When touched to design a series of planters for our 2024 Concept Home in the Kiawah River community on Johns Island, South Carolina, plant pro Steph Green of Contained Creations in Richmond, Virginia, understood precisely what the waterside residential property needed. “We intended to produce the most stunning and greatest declaration container gardens, however they needed to be long lasting and last a very long time with very little upkeep,” claims Green. “That’s why selecting evergreens or actually hard perennials from the Southern Living Plant Collection was type of the establishing point for each and every private layout.”
The Choice Refine
She additionally took into consideration sunlight exposure, color, the presence of deer, as well as the Lowcountry landscape and the home’s indoor shade palette. “I wanted to create something that was stunning but perfectly transitioned from the interiors to the outside home to the natural landscape that borders the home,” she keeps in mind.
Why Evergreens Are A Smart Select for Containers
” An evergreen is still mosting likely to need nurturing, but the elegance of them is their longevity and the method they can go from season to season in the same area, as if they were in the ground,” states Environment-friendly.
That’s why the horticulture specialist picked evergreens as the supports of a lot of her layouts, counting on various other growings to layer in added structure and shade. For instance, in a backyard planter at the Concept House, she used Clearness Blue ™ Dianella as the focal point. “In the summer season, we had superbells around it and some euphorbia, but in the autumn, that would certainly be stunning with a little sedum and some pansies,” she says. “In the wintertime, you could leave it plain and simply mulch around it, or put some small cut branches or pine cones around it. It’s the flexibility that i love. The most significant investment plant that’s entering into your planter is that evergreen, and then you can rapidly decorate or rejuvenate it for every period.”
Southern Living Plant Collection Picks for Our Concept House Container Gardens
Diamond Apex ® Gardenia
The glossy, green-leafed plants with great smelling blossoms that flower from springtime into fall were a very easy selection for the front walk, claims Green: “I felt like this was our big, wow, ‘Welcome to the Idea Residence!’ focal point.” It was additionally a possibility to showcase an evergreen that expands people’s understanding of what those plants are, she claims: “Some individuals could believe evergreens are all needle-y or boxwoods. However there’s an enormous variety you can make use of, specifically in a climate that stays as warm all year as Johns Island does.”
‘ Soft Caress’ Mahonia
On the front veranda, Eco-friendly knew she ‘d require shade-tolerant plants, so she selected these. “The ‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia was absolutely the perfect choice for this place. It’s a fantastic, tough evergreen; it can take the color,” she claims.
Red Sky ™ Ilex
The carriage residence called for a little color out front, yet the site (with complete exposure to scorching sun, the reflective surface areas of the driveway and garage doors, and the access to deer searching for a snack) required something extra sturdy. Red Skies ™ Ilex fit the bill. “It’s very columnar, and it flawlessly punctuates the narrow wall surfaces in between the garage doors,” says Eco-friendly. Plus, it has upright apexes of little, shiny fallen leaves like the gardenias flanking the veranda steps. “I’m constantly attempting to repeat components or connect the planters throughout the entire property as long as feasible,” she includes.
Platinum Appeal ® Lomandra
In a collection of planters for a transitional space in between the patio area and the evaluated porch, Green included this white-edged ornamental turf. “I was really struck by this, as it’s not your normal turf,” she describes.
October Magic ® Motivation ™ Camellia
It wouldn’t be a Lowcountry residence without a nod to Charleston’s famous camellias. On the evaluated deck, Eco-friendly flanked the fireplace with a pair of these glossy-leafed plants, filling in the bases with ‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia and seasonal annuals.
Mini Touch ™ Holly
A set of these evergreens were just right for flanking the gliding glass doors onto the back deck, which sees a lot of mid-day sunlight, claims Eco-friendly. “They’re charming, with itty bitty round, glossy fallen leaves … and they happily take the late afternoon sun.” She included some lavender dual impatiens for a pop of contrasting color and added dried out Spanish moss from a regional garden facility to reflect the natural landscape.