Ideas for outdoor container plants that accept ill-treatment?
October 16, 2015 3:24 AM Subscribe
I have a practical need/personal desire to have some outdoor plants in containers -- some small, some medium, some large containers--as well as, preferably, some hanging baskets.
However: I hate caring for outdoor plants in containers.
What plants might a disinterested-but-interested gardener use with these constraints?
I am an avid gardener and I have lots of garden spaces in our yard of various types. There are several spaces on our actual deck where I want to have some plant life, but I hate, hate, hate, dead-heading and watering these plants. They are fussy. They are thirsty. There are many and they are inconveniently placed and I have more appealing things to take care of.
I am willing to dead-head or water very occasionally, but for example, mums in containers exhaust me. I've gotten around this by buying mums in spring and now they're just normal perennials in a garden. But yes: mums, pansies, herbs, marigolds, nasturtiums are all fussier than I want on my deck. I am willing to fuss with big drift of coreopsis in the garden, I am willing to baby caladiums, but I am not willing to work that hard for a bowl-sized bunch of petunias.
I am planning on going bigger with some containers (very large terra cotta pots) but in the end there's no way, design-wise, that I can get the look of this thing right without small, containerized, actual plants.
What plants accept this kind of indifference? I have sedums in the garden but haven't tried them in pots--might they put up with this sort of crap?
Other ideas?
Zone 5b and pre-designing for next spring. Open to perennials, annuals, herbs, bulbs, whatever--it just has to accept my ill-treatment and nearly-full sun and not crack under the weight of the self-esteem problems they're going to develop on my deck.
I am an avid gardener and I have lots of garden spaces in our yard of various types. There are several spaces on our actual deck where I want to have some plant life, but I hate, hate, hate, dead-heading and watering these plants. They are fussy. They are thirsty. There are many and they are inconveniently placed and I have more appealing things to take care of.
I am willing to dead-head or water very occasionally, but for example, mums in containers exhaust me. I've gotten around this by buying mums in spring and now they're just normal perennials in a garden. But yes: mums, pansies, herbs, marigolds, nasturtiums are all fussier than I want on my deck. I am willing to fuss with big drift of coreopsis in the garden, I am willing to baby caladiums, but I am not willing to work that hard for a bowl-sized bunch of petunias.
I am planning on going bigger with some containers (very large terra cotta pots) but in the end there's no way, design-wise, that I can get the look of this thing right without small, containerized, actual plants.
What plants accept this kind of indifference? I have sedums in the garden but haven't tried them in pots--might they put up with this sort of crap?
Other ideas?
Zone 5b and pre-designing for next spring. Open to perennials, annuals, herbs, bulbs, whatever--it just has to accept my ill-treatment and nearly-full sun and not crack under the weight of the self-esteem problems they're going to develop on my deck.
Trailing and climbing vines can be low maintenance: black eye Susan, sweet potato vine, ivy (if you can find some non-invasive varieties for your area). Large ornamental grasses and artemisias. Herbs like rosemary, sage, oregano, thyme, verbena, hyssop, bronze fennel.
posted by bluebelle at 5:49 AM on October 16, 2015
posted by bluebelle at 5:49 AM on October 16, 2015
Ferns are good but may be too much sun.
posted by RoadScholar at 7:17 AM on October 16, 2015
posted by RoadScholar at 7:17 AM on October 16, 2015
Not in Zone 5b and not in direct sun, but I have a fully feral (at this point) herb garden that gardens itself. Rosemary, thyme, oregano, mint and sage.
posted by bibliotropic at 7:39 AM on October 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by bibliotropic at 7:39 AM on October 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Succulents, succulents everywhere! I love sedums and hens and chicks (not just the Autumn Fire varieties, but any of the ), the foliage is beautiful and the flowers unexpected. That should cover the small and medium requirements.
For big plants you're going to need to figure out how to water them automatically, probably. I'd look into xeric planting (High Country Gardens is a great vendor) and see if you can finagle some drought tolerant varieties.
posted by lydhre at 7:43 AM on October 16, 2015
For big plants you're going to need to figure out how to water them automatically, probably. I'd look into xeric planting (High Country Gardens is a great vendor) and see if you can finagle some drought tolerant varieties.
posted by lydhre at 7:43 AM on October 16, 2015
Terra cotta pots are beautiful, but they dry out really fast. Self-watering containers or a drip system will save you a lot of work.
posted by cecic at 8:04 AM on October 16, 2015
posted by cecic at 8:04 AM on October 16, 2015
Lavender. (Caveat: do best in hot, dry spots) You may have to look up varieties to see the ones that will overwinter in containers in 5b. Mine survives in 5b, but it's in the ground next to the house. Does best and looks nice if you trim 2 times a year (June / September).
Lemongrass maybe? But it isn't hardy.
posted by typecloud at 9:51 AM on October 16, 2015
Lemongrass maybe? But it isn't hardy.
posted by typecloud at 9:51 AM on October 16, 2015
We live in Houston and have a Mayer lemon tree and a Mexican lime in containers. Both trees bear fruit. They are on drip timers and we basically completely ignore them. They've gone leggy but they still make fruit (I don't even KNOW how to prune). They smell amazing when they flower.
posted by Brittanie at 11:23 AM on October 16, 2015
posted by Brittanie at 11:23 AM on October 16, 2015
Lavender or geraniums. I kill most things but those survive my neglect.
posted by kitten magic at 2:10 PM on October 16, 2015
posted by kitten magic at 2:10 PM on October 16, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by jon1270 at 4:50 AM on October 16, 2015 [1 favorite]