pps7 would love to see a picture of the rest of your home. Just gorgeous by what I can see.

Loving the planters others have shared too.

Allison, I love your second picture. What is that tall plant with purple flowers?

I was thinking of doing an evergreen and I love boxwood topiaries. But since it's covered I don't think real box woods would thrive. It does get a little depressing from November to March here in Missouri, that's why I'm leaning towards the boxwood. I will put a small pot on the cafe table and maybe another one by the steps with annuals. Plus I want to add a window box elsewhere with annuals.

Oakleyok-where did you get you faux ones? How big are they approx?

I've linked one from ballard but I'm not sure about the quality of the urn or the scale. It might look too small. Does anyone have these? I'm thinking a darker colored urn would pop better like in the ballard picture. I should go to Lowe's and Home depot this weekend. I'd rather see what I'm buying in person.

Any other sources to check out? Is the Ballard a good buy?

Here is a link that might be useful: Ballard topiary

Justgotabme,

I need to take new pictures. The ones I have are quite old and I keep meaning to finish up little projects-LOL! I'll try to take a few this weekend.

Did you want to see the inside or outside?

In the pot they're around 3 1/2 feet tall. I ordered them both online from Home Depot. The pots are "faux" also, they're a heavy plastic type material but they look like ceramic.

If I remember correctly, both pots and plants were under a $100.

I like how they add greenery in the winter and I don't have to worry about killing them. :)

Not to hijack this thread, but see the benches on my porch? We absolutely love them because it seats a lot of people when they come over in the summer if we're not hanging on the patio.

Eventually I'll add a rug, but if we were to paint them what color would look best?

I have these resin urns from Ballard, which I bought after much searching last year. I like them because they look nice and they're lightweight -- easy to move. And they don't look "plasic" at all.

Here is a link that might be useful: urns

sueb20...do you have trouble with the wind blowing over your resin urns??? i've gone through 2 pairs now and last fall bought large ceramic pots on clearance, because they definitely won't blow over...but, will miss the urn look.

off topic---while in penneys i saw a patio umbrella that has a 2 part base that you can fill with water--like the portable basket ball hoops---thinking of buying one of those this season-should be able to stand up to the wind!

Yes, they are Torenia. I always buy at Lowes or Home Depot.

(I am not affiliated with or paid by Lowes or Home Depot.) ;D

pps, the first/second picture gets full sun until 1pm. Had that written, but then added a picture and lost. The tall purple plant is a perennial Mystic Spires Blue Salvia, followed by Dreamland Yellow Zinnia and Bombay White Scaevola.

The third picture in the link below shows a purple Scaevola planted in a pot. They are wide and low growing. Notice the fern in the back (faux copper pot). I buy two of those each summer and transplant from plastic pot to container. Water daily. They grow and grow. Only a slight bit of sun gets on the ferns, but those pots get full sun.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bits of our garden

Allison, I just had to say that I *love* your planters! The planters themselves are lovely, and the combination of flowers/plants you have used are fantastic. I used to have hanging baskets of torenia on our screened porch every year -- love it! You've inspired me to get my planters out again when the weather warms up!

Pps7, your house looks lovely! (I'd love to see more pics as well -- outside and in!) I grew up in St. Louis (now in Indy), so I understand the winter blahs! I haven't really found a solution, but know what you mean, especially after Christmas everything is dull and drab.

The people that bought my old house - put two large concrete urns on the sides of the garage.

They had tall hibiscus in them and impatience. I'm sure they "pinched" the impatience to keep them low growing. WOW what an impact/statement they made.

I have some large urns and I am going to try to duplicate the look.

busy, no, they have not blown over. I think the amount of soil that I have to put in there keeps them heavy enough to prevent falling. We don't live in a particularly windy area, though. We also have a beach house that gets a lot of wind -- no idea how they would work out there!

Kepp the pictures coming!

I will post an update once I buy the planters. I think I will plant annuals/perrenials in the summer and replace with faux boxwood balls in the winter. That will give me an opportunity to put christmas lights as well.

It snowed today!!! Can you believe it? I've linked another one that I'm considering. Again, worried about the scale- will it be too small?

Here is a link that might be useful: HD boxwood topiary

pps7, I was just thinking out, but would love to see inside too. The little bit I could see is lovely! Thanks!

pps7 - I think I'm in love with your house, just based on the entry alone. Please share more pics so I can drool some more...

I'm lurking this thread big time because my "perpetual mental shopping list" includes a set of planters for my porch. My door is offset in the space and I really need something to help balance it out. Having a heck of a time finding the right something. And umm... figuring out what kind of living thing I can put in it that might have a chance of surviving the winter.

