Perennials in a Pot

Do you hit the garden season at the beginning of every season to purchase annuals for all of your pots?  You can save money by investing in more expensive perennials once and enjoy the benefits of their return year after year. 

Not only is the decision to plant perennial gardens more economical, but there are more selections to choose from in terms of color, size and sun requirements. One thing to remember when planting perennials in a container is that you need to use larger containers.  This will ensure your perennials have room to grow and they will also be most likely to return each year when planted in large containers.  You also want to be certain your containers have drainage holes.

We've selected some of our favorite container garden perennials (recommended for over-wintering) and hopefully we can inspire you to plant perennials the next time you create a new container garden.    

Hosta is a perfect choice for a perennial container.  They are bright, easy and will almost certainly return each year.  Planted in a very large pot will mean they will make a bigger, bolder statement each year.

Scabiosa or Pincushion Flower is a great flowering choice for container gardens and combines well with other plants.  It comes in a variety of colors ranging from pink to blue to purple to red.  The bonus is its long bloom season.

Campanula or Bellflower.  It flowers in shades of blue, purple and pink, and white varieties are also available.  Because it can reach a height of 36 inches, it's a great way to add height to a container garden.  

Echinacea or Coneflower.  This one is a favorite perennial in the ground, but it's just as splendid in a container.  There's more available than the well known Purple Coneflower.  Mix it up assorted varieties for a real stunner.

Dianthus or Pinks are a lovely addition to a mixed perennial container or as a stand alone.  They are pretty and welcoming.

These are just a few of our favorites.  The possibilities are endless.  Next time you plant a container, skip the annuals and move toward the perennials.  

Bird Watching 101

Your summer flowers may be attracting a lot of birds right now, but do you know what kinds they are.  If your garden is anything like mine, these might be some of the flowers you have growing and the birds that will visit them.

Aster.    All asters attract birds.  These birds include cardinals, goldfinches, chickadees, goldfinches, indigo buntings, nuthatches, sparrows and towhees.  Pictured below is the towhee.

Black-Eyed Susan.  If you leave your black-eyed Susans standing through the winter you can continue to feed certain types of birds.  Birds that will visit at different times during the year include American goldfinches, chickadees, cardinals, nuthatches, sparrows and towhees.  Pictured below is an American goldfinch.

Coneflower.  Like Black-Eyed Susan, the coneflower can remain standing in a snowy garden.  It attracts both the American Goldfinch and the pine siskin, pictured below.

A large variety of songbirds are attracting the seeds of the coreopsis flower.  These birds include finches and sparrows, as seen below.

Goldenrod.  Birds love Goldenrod.  If you've got it in your yard, you'll see finches, pine siskins, yellow-rumped warblers, and indigo buntings feasting on their seeds.  A Yellow Warbler enjoys s

Sedum.  Sedum attract almost any type of seed eating bird, even hummingbirds.  Leave them around all winter to continue feeding the winter birds.  Along with sedum, several other flowers attract hummingbirds and these include

What birds have you seen in your garden this summer?