Austin's Awesome Container Plantings

Stock tank plant display area at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

At the Austin Garden Bloggers Fling last May, I learned that the soil in the Austin area varies widely, depending on the location of the garden. I also learned that Austin gardeners are incredibly creative with their container plantings--often dealing with soil challenges, but sometimes simply because they're talented folks.

Stock tanks, like those used at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center to showcase native plant species, are a common vessel for plants in Austin.



Terra cotta pots set on gravel and surrounded by beautiful rocks are a great way to showcase a little corner of Jennifer Stocker's (Rock Rose) impressive plant collection--in this case, a sampling of succulents.



Metal planting beds edged along a stepped walkway with matching caging seem elegant, and blend well with the natural surroundings at this private garden.



Designer Colleen Jamison's whimsy with pots and plantings includes this delightful stacked display leading up to the door.



A colorful ceramic pot filled with blue marbles suggests water and floating succulents.



Creative window boxes always catch my eye, and the colors in this one are dramatic, but complementary to the structure's paint colors.



Pam Penick's (Digging) stock tank pond is really something special--it fits the surroundings, and the brick pavers framing it.



A totally different style and use of potted plants awaits at the garden of designer B. Jane.





The collections are expertly arranged around the foundations of the buildings and the pool.



Traditional designs are wonderful, too, like this one at a private garden. I love the look of this old-fashioned well-surround, planted with Daylilies, Daisies, and other plants, along with the Celtic cross.



Author/designer Lucinda Hutson certainly works magic with her colorful planters. I love the bright colors of this pair.



This little courtyard on her amazing property is filled with potted fun.



Her unique use of pastel beauty really makes a statement.



Another private garden makes a nice use of echoing potted succulents on the table with a complementary arrangement on the patio. The warm earth-tone colors of the pots set off the beautiful limestone brick.



Succulents spilling over the edge of a metal pot, framed by Salvias in the courtyard--very nice.



Talk about creative--I love everything about this grouping--from the face sculpture to the metal door/trellis to the bright blue pot.



Sometimes pots are so vibrant, the best plants for them are angular and green, like this Pencil Cactus Euphorbia.



Designer Diana Kirby has some unique planters, too, like this vertical planter with succulents, reminding us of the important things in life.



This vibrant blue pot with a tasteful collection of plants spilling out all sides is simply lovely.

The Garden Bloggers Fling is always inspirational and fun. This year we're meeting in Denver, Colorado, June 13-16. To learn more about The Fling visit this link: https://bit.ly/2I7l5ao.

The Flowers Are Nice, But the Foliage Is Fun

With the tropical conditions we're experiencing lately (80s and 90s for highs and about four inches of rain during the past couple of days), the plants are plump and healthy. Quite a few are blooming, but it's the foliage that's really standing out right now in my dappled- to partial-shade garden.

I always plant quite a few Coleus in pots--plants that like shade and offer dramatic swatches of color.  What's not to love?











And several dramatic foliage combinations weren't entirely planned, but I'm enjoying them:

Looking across colorful Coleus to the underside of speckled Calla leaves.

OK, this one was planned because I do it almost ever year: Purple Shamrocks (Oxalis triangularis) with variegated English Ivy (Hedera helix). I overwinter these guys in pots in my sunroom.

Also in pots with English Ivy--Alternanthera (A. ficoidea 'Red Threads'), from the top. I've grown Alternanthera before, but never in a "foliage only" pot. I like it, and I'll probably do it again.

The same Alternanthera, looking up through the foliage with dappled sun shining through it. Talk about drama!

Here are a few more subtle, but nifty, combinations of plant forms and structures:

Severely clipped Petunias (to encourage heft and more flowers), with Sedums in a hanging basket.

Here's an unnamed variegated Hosta surrounded by several friends. Can you name the friends?

This arrangement of ferns in front of a large rock was placed by the previous owners. It's lovely, but it's in an out-of-the-way place that's barely noticeable: kind of a mini secret garden.

Sedums and Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) planted in a tipped whiskey barrel. I use lava rocks for mulch in most of my pots to discourage chipmunks and squirrels from digging.

A new plant for me this year: 'Sugar and Spice' Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia). This one is a nativar. With the exception of my potted plants, I'm trying to add mainly straight species native plants, but I made an exception for this one. The flowers are nice, but the foliage is really nifty.

