Container Gardening Idea: Cool Season Charmer

2 Violina Orange Violas

4 Halloween II Pansies

1 foliage plant : Baby Tut, Big Twister or Ribbon Bush

I first showed pictures of this combo here. It didn't look like much at the time but I was hoping that it would grow up well and I have to say that it did indeed! As the name of this site suggests, I do love me some pansies and violas (they were my grandma's favorite flowers) so these trailing violas caught my eye immediately. I do not, however, generally like yellow flowers and definitely not orange. This picture once again puts the flower-color-namer-people under suspicion because I'm not sure on what planet these would be considered orange. They do have a slightly tangerine beard that I guess could be considered orange but the overall effect is YELLOW.

I did look up the other colors of this plant and the actual yellow of this variety is not nearly as stunning as this one but then again the picture of the orange doesn't do it justice either. At any rate, the whole reason that The Powers That Be (namely my friend who is my boss) chose this plant is for it's orangeness and it's cool season blooming as the high school colors here are black and orange. With the Halloween II pansies, this would make a great planter for graduation, right? Oh, well, best laid plans.

At any rate, this combo turned out to be a stunner after all even it didn't quite get the local high school spirit. I love how these violas trail, trail, trail and bloom profusely! They don't stop. The Halloween II pansies provide great contrast with their dark purple blooms and yellow eye. SImple, colorful and eye-catching. Good for our cooler weather here in Minnesota. Although we may see some decreased vigor in the extreme heat of July and August, this combo should pop back in September and look fantastic until freeze.

I did several variations of this planter using different foliage plants and they all seemed to do very well. My favorite is the Baby Tut. I think it provides the most  texture and interest. Who doesn't love a Baby Tut? I also did a version with Big Twister juncus which also turned out although it's a bit more subtle.

I had to try this combo at home. We sold out of Baby Tut and Big Twister early but that didn't matter because we did have Ribbon Bush. I had never seen this plant before so I had to bring it home to see what it would do. What better than to put it with my new favorite trailing shade plant?

It's not bad as combos go although my plants need some more growing up to match the planter at top! Patience...

I do have to say that I do love the Ribbon Bush. This is a shade foliage plant that actually gets some size. I have this on the east side of my house under an awning so it really only gets the early morning sun. At this point it's about  24 inches tall. Pretty good for a shade plant! And the texture is really interesting and fun. I do think this planter's finest hour will be this fall though.

This simple combo really packs a punch in the shade. Whether you choose a more tropical look with the Baby Tut (as if pansies could be tropical, HA!), a more subtle look with the Big Twister or a more unusual look with the Ribbon Bush, this cool season combo is sure to be a winner.