Pansy (photo credit: Missouri Botanical Garden)
Plant of the Week
The lowly (as in short) but wonderful pansy is sure to make an appearance in my fall containers this year. As I describe the pansy, I’m literally talking about violas. Here’s some garden trivia for you: All pansies are violas, but not all violas are pansies…
The pansy is a short lived perennial shrub that grows in zones 6-10. It reaches 6” tall and up to a foot across. The pansy comes in pretty much all the colors of the rainbow, including bicolors. Its habit is to bloom like crazy--it blooms best in full sun although it will still bloom for you in shade (just less), and it's not finicky about soil or water. You can even eat them--decorate your cake with them or throw them on your salad! Unfortunately, deer also like to eat them.
Pansies do get leggy in the heat so you may want to hold off on these for another month or two. If you already have them, don’t worry! Just cut back your pansies post-warm spell. I always put them in my fall containers because they last from now until next June. They may even self sow for you too! Such a happy plant.
Guest
Returning to the pod this week is Steph Green from Contained Creations in Richmond, Virginia. Take a look at her Instagram @contained_creations to see her fabulous arrangements. If you’ve been watering, fertilizing, and deadheading, you might not need to update your containers. Some of us less diligent gardeners were left with dry, crusty, and heat-sick plants. This calls for a fall container refresh!
As a retailer, Steph has to consider weather and customer demand. With one eye on the farmer’s almanac and the weather report, Steph balances meeting the consumers’ needs and respecting the constraints of mother nature. Patience is key! Pansies, violas, and cabbages--those fall container favs--don’t fare well in 90 degree heat. Hold your horses if you don’t want rubbery cabbages and droopy flowers.
Steph’s go-to fall container formula:
Thriller: ornamental grass
Spiller: a modest trailing plant
Cabbage (Steph recommends Osaka Red and the Nagoya Series)
Flowers (pansies, perhaps?)
Steph’s go-to color combos:
1. The Classic: yellows, oranges, reds, and rusts.
2. The Blues: purples, plums, blues, and silvers (Steph’s favorite!)
3. The Wine Series: everything burgundy (e.g., Dragon's Breath Celosia, red cabbage, red fountain grass, and burgundy pansies.)
Steph’s hack:
You’ve already completed your arrangement when you step back and realize your container is in need of a pop of color or there’s a gaping hole that needs to be filled. Fear not! Steph gave us permission to cheat a lil.
By using corn husk pumpkins, moss covered lotus pods, pinecones, and more, you can improve the arrangement and multiply the whimsy.
Steph recommends using this sealant to protect your ornaments from the elements: https://www.krylon.com/products/clear-sealer/
Tune into the pod for even more tips and tricks from Steph (and some light chrysanthemum bashing--sorry not sorry!)
The Play List
Order your bulbs!!!
Edit your perennials--spread what you like, ditch what you don’t
Fall containers? At least start to think about it
Leaves--enjoy them and talk to your landscaper, your spouse, or yourself about the possibility of letting them stay on garden beds as mulch.
Don’t let leaves pile up at the base of boxwoods or trees, particularly new ones, which need air circulation to remain healthy and continue developing.
Keep an eye out for the spotted lanternfly. (Just wait till I tell you about the Asian jumping worm on next week’s pod… Yikes!)
Listen
Rusty Gear (writer of my theme song) graces the podcast at minute 41:40 with a live performance and mini-interview!
Rusty’s website: https://www.rustygearmusic.com/
His latest EP extended play: https://www.rustygearmusic.com/my-songs