Compositions For Containers And Hanging Baskets: "Country Provence" Selection Of Plants, Design, Scheme. Photo

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Compositions For Containers And Hanging Baskets: "Country Provence" Selection Of Plants, Design, Scheme. Photo
Compositions For Containers And Hanging Baskets: "Country Provence" Selection Of Plants, Design, Scheme. Photo

Video: Compositions For Containers And Hanging Baskets: "Country Provence" Selection Of Plants, Design, Scheme. Photo

Video: Compositions For Containers And Hanging Baskets: "Country Provence" Selection Of Plants, Design, Scheme. Photo
Video: TOP 25 Plants for Hanging Baskets - The MEGA List 2024, March
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Provence is a warm and cozy style of interior or landscape design. It envelops in a unique home warmth and creates an atmosphere of quiet family happiness. The popularity of this trend in design is very high, and the abundance of accessories on store shelves allows you to successfully reproduce the semblance of a French province in your home or garden. In this article, I would like to share the experience of creating a Provence style on the terrace of our summer house. I used a composition of annual flowers, garden furniture and appropriate color solutions.

Compositions for containers and hanging baskets: "Country Provence"
Compositions for containers and hanging baskets: "Country Provence"

Content:

  • Our summer cottage terrace - before and after
  • Selection of plants for the composition "Country Provence"
  • Secrets of the design of the composition "Country Provence"
  • Phases of decorative composition
  • The quantitative composition of the composition and the landing pattern
  • Composition Care Tips

Our summer cottage terrace - before and after

At the time of purchase, our dacha was not in the best condition. The wooden garden house was in need of renovation, and the style and color scheme in which it was finished was at odds with my idea of beauty.

The main advantage of this building was a small terrace, with the improvement of which we began the process of reconstruction of the house. The first thing that had to be done was to remove elements that could not be repaired and did not fit into the chosen style. These were the rickety shutters and rough wooden hearts near the window.

The next step was to create a new suitable background. To do this, I cleaned the walls of the house of old paint and covered them with textured paint of a very pleasant peach color. This coating is applied with a spatula, the process is not progressing quickly, but the result was worth the effort - we got a very effective and seemingly plastered wall.

Facades for self-assembly of furniture, which are easy to find in hardware stores, are ideal for the role of shutters. After installing the shutters and the door, we painted the classic Provence purple color reminiscent of lavender.

Soon, just right, we saw inexpensive forged furniture on sale, but the chairs and the table turned out to be from a different collection. To combine the lilac table with the snow-white chairs, lavender-colored soft biscuits were placed on the seats. Thus, the base was ready and only the floral decorations were missing, which for me, as a florist, are of no small importance.

Our summer cottage terrace - before and after
Our summer cottage terrace - before and after

Selection of plants for the composition "Country Provence"

As a rule, flowers for terraces are selected taking into account the color of the walls and interior items. They should either repeat the main colors, or be well combined with them. In our case, I created a container composition of blue-violet summer tones with a romantic accent of bright pink. This flower arrangement was named "Country Provence". I'll tell you more about the plants that were included in its composition.

Petunia "Tambelina Priscilla"

Petunia "Tumbelina Priscilla" (Tumbelina Priscilla) is an amazing delicate hybrid of terry petunia that resembles the lace of Provencal napkins and tablecloths. It is a very soft and feminine plant. The breeder who created this hybrid named it after his beloved wife.

The petunia "Tambelina Priscilla" has double flowers, similar to frills and ruffles of light lilac color, decorated with dark purple venation. The flowers are not too large in size (on average 3-4 centimeters), but the flowering of the hybrid is so abundant that often the leaves are not visible from under the flowers.

The leaves of the hybrid are medium-sized, the twigs are thin and can easily droop and go down picturesquely, although, according to the classification, this petunia does not belong to ampelous, but is cascading. Blooming flowers do not suffer from rain, but in rainy weather, the buds can rot. Therefore, it is ideal to keep the plants under a canopy. The height of the bush is 15-25 centimeters, diameter is up to 60 centimeters.

Where to get planting material?

This hybrid belongs to the vegetative type and propagates exclusively by cuttings. Due to its great popularity, young flowering bushes of such a petunia are easy to find on sale in the spring. In the future, she can spend the winter on the window in the presence of additional lighting.

