Hey GPODers!

Today’s submission is extra special for me because they come from the person that instilled my love for plants, my mom! Every year she eagerly anticipates the last remnants of cold weather that rolls through the northeast in spring, and the day she can finally head to the nursery for summer container selections. She has what she calls her “backbone plants” that she buys year after year, and then creates new combinations and color palettes based on the particular annuals that draw her eye.

Usually I’m heavily involved in this plant-picking process (helping her make those final decisions when she has to narrow down her selections), but this year I was traveling during the weeks she was shopping and planting so I got a fantastic floral surprise when I returned to Connecticut. After weeks of me begging to showcase her creations, she finally allowed me to get some photographs last week, “now that they’ve full filled out.”

In the past, my mom has been known to be drawn to warmer, brighter colors—think hot pink, sunshine yellow, tangerine and chartreuse. This year, she was inspired by cooler shades to create a color palette of light purples, various shades of blue, and pastel pinks. In this first container she combined:

• ‘Archangel Pink’ angelonia (Angelonia angustifolia ‘Archangel™ Pink’, Zones 9–10 or as an annual)
• Techno® Heat Dark Blue lobelia (Lobelia erinus ‘Techno® Heat Dark Blue’, annual)
• Laguna® Sky Blue lobelia (Lobelia erinus ‘Laguna® Sky Blue’, annual)
• Cabana® White bacopa (Chaenostoma cordatum ‘Cabana®’, Zones 9–11 or as an annual)

Of course, she had to add some bright pops into the mix, and this bright ivy geranium (Pelargonium peltatum, Zones 10–11 or as an annual) did the trick. Paired with ‘Diamond Frost’ euphorbia (Euphorbia hypericifolia ‘Diamond Frost’, Zones 10–11 or as an annual), this simple pot becomes a nice accent without clashing with other combinations.

This next planting is a fabulous relative to the first container, including many of the same plants as well as one of her “backbone” plants, variegated vinca vine (Vinca major ‘Variegata’, Zones 7–9). The rest of the plants are:

• ‘Serena Blue’ angelonia (Angelonia angustifolia ‘Serena Blue’, Zones 9–10 or as an annual)
• ‘Archangel Pink’ angelonia (Angelonia angustifolia ‘Archangel™ Pink’, Zones 9–10 or as an annual)
• ‘Archangel™ White’ angelonia (Angelonia angustifolia ‘Archangel™ White’, Zones 9–10 or as an annual)
• Laguna® Sky Blue lobelia (Lobelia erinus ‘Laguna® Sky Blue’, annual)
• Techno® Heat Upright White lobelia (Lobelia erinus ‘Techno® Heat Upright White’, annual)

Though she hasn’t grown much angelonia in the past, it is a contender to become one of her new staples. Coming in a wonderful array of colors and shades, very heat tolerant and with no need for regular deadheading, this low-maintenance beauty is excellent for containers in the peak of summer.

Another one of my mother’s staple plants, the Chinese hibiscus. Not often found in colors that matched her cool color palette, but this variety—’Starry Wind’ hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis ‘Starry Wind’, annual)—had such a fabulous twist that she couldn’t resist adding it to the mix. A pretty classic looking coral-red color from the front…

But an absolutely dreamy swirl of pink and orange from behind. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a flower that is slightly more interesting from behind than it is from the front!

These small window boxes on her garden shed always get planted with rieger begonias and usually vinca vine. This year she brought some more purple to the party with a Summer Wave® Large Blue wishbone flower (Torenia ‘Summer Wave® Large Blue’, annual). The begonias in this mix are Solenia® Light Pink rieger begonia (Begonia x hiemalis ‘Solenia® Light Pink’, annual) and ‘Amstel Clara’ rieger begonia (Begonia x hiemalis ‘Amstel Clara’, annual).

Finally, a gift that not only matched the year’s color theme, but has grown so beloved that it might be taking up some residence inside when the cold weather blows in again. Sun Parasol® Pretty Pink mandevilla (Mandevilla x ‘Sunparaprero’, Zones 10–11 or as an annual) has already grown to an impressive size and doesn’t look to be slowing down any time soon. Anyone in the comments have advice for overwintering a behemoth of a plant??

Hope you all enjoyed this tour of my mom’s containers! Too shy to submit herself, it was a treat to be able to showcase her creations. I also hope this inspires some of you to share your summer containers! Send phots and plants IDs to [email protected] or tag me in your posts on Instagram @agirlherdogandtheroad

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