Honor the USA with patriotic plants
Add a pop of patriotic cheer with easy-care displays that transform your space
To dress up a patio
Popping red and blue blooms in an understated container creates a natural take on the traditional patriotic color palette. “This display follows one of my favorite principles for creating visual interest in container plantings: the thriller, filler, spiller effect,” says P. Allen Smith, host of P. Allen Smith’s
Garden Home on PBS. “The thriller, salvia, adds a vertical element. Geranium serves as the filler, giving the container a look of abundance. Then spillers, like lobelia, are trailing plants that add balance.” Place in full sun to partial shade.
To brighten an entryway
“Daisies always emit a cheerful feeling,” says Kerry Ann Mendez, author of The Right-Size Flower Garden. In addition to adding festive flair to the display, using a blue container sets off the brilliant white color of the blossoms. “The contrast of the delicate
leaf shape and the ‘heavier’ feel of the container is visually appealing,” adds Mendez. Bonus: Marguerite daisies are deer-resistant and attract butterflies and other pollinators to your space. For the healthiest flowers, place in full sun and keep the soil just moist.
To add life to a corner
“Many poppies are wildflowers, so they look great in rustic containers and combine well with grasses, as shown here,” says Smith. “The wicker basket and long grass filler mimic the meadows in which poppies usually grow.” Poppies are poisonous to deer, so the garden nuisances tend to avoid them. But beneficial insects like damsel bugs, which eat pests like aphids, are drawn to the flowers. To extend the bloom time of short-lived poppies, keep them in full sun, moving to part shade at the hottest time of the day.