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From the editors of

Easy Weekend series

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isplay until May 18, 2015

®

50+ Easy-to-Grow

Combosfor Sun & Shade

MUST-HAVE

TIPSfor Planting,

Pruning, Feeding and More!

Plus!Plus! Colorful Hanging Baskets Low-Maintenance

Succulent Plantings Unique Upcycled Ideas Playful Fairy Gardens No-Fail Color Combinations

Container Gardening TM

The Ultimate Guide to

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KEEP IT FRESH Containers

in a prominent spot should always

look their best. When these spring

bulbs start to fade, swap in summer

bloomers and then do the same thing

in fall and winter.

2

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• Check out these sun-loving

combinations—you’ll fi nd inspiring

recipes you can use in nearly every

season and situation!

Sun

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Sink the pots of bulbs directly in the windowbox.

A breath of springBulbs, like these tulips, Persian buttercups and

hyacinths, are a sure sign of spring. This windowbox

lets you enjoy them even on a cold or rainy spring

day without going outdoors. Imagine opening the

window to let the sweet scent of the hyacinths and

stock waft into your home.

At the store, choose pots of bulbs with buds that

are starting to show color. That way, there won’t be

any surprises when the fl owers open. Since the rest

of the blooms last longer than the bulbs in this

windowbox, pull out the spent tulips and hyacinths

and replace them with fresh ones. That will help

this planting look good until the warm temperatures

of summer arrive.

PLANT LIST (number to plant)

A Viola Viola Sorbet™ Blueberry Cream (2)

B Tulip Tulipa ‘Apricot Impression’ (4 pots of 6 bulbs each)

C Twinspur Diascia Flirtation® Pink (2)

D Juniper Juniperus chinensis ‘Blue Point’ (2) E Cape daisy Osteospermum hybrid (2)

F Hyacinth Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Blue Jacket’ (2 pots of 4 bulbs each) G English ivy Hedera helix ‘Golden Child’ (3)

H Wallflower Erysimum Poem™ Mirabelle Improved (2)

I Stock Matthiola incana Harmony™ Deep Rose (5)

J Persian buttercup Ranunculus asiaticus Tecolate Hybrids (2)

Windowbox is 48 in. long × 15 in. wide

G a rd e n G ate M a g a z i n e. co m 25

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Add a dozen or more cut pussy willow (Salix discolor) stems for height.

Pack plants tightly together to get this kind of look. Sedum has a root system you

can easily tear apart as you plant. Tuck small clumps under foliage and around the

edges to give the appearance that it has spread among the plants.

Play with purpleThe bigleaf hydrangea blooms in this

spring combo all come from just one

plant. But notice how there are lots of

different shades of purple, from dusky

red to violet-blue? Capitalize on those

variations to help you choose com-

panions. Pansies and grape hyacinths

coordinate with the blue tones. And the

burgundy hyacinths, dark coral bells

foliage and clusters of rosy cape daisies

play up the red shades.

A few splashes of white stock and

lemony yellow sedum brighten up this

combo. So do the cut stems of silvery

gray pussy willow. While the bulbs will

wither away, the rest of these plants

should be colorful for a month or more.

PLANT LIST (number to plant)

A Pansy Viola Delta™ Blue with Blotch (2)

B Sedum Sedum rupestre Lemon Coral™ (2)

C Coral bells Heuchera ‘Amethyst Mist’ (1)

D Grape hyacinth Muscari aucheri ‘Dark Eyes’ (2 pots of 6 bulbs each)

E Hyacinth Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Purple Sensation’ (1 pot of 3 bulbs)

F Bigleaf hydrangea Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Red Star’ (1)

G Cape daisy Osteospermum FlowerPower® Purple Red (2)

H Stock Matthiola incana ‘Vintage Peach’ (2)

I Stock Matthiola incana ‘Vintage Lavender’ (2)

Container is 20 in. in diameter

• DESIGN SECRET This container would be fi ne without the pussy willow branches stuck

into it, but they add height and one more touch of spring. No matter what

the season, you can tuck in a tall element like this. Perhaps in summer

it could be bamboo stakes, painted or left natural. In fall, stems of broom

corn (Sorghum bicolor) or even long tendrils of American bittersweet

(Celastrus orbiculatus) would add seasonal interest.

26 G A R D E N G A T E C o n t a i n e r G a r d e n i n g

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GARDEN READY When

they’ve fi nished blooming, plant

the grape hyacinths in your garden.

They’re tough little bulbs that will

spread into nice clumps in USDA

cold zones 4 to 8.

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