White lights up the shade

Cindy has a shady yard, and white was just the ticket for brightening things up and creating a focal point against a dark-painted shed. The tuteur adds height and support for the lavish blooms of the mandevilla. The Algerian ivy and geranium ground the container, keeping it from becoming top-heavy.

1. White mandevilla (Mandevilla cv., Zone 11)
2. Variegated Algerian ivy (Hedera canariensis cv., Zones 6–11)
3. ‘White Blizzard’ ivy geranium (Pelargonium ‘White Blizzard’, annual)
4. ‘Hip Hop’ euphorbia (Euphorbia ‘Hip Hop’, Zones 10–11)

Designed by Cindy Young, Brewster, New York

Red-orange turns up the heat

There’s no mistaking what color inspires Nathan. His large unabashedly red-orange container is the perfect canvas for a spicy variety of plants that celebrate this invigorating hue. Nathan’s mix of textures is intriguing, and the range of red-oranges—from pale to deep—is exciting.

1. Canna (Canna cv., Zones 8–11)
2. Bamboo (Fargesia rufa, Zones 6–9)
3. Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides cvs., Zones 12–13)
4. Blue chalk sticks (Senecio serpens, Zone 11)
5. Sweet potato vines (Ipomoea batatas cvs., Zone 11)
6. Barberry (Berberis thunbergii* cv., Zones 5–8)
7. Japanese blood grass (Imperata cylindrica* ‘Rubra’, Zones 5–9)
8. Tropical hibiscus (Hibiscus cv., Zone 11)

Designed by Nathan Brown, Reno, Nevada

Pink is lush and cheerful

Margaret celebrated pink with a mix of old standards, like petunia and geranium, with some exciting surprises, like a lemony jewels of Opar and a jazzy ‘Fireworks’ fountain grass. A froth of pink baby’s breath is the frosting on this floral cake.

1. ‘Limon’ jewels of Opar (Talinum paniculatum ‘Limon’, annual)
2. Supertunia® Sangria Charm petunia (Petunia ‘USTUN34803’, annual)
3. ‘Graziosa Royal Lilac’ geranium (Pelargonium ‘Graziosa Royal Lilac’, annual)
4. ‘Fireworks’ fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum* ‘Fireworks’, Zones 8–11)
5. Pink baby’s breath (Gypsophila paniculata* cv., Zones 5–9)

Designed by Margaret Hebblethwaite, Liverpool, New York

Purple can be dark and sultry

Chris chose to celebrate the darker side of purple: with dusky purple and almost-black foliage with slightly brighter flowers, which keep the foliage from fading into the shadows. Even her terra-cotta container has dark purple tones. The result is subtle, sophisticated, and rich.

1. ‘Mona Lavender’ plectranthus (Plectranthus ‘Mona Lavender’, Zones 10–11)
2. ‘Purple Flash’ ornamental pepper (Capsicum annuum ‘Purple Flash’, annual)
3. Purple heart (Tradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’, Zones 8–11)
4. Whirlwind® Blue fan flower (Scaevola ‘Scablhatis’, annual)
5. ‘Plum Delight’ loropetalum (Loropetalum chinense ‘Plum Delight’, Zones 8–9)
6. Echeveria (Echeveria cv., Zones 10–11)

Designed by Chris Culler, Venice, California

Michelle Gervais is a senior editor and the editor of the Garden Photo of the Day blog at FineGardening.com.

Photos:  courtesy of Marge Hebblethwaite; Cindy Young; Nathan Brown; Chris Culler and Sheila Schultz.