The container Combos at Work

I haven't shown you the containers I planted at work yet. That's because they have been incredibly slow to grow and, despite all my attention, there has been nothing interesting to show. Our cold weather this year is not conducive to canna growth.

The cannas are still not flowering, but the undergrowth has finally filled out and some of my so-carefully-planned contrasts in texture, shape and color are beginning to show.

I love the big bold canna leaves against the delicate ferny silver foliage of the Russian sage. The sage has fallen over and its blue flower spikes are beginning to twine through the heuchra 'Palace Purple' and the red/white "Grande Tampico' dahlia hybrid. I am loving that. I had expected the sage to be tall and poke through the canna leaves, but it had different ideas. 'Palace Purple' should also bloom soon with it's tiny little neutral flowers. The flowers should shoot right up to fill in the space between the heuchra and the canna and provide a definite contrast with the big coarse Trop leaves.

On the other side I have coleus 'Sedona'. It has an interesting dull orange purple-tinged color. I think it's a wonerful contrast to the dark ornamental sweet potato vine (ipomoea) and once the orange canna flowers appear the orange color will make more sense.



The planter below is done in the same colors but in opposite spots.

The top has Tropicanna 'Phasion' with its gorgeous multi-hued, mostly reddish-purple leaves. The bottom is mostly greens with a big punch of brilliant chartreuse leaves from "Marguerite' sweet potato vine.

'Phasion' will be flowering soon with brilliant tangerine orange flowers.
The grass underplanting is no weed. It's actually a dwarf fountain grass called 'hameln' which should get showy, silver to pinkish-white , wheat-like flower spikes. I see no sign of these yet. When the grass finally blooms I think it will bring the whole planter to life.

I will show you the full planters if and when everything blooms.