Petunia "Tumbelina Priscilla"
Petunia "Tumbelina Priscilla"

Petunia "Marvel"

Petunia "Marvel" (Marvel Beauty Cranberry) - hybrid petunia vegetative type. It has a wide spherical bush, bush well on its own and does not require pinching. The growth type is cascading. As it grows, the center of the bush is not exposed.

The flowers of petunia "Marvel" are quite large, up to 5 centimeters, the petals are slightly wavy, and their color is amazing. The main tone of the flower is pale pink, but it can only be seen at the edges of the petals, since the flower is speckled with a bright crimson mesh pattern.

In some places the venation becomes so strong that it merges and forms a bright pink star of five rays. The neck of this petunia is also very noticeable, as it has a sunny yellow spot. Plant height 20-35 centimeters, width 45 to 60 centimeters.

Where to get planting material?

Due to the fact that petunia hybrids reproduce only by cuttings, initially the planting material is acquired in the form of rooted cuttings. In the future, it is possible to preserve the mother plants in winter and carry out cuttings.

Petunia "Marvel" (Marvel Beauty Cranberry)
Petunia "Marvel" (Marvel Beauty Cranberry)

Lobelia ampelous "Regatta Sapphire"

Ampel variant of annual lobelia. The most delicate bushes form light clouds, woven from thin stems covered with a scattering of bright blue flowers, similar to tiny fans. The "Regatta" series consists of several colors. The main feature of the variation is the bright blue flowers with a slight purple tint, with an expressive white eye in the center of each flower.

Ampelous lobelia blooms almost all summer, but to stimulate the continued flowering of the plant, it is recommended to trim it after the bulk of the flowers have faded. The bushes usually do not exceed 10-15 centimeters in height, but the stems can go down to 30-35 centimeters in length.

Where to get planting material?

Lobelia is easily propagated by seeds. The flower is grown in seedlings when sown indoors in March-April. Lobelia seedlings are very small and they do not grow too powerful, therefore it is recommended to dive in bunches and not separate when planting in a permanent place. The thermophilic culture is planted in the composition after the threat of the last frost.

Lobelia ampelous "Regatta White"

Lobelia ampelous "Regatta Belaya" is a kind of ampelous lobelia from the "Regatta" series (see above), it is distinguished by a rare color, since it has pure white petals.

Lobelia ampelous "Regatta Sapphire"
Lobelia ampelous "Regatta Sapphire"
Lobelia ampelous "Regatta White"
Lobelia ampelous "Regatta White"

Ivy variegated "Hummingbird"

Ivy variegated "Kolibri" - an important detail that emphasizes the style of Provence. This variety was not chosen by chance. Not all ivy varieties can tolerate bright lighting well. Ivy of the Kolibri variety has proven itself well in sufficiently illuminated places (but not in direct sunlight), therefore it can be used in compositions with light-loving summer plants.

This type has medium-sized leaves (2-3 centimeters in diameter), dotted with a marble pattern: a light border along the edge of the leaf, grayish spots in the center and a dark green basic tone. In the open air, ivy grows very well, and it can be used to decorate the edges of the pots with lashes, as well as give them various shapes (for example, twine a decorative sphere).

Abundant fertilizers for flowering plants do not have a negative effect on the culture in the case of joint planting with summer plants.

Where to get planting material?

Hummingbird is an industrial ivy of Dutch origin, and its young seedlings are relatively easy to find in many flower shops and specialty departments in large supermarkets.

Ivy variegated "Hummingbird" (Kolibri)
Ivy variegated "Hummingbird" (Kolibri)

Secrets of the design of the composition "Country Provence"

The center of the composition is a spectacular petunia "Marvel", which has a dense dense bush. At the same time, the bright color of the flowers makes it an ideal accent not only for this mini-flower garden, but for the entire interior of the terrace. This effect is achieved due to the fact that the bright pink flowers stand out well against the background of the main purple-lavender color scheme, but do not look like dissonance. After all, the pink color fully corresponds to the gentle romantic mood of Provence.

