Suggestions for themed flowers
Clarington
Posts: 4,949
As you are aware I'm now in new employment and am dragging through changes like you wouldn't believe.
ONE of the changes we want to implement is making the building a little more friendly looking as well as (politely) drawing attention to the very fact that we are there.
In the past they had flower pots but these were eventually left unwatered, neglected, you know how it goes. But the idea did work so I'm willing to try it again.
Due to security these plants will be in pots that will be fixed to a railing can brought in each evening so the plants can't get too large, they must be able to tolerate a fair amount of sun in the summer as my gosh does our front door get warm!
I'm happy to replace the pots on a regular basis to allow for seasonal changes as it'll help add interest. They'll come home with me to rest and recuperate!
Ideally they would also compliment our branded colours of green, white, and purple.
Has anyone got any Suggestions? I only tend to look at plants for their ability to be eaten so for purely beauty I'm a little lost.
So far I have
- chives (nice purple flowers, easy to care for, can be cut and come again for longevity, I just happen to have plenty in the garden)
- lavender (likes the sun, won't mind when we forget to water it)
- rosemary (looks good all year round, symbolically linked to memory; a nice touch when working wirh older people)
Last edited: 26 May 2017 16:08:10
Posts
Hi Clarington. Are you looking for a splash of colour from summer annuals, or something more long term?
Some perennials bits I've got flowering at the moment are these low growing purple campanula and white mossy saxifrage at the side of the front path...
I've sown loads of purple annuals this year but they're not flowering yet, scabious, cantanache and more. I expect you'll be looking for stuff you can pick up at the GC though.
How big are the pots?
Just snapped a random collection of pots that I've got with a purple/blue theme.
There's a hydrangea, alliums, geranium, purple gladioli and Hebe with a couple of small conifers thrown in for good measure. No flowers yet
but you get the idea 
. There's some alchemilla mollis growing in the paving nearby, I love the zingy green of the flowers with purple, it's tough as nails, a notorious self seeder and pops up all over if you want me to send you some.
If growing in pots in full sun, you want to move them on and off easily, what about Erigeron Karvinkianus or Bacopa as low base trailing colour. Red Wax Begonias are neat but also flowering consistently. Then top it off with Scabious Buttefly Blue.
Erysimum Bowles' mauve - will flower all spring, summer and autumn with very litttle care. And it grows easily from cuttings so you get more for free when the old plants start to get a bit tired looking
They are perennial but get a bit leggy as they age. Butterflies love them, if that helps!
Candytuft - there are perennial ones in white and soft purple, which are evergreen, but eventually get quite large, though they hang down nicely. The annual ones grow easily from seed, are smaller and come in white, various shades of purple, pink and something approaching red. Seed mixes vary - you could probably find a purples and white one, or just keep the pink and red ones to use at home.
For winter into spring, Carex 'Everest' with a purple leaved Heuchera of your choice and purple and white pansies. Add a few snowdrops if you can get some from a gardening friend.
Last edited: 26 May 2017 17:47:12
Swan River Daisy can withstand a lot of sunlight, as well as phlox (both are great for pots).
Thank you everyone for your ideas; I'm heading off to Google now to look at them all (I am useless at plant names at the best of times!)
I worry that if the pots have to be taken in at night, they will have to be quite small unless you are thinking of big pots on dollies? If the pots are small then they will have no real impact.