In addition to ripping out as much grass as possible to expand my landscaping, I am obsessed with container combinations. I liked my 2012 containers so much, I planned on recreating a lot of them for this summer.....didn't happen because there are always so many annuals out there to choose from and there seemed to be some availability issues on some annuals. Please disregard the dates on the photos, I didn't set it on the camera.

2012 Deck container in June: Pink Mandavilla, coleus, margarita sweet potato vine, zonal geranium & pink dragon wing begonias. Same container in July:

2012 ivy geranium hanging basket that I added emerald lace sweet potato vine to when I switched it to a 16" hanging basket.

2012 fern hanging basket with wandering jew added when switched over to a 16" hanging basket. Wandering Jew is my favorite go-to container annual, since it takes the Nebraska weather, sunny and/or part-sunny sites. Had a heck of a time finding it this year.

June 2012, Large planter: House Tropic with pink dragon wing begonias, Kong Pink or Coral, Purple Waves, and Margarita Sweet Potato Vine. Small planter: Purple Angelonia variety, zonal geranium, variegated ivy.

Same planters in July 2012

Portulaca with Wandering Jew....again.

This 2012 trio of containers always seems to be the "whatever I have left from my buying sprees" combinations. I don't save the tags, so not sure on the specific names of the annual varieties.

2012 front door topiary container. I've had this container for about 18 years. They finally got retired this year for something new.

Here's the 2013 something new at the front door: Cordyline variety in center, with springeri, Kong Rose, variegated ivy, purple verbena variety, Shock Wave Deep Purple.

2013 container in front of "something new": zonal geranium, variegated swedish ivy.

Here's what they look like by the front door. Much more updated than what was there before.

2013 other side of front door to balance off the area: variegated geranium with Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ (golden creeping jenny) and wandering jew.

2012 by garage topiary container that's been around for 18 years.....so, the new containers......
2013 by garage to balance out front door containers. Cordyline variety in center, zonal 'apple blossom' geranium, springeri fern, purple mosaic verbena, 'Merlin's Magic' coleus (I think), Shock Wave Deep Purple, and the lime yellow "spiller" is new to me this year and I can't for the life of me remember what it's called. Very vibrant against the black/gray container. I have this one stuffed waaaayyyy too much, so we'll see how it holds up when the temperatures get excessively hot.

2013 hanging baskets that have to take the place of my 2012 ferns with wandering jew. My usual garden center source for wandering jew was out, so I had to switch to the ivy geraniums with sweet potato vine varieties. We'll see. I'm missing the fullness of the ferns already.

2013 Deck container: basically the same as last year, but switched out the geranium with wave petunias, the coleus variety is different and the sweet potato vine is a "short" version. Interested in seeing how "compact" sweet potato vine can actually be, since they are such monster growers. Love 'em! The light pink wave has already been removed because it was "fighting" with the coleus and dragon wing colors. Drove me nuts.

I haven't taken pictures of the rest of them yet, since I just got done in the past couple days. Hopefully, more to come.

Krystal,

What beautiful combinations you have there. This year and last.

Love all the purples and pinks.

Thanks, CDsSister. Every now and then, I have to throw in a bit of coral-salmon-peach because of some "handed down through the family" daylilies I have around. Because it's complementary to the purples, I have yellow daylilies, too, but as close as I can bring myself to yellow in containers is with the limey-green or if it's the variegated ivy. For some reason, I can't bring myself to use yellow flowered annuals.

Krystal! Your planters really are pretty!! Lots of good ideas!

Thanks, Greg, for the comments and the welcome.

Those are beauties

Welcome to ATP and thank you for sharing your beautiful containers.
They are impressive.

Yes, to ATP; and I know what you mean about repeating plantings in same container one year to the next. I find that once you figure out a winning combination that works both aesthetically and logistically, then time is saved year after year when one knows what is on the shopping list and what to look for. Every year, my autumn planting (only 3 pots ranging in size from large med and small, consists of an evergreen like juniper, kale and holly and a variegated vine or small plant. The accents are the kale and the backgrd is the rest of the plants. No brainer for me.

Thanks, everyone for the welcome to ATP. I've been lurking around the daylily forum and database for awhile, but ventured out to the containers forum since that's what's been using up my spare time these past couple weeks.

Jo Ann: I saw your earlier post from March with your possible container combinations. Seems like we are of like "organized and preplanned" combination minds. You created some wonderful combinations...no surprise that I really liked the ones with the purples. I don't buy annuals online (I save that for daylilies and lilies), but I have certain garden center that I "haunt" every couple of days once Mother's Day comes around. That's part of the reason why my containers aren't exactly the same from year to year....never really sure what my sources will have available. Although, that's part of the fun, too.

