Happy Monday GPODers!

Last week we did a little call to action on our Instagram (be sure to give a follow if you aren’t already!), asking folks to send in photos of their summer containers in all their glory. Lila Johnson, who gardens in Mill Creek, Washington, so kindly answered our call, and today we’re checking out her colorful containers full of the most vibrant annuals.

Hi, I’m answering the call, photos of my containers in full summertime bloom.

I’ve been gardening forever (almost 60 years) and planting containers has never been my strong suit. I know the old saying of “thriller-filler-spiller,” but this year because of the cost of plants, well, I just sort of tossed what was leftover into my pots.

We have a very big yard for our HOA community and although over the past 27 years we’ve added perennials, annuals still eat a lot of our Plant Dollars. This year we consolidated the pots/containers around our two main patio areas, where we spend most of our days and they are visible from inside our home too.

Both my husband and I are in our early 80’s and I am starting to feel that we may have to plant more containers and less in the many ecosystems around our yard, but we’ll figure that out next spring! BTW, I plant and he fertilizes and deadheads for me. (My hands break out in a rash when I deadhead flowers, petunias are not good to me! And it’s pretty difficult to “pinch” off a spent blossom wearing garden gloves.) We make a good team! Enjoy!

A beautiful grouping of cohesive containers bring a pop of color to the shade, however, my favorite part of these creations are ornamental branches that add a bit more height and interest. While branches, pinecones, and all sorts of cuttings are commonplace in winter arrangements, you don’t often see the same interest applied to summer containers. This is a great example of what we’re missing out on!

A closer look at those shade containers to see all the beauty that made their way to these pots. While Lila says containers aren’t her strong suit, I would have to disagree! “Thriller-filler-spiller” is a classic composition, but there is no fun seeing the same styles over and over again. While this recipe might have been random, sometimes the best meals come from throwing together whatever you have in the kitchen.

Yet another interesting container arrangement, featuring a smaller bare-branch accent. Potentially located close to the grouping we saw above, the containers definitely appear to be related but not completely matching. Again, Lila insists containers aren’t her strong suit, but creating cohesive designs with so many different plants is no easy task!

I also absolutely adore the addition of hostas into these containers in the shade—in this container appears to be the ‘Tropical Dancer’ variety (Hosta ‘Tropical Dancer’, Zones 3–8). Another uncommon addition to containers that was a great success for Lila.

Sensational in the shade, but sublime color in the sun. Bright yellow gazania and hot pink verbena—potentially verbena Cadet Upright™ ‘Hot Pink Wink’ (Verbena ‘Balcadopwi’, annual)—make for a hot and bold combination.

More beautiful sun-loving combinations, continuing with gazania and verbena while adding some geraniums to the mix. Of course, the real stars of these pots though are the absolutely incredible double petunias, potentially the variety Tumbelina Bella (Petunia ‘Tumbelina Bella’, annual).

Lastly, those incredible petunias make another appearance in dappled shade, backed up by an stunning hydrangea.

And thankfully for us, this isn’t the only glimpse of Lila’s garden we get this week. Along with these incredible containers, she sent along several photos of the rest of her garden. Be sure to check back tomorrow, where we’ll be returning to Washington and seeing more of what Lila is growing this summer.

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!

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