Ultimate container plants

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7 • POSTED ON July 21, 2005
Ultimate container plants
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At the moment, other than watering and weeding there is not much to do in the garden. Instead, I suggest we have a look at what’s flowering on Ottawa’s patios, decks and balconies.

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Well, summer appears to be in full swing – actually, it has been for a while; I have the hydro bill to prove it – and at the moment, other than watering and weeding there is not much to do in the garden. Instead, I suggest we have a look at what’s flowering on Ottawa’s patios, decks and balconies (or what could be there next year).

Eucomis bicolor; now here’s a real cutie for you! This South African plant is not at all hardy in Ottawa and needs to spend winter indoors, but in summer it makes for a great eye-catcher on your patio. Its greenish yellow flowers have purple edges and give the plant the appearance of a pineapple (which is why it is commonly referred to as “Pineapple Lily”, although it is not a lily at all – it’s a member of the Hyacinth family).

The name Eucomis was derived from the Greek “eu” (meaning “good”) and “kome” (meaning “hair”). Every botanical book on the shelf will tell you it was given this name because of its attractive flowers, but I am convinced that it refers to the little tuft of leaves that crowns the flower spike (its South African name “krulkoppie” – easy for me to say: Afrikaans has a lot of Dutch in it - translates to “curly head”). Besides, wouldn’t you agree there is a striking resemblance between Eucomis’ tuft of leaves and early 20th century comedian Stan Laurel’s hair?

Agapanthus; another beauty from South Africa that somehow ended up with a Greek name – “agape”, meaning “love” and “anthos”, meaning “flower”. Its common name is “Lily-of-the-Nile”, although I have also heard it referred to as “African Lily”. Depending on the cultivar, Agapanthus’ blue, white or pink flower spike can reach a height of 2 to 3 feet. The plant (it’s actually a bulb) can do remarkably well in pot bound conditions, provided you can give it a sunny spot, keep it watered well and feed it every 3 weeks or so. It can live quite happily in the same pot for several years and if - after three years or so – it has become too big for its pot, it can easily be lifted and divided. Bring it indoors when the risk of night frost is imminent and don’t water until late February/early March.

Bougainvillea; this vigorous woody vine (evergreen in warmer climate zones) was “discovered” by French admiral Louis Antoine de Bougainville – the 14th navigator - in 1768. Twelve years prior to this discovery, Louis Antoine came to Canada as captain of the dragoons, spending several years (on and off) attempting to fight off the British. After the French capitulation in 1761, he was shipped to England, deprived of his military honours and bound by the terms of the surrender to never return to active duty against the British again. Instead, he served as a diplomat, helping negotiate the “Treaty of Paris” in 1763.

Three years later, De Bougainville received the mission from Louis XV to circumnavigate the globe, thus becoming the 14th navigator in history – and the first Frenchman – to do so. Anyway, after this longest ever introduction, let’s take a look at the actual plant: the Bougainvillea. This native of South America – Louis discovered it in Brazil – is widely grown in the Southern U.S., the Caribbean and Mexico. A very versatile plant, it will make itself at home in pretty much any situation; in warmer climates it can be grown as a groundcover, as a hedge, a shrub or a climbing vine.

Clearly, here in Ottawa it will have to live a pot bound life – supported by trellis - but that does not mean you cannot derive year-round pleasure from this plant. It does well at room temperature in a sunny spot, so if you bring it indoors over the winter and give it a sunny spot it will be quite happy to grow as a house plant until the time comes to move it back out again.

Bougainvillea comes in a wide range of colours, although what you see is not necessarily what you get. The flowers themselves are white and actually quite insignificant, but the supporting bracts come in a wide range of colours – anywhere from orange to purple. Slightly off-topic, but interesting nonetheless, the same applies to our most popular Christmas-plant, the Poinsettia.

Lastly - at the risk of repeating myself and boring you to death in the process – here are a few pictures of my infamous Abutilon. Faithful readers have seen it appear in this column several times - probably more often than they cared for. However, as its vigour never ceases to amaze me, I feel I have to showcase it one more time. After this, no more Abutilon; ever! The indoor picture was taken in my dining room last February; the outdoor one was taken on my deck a week ago. It virtually never stops flowering and it has come to the point where – because of the weight of its blooms – I had to invest more money in stakes than I did in the plant itself a few years ago. And there, m’lords and ladies, I rest my case!

Hakonechloa One more thing before I bid my farewell; with proper care most plants will grow quite happily in pots or containers. They may not reach the same height or width as their relatives grown in garden beds, but they will still brighten up your balcony or patio with their flowers and foliage. Years ago, while traveling through England, I saw a wonderful variety of Hakonechloa – Japanese forest grass – grown in a large container. This plant has a natural tendency to cascade and it looked spectacular trailing over its pot, in which it had obviously been living for several years. That image was filed in a hidden corner of my brain until last year, when I (literally) walked into the plant at one of the local nurseries here in Ottawa. It goes without saying that the plant came home with me, but because it is not hardy in our area I had to plant it in a pot. In its natural habitat, the plant is a healthy spreader, covering large areas. Obviously, it cannot do that in a pot but even on a smaller scale it makes for a very attractive feature.

The point I am trying to make is that, no matter how big or small your gardening space is – be it a huge patio or a tiny balcony – there is always room for plants. As long as you remember that pot bound plants have no way of accessing food or nutrients the way garden plants do - and therefore solely depend on what you give them - you will be fine. If you make sure to water your pots and containers at least once a day and feed the plants as per their requirements, you can have a lovely little green oasis even on a tiny balcony.

Until next week, happy gardening!

René Trim

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About René
René Trim was educated and trained in The Netherlands, before moving to Canada in 2000. After studying the differences in climate and season faced by Ontario gardeners he established Trim Garden Design and Rescue in May 2002. A gardener since the 1980’s, he has a wealth of knowledge and experience, a vast library of reference materials from which to draw answers to various garden situations as well as an enthusiastic and professional staff.