To project an image in our patio plantings, gardeners have a wide selection of evergreen and blooming plants. First, we must decide whether we want to create a traditional, contemporary or some other style of design. As a gardener envisions the patio, he or she will want to consider plants for height, for fill and for low impact, just as with a flower arrangement or patio pot.
Gardener’s choices for tall plants that can stand sentry on each side of the door in a traditional design, or that can add height in a grouping of pots, include a range of shrub standards, staked shrubs or staked vines. Look for elegant photinia or Indian hawthorne that have been trained into standards that resemble small trees. Small evergreen trees that can work in pots for a season include Italian cypress, African sumac, Yaupon holly, ornamental olive, little leaf ash and pineapple guava. Staked shrubs include showy plants such as firethorn. Evergreen vines that can be staked for pots include Carolina jessamine and honeysuckle. For full plants to fill corners or add some width and depth to a combined planting, choose classic evergreens such as heavenly bamboo, Indian hawthorne, rosemary and junipers.
For a very traditional look, include topiaries, plants that have been pruned into cones, balls and spirals. Plants that respond well to pruning include rosemary, Indian hawthorne and junipers.
For a contemporary look, consider relying on plants with clean lines and a geometric appearance, such as yuccas, agaves, bear grass and sotol. Integrate winter hardy palms and flowing succulent plants such as sedums and ice plants. Add blocks of color with glazed pots filled with a block of a single color, such as blue pot filled with only orange pansies.
To add brilliant color to the design, plant pots of varying sizes with winter flowers such as pansy, viola, stock, alyssum and lobelia. Add some ivy to trail out of the taller pots for a soft look and a different leaf texture. These plants look great in low bowls.
Staggered heights for the pots can be created by building up supports with bricks or by using several heights of plant stands. For a traditional look, pots can be objects, such as old watering cans, galvanized tubs or antique churns. Gardeners can choose to have only terra cotta pots for a cohesive look. Or, gardeners may select a collection of single color pots, such as green or blue. For a cottage look, pots can be different colors and materials all mixed together.
Whatever designs the gardener chooses to create on the patio, these arrangements will provide a delightful greeting for guests and a season of color for the homeowner. Become a winter gardener and release the artist within you.
|
