annual accents
Annual accents bring that little something extra to your combination planters and beds. They range from flowering types like alyssum, lobelia and moss rose to dramatic centerpieces like grasses and spikes to super-trailing bacopa and potato vine. For a complete list of accent plants, click here.
ACHILLEA GYPSY & BACOPA
Adding white flowers to any combination makes the colors pop. Put Bacopa in your combination planters for trailing and white interest in early summer. But add some Achillea Gypsy, too. When the Bacopa stalls in mid-summer, the Achillea will come on strong, and you’ll still have white interest. Bacopa is very trailing while Achillea is somewhat trailing.
Achillea "Gypsy" Photo Bacopa (Sutera)
courtesy Fischer USA/Syngenta Seed
EUPHORBIA
Another great way to add white to your combos is with Diamond Frost Euphorbia. (Euphorbia Breathless Blush Pink will add a hint of rose.) The Euphorbias are an amazing plant: sun tolerant, pest and deer resistant, and extremely easy to grow. They are irridescent in sunlight, and have a delicate halo of flowers all summer, with no cleaning. Try 'em both!
GRASS
Grass is not just for lawns anymore! Annual grasses make a graceful statement in the center of combination planters. Try Pennisetum Purple Leaved Fountain Grass (pictured)for burgundy interest in very large containers. Quaking Grass makes a fascinating filler plant; it develops hard, round seed pods on the ends of each frond that click in a breeze! Juncus Curly Wurly is a funky grass that can also be grown as a water plant. Finally, a plant for overwaterers! Photo courtesy Proven Winners www.provenwinners.com
POTATO VINES
You will be astounded at how looong this vine gets! Ipomoea Potato Vine Terrace Lime or Marguerite can grow up to 7 feet in a season! It is definitely an out-of-the-pot-onto-the-ground type of plant. It’s relatives, Blackie and TriColor have a less aggressive (but still strong) habit and wonderful color. We've also added a Bronze-Rust variety (Rusty Red); a black (Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Purple) that will surely enchant you; and Emerald Lace, which has that great lime color, but a dramatic palmate leaf that will do well in smaller containers.
LICORICE
Give your garden a taste of Licorice; “Licorice” plants, that is. Scientifically referred to as “Helichyrsum”, these plants add silver vining interest (White and Petite), silver upright interest (Icicles) and Lime vining interest (Lime). They really take the heat, and they’re super growers.