Somewhere along the way, I missed the memo that Pam at Digging is no longer hosting the 'Foliage Follow-Up' meme, but I thank her for the inspiration and her years of encouraging us to look beyond the blooms.

Ten Takeaways From the Garden Bloggers' Fling

Recently, I attended the Garden Bloggers' Fling in Toronto. It was great fun! Bloggers from around the world converged on the city to share camaraderie, information, ideas, and garden tours.

I hope to post in-depth coverage of several individual gardens in the weeks ahead, but for now I thought I'd share a few takeaways--simple observations that come to mind as I sift through the multisensory experience.

TAKEAWAY #1:



If you don't have a rabbit problem like I do, Strawberries can be planted just about anywhere as a great groundcover, with the added benefit of fresh, sweet fruit, in season. I was excited to try this, and then I realized rabbits in my garden would eat them. Maybe I'll try this in a section of my fenced-in potager.

TAKEAWAY #2:



I'm hankering for Ninebark (Physocarpus spp.). I didn't even realize this desire until I got home and started reviewing the plethora of photos I snapped of this lovely shrub. If you have a Ninebark, you probably realize its appeal in all seasons, not to mention the value to pollinators and wildlife. It's a great substitute for Barberry (Berberis spp.) which is invasive in North America.

TAKEAWAY #3:



I have many unmatched pots. I have many overgrown perennials. I have potting soil. I don't have to spend big bucks on new "matching" pots and plants. I can divide what I have now and stuff odds and ends of perennials (and annuals) in said pots of various shapes and sizes. Big plants spill over the sides of the pots anyway, and the colorful combinations are whimsical and welcoming.

TAKEAWAY #4:



Speaking of pots, they're perfect for small Japanese Maples. (Many ideas on this subject are forming in my brain. Hehe.)

TAKEAWAY #5:



Tomato cages can be turned on their sides as structure and climbing support for plants like squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers, and many other edibles. I've never tried this, but when/if I have a bigger vegetable garden, I will.

TAKEAWAY #6:



Just about any vessel with a cavity that will hold soil can be used as a container for plants. Sometimes, they can even be mounted on fences and other structures. (Time to investigate the "treasures" in my garage.)

TAKEAWAY #7:

A small section of the incredibly wonderful overflowing garden of Marion Jarvie, which is open

to the public several times per year.

Sometimes the scale and richness of a large, diverse garden can be overwhelming when looking at the big picture.



Equally mind-boggling is the small scale of tiny seedlings, purposefully placed together in close quarters, like a fairy garden within a big garden. (How many tiny plants can you find in this one small area?)

TAKEAWAY #8:



Metal sculpture and earthy elements, combined with colorful plants can create movement and whimsical eye appeal.



Here, metal sculpture combines with rock, metalized pots, and plants for a simple, yet elegant combination.

TAKEAWAY #9:

Toronto skyline as a backdrop, as viewed from Toronto Island gardens.

The Toronto skyline is stunning. It pops into view at various locations around the city, and is especially dramatic when clouds, rain, and stormy weather are imminent.

TAKEAWAY #10:



Garden bloggers, like most gardeners, are welcoming people. This was my first Garden Bloggers' Fling, and I was a little nervous about circulating with people who've known each other from previous flings. But there were other newbies, too, and the veterans shared tips, tricks, and fun to make the conference a truly rewarding and enjoyable experience.

Several of us grabbed chalk at the Evergreen Brick Works to add our mark to the graffiti-

decorated floor.

I'm already looking forward to next year's Fling in Minneapolis/St. Paul, to reconnect, and to meet new garden-blogging friends!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

There's still time to participate in the "Garden Lessons Learned" meme. Feel free to write a post or share one you've already written about your "Lessons Learned" during the past season. Then share your links or simple observations in the comments at: Garden Lessons Learned, Quarter 2, 2015. The link will be available always under the "Lessons Learned" tab at the top of this blog.

Please also join in Donna's Seasonal Celebrations at Gardens Eye View! You can join in with a post that fits both memes, or separate posts for one or both of them. I'll include wrap-ups on PlantPostings' Facebook page as we approach the solstice.