2010 Planter Suggestions

Botanical Name: gaillardia x grandiflora
Common Name: 'Mesa Yellow' gaillardia
Botanical Name: gomphrena mor species
Common Name: Mor
Botanical Name: gomphrena globosa
Common Name: QIS 'Purple' gomphrena

2010 Planter Suggestions

Botanical Name: diascia hybrid twinspur
Common Name: 'Flirtation Orange' diascia
Botanical Name: acalypha wilkesiana
Common name: 'la Bamba' copperleaf plant
Botanical Name: uncinia rubra
Common Name: 'Firedance' red hook sage

2010 Planter Suggestions

Botanical Name: salvia farinacea
Common Name: 'Evolution' saliva
Botanical Name: solanum pseudocapsicum
Common Name: 'Trifetti' ornamental pepper
Botanical Name: zinnia elegans
Common Name: 'White Wedding' zinnia

2010 Planter Suggestions

Botanical Name: solanum pseudocapsicum
Common Name: 'Nosegay' ornamental pepper
Botanical Name: brasica oleracea
Common Name: 'Nagoya White' ornamental kale
Botanical Name: gomphrena haageana
Common Name: 'Strawberry Fields' gomphrena

2010 Planter Suggestions

Botanical Name: millium effusum aureum
Common Name: golden millet grass
Botanical Name: elegans dahlia
Common Name: 'Oriole' zinnia
Botanical Name: solanum psuedocapsicum
Common Name: 'Tequila Sunrise' ornamental pepper
Botanical Name: solenostemon scutellarioides
Common Name: Versa 'Lime' coleus

2010 Planter Suggestions

Botanical Name: stippa siocco

Common Name: 'Pink' sirocco grass

Botanical Name: solenostemon scutellarioides

Common Name: Versa 'Burgundy to Lime' coleus

Botanical Name: ganzania rigens

Common Name: 'Big Kiss White' ganzania

2010 Planter Suggestions

2010 Planter Suggestions

Botanical Name: carex flagelifera

Common Name: 'Toffee Twist' 

Botanical Name: solenostemon scutellarioides
Common Name: Versa 'Rose to Lime' coleus

Botanical Name: ganzania rigens
Common Name: 'Big Kiss Yellow' ganzania 

2010 Planter Suggestions

Botanical Name: pennisetum villosum
Common Name: 'Feathertop' ornamental grass
Botanical Name: capsicum annum
Common Name: 'Fish Pepper' 
Botanical Name: zinnia marylandica

Common Name: Zhara 'Rose Starlight' zinnia

Container Ideas for 2010

Here are container combination suggestions from Proven Winners that could be adapted for the EGC spring sale hanging baskets/pots. The plant details are in the links (along with a few hundred more):
warm-toned,

light- and dark-colored foliage,

calming shades of lavender to purple,

'Frosted Explosion' Ornamental Grass

Botanical Name: panicum elegans
Common Name: 'Frosted Explosion' ornamental grass

The airy flower plumes burst from the center of the plant resembling a Fourth of July sparkler. It's a startling bedding plant when several are planted together. Ht. 24-32".

'Ruby Silk' Ornamental Grass

Botanical Name: eragrostis tef
Common Name: 'Ruby Silk' ornamental grass

Great for containers or for use as a cut. Rich burgundy seed heads drape over compact clumps of upright grass. Long bloom time. Keeps its color when dried and looks great in dried arrangements. Ht. 18-24".

'San Marzano' Tomato

Botanical Name: solanum lycopersicum
Common Name: 'San Marzano' paste tomato

This heirloom paste tomato was a new introduction for Wagner's Greenhouse where I purchased (seed can be purchased from Seeds of Change). The 3" fruits produced prolifically and consistently all summer, right into October, on vines pruned to a single stem. They were almost all flesh, very few seeds. I dried some overnight using cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, slightly salted, in a convection oven set to low (150º). You can snack on them in the rubbery stage or place in a jar with olive oil, oregano, and garlic.

Italian Pole Bean

Botanical Name: Phaseolus vulgaris
Common Name: Italian pole bean

The Seeds of Change catalog copy says it all: "[t]his bean surpassed all others in our trials as the most highly rated for flavor and tenderness. It is extremely productive as its vines bear wide, 7-8" long, flat pods. We highly recommend this one." This summer it was by far the best bean I've ever grown or tasted.

