sweet potato vines will actually bloom with pretty petunia- like, pale violet flowers. As the filler component of your plant- er, try one of the upright multiflora petunias, such the Sunto- ry series. The new Petunia ‘Crazy Mandevilla’, with its fiery red and yellow blossoms, would be a stunning companion with the two dark-leafed plants. Or you could go for contrast with Petunia Surfina ‘Patio Yellow’ or try a bright blue helio- trope with the dark companions and get fragrance as well as colour.
Purple fountain grass (Pennisetum) Another amazing thriller, as the tall centre piece plants
are called by container arrangers, is purple fountain grass, Pennisetum ‘Black Prince’, five to six feet tall; or the smaller ‘Princess’, three to four feet tall, depending on the size of your container. ‘First Knight’ is another dark-leafed variety that grows four to four and a half feet tall. These magnifi- cent plants, with their strappy leaves, provide an airier look. You could contrast these with a broader leaf, such as green and white spotted Pulmonaria , which would provide inter- esting contrast, or add a lightly bright coloured grass such as Lomandra longifolia ‘Lime Jet’, which glows with sunny energy. Pale blue Nierembergia might add a cooling effect to the dark plants, while an orange petunia or sun-loving bego- nia such as Solenia, would add bright contrast.
Banana In the world of dark leafed giants, bananas steal the show.
Look for the dwarf Cavendish varieity. They can grow very large in a short time (an inch a week if the summer is warm), so be sure to take this into consideration when choosing your container -- you don’t want it to look top heavy, because the leaves are quite large. The plant grows from a corm which produces underground rhizomes, which can quickly fill a container. One of the smaller varieties is Super Dwarf Caven- dish with grow to four feet tall (1.2 m). Most of the rest are eight feet plus after one year. A plant with a large flower or one that will provide some intermediate height, such as coleus would be an interesting choice. Upright fuchsia, perhaps ‘Gartenemister Bonstedt’, would work. For the spiller, try the tumbling, dark-green Plectranthus ‘Nico’, which has red undertones.
Cannas We have long grown cannas in containers and they should
not be overlooked as thrillers in our pots. There are such striking varieties with striped and multi coloured leaves that make the flowers almost secondary – until they bloom, that is, because the flower colours can be retina-burning. Choose fillers and spillers to complement the canna flower. Canna ‘Tropicana Gold’ will produce fluorescent yellow and orange flowers. One of the many brilliantly coloured orange petu- nias will complement the blossom. For contrast, try a blue Torenia and a dark foliaged heuchera.
Elephant ears Black elephant ears, Colocasia, create a completely differ-
ent look. Elephant ears prefer shade and very moist to wet, slightly acidic soil, so companions should be chosen for their tolerance of these conditions. Impatiens are a good choice. Some ferns like damp soil and would be a nice contrast to the big, spade-shaped elephant ear leaves. The grass-like Carex also likes it moist. In the flowering category, primula, lobelia and astilbe are all moisture lovers. Lobelia also prefers cool weather and shade. There are dwarf varieties of colocasia that won’t overpower
your container garden. If starting the plant from a bulb, the size of the bulb can predict the size of the plant. V
20 SPRING 2013
www.localgardener.net
Above: Canna surrounded by zinnias.
Left: String of Pearls and other succulents.
Below: Canna flowers can flourescently bright. The big leaves can be black, bronze, green or variegated.
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