Since the composition is placed in an oblong window box, we are forced to maintain symmetry between all the floral elements of the ensemble. Therefore, petunia, located in the geometric center of the box, requires two neighbors to balance it. Small-flowered and low-growing petunias "Tambelina Priscilla" are ideal for this role. Due to their external parameters, these petunias take a subordinate role in relation to the larger hybrid "Marvel".

To decorate the edges of the container, blue and white waterfalls of lobelia, planted near the very edge of the box, pour out from under the green of petunias here and there. In addition, lobelias visually combine the composition with the window itself, since their color scheme is close to the color of the shutters. There is no strict geometry in the arrangement of lobelia bushes, which gives the composition a freer and more picturesque look.

And finally, the final detail that will make us feel the closeness of the mild climate of the south of France - decorative ivy. Its long flexible shoots can gently wrap around all participants in the composition and easily rush down. And the variegated foliage of the varietal specimen makes ivy more noticeable against the background of the lush greenery of its flower companions.

From late spring to late autumn, continuously blooming petunias form the basis of the decorative ensemble
From late spring to late autumn, continuously blooming petunias form the basis of the decorative ensemble

Phases of decorative composition

From late spring to late autumn, the continuously blooming petunias "Marvel" and "Tambelina Priscilla" form the basis of the ensemble's decorativeness. The incredibly spectacular lobelia waterfalls are a fickle beauty, as this summer has an undulating flowering nature.

After the flowering of lobelia practically fades away, the bushes must be trimmed. But at this time, the composition will not look incomplete, because the flowering of self-sufficient petunias remains at the same level.

The inconsistency of the flowering of lobelia brings dynamics to the composition, because during the time until it regains color, the eye has time to rest from its many bright blue flowers. And later it will be especially joyful to watch the flower streams flow again against the background of the usual petunias.

The fast-growing and plastic ivy also will not allow the composition to be static all summer long, as it grows, it itself gives the ensemble more and more new outlines, or its stems are deliberately directed in one direction or the other.

For additional intimacy, we closed the terrace openings with blinds
For additional intimacy, we closed the terrace openings with blinds

The quantitative composition of the composition and the landing pattern

For a balcony box 50-70 centimeters long, we need:

  1. Petunia vegetative "Marvel" - 1 pc.
  2. Petunia vegetative "Tambelina Priscilla" - 2 pcs.
  3. Lobelia ampelous "Regatta Sapphire" - 2-4 pcs.
  4. Lobelia ampelous "Regatta White" - 2 pcs.
  5. Ivy "Hummingbird" - 1 pc. (adult specimen), 2 (young plants).
The quantitative composition of the composition "Country Provence" and the planting scheme
The quantitative composition of the composition "Country Provence" and the planting scheme

Composition Care Tips

Optimal amount of sun for each plant to grow: partial sun (4-6 hours).

Dates of decorativeness: from mid-May to late September.

Soil: light, permeable (preferably a ready-to-use peat-based flowering plant mix) with a high nutrient content. For more rare watering, a hydrogel is added to the soil.

Watering: regular and abundant as the soil dries up. In extreme heat, be sure to monitor the soil moisture level. Since my composition was in the country, the plants were watered only once a week. At the same time, watering was very abundant. Since there were no drainage holes in the boxes, there was enough moisture for this period of time.

Top dressing: for petunias, regular top dressing with liquid complex fertilizer is required once a week or at each watering. When planting in the ground, it is also recommended to apply long-acting fertilizers.

Potential Problems: Do not expose the composition to the open air too early, as all its plants are sensitive to cold. When kept in open places (without protection from rain), the buds of the petunia "Tambelina Priscilla" can rot. During prolonged periods of bad weather, the flowering of the plant may temporarily stop, so, if possible, remove the composition under a canopy during the rain.

If you plan to take ivy for the winter, do not forget to transplant it before the onset of cold weather, or cut the cuttings in advance. When kept under a roof (on a terrace), the flowers feel much better than in open places: they are not flapped by the wind too much, they do not flood with rain. In addition, they are not exposed to the exhausting sun, while receiving enough light.

The only drawback that took place in my case was that the petunia flowers were turned to the south (since the composition received the maximum amount of sun from there), and the main viewpoint was on the east side.

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