Inspiring Container Plantings

Today’s photos are from Cherry Ong in Richmond, British Columbia.

I wanted to share with you some amazing container garden designs by Hunter Norminton. I volunteer for a local nursery. Hunter joined the nursery part-time last year (he’s a student and has no formal horticultural training but was highly influenced by his mom), and he has designed so many amazing spring and summer containers, in all sizes. He currently loves blues, and you can see this in his present summer container designs. Hunter says he uses gardening and botany as a way to relax and disconnect from the technical thinking he has to do in his university studies.

This container features dramatic color contrasts, with dark foliage from sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas, Zones 9–11 or as an annual) and bright yellow leaves of a sedge (looks like Carex ‘Everillo’, Zones 5–9 or a similar variety), while a dark calla lily (Zantedeschia, Zones 8–11 or as an annual) echoes the dark foliage.

The gold leaves of the sedge glow in contrast to their dark companions.

It is all about succulent foliage in this container, with some hardy perennial sedums (Hylotelephium, Zones 5–9) and euphorbia (Euphorbia myrsinites, Zones 5–9) mixing with tender varieties such as a huge, beautiful Echeveria (Zones 9–11).

Dark foliage from heuchera (Heuchera hybrid, Zones 5–9), black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’, Zones 5–9) and lysimachia (Lysimachia congestiflora, Zones 7–9) makes the perfect backdrop to bright silver foliage from lavender (Lavandula, Zones 5–9) and the white flowers of sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima, annual).

Gold sedge foliage sets off a dark-leaved New Guinea impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri, Zones 10–11 or as an annual)

A small succulent planter, with various hens-and-chicks (Sempervivium, Zones 5–9) in the center and string-of-pearls (Senecio rowleyanus, Zones 10–11) tumbling over the edges.

A tall ornamental grass gives this container dramatic height.

Perennials work equally well in containers as annuals, with a purple-leaved heuchera and a purple-flowered catmint (Nepeta × faassenii, Zones 3–8) being the main players in this combination.

It is easy to see why succulents have been so wildly popular. This planting brings an incredible amount of color, texture, and interest, all in an easy-to-care-for package that won’t mind at all if it doesn’t get watered regularly.

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