White Bacopa spills over matching urns. The center plant is Dusty Miller ‘New Look’. It’s been fun watching the Bacopa grow and cover the entire urn bowl. In hindisght, I would not include the Dusty Miller.

The containers have filled out beautifully. Now would be a great time to mention that I am inspired and influence by the work of Deborah Silverman. If I ever get that good, I will be dangerous. ;)

I designed the entire patio and this container around White Mandevilla. New obelisks and pots were purchased specifically for this arrangement. As time goes on, I find that I keep utilizing larger pots for my designs.

The Mandevilla vines stretch out in hopes of grabbing onto something.

Nicotiana ‘Lime Green’ flowers were a nice compliment to all the other green foliage. The hue is light enough that I consider it a ‘shade’ of white.

Perhaps the most exhuberant of all the containers, this Alocasia is underplanted with White Scaevola. It’s high drama and high contrast pairing a tall large leaf plant with a shorter one. The Scaevola spills out around the entire pot creating a tutu effect.

This little guy looks like Cousin Itt from the Adams Family. This is Sedum ‘Lemon Coral.’ Since I use so many containers, I keep the combos simple, often times using only one type of plant per container. This allows me to create a larger and controlled effect. In other words, instead of cramming lots of different plants into one pot, I cram the uncomplicated pots together.

This combo was meant to be SunPatiens ‘Compact White Improved’ and Petite Licorice Plant, but the SunPatiens really dominated. They grew to 24” tall and were sturdy with large showy flowers. After all the hubbub about Downy Mildew on Impatiens, I had to try SunPatiens. Simply put, they performed– in sun! 

A detail of the SunPatiens container. Not to be overshadowed, the Licorice Plant did climb its way through the tall SunPatiens. Love SunPatiens– and my number one recommendation for annuals in the landscape!

In the end, it’s all about contrast. For the most dynamic effect, pair tiny foliage and blooms against large ones, dark colors against light, and vary heights to keep your eye dazzled and moving. The white blooms are Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’ and the variegated leaf is Plectranthus ‘Aurea Marginata.’

Even in a dynamic display of annuals, it’s important to have repitition. It creates a rythmn and a place for your eye to pause while your mind’s eye catches its breath. These Boston Ferns called ‘Tiger Fern’ are arranged to take up a large space and visually create a calm moment.

When containers peter out, pop in a new annual. These mums adhere to the color scheme and will take the show into fall.