Festive Summer Planter Combination

Even though it was colder than a witch's you know what here this weekend, I did manage to get one of my summer planter containers planted.

I usually have a set plan on what I want in my containers, but this year it's all about flying by the seat of my yoga pants.

Creating A Festive Summer Planter

This combination actually came to me while at the garden center.

Tip To Fill A Planter Quickly

Now, I did have thoughts of just grabbing two hanging baskets on sale and plopping them into the planter and calling it a day, though.

You do know you can do that, right?

Why, yes, you can!

A trick to fill up your summer planter quickly and easily and cheaply is to buy a hanging basket this time of year (they're ALWAYS on sale around Memorial Day around here for well under $10) and plant them in your planters. Done.

How To DIY Your Planter From Scratch

But I really do enjoy making my own creations, so slow, steady, and thoughtful was the plan.

Then I practically tripped over the Canna (tropical rose variety).

I have never in the world ever planted one before, but I wanted something tall in the middle of the planter, so it fit the bill. And according to the tag, it will have very pretty pink tropical-looking flowers. So I decided to give it a try, and that was my starting point.

Next, I decided to add a Coral Bells (Harvest Burgundy) at each end. I liked their foliage and thought it would look good with the Canna's future pink flowers.

And I picked two Supertunias (Pretty Much Picasso) to accompany them in the middle. The chartreuse and lavender colors are a fun, non-traditional look.

They are trailing annuals and should grow fairly quickly to fill the bottom of the container with color.

Not as quick, easy, or cheap as the hanging basket route, but I think it gives the planter a richer, more interesting look.

Plants For Sun-Loving Containers

Canna Lily - Tropical Rose - full sun - grows to be 18-30" tall

Usually bought as a summer bulb (you can purchase them in those bags at the big box stores), I bought mine potted up and already emerged for the summer. The bulbs are winter hardy only in zones 7-10; otherwise, you will need to lift them from the ground (or from the outdoor pots in my case) and store them before the first fall frost. You can then plant them in the ground again in the late spring, about the same time you'd be planting your tomatoes.

You can deadhead the spent flowers to promote more blooms.

Supertunia - Pretty Much Picasso - full sun - trailing habit and 8-12" tall

The joy of supertunias is that they do not have to be deadheaded. No need to pop off the dead blooms to promote new growth, these truly are a low-maintenance petunia!!! These plants need 6 hours or more of sun a day to be at their best. And you can give them a little haircut mid-summer if they are getting too leggy to promote more blooms on top.

Coral Bells - Harvest Burgundy  (Heuchera) - part sun (4-6 hrs per day) - 12" tall

The best part of coral bells is their foliage. This variety has silver-tinged foliage with dark green veining and a burgundy underside. The plants do have delicate-looking flowers that grow on tall stalks, but they're really hard to see from far away. The foliage is the star of the show here.

An added benefit of using coral bells is that they are perennials, so I can plant them in the ground in the fall if I want, and they will come back up next year!