Planter Combinations Ideas

How do you take a nice big pot, fill it full of plants and finish up with something that not only looks great but grows great too? At Weidners Gardens we always have lots and lots of already planted combination pots. We have plenty of plants for you to choose from to make your own combination.
We also have some workshops coming this spring. There is no charge for coming and learning. If you make a combination then you pay for what you use.

Handy hints to get you started. Think Spikey, Round, Fluffy, Floppy. Not my words, someone else thought them up but they really make it easier. You don't always have to follow the rules but it helps to know them.

Spikey-----that stands for the tall plant in the combination. The spikey tall accent can be in the center or it can be in the back of your combination.

Round-----that will be the center bulky or eyecatching special plant. It doesn't have to be round but round is a good way of identifying it. Center of attention. In the combo to the left it is the Crown of Thorns that takes the round spot. Since this is a low water combo we have a succulent on the side for the frilly and the draping 'Donkey's Tail' coming out the front fo the floppy.

Fluffy or Frilly---think different texture of foliage or flowers, think change of pace. If all the plants have narrow long leaves that is boring. The same with all big fat round foliage. Try to have different types. Think frilly.

Euphorbis Diamond Frost is one of the best and quickest filler plants you can use. Takes sun or shade, fairly drought tolerant and blooms all year. To see a close up and learn more click on Diamond Frost.

Floppy----of course, that stands for the hanging plant that falls over the edge and continues the line on down onto the container surface. If it is a basket, then you have lots of 'floppy' and you might want to vary the look with different 'floppy'.

Let's look at some combinations and see if there is anything there that you can use.

This is a big sun loving combination.
The orange flowered tall spikey plant in the background is called 'Lion's Tail or Leonotis leonoris. Drought tolerant and easy to grow. Cut it back when it gets too large. Blooms in summer. In front and to the side is a Rice flower plant. This is an Australian native that uses very little water and the cut flowers will last about a year without water. wow! The flopppy is Sedum Angelina. A sort of succulent. Now could we put something in on the right side. Something else to balance it out. We could use another succulent that gets taller or we cold put in anothe rice flower or perhaps a salvia of some kind. There are so many salvias we can always find one to fit.

Lets look at a different kind of combination. Maybe something for the shade?

This is the 'Hydrangea Blues' combo. Here the hydrangea is the 'Round' plant. The fern in the background is the tall spikey plant. It isn't really tall now but it will soon grow taller than the hydrangea. this is the Blechnum fern and it is so useful. Likes shade, grows easily and develops a trunk in a year or so. It is an easy grower. The coleus on the side will need to be cut back occasionally. You could keep the hydrangea in its pot as a drop in temprary plant. When it is finished take it out and plant it in your garden. Put in a summer color plant like a tuberous begonia, impatiens, fuchsia or maybe a bright and easy Solenia Begonia.

Blue dancing flowers bloom all the time and in the front is a nice big 'flooppy' of Lysimachia Goldilocks. There is an extra filler of Lamium White Nancy, an easy grower that will fill in and fall down too. When the hydrangea is all finished blooming cut off the flowers, gently remove it and plant it in the garden. Replace with an Angelwing begonia or other plant.

Don't want to water often, like to take off on vacations. This is an easy way to go. All succulents that will take minimum care. Start with small ones and let them grow into themselves. You can buy these Succulent Pink Thumb combinations or make your own from our large selection of smaller plants. Very Low Care!

Here we have some different types of combinations. In the large one we used a topiary Juniper. That stays all the time. Around the base is the temporary color of Runnunculus and some nemesia. After temporary color is past we would put in 4 inch summer color.
Bottom left is all temporary. Inexpensive pot with delphinium, runnunculus and bacopa.
the pot on the right has a Wall flower in the back and asorted summer color. Cut the wall flower back to make it re-bloom.

Handy Hint. When you use a key plant that is going to give you temporary color and could go into the garden or into the trash can when the bloom is finished try planting it pot and all. When the bloom is through pull it our and re-place with another of the same pot size.

You can have color and easy care. Tall sanseveria is the 'spikey' put in a clumpy round succulent of your choice, add the fluffy part with a statice. That gives you the blooming color. The floppy is the sedum hanging over the edge. This will take shade or part sun.

There will be more to come.