11. SAME POT, SAME PLACE—DIFFERENT COLOR

One of the joys of growing flowers in large planters is that you can change the display every year or even every season. Once you find a type of flower that thrives in your particular conditions, you may want to keep planting it every year in the same planter. But why not experiment with the available colors of that specific plant? For example, if you find that the lovely upright summer snapdragon (Angelonia) does well in a large pot outside your door, you can plant purple angelonia one year, such as ‘Angelface Purple,’ and switch to a raspberry-pink variety the next, such as ‘Serenita Raspberry.’

I did that with New Guinea impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri), a hybrid form of impatiens. I suggested these low-maintenance plants to a client because they are super easy annual flowers that can be used alone or in combination to fill eye-popping planters. They tolerate more sun than traditional shade-loving impatiens and have larger blooms. And they come in a range of dazzling colors, including orange, red, pink, white, purple, and lavender. Best of all, New Guinea impatiens are highly resistant to downy mildew that afflicts traditional impatiens.

In two planters flanking a stately wood bench (shown in photo), we planted deep red New Guinea impatiens. The planters were filled with blooms all summer into fall. The next year we stayed with our choice of New Guinea impatiens but changed the color to a softer orange-tinged pink. The effect was just as floriferous and striking.

This highlights how exciting the annual flower world has become. Every year breeders introduce new series or cultivars of our favorite flowers, featuring new colors, patterns, and growth habits. For example, New Guinea impatiens now come in almost fluorescent colors and bicolor forms. You can also find them with two-toned, and even three-toned, foliage that is just as beautiful as the flowers. There are so many choices! I guess it calls for more planters in your garden . . .