Pots are done, perennials used

[conniepr]

My pots are done and I have quite a few perennials in them this year. Seems to work for me. I buy them small, use them in the pots for the summer, then plant them in the fall! I have dark purple coral bells, lupins, and Red Fox Speedwell in these. Oh, and I just realized that I have Spanish Moss in some of the hanging baskets!

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[Northpine]

I wanted to thank you for the idea of using perennials in containers. I had seen your earlier post about putting yarrow in a mixed planting and decided to give it a try. I had several perennials sitting around in pots. I usually have a mini plant sale, but didn't think I had enough to bother with this year, so the plants are just from my yard. I put a small Lorraine Sunshine heliopsis in with geraniums and a dianthus in one. The other pot of geraniums got the yarrow. The ferny foliage looks nice with the geraniums. I used a small piece of bergenia in one of my shade pots. I've always potted up bits of creeping Jenny and lamium for use in my containers, but didn't think of the larger specimens.
So thanks again. I'll take pictures later.

[Eeyore]

They look nice Connie. Using perennials in planters is a great idea.

[conniepr]

You're welcome! I was disappointed that the photos didn't show the purple coral bells better, in real life they look stunning. I should take a picture from another angle, I guess. Last year, I used Key Lime coral bells for color contract and it looked awesome. They both survived the winter and are looking really nice in the ground. I had intended to dig them up and put them back in planters this Spring but I bought too much and didn't have room for them. Here's one of last year's planters:

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[B_BQ]

Last year I bought a couple of really inexpensive already made planters. At the end of the season I noticed that there were a couple of heuchera in each. I left them in the planters and put them in my storage area, out of sight out of mind! This spring I noticed that they'd made it through the winter and were growing very well. I filled up the remainder of the pot with cheapo impatiens and lobelia and they've done very well. I'll put them into the ground this Fall.
~BBQ

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[conniepr]

By the way, the Victoria Blue Salvia was awesome in my planters last year! I have this picture of them on my wall at my office at work:

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Oh, that one didn't show the Victoria Blue as well. Here's one:

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[conniepr]

Here's a better look at the coral bells. And there's Freckle Faced Violets (perennials) on either side of the pink begonia.

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And here's another pot with the coral bells, and to the right you can see the lupins and the Red Fox Speedwell better. The speedwell will have short stalks of pink spires and the first one I bought (3 years ago) comes up faithfully and beautifully each year. Bought 4 more this year (all in hanging baskets for now, they're so small yet).

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