Some pretty plants can thrive in containers’ harsh conditions
There’s hot and then there’s hot, dry, exposed and windy. Not just any plant can survive, let alone thrive, in such harsh conditions — especially in a decorative container.
Yet that’s exactly the environment where many urns and pots filled with flowering annuals are expected to shine all summer.
Those that succeed include some tried-and-true powerhouses.
Here are a dozen that are easy to find and relatively affordable, whether you shop at a local nursery or a big-box store known for low prices.
■ Angelonia grows up to 18 inches tall and boasts spikes of small flowers in white, blue or pink, hence its nickname “summer snapdragon.”
■ Calibrachoa, a trailing or mounding choice with blooms in almost every hue, is sometimes called million bells or trailing petunia.
■ Euphorbia — covered with hundreds of small, starry white flowers — makes an excellent filler in a mixed container. Diamond Frost and Diamond Delight are popular cultivars. Because the sap can irritate skin, wear gloves when handling.
■ Geranium (pelargonium), an old-time favorite for containers, grows 1-3 feet tall and sports flowers in white, pink, red and more. Remove old flowers to encourage new ones.
■ Lantana attracts butterflies with its oftenmulticolored flower clusters. It’s available in both upright and trailing forms.
■ Marigold comes in a range of sizes and offers flowers in white, yellow and orange. French marigolds are usually shorter and more compact than African types.
■ Pentas, a butterfly magnet, features flowers in pink, lilac and white and is sometimes called Egyptian star flower. It can reach a couple of feet in height.
■ Petunia, which runs the gamut in color and size, benefits from pinching back and removal of dead flowers.
■ Portulaca, aka moss rose, is a succulent — so hot, dry conditions suit it just fine. Flowers come in almost every hue but blue, and the low-growing plants form mats.
■ Salvia features flower spikes in nearly every color, even blue, and reaches 1 or 2 feet tall. Those with red flowers may lure hummingbirds.
■ Verbena draws butterflies with its colorful flower clusters and is available in trailing or upright forms.
■ Vinca, also called Madagascar periwinkle, grows about a foot tall and sports flowers in white, pink or red, sometimes with a contrasting “eye.”
While these selections scoff at sun and heat that would faze more delicate flowers, keep in mind that a container garden is a highly artificial setting that depends on you for its needs.
When starting out, make sure your pot has a drainage hole, as standing water can be deadly.
Use good-quality potting mix, not garden soil, which may drain poorly, harbor disease and be too dense to allow optimum root growth.
Add a time-release fertilizer when you plant, or use liquid fertilizer every week or two. As the season progresses, remove dead flowers and cut back leggy growth to keep your composition looking lush and healthy.
Oh, and one more thing: Don’t forget to water — perhaps even twice a day during hot spells. Even the toughest flowers appreciate a little TLC.