'Sungold' Cherry Tomato

Botanical Name: solanum lycopersicum
Common Name: 'Sungold' hybrid cherry tomato

Wow, what a performance. This indeterminate tomato was the first to produce in my garden and never stopped. Beautiful golden-orange fruits borne in large clusters, very sweet and delicious. Plant was pinched back to a single stem following the advice of Fine Gardening (I'll never grow tomatoes any other way again) and still grew 7' tall with lateral branches nearly 4'. Just an amazing amount of perfect fruit!

'Royal Tapestry' Alternanthera

Botanical Name: alternanthera ficoidea
Common Name: 'Royal Tapestry' alternanthera

Cahill & 70th 2009 planter comments to follow: grew exuberantly, 40" wide x 7" tall. We grossly over-planted. This was grown from seed in the EGC greenhouse, available from Summer Hill Seeds.

Coleus ??

Botanical Name: solenostemon
Common Name: ? coleus

Fred Richards 2009 planter comments to follow: this unnamed burgundy & yellow replacement sun series coleus was purchased in pots from Wagner's Greenhouse and reached 7-12" tall x 8-12" wide. Not consistent enough to recommend.

'Fairway' Coleus

Botanical Name: solenostemon
Common Name: 'Fairway' series

Fred Richards 2009 planter comments to follow: this replacement coleus was purchased in pots from Wagner's Greenhouse and reached 10-24" tall x 14" wide; majority performed very poorly and wouldn't recommend. 'Fairway' series grown from seed. Variegated coleus to right grown from tissue cuttings at home (most of these died of planting shock). Would recommend only coleus grown from tissue culture. Great color contrast with background 'Purple Knight' alternanthera (large leaf) and 'Purple Lady' iresine (small leaf).

Purple Fountain Grass

Botanical Name: pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum'
Common Name: Purple Fountain grass

Fred Richards 2009 planter comments to follow: 3' tall x 2' wide, did the best in rich soil, modest performance overall. Purchased in pots from Wagner's Greenhouse to replace failed ornamental purple millet. Propagated by division, not seed.

'Purple Baron' Ornamental Millet

Botanical Name: pennisetum glaucum
Common Name: 'Purple Baron' ornamental millet

Fred Richards 2009 planter comments to follow: plugs kindly donated by Wagner's Greenhouse and reached 24" high x 14" wide; performed very poorly, setting attractive seed heads very early and little foliage, several failures. Even with removal of first seed heads, plants never flourished. I've grown this as a single point of interest in my home pampered bed where it did beautifully, bearing only two seed heads for the season.

'Green Envy' Zinnia

Botanical Name: zinnia elegans "Envy"
Common Name: 'Green Envy' zinnia

Fred Richards 2009 planter comments to follow: grew 24-26" high x 24" wide. Seeds should have been sowed singly in a four pack as well as pinched back; separating those in a single pack damaged the roots and caused failure. Replacements were direct sowed into the bed, but packet was purchased from a different vendor and plants came up with a slightly different bloom. Once established, performed well.

'Purple Lady' Iresine

Botanical Name: iresine herbstii "Purple Lady"
Common Name: 'Purple Lady' iresine

Fred Richards 2009 planter comments to follow: plugs kindly donated by Wagner's Greenhouse and performed brilliantly; 24" wide x 6" high

'Royal Tapestry' Alternanthera

Botanical Name: alternanthera ficoidea
Common Name: 'Royal Tapestry' alternanthera
Fred Richards 2009 planter comments to follow: used to replace missing alternanthera dentata 'Black Knight'; performed exuberantly in all soils, 45" wide x 12" tall. This one was grown from seed in the EGC greenhouse, available from Summer Hill Seeds. It's slightly more maroon in this planter (darker purple in Cahill planter).

'Black Velvet Appleblossom' Geranium

Botanical Name: pelargonium x hortorum
Common Name: 'Black Velvet Appleblossom' geranium

Fred Richards 2009 planter comments: grown from seed 18"x18", did well in both poor and rich soil, very reliable. Blooms were deadheaded about every three weeks. Leaf did not often come up as fully black as advertised (see comparison photo).

'Orbit Pink' Geranium

Botanical Name: pelargonium
Common Name: 'Orbit Pink' geranium

Cahill 2009 planter, comments to follow. This performed beautifully, growing from seed to 18" high x 19" wide. Blooms were deadheaded about every two weeks.