I’ve mentioned before that my favorite color to use outside in flowers is purple. There’s something about it that feels calming and beautiful against greens and whites, the foundations of our landscape. Because we have so much concrete in the backyard, I’ve always felt the need to have LOTS of pots during the warmer months. In the beginning I had them spread out to distract your eye from the cold, hardscapes and things that needed freshening up. As our backyard has transformed and the ivy we planted around the fence has grown, I’ve felt less need to have pots spread out all over. So this year I decided to create a focal point using pots. It’s a fun look that adds a burst of interest in front of the air conditioner disguised by a lattice cover my dad made and watering in one spot is much easier than moving all over the backyard from pot to pot. I got some questions about what plants I used on Instagram, so I thought I’d answer here. I initially planned to just put one kind of plant in each pot, but I worked with what I purchased, the pots I had, and just kind of eyeballed a mix of single specimens and combinations of things.
As the plants take off in the next few weeks, I know I’ll love the look even more! Here’s a breakdown of the flowers in the picture below, clockwise. The tallest purple in Salvia surrounded by Verbena. The maroon flowers are Salvia. The little white flowers on the deck are so sweet and one of my favorites: Lobelia. The leggy beauties are Butterfly Pincushions. The greenery is Asparagus Fern, surrounded by Sweet Alyssum. The icy green foliage is Dusty Miller. Petunias are at the forefront, next to some more Verbena. Some more Dusty Miller is mixed with Snapdragons, and you can see a geranium poking out on the end. I try to stuff the tags of flowers I’m not familiar with in the side of the pot somewhere for future reference. It’s important for caring for them too!
I’d love to hear what kind of annuals you potted this year!
See here for tips on how to create beautiful planted pots.
INSPIRED PLANTING:
FLUTED BROWN URN | WHITE CLAY URN | SHORT URN PLANTER | GREY URN
SIMPLE CLAY POT | CLAY POT SET | ROSE CLAY POT | SHORT CLAY POT
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Love the colors you have chosen for your pots. The pots are telling me to go ahead and complete mine and stop being so lazy. Thank you for the encouragement.
Glad it sparked some motivation, we all need that now and again!
They’re beautiful, and a wonderful combination of colors and foliage!
Thank you, excited to watch them grow!
Those are gorgeous, Gwen! When I pot my annuals, I always try to put in a pretty herb to use in the kitchen or a plant that repels mosquitos (and some plants can do both). It makes it fun to have something useable in each one. Many of the herbs are also perennials so as long as the pots are put away over the winter, they will come back again and again. (Rosemary, lavender, and mint are my faves that are usable and repel mosquitos.)
Love that idea, Melissa! I have a little herb garden in the ground not far from these pots, it’s one of my favorite things! And you’re smart to just bring the pots with the herbs in, I’ve never thought of doing that!
Be careful with the dusty miller! It can be poisonous for dogs.
Thank you for the heads up!