Caroline: Thanks for using the word, "impressive"

Bev: I'm envious that you do the autumn containers. By the time September rolls around, I'm done with anything that has to do with the exterior of my house, other than cutting back and cleaning up the landscaping. Once school starts, I'm lucky if I remember or have the time or energy to water anything.

Your containers are fabulous. I been working on mine today. Keep us posted we all love to see the progress they make.

Whew, I got more containers done. I can't wait to see them fill out and get "bouffy" (that's a word, right?)

This tiered planter is a straight shot view out of my sliding glass door. I like the simplicity of the Bada Boom fibrous begonias and variegated ivy. This variety of begonias has a really large bloom compared to others.

The trio planters leading off my deck. I've never had the best of luck with New Guinea Impatiens, but I couldn't find anything else that tripped my trigger that was relatively cheap and bushy. (Yeah, I said cheap...if my husband only realized how much just planting the containers cost, he would probably have a coronary!)

Front side....... Back side.....cause it was blooming.

Patio containers to the left of the above pictures. My dog, Abby, is checking out the Angelonia that is always the backbone of that container. At least she's stopped pulling plants out of the containers. She liked to do that when she was a puppy; now she just steals the empty plastic cell packs.

Will do, springcolor, on the updating. I tend to take a lot of pictures during the summer season.

Krystal. I sure enjoyed the photo show. Your containers are wonderful.
Aww, it's great to have a dog as a gardening companion. Hi Abby.

Love Abby!

Krystal: The winters are long and I enjoy doing the combos at that time
.I am no longer ordering annuals online because I have a great resource here as you do.
I only order RosyDawn coleus. I finally figured out what "sun tolerant" means. It means the coleus wont turn to krispy kritters .It doesnt mean they retain the same colors as in the website.Most will turn red.
I like to change the look from year to year ,using some favorites.
This seaqson has been cooler than normal and I dont know how the coleus will be.

I also bought Sun Friendly neugini impatiens that are not so hot.The variegated leafed one wilts in the sun and the bright red one looks sad after 2 weeks.

Your containers look wonderful.Nice arrangements of different shapes and sized pots.

Jo Ann, that's too bad Guess you have to try other plants next time, thanks for letting us know!!

Container I made last year out of styrofoam and Goodwill chest set and resale shop glass tiles.

Last year I planted a pink patio rose and it did not survive the winter. Sometime if we have mild winters the mini roses survive. But we had a bad winter so the rose did not make it. This year I planted a mini-Dahalia, coleus, and purple passion vine is in the pot cannot see it yet but I hope by next month it will spread and be the spiller for container. I follow the rule......Thriller, Filler, spiller.
Pot/

This is the instructions for the styrofoam pot. These are good because you cannot destroy styrofoam.
http://garden.org/ideas/view/C...

That combination of plant colors really look great in that container Cinta. Sorry to hear you lost the rose.

I may have to try some variation of this one Cinta!

I love combo pots, these are awesome! Well done, and gave me tons of ideas.

Callisia fragrans and repens, Tradescantis fluminensis, wax Begonia.


Various Begonias, Tradescantia zebrina and fluminensis, Gibasis geniculata.


Around the pecan tree.


From the other side.


Love the pink Syngonium leaves, paired with Begonia.


Cordyline fruticosa, Dracaena surculosa, Tradescantia zebrina behind. On the table, Tradescantia spathacea, Dracaena sanderiana.


Hanging succulents, Tradescantia sillamontana, Senecio rowleyanus, 2 creeping Crassulas.


Little palm with Begonia, Impatiens, Tradescantia zebrina, Alternanthera, Thanksgiving cactus cutting.


Dracaena 'Janet Craig compacta' with Tradescantia zebrina.


On the front porch, petunias, pentas, heliotrope. Snaps are taking a break but have bloomed a ton since I put them there early this spring.


Wax Begonia, some weird ugly Coleus cuttings, Thanksgiving cactus.


Just took this pic a few weeks ago of this bucket I put together for a friend about a year ago. Very happy on west-facing porch in N FL, and the plants that don't mind being scratching post for kitties are the survivors. He's always anxious to show it to me when I visit. Dracaena marginata, Sansevieria trifasciata, Tradescantia zebrina, Callisia fragrans, Philo heart-leaf.

Krystal! Your pots truely are inspirational. Makes me want to get braver next year. I tend to use lots of coleus because I overwinter the cuttings and they are cheap that way, but you've made me want to branch out more.