Container gardeners are able to create a small garden anywhere including on a front porch. This annual plant combination idea includes the new sweet potato vine, Ipolmoea batatas ‘Emerald Lace,’ a tall coleus and a flowering angel wing begonia in one container. To extend the garden add other flower boxes or clay pots to the collection.
This front porch garden is appropriate for morning sun but shaded from hot afternoons. Plants should be checked daily for water especially when under an overhang roof. Containerized plants benefit from growing in soil with timed-release fertilizer added. The coleus-begonia-sweet potato vine combination is a low maintenance planting, as deadheading is minimal.
Tall Coleus Religious Rutabaga in Pots
In containers that primarily are seen from one direction, the tallest plant will be placed in the back of the container. The tall coleus, Solenostemon ‘Religious Rutabaga’ grows up to 24” – 30.” The leaves are narrower with finely serrated margins.
The leaf colors include swaths of green, red, dark purple and yellow. It can develop into a darker or more intense looking plant depending on the amount of sun it receives. Like all coleus, this plant is suitable for growing indoors and easy to propagate.
New Sweet Potato Vine Emerald Lace
The new sweet potato vine from Proven Winners called Ipomoea batatas Illusion™ ‘Emerald Lace’ has bright lime green and heavily dissected leaves. From a distance the plant has a light frilly appearance, eventually trailing through the container and cascading like all sweet potato vines.
Angel Wing Begonias Plant Groupings
Angel wing begonias are taller than wax begonias but still have fibrous roots. The thick stems are cane-like and the pendulous flowers dangle over neighboring plants. Angel wing begonia leaves are sharply edged rather than the rounded wax begonia type.
In this container planting idea, Begonia ‘Richmondensis’ has pink and white flowers on a plant that grows 15” tall. This plant prefers part to full shade but will tolerate early morning sun with routine watering. Like coleus, fibrous rooted begonias are easy to over winter in an indoor garden.
Annual Plant Ideas for Gardens
Extending a front porch container garden is easy by adding more flower boxes or clay pots. A rectangular flower box leaves a pathway open on a narrow sidewalk. Clay pots that graduate in height give the appearance of one continuous garden.
Trailing verbena mixes well with sweet potato vine and attracts pollinators to any garden. Petunia grandiflora ‘Dolcissima Flambe’ has unusual coloring graduating from dark rose and red to pale pink all edged in cream colors, even among flowers on the same plant.
In very dark corners of a front porch container garden, the tropical plant, elephant ears, is a dramatic addition. Colocasia ‘Black Magic’ has dark purple leaves that leaf out deep green, is hardy in zones 7 – 11 and can be an indoor plant as well as outside in full to part shade.
A coleus plant, an angel wing begonia and a sweet potato vine is an annual plant idea for, at least, a 18" diameter container that is 2' deep. As plants mature, cutting back of the begonia stems and pinching back of the coleus flowers keeps plants healthy.
Gardeners may also be inspired by a Pennisetum, Calibrachoa and coleus idea, as well.
Permission received for all photos used in this article.
Chris Eirschele - Chris writes on plants grown and gardens explored; she is a member of the Garden Writers Association.
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