I need porch porn.

jostgotabme (and anyone else craving more pics of pps7's house) -- I just saw this thread:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/decor/msg0320335612573.html?44

pps, you can make wonderful container gardens for shade. Trailing begonias, caladium (I use the green and white), heuchera, sweet potato vine (lime or purple-great in pots!), hosta, plumbago, coleus, impatiens, and ferns will all do well in a shaded area, although the plumbago will do best if some sun gets to it, but the color is spectacular if you are going with blues, pinks, purples, whites.

Allison, I did a topic about Torenia on the Cottage Garden forum, where I hang out from Spring to Fall.

If you so desire, I'd love some input from you in the topic, link below.

Natal lives in your area and she's a great gardener, I wonder if she grown Torenia? Natal?

Here is a link that might be useful: Torinia, Cottage Garden

Natal is in Louisiana - Allison is in Alabama. Natal has lovely flowers/gardens so I'm betting she has probably done torenia.

I have done Torenia (I'm in TN) and have done it pretty much in full sun.

PPS - I'm glad Allison shared her pots because I thought of her right off when looking at your house, porch, etc. There is something similar. Rather than urns or matching pots on either side of the door with topiaries - I think something like Allison has used would look great with your home and more interesting/unique that topiaries.

Copper pots would look lovely as would a verdigris finish.

tina

Thanks Avesmor! pps7's home is beautiful!

Thank you all. The torenia looks really pretty. I will have to try that in an area that gets some morning sun. I will print out this thread when I head to the nursury/home depot/lowe's. Sigh, that will have to wait because we got several inches of SNOW today. I'm bummed b/c my mom, who's a great gardener is coming next weekend and I was really hoping we could do alot of planting. But since I'm bored and can't work on the garden, I thought, I'd obsess on potential shutter colors. House:

{{gwi:1443404}}

I think I want to do board and batten shutters in a grayish green. Along the lines of BM Nantucket gray, Arctic Shadows, or Hamshire gray. Or a little bluer like Mt. St. Anne? What do you guys think. Am I on the right track? Any photoshop geniuses out there?

A few inspiration pictures:

{{!gwi}}

I've basically had a hodgepodge grouping around my front porch for the last few years, and am ready to step up to something more elegant. I looked at the Grecian urns last night. They have good prices at Sam's Club.

Previous look of my porch. Currently, I have the evergreens, but the "pumpkins of plenty" have been gone since Thanksgiving. lol

I've basically had a hodgepodge grouping around my front porch for the last few years, and am ready to step up to something more elegant. I looked at the Grecian urns last night. They have good prices at Sam's Club.

Previous look of my porch. Currently, I have the evergreens, but the "pumpkins of plenty" have been gone since Thanksgiving. lol

Bump!

Any opinions on the shutters?

Or any other pictures of planters?

My Torenia (wishbone flower) came today!!!!!!!!!!

For reference,look at the last picture Allison has above of the purple plant in her round pot.

I ordered both yellow and purple, perfect color combo in the garden. And these are in full bloom, bushy and about 7" tall already!

Thank you Allison for turning me onto this plant!

to be honest, i would probably go with black shutters... your house is beautiful and i think with the black window panes and the brick, a matte black would be gorgeous.

YOu're welcome, Oakleyok!

I have an update too. Thanks you everyone for the pictures and ideas. I decided to do a mountain boxwood on either side of the front door like oaleyok. Still need to get a few planters for the steps.

I also picked up some blue torenia and pink impatiens. The front of the house faces north, gets morning sun, but is usally shaded by the house. I hope it doesn't get too much sun for these annuals!

I planted two torneia in this pot. Should I plant one more to give it a fuller look, or will it grow and fill in?

My new favorite its the hyacinth (also planted torenia around it-wish I had planted more/closer together, but I will see how they do there and go from there for next year):

Impatiens: again wished I had planted them closer together:

As far as the shutters, black would be classic, but I'm a little worried about taking the black/white thing too far. What does everyone think of the green/gray? The whitewash will eventually wash off in spots and expose more of hte brick that you can see on the headers and sills.

I love your house, pps7. I think I know the look you're going for and the black wouldn't work. I'm agonizing over colors for myself right now so I'm not going to be much help. It's even harder to recommend something over the internet because you can't read the undertones. Did you see these houses? Maybe their shutter colors would help you.
http://www.jackarnold.com/gallery.html

In picking out my colors I've found that even though they're the same color, the really large sample sheets for the BM HC numbers seem surprisingly lighter than the chips. At least you can buy a few of them and tack them up against the windows to see if the colors work for you.

I was just at one of the newer BM stores this week and they had a nice dark gray which I think is one of their newer colors on one wall. It was Desert Twilight, 2137-40. It's a little darker than the artic gray. They also had a soft dark brown that was really nice for anyone looking for a brown. Durango - It's at the top of the 2137 card.

