There comes a time every October when the summer annuals start looking drab. The sweet potato vine and the dahlias might be holding on, but the caladiums, begonias and coleus are showing signs of not liking the cooler temperatures. 

As a result, I pull everything and freshen up the containers with plantings that will handle the light freezes that we will inevitably be getting over the next month. Mums and ornamental cabbages are perfect for this, and pumpkins, gourds and squash will stay fresh longer in the cooler temperatures. Using these fruits with hard shells provides some bold colors and should hold up to everything but a hungry squirrel. And it is amazing how much plant space a large pumpkin will occupy in an arrangement.

Accessorize with baskets, crates and hay bales if you have the space. And if you are feeling creative, find some interesting driftwood shapes that can be painted for Halloween.

It is with a little sadness that I start tearing out the summer arrangements I have enjoyed since June. But the browns and the oranges are more appropriate colors for this time of year anyway. These new arrangements are easy to do and are not meant to last much past a hard freeze. But they will buy me some time to come up with winter display ideas!

Posted by Bob Rensel

Through trial and error I have learned that it is best to group plants together that have similar cultural requirements. This may sound like common sense, but all too often we let other factors determine what gets planted, and where. 

I needed a low, yellow annual in front of a wave of red coleus this year and selected portulaca. It started out okay, but I soon realized that the water requirements for the two plants were vastly different. In order to keep the coleus from wilting, I had to supply more water than the portulaca could handle. So one or the other had to go. 

It is helpful to remember this when designing planters as well. You wouldn’t want to combine lavender with hydrangeas because of the different watering requirements. Each year I like to group succulents in containers because they are so low maintenance. 

During a recent two week drought I was watering my coleus and dahlia container arrangements daily but didn’t have to provide a drop of water to the succulent containers.

The same principle applies to pH requirements. The need for some broadleaf evergreen shrubs led to the planting of some pieris and azaleas in one of my gardens. But often these acid-loving plants were sited right next to lilacs, roses and bottlebrush buckeyes, which prefer neutral to alkaline soils. As a result, I have to amend soils and alter pH in some very restricted and sporadic areas throughout my beds to try and keep everyone happy.

So if we want our plants to all get along and play nice together, start by selecting a grouping of plants that all have similar cultural requirements.

Posted by Bob Rensel

One of my favorite ornamental herbs is Origanum rotundifolia ‘Kent Beauty’, which you can find in the Evans Restorative Garden. It’s located in a raised bed so the plants’ trailing habit can be nicely observed and it within easy reach so anytime I pass by, I run my hand over the oregano and take in the minty scent. This particular variety is especially pretty in containers. Its color comes not from the diminuitive flowers they have, but from the light lilac hued bracts (a leaflike part of the plant that is found just beneath the flower) that are really showy. They like partial to full sun and well drained soil, particularly in the winter, when they are suseptible to rot. If you keep them in a container in the summer, be sure to bury the container in the ground in the winter to protect the oregano, or bring it inside. This oregano is not for culinary uses, but you can take cuttings for potpourri or dried flower arrangements. Once the bracts turn brown in the late summer, you can clip it back and allow more green stems to grow for the remainder of the season. We’ve seen ‘Kent Beauty’ for sale locally, but they sell quickly. Try searching online, if you can’t find these beauties at your local garden center.

 Posted by Cynthia Druckenbrod

Succulents are beautiful plants and though they may not appeal to everyone, they have unique qualities that deserve attention. I especially like seeing them used in containers. While tropical and/or colorful plants like Coleus, Lantana, Sweet Potato Vine, Geraniums and many others are common components in summer containers, succulents can be quite show stopping in the right combinations. Here is a example of the container that is currently on display in our Madagascar Glasshouse. It contains easy to locate plants such as Pencil Cactus (actually a succulent, not a cactus), other Euphorbia species, Aeonium, and Jade plant to name just a few. Note the different textures and colors. They are, of course, in full sun and receive regular weekly waterings througout the summer. Although they are kept in a greenhouse in the winter, we severly cut back their water and force them into dormancy so that they don’t get too leggy. One word of caution, do be careful with all Euphorbia species because if you snap a leaf off or break a stem, they exude a white sap that can be irritating to your skin and downright painful if you somehow get the sap in your eyes. Trust me, I personally know how this feels. I was bent over clipping back one of our large Pencil Cactus and my nametag was inadverdently caught up in one of the branches. Not knowing this, I stood up, a branch snapped and the sap squirted into my right eye. I went immediatly to the hospital and was given eye numbing drops and antibiotic drops. It was painful to put it mildly and I had blurry vision for three days. Nevertheless, everything healed fine and I learned a valuable lesson: wear eye protection next time.

 Posted by Cynthia Druckenbrod