Summer Containers in Sun: An Update
Now that it’s almost the middle of August, maybe it’s a good time to do an update on the flowering containers in the front garden. Overall, my assessment would be: they’re doing pretty well. Not spectacular, perhaps, but certainly pretty well.
The one thing I’m happiest about was combining ‘Empress of India’ Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majalis) with ‘Heavenly Blue’ Petunias. They go really well together, I think. That’s ‘Vermillionaire’ Cigar Plant (Cuphea hybrid) on the lower left, and the shrub rose ‘Cassie’ on the lower right.
‘Empress of India’ is an old favorite of mine. It’s been blooming adequately this year, but has stayed a rather modest size.
And here’s several of the pots viewed from the bottom of the front steps. At the beginning of the summer I decided to go with a simpler approach to these containers, planting just one or a couple of types of plants in each pot.
I like how they look planted on successive steps. Salvia ‘Mystic Spires Blue’ is in the container on the top step, then the Cigar Plant with Star Flower ‘Butterfly Red’ (Pentas lanceolata), and finally the Zinnias ‘Magellan Orange’, ‘Magellan Scarlet’, and ‘Zahara Orange’. Sorry the color is kind of washed out here. I took this photo rather than Judy.
I have to say, I’m really crazy about Zinnias, especially the red and orange ones. This year’s containers have not dimmed my enthusiasm. The colors are so great, they’re excellent cut flowers, plus Zinnias are more generous than most when it comes to forgiving lapses in watering. Call them old fashioned or trite, I don’t care, they will always be a favorite.
One of the Zinnias we tried that we really like is ‘Zahara Starburst’, with bicolor orange and yellow flowers. ‘Profusion Fire’ is another top pick for us. For some reason, though, the Lantanas (‘Luscious Marmalade’ and ‘Lemon Zest’) were underwhelming this year.
Here’s a close up of ‘Zahara Starburst’.
‘Magellan Orange’.
We are grateful to have received two Lavender ‘Phenomenal’ (Lavandula x intermedia) plants as part of the swag from the Garden Bloggers Fling this year. They have not yet bloomed, but we will take them inside for the winter. They are planted here with ‘Black Cherry’ Petunias.
Star Flower ‘Butterfly Red’ (Pentas lanceolata).
We’ll finish up with the view from the front door.
That’s all for now.
gardeninacity 
It’s been a few years since I last grew Nasturtiums and I miss them. I think next year I’m going to grow them as well as Zinnias from seed.
Love those intense colors – red and orange, and how they glow in the light.
What a lovely welcome for your visitors!
Oh, I’m inspired to get onto some planting in pots, and spring is just beginning here. The nasturtiums and the Petunias are a good mix. And the Magellan Orange is a stunner. I hope I can find it in a nursery here.
Over here the ‘Magellan’ Zinnias are pretty common – they come in a whole bunch of different colors.
I think your containers look luscious. A cheerful greeting for all those that enter.
I love all the reds! I’ve grown Profusion Zinnias before, and their color is stunning. My lantana has been lackluster this year, too. Maybe it’s the cooler weather?
Not sure about why the Lantana aren’t doing better. Perhaps they’re just too understated near the other choices I have. Think I’ll probably skip them next year.
Lovely! Your red-blue combination of nasturtiums and petunias has inspired me to put Empress of India nasturtiums together with blue Bachelors Buttons in my edible flowers bed next year.
Sounds excellent!
So vibrant and pretty
I like zinnias, too. They have lots of lovely memories attached to them for me. And your containers look very cheerful and welcoming.
Lovely, lovely, especially the first two photos.
Love them all! I’m particularly missing the zinnias this year. I’ll be growing them in the veg area again next year and hopefully I’ve closed off enough of the fence gaps that the bunnies won’t be able to find a way in.
Damn rabbits.
Beautiful! Mine are looking a bit like the Dog Days of August..actually all the garden is-and I’m feeling it. Your pots are inspirational…for next year.
This is the first year that I have not had annuals in pots. I also never got around to planting zinnias, but with this dry summer, it is probably for the best. Your plants are lovely.
Those colours go really well – the Petunias and the Nasturtiums especially. And I love the zinnias. Makes a wonderful show – a lovely sight when you leave the house in the morning and a nice welcome home too. How do you manage to keep them from growing over the pathway and dropping petals all up to the front door! 😉
These Nasturtiums have not really grown much, though they have flowered nicely. I think about how the Nasturtiums at Giverney completely cover the central path by the end of August but ours are not inclined to do that. The other plants are more veritcal, for the most part.
I think the containers look great, especially the salvia.
Zinnias also attract a lot of butterflies here.
Here too!
The container gardens look great! I like the blue petunias with the nasturtiums.
They look pretty spectacular to me, especially the view from the front door. Most of my plants are looking a bit tired but your containers are alive with vibrant color. Beautiful!
Yours is the second blog post I’ve read where the blogger had sensational things to say about zinnias. I guess this means I’ll have to try them next year. Yours look terrific. All of the containers pop, zinnias or not. I grew nasturtiums last year, but they didn’t perform well. I may need to try a different variety. Mine were grown from pass-along seeds.
My Nasturtiums don’t exactly thrive. They’re undersized, but they have enough flowers that I don’t mind.
love the zinnia colors, but a well grown nasturtium always impresses me more since I just can’t grow them well.
Not sure that I grow them “well”, as I noted above mine are undersized.
How well the blues and oranges sit together, lovely combination.xxx
Old fashioned? Trite? You’ve got to be kidding me! I know of a child named Zinnia and that seems about right. Empress of India is a fab Nasturtium but, unfortunately, the aphids think so too.
I’m fortunate that the aphid population in our garden is pretty manageable.
You don’t often show the view looking from the front door; it’s great, it must give you a real buzz every time you leave the house. I agree about the Zinnias, fantastic plants; I’m thinking of adding some shorter ones to my pots next year, as you say they tolerate or even thrive in the heat. I can’t believe I only started growing them 3 years ago.
The ‘Zahara’ ‘Profusion’, and ‘Magellen’ varieties are my favorites.