Ideas for purple or deep burgundy plants for planters in town centre

didyw

Each year our In Bloom group plant up the planters, troughs, tubs and hanging baskets in our town centre, generally to a colour theme.  (It was In the Pink this year). Next year is the Queen's Platinum Jubilee so we are thinking something like cineraria or other silver leaved plant with either deep purple or majestic burgundy flowers.  We generally use pelargoniums and viburnum as they are relatively maintenance free.  Any ideas as to what we could use that would flower all summer and look regal?  We are NOT going for red white and blue!  We need to be ordering them sharpish as the nursery we use grows them for us.

CharlotteF

I've never grown it, but have long hankered after a beautiful dark burgundy pelargonium called, I think, Lord Bute. I do grow pelargonium sidoides which is beautiful but perhaps a little delicate in terms of size for a big planter. 

Is there enough maintenance for some occasional deadheading? There are some fairly purple penstemon like Raven which might do the job. 

AnniD

I visited Aston Pottery a few years ago, and they had Eucomis "Sparkling Burgundy" in pots together with Agapanthus "Queen Mother".  Very striking. Not my photos, but hopefully they give you some idea. 

Dovefromabove

Oooh that’s a great combination @AnniD 😊 

AnniD

They were stunning @Dovefromabove .The gardens there are fantastic if you're a fan of colour. It's really "in your face" stuff.

JennyJ

Petunias come in burgundy I think, as well as purple. Trailing verbenas. Helichrysum for a silver trailer.

didyw

That looks really stunning @AnniD and I'm wondering if there is a special planter we could have that combination.  I love it!  But for the ordinary tubs, planters and hanging baskets we need something that will look good all summer.  I have grown Lord Bute @CharlotteF and that could be a contender!

Pianoplayer

I grew Nemesia for the first time this year, and they were fantastic. There are some good burgundy/purple varieties. I also have a couple of lovely purple Osteopermums which are going great guns still - I don't know which varieties I'm afraid, as I bought them for £1 from the GC `dead and dying` section.

didyw

Ooh, nemesias!  Thanks @Pianoplayer. I planted some coral pink ones early in the summer and they are still going strong.  I do like Osteospermums but they do need an awful lot of deadheading and that's what we don't have time for - its pretty much all we can do to keep everything watered.

Pianoplayer

Ah, yes, good point about the dead heading! I was impressed at how easy the nemesias were, even for a duffer/beginner like me. Good luck with it, sounds great.

Obelixx

I have a deep purple/burgundy penstemon.  No idea which one it is but given good compost and watering it should flower for weeks and weeks and weeks.