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Monday, October 10, 2016

Favorite Container Garden Plants, Goldenrod in a Vase, October 10, 2016

What are your favorite container garden plants?  For several years, instead of buying starts to plant my containers, I've been trying out seed-grown plants or cuttings.  Here are some favorites this year for my deck garden.  If you would like to vote for your favorite, either of those pictured or one you grow yourself, leave your selection in your comment.

Browallia speciosa self-sows readily, in fact the seeds fall into my containers and come up the next year as a surprise.  They are very long blooming and make a cascade of blue-purple, sorry, they look washed out when photographed-


I also have a second variety, Browallia americana, that is a taller plant with larger flowers, this one came up much later in the season, notice the heart-shaped leaves-

Another very delightful container flower is the tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica, it would be an annual here  but as a container plant I can take it indoors in the fall to overwinter, this is its third summer outdoors!  I am so impressed with it, every branch is continually in bloom like a candelabra!




I'm also growing 3 different Cuphea, two of which have expanded petals at the end of their "cigar" tube- viscosissima which gets very tall and rangy-

C. llavea, also fancy flowers but also only a few blooms on the ends of long branches-

And finally Cuphea ignea, which looks like tiny glowing orange cigars, small plants but compact and well-branched, continually covered with lots of long-lasting flowers.  It makes me smile.  The flowers don't even get fuzzy and puff up like the other two before they burst open to scatter their seeds, which makes it hard to save seed-


Meanwhile, I had to make use of some of the Goldenrods blooming now for In A Vase On Monday.   Join hostess Cathy in her challenge to find some flowers to plonk in a vase, for your enjoyment.  Goldenrod makes great golden fall color in spikes of tiny star-like flowers, with a faint anise-like fragrance.  Here is a mixture of my three stalwart varieties, Solidago 'Fireworks', 'Golden Fleece', and 'Solar Cascade'.  I added some red clover for an accent.  After enjoying the vase for a while, I cut the stems off and dried the flowers for tea-


I bought 6 varieties three years ago, but the small ones, Solidago 'Laurin' and 'Little Lemon', did not return, as well as the more fragrant S. odora.  But I am happy to enjoy the 3 that do well.

Today I am also linking with-

Today's Flowers hosted by Denise

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma Wiseman and Mystical Magical Teacher

What fall flowers can you find to put in a vase?   Have you grown plants for planters?  -Hannah


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Favorite instrumental version, from the movie Angel Eyes-


25 comments:

  1. All your flower photos are very pretty!
    I never thought of using goldenrod in a bouquet
    Have a wonderful week!

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    1. Thanks, Lea, I like the tiny yellow stars, and especially the one with many little branches, I think it is Golden Fleece.

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  2. I had no idea there were so many varieties of goldenrod -they certainly make an effective vase. I like the browallia best of the other plants you showed

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    1. Thanks, Cathy, I was sad to lose S. odora because it is supposed to make the best tea, but I will try the other ones soon. I was surprised to see a good selection of several varieties of Browallia in a local nursery, perhaps they will become available. I'm always amazed when they just show up in my flower pots.

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  3. Goldenrods are blooming all over this year. They absolutely shine in your arrangement.

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    1. Thanks, Susie, there aren't any wild ones around here but lots of other yellow flowers. I like the long wands of tiny flowers.

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  4. I love all of them, but particularly the golden rod and the tropical milkweed. I love those bright colours.

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    1. Thanks, Karen, I have so enjoyed the constant flowers of the milkweed. It makes me feel better that I haven't succeeded with the hardy milkweeds yet, though there are no Monarch butterflies up here anyway. But if one comes by I will be prepared.

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  5. Cuphea make great indoor plants in the winter here. I've always found them charming. I often use goldenrod in arrangements, their arching sprays lend themselves to arranging very well.

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    1. I will bring them in and see if they can overwinter, Eliza. If not I'll just start them from seed again. The little one seems like a good plant for a houseplant.

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  6. Every one is so lovely, but a clover flower, that adds the perfect touch.

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    1. Thanks, Jean, I'm drying some red clover for tea next year, plus quite a few trees and shrubs have leaves that make good tea. This year I'm using my dehydrator to speed up the drying. I enjoyed your quilting contest and spring flowers.

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  7. You have a great collection of Cuphea, Hannah! The goldenrod makes a nice vase. It's a plant I only seldom see here, surprisingly.

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    1. Thanks, Kris, I've been saving seeds so should have them again next year, I will have to try really cutting back the first 2 to get a bushier plant. Perhaps they will surprise me coming up in pots like the Browallia. I don't remember seeing goldenrod in S. Calif. either.

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  8. All of these blossoms are beautiful, but I do especially love your vase of goldenrod.

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    1. Thanks, Dorothy, these varieties seem reliable and fun to have in the fall.

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  9. I love flowers and gardens and parks as long as I don't have to work in them ! I have no green fingers at all !

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  10. Some of my plants literally grow themselves, even in pots, Gattina. I do have to water them in the summer and take them indoors in winter though.

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  11. Hi Hanna, I enjoyed your post very much. Great photos and videos. Thank you for linking with Today's Flowers, and I wish you a very happy week :)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Denise, I enjoyed your flowers too, thanks for hosting!

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  12. Loving the beautiful flowers ♥

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    1. Thanks, Summer, I just brought most of them in because of the expected storm. I like your tropical island photos!

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