I do like the idea of the green/gray or a blue/green/gray or a blue/grey. I think it all depends on how much new color you want to introduce and how much you want the shutter color to pop. When I think "French" I think of color, but those Jack Arnold houses are pretty muted.

pps, not sure what zone you are in but if you want to have a nice full look at much less expense you might look into perennials rather than annuals. There is a wonderful verbena that is purple and will spread to fill your bed in lovely color and come back each year. You would only need 6 or less to fill it in one year. Also depending on where you are the impatiens will come back, in the South they do, if you simply whack them off at ground level when they frost. Each one of yours should get at least 1-2 ft across. Us Osmocote very very generously mixed in around each plant . It is slow release. Also get bone meal at Lowes and put a generous scoop worked in around every plant and next time in the whole bed 2x a season. You will be amazed. But do look for colorful perennials to fill up w/ much less expense. Beautiful home !! c

Thanks chickadee. I think I read somewhere-maybe on Maria Kilam's blog that colors look lighter outside. I like the arctic shadows but I think I'm going to have to go darker. The next one up the strip is antique pewter. I might have to get a sample of that. I love the jack arnold homes. I think we'll go for a more muted color as shown in his gallery.

trailrunner, Thank you. I do prefer perennials too- much less work once established! We have 6 hydrangeas by the front steps that will fill in the empty space over time. My mom also brought me cuttings of about 15 irises and 10 ploxes that we planted a few weeks ago. We have quite a few roses as well. It will take 2-3 years for these to grow and flower, in the mean time, I'm using annuals as instant gratification.

I've ordered "English cottage gardening for American gardners". There's a sunny corner of our back yard, I'd like to create a nice english garden, complete with arbor entry, flagstone walkway, trellis with swing, climbing roses and wisteria, lavender, peonies, water fountain. Maybe next year!

I do have a fairly large planter I can put in a sunny location that I would like to plant a few perennials. What's a good combination with variation in blooming times?

Chickadee, did you know Jack Arnold was our architect? We had a heavy hand in the exterior and interior finishes, and tweaked the floor plan to suit our wants/needs. It's only been 5 years... and I still have not gotten around to getting shutters made!

Link to article on Jack Arnold's website about our home:

Here is a link that might be useful: Our Jack Arnold Home article

Allison, what color are you going to paint your shutters?

P, I don't remember if anyone gave you a link to GW's Cottage Garden forum, so I have it for you below. They are THE friendliest people with so much information on all flowers.

They're really helpful in telling you what Perennials will stay in full bloom all summer, etc and what will grow in your zone.

I have a few perennials in my garden, but I get sick of them after a few years, which is why I end up buying annuals. I know it's a lot of work year after year planting annuals, but you get more variety with them than you would with perennials.

Many annuals do come up the next year, depending on what zone you're in.

What I'd do with the Impatiens is buy about ten more and create a second row behind the row you have, but plant the 2nd row of flowers in the "open space" behind the first row. It will give a bushier look to them.

I also love Hyacinth, but they're a bulb and they only bloom for a short while. So once they die off this Spring you can plant a pretty annual on top of it so you won't have a bare spot there.

That's why I don't plant bulbs, I want flowers to bloom all summer! lol.

The Torenia. Easy fix. I see that your's are all purple. Go back to the garden center and buy the yellow one's that have a touch of purple on them and plant them between the row you have now. Yellow and purple/blue are THE prettiest color combinations for plants, IMO.

Oh, if you have two Torenia in the small pot above, you need to put them in a bigger pot because they form a largish mound per plant. At least that's what I read. lol. Unless you bought the trailing kind, but they would need a bigger and taller pot also.

I love your topiaries by the front door. Only problem is, your pots are MUCH nicer than mine! lol

Here is a link that might be useful: Cottage Gardens

Nice pots!

Another vote for perennials. I rarely plant annuals other than in my mixed containers, and some of those have perinnals mixed in. Trailrunner won't steer you wrong - have you seen her lovely yard?

The book you bought sounds good - I may have to check that out.

I also love hyacinth and enjoy bulbs and tubors (such as your iris). We broke down and hired a landscaper and one thing I asked for was an area around our lamp post that will hold lots of spring bulbs. You can have other plants in there that bloom afterwards. Have you thought of using some candy tuft or creeping phlox? Those fill in nicely and look great with spring bulbs. My tulips and hyacinths are gone but the phlox and candy tuft are still blooming. Lambs ear is a nice plan that will spread also. Silvery green leaves that looks nice with your pinks. There are different colors of salvia - not just blue/purple, but also white and pink. Those would look pretty in your yard. I use a combo of blue/pink/white flowers because that's what I like and looks good with our brick/trim, but they are also cottage garden colors. One thing you must definitely have in your english/cottage garden is foxglove! LOVE IT!!

