Continuous Container Gardens by Roanne Robbins

Author:Roanne Robbins
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Published: 2010-03-03T05:00:00+00:00

Fall

Holdovers from Summer

» Lilyturf

Liriope muscari

This grasslike creature keeps its elegant variegation but the green part seems to brighten and the golden part seems to fade, which is fine by us.

» Hostas

Hosta

‘Limey Lisa’ turned a brilliant, bright yellow in fall, mimicking the golden yellow in the leaves of the fothergilla; for us, it was one of the standouts in the planting. ‘Cat’s Eye’ also became more golden on the edges, but not to the extent that ‘Limey Lisa’ did.

Hostas are durable plants, so we just popped them out in late November and planted them into the garden. If you want to grow them in a container next year, just plant them up and let them go dormant in a frost-free garage or basement (or even right next to the house covered with leaves) or sink them into the vegetable garden or border.

» Sweet woodruff

Galium odoratum

This cheery little ground cover just kept on looking its best with crisp, bright green, starry leaves. Another tough guy, sweet woodruff can just be popped out and planted into the garden or left in to stay another year.

New Plantings

» Bunchberry

Cornus canadensis

WHAT IT IS: tiny shrub

ZONES: 2–6

SWAP OUT: winter

This splendid, oft-overlooked native plant bears white flowers (or bracts) in spring that are followed in the late summer by red berries. The leaves turn reddish burgundy in autumn, a perfect accent to the berries. Plants spread by rhizomes and form a good-sized (2–3 feet) mat in the garden in just a few years. They prefer shade and moist soil.

INTO THE GARDEN: You could certainly take out this lovely little ground cover and plant it in a shady spot in the garden. Be sure to water it well if the late autumn and early winter are dry. We think it is best left in the container for the winter season, as its leaves hold their burnished color well into the colder months. The berries will remain, too, but they might be gobbled up by a passing bird.

ALTERNATIVES: Eastern tea-berry (Gaultheria procumbens), bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)

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