Cherry Ong recently visited Seattle’s Pike Place Market, which is a famous farmers market; however, she was focused not on the fresh produce for sale, but on the beautiful plantings.
This garden bed with the Corten steel edging is located by the Market Pavilion and overlooks the water. The bed is everything you would want in a summer garden—bold, spicy, and full of color and energy.
Huge castor beans (Ricinus communis, Zones 9–11 or as an annual) dominate the planting here with bold, dark leaves and showy red developing seeds.
A morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea, annual) has been trained to grow as a mound of foliage sprinkled with beautiful purple blooms that will fade in the afternoon.
Closer look at the morning glory blooms
Petunias (Petunia hybrids, Zones 9–11 or as an annual) are blooming amid sweet potato vines (Ipomoea batatas, Zone 10–12 or as an annual. The dark sweet potato foliage makes the petunia flowers glow.
Spotted bee balm (Monarda punctata, Zones 4–9). Most bee balms are grown for their showy flowers, but on this species, the flowers are small and almost unnoticeable compared to the large, beautiful, white-and-pink bracts that surround them.
Though not technically petals, these brachts perform the same function—attracting pollinators.
A cluster of sunflowers (Helianthus annuus, annual) not yet in bloom still provide great beauty thanks to their bold foliage.
Brilliant gold sweet potato vine and blue sea holly (Eryngium sp.)
A big patch of marigolds (Tagetes patula, annual) brings intense color to this bed. Marigolds are among the easiest and heaviest-flowering annuals you can grow.
This incredible hanging basket includes sweet potato vines in two colors and some gorgeous petunias.
Another hanging basket, with almost the same plants, gives a completely different feel without the red petunias.
Have a garden you’d like to share?
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!
Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here.
Fine Gardening Recommended Products
The Regenerative Landscaper: Design and Build Landscapes That Repair the Environment
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Gilmour 811673-1001 Sprinkler
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Rain Bird PATIOKIT Drip Irrigation Patio Watering Kit
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Comments
Love those 2 hanging baskets, simple yet vibrant and lush
So gorgeous - and the color of that morning glory is spectacular. What a beautiful job they did with these plantings that make visiting the market even more pleasant!
I've got to search out that stunning monarda! Don't remember seeing it before. Thanks again for sharing your photos!
Oh I want to shop there! What a fabulous garden around that farmer's market.
I love the morning glory trained to grow in a mound- what a great idea!
Log in or create an account to post a comment.
Sign up Log in