Muffin Evander on Extending the Container Gardening Season

A garden designer’s suggestions for container gardening in fall

InFine Gardening‘s September / October 2007 military issue ( # 117 ) , garden architect Muffin Evander hand us ideas for container horticulture in fall . Muffin has inspired us in other seasons , too ( see her article , “ 10 plant life for Year - Round Containers , ” in the March / April 2006 issue , # 108 ) . She gardens in container all year round in her Maryland garden . We late had a chance to ask her how she does it .

Do you keep a lot of plant material on hand for your container change - ups , or do you shop for plants when the need arises?I have a container design business , so I have thing on hand all the sentence . But I do have to denounce , too . I always have some bergenia ( Bergeniaspp . and cvs . , USDA Hardiness zona 3 - 9 ) and heucheras ( Heucheraspp . and cvs . , Zones 3 - 8) on manus . Then I buy at for coloring material according to the season , especially in the leap and fall , when I need primroses ( Primulaspp . and cvs . , Zones 3 - 8) and pansies ( ViolaXwittrockianacvs . , Zones 8 - 11 ) . I always need more coloration . I always care to add something . For wintertime branches I buy bunches of red- and yellow - twig dogwood ( Cornus albaand cvs . , Zones 2 - 8) and possum haw ( Ilex verticillataand cvs . , Zones 5 - 8) , because I do n’t wish to cut much from my own bush .

What are some plant life for containers that you could not live without?Yuccas ( Yucca filamentosaand cvs . , Zones 4 - 11 ) , specially ‘ Bright Edge ’ and ‘ Golden Sword ’ , because they can take so much misuse and they ’re reasonably drought tolerant . They can also take a bit of shade . Bergenia and heucheras , of track , especially since heucheras come in so many colour now and they live for years in container . I employ lots of trailing sedums , too , likeSedum sieboldii(Zones 6 - 9 ) andSedum rupestre‘Angelina ’ ( Zones 6 - 9 ) , for the same reasons – circumstances of abuse and long - lived . Golden creep Jenny ( Lysimachia nummularia‘Aurea ’ , zone 4 - 8) is great , too . It does n’t show in the wintertime , but it comes decent back in outpouring . The colour blends with almost anything .

What is your all - fourth dimension favorite fall combination for a container?That would be one of the combination that is have in the clause : ‘ Bright Edge ’ yucca ( Yucca filamentosa‘Bright Edge ’ , Zones 4 - 11 ) , sedum ( Sedum sieboldii , zone 6 - 9 ) , ‘ Snow Angel ’ heuchera ( Heuchera‘Snow Angel ’ , Zones 4 - 9 ) , and ‘ Antique Shades ’ pansy ( ViolaXwittrockiana‘Antique Shades ’ , Zones 8 - 11 ) . It just face so good for so long . I would do this combo every single year .

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