Container Combinations

Orange. Chartreuse. Burgundy. I finally found success with my containers using a combination of these colors. Until this year, I’ve never been happy with my efforts to produce lush, lovely containers, but inspiration struck when I saw zonal geranium (Pelargonium) ‘Tricolor’ and I’m thrilled with the results.

A grouping of pots near my front steps exudes chartreuse. This year, its brassy color is tempered with splashes of orange and accents of burgundy to tone down the color temperature. The mixture includes a chartreuse and burgundy sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas ‘Marguerite’ and ‘Blackie’, respectively); a long-throated, orange, tender fuchsia; a burgundy and chartreuse coleus; and the gloriously beautiful, variegated Canna ‘Bengal Tiger’ (syn. Canna ‘Pretoria’) with its yellow and green striped leaves. Also out front in another pot is Abutilon ‘Salmon’ with its coral colored flowers and speckled yellow and green leaves. (I haven’t attempted to winter over an Abutilon. Have you?)

On my back patio, the color combo continues. Geranium ‘Tricolor’, Oxalis ‘Molten Lava’, Begonia Waterfall® Encanto Falls® Orange, coleus ‘Yellow Fin Tuna’, and an orange monkey flower (Mimulus) flaunt their colors. Tucked under all the exuberant foliage and flowers is Platt’s Black Brass Buttons (Leptinella squalida), which doesn’t stand a chance with its diminutive size and subtle coloration.

What are your favorite container combinations this year?

Abutilon Salmon