It takes a while to establish and yours is lovely now - will be fantastic in a couple of years!

tina

I don't think I will be painting them. I can only picture stained. Rough, old wood. Custom hardware. I considered a more traditional French color for the windows (and then the shutters) but I decided I would tire of them and/or they would stick out too much. We are in the middle of the woods, and I'd rather blend in.

Back to flowers - what zone are you in? I can only vouch for what grows well for me (zone 7). Pincushion flowers bloom from early spring all the way to winter. You will get sick of dead heading them! I have pink and two shades of blue (purple).

Here is a link that might be useful: pincushion flowers

Here is a link to my garden. I have a HUGE bed that runs along our driveway, near the garage. Full sun. Most things bloom all summer. The post names many of the flowers shown.

btw, the pincushion flowers don't die all the way back here. Don't know if that would be so in your zone.

What about variegated ajuga? I have a large area of it near our front steps, then it goes in/around the forsynthia.

How do you feel about sedum? Autumn Joy is a favorite of mine and I love the lower growing, especially the ones that are a dark color.

Here is a link that might be useful: perinnial bed along driveway - 5th photo

Thanks Allison- I will print out your post and hit the local nursery.

Tina, I say creeping phlox at the nursery-the scent was wonderful! I needed a tall shade plant- I will check out the foxglove.

oakleyok, I was lusting after the planters from Restoration Hardware but could hardly justify the $200 price tag. I was thrilled when I found these at a much more reasonable price at a local nursery.

pps7 - In the "Any Teal Paint Suggestions?" thread, Prill has posted a picture of a room painted with Mount Saint Anne.

Allison, I wasn't familiar with the Jack Arnold homes until I googled looking for pictures of French country houses. His homes are gorgeous, yours among them, and now I can include myself as a fan. I LOVE your kitchen! I live in PA and we don't see many homes built in the French style in my area. The large custom homes are usually some rendition of the Bucks County field stone farmhouse.

You all are so far ahead of us here in the growing season. It's cold, rainy and raw today. Perennials are waking up, but only the early Spring plants are in bloom. Big storm moving in tonight. Oh well... .

We had a huge storm come through yesterday (posted a few pictures on a Kitchen forum thread Trailrunner started).

I love the PA area - Dad went to War College at Carlisle, and DH and I went to visit. A Bucks County fieldstone farmhouse would have been my choice after a Jack Arnold.

Thanks. I love the kitchen too.

I'm ready to do my pots, but just had surgery two weeks ago. Can't lift anything for 6 more weeks. :-/ DH said I could point and he would do the dirty work. Maybe I'll get some plants this week.

I could have sworn that thread was in Kitchens, but it's here in Decorating. :-/

We had hail too- it was small though, pea sized. We're in zone 6a.

My tv stand is painted BM arctic shadows so I took a door out and placed it outside. I think we're in right general range. I need to get a sample of antique pewter. The picture looks washed out alittle bit.

Here are a few pictures of a nearby William Sonoma Home. I like their shutter color. The general color scheme is similar also-whitewash brick, black, stained wood.

pps7, I love your house and hope you share more pictures. The whitewash looks great!

Allison, I'm glad to see that you're behaving yourself after surgery and not over-doing it. Take up dear hubby's offer at sit and point. lol.

The temps got into the low 30s the other night and I brought my Torenia inside to keep them safe. :) The rest are going in the ground this afternoon.

pps7, the arctic shadows in my fan deck looks nothing like your tv cabinet color on my monitor. It's coming across as a pale blue gray. There doesn't seem to be enough of a contrast whatever color it's reading at your end.

All my torenia died. Apparently April was too cold and wet for them :( The impatients are still alive and well. I'm trying zinnia and snapdragons next. I've planted quite a few perrenials also, but don't think most of them will flower until next year.

Sorry to hear that! My Torenia seem to be doing pretty good, but now that it's suddenly in the mid-90s I really have to make sure to keep them watered, especially those in the strong south winds. I nearly lost 3 plants in one day last week when it was so windy outside and I had forgotten about this particular patch Torenias!

Zinnia's are a breeze to grow. But you have to deadhead each of the fowers once they start looking haggard. My new friend Zinnia Man would be proud of me. LOL

If you keep Z's deadheaded they will put out new flowers and get bushy. And keep them watered if it's hot there.

They thrive on FULL sun. I've been growing them for 3 years now and they really are easy.

If the impatiens are in the ground they will just sit there until it gets warmer. The one's in pots grow faster but also need more fertilizing.

There's a great Annuals Forum here on GW. There's a new Snapdragon topic there!

Here is a link that might be useful: Annuals

Allison, I love sedum too. Succulents do well here in our yard - I have very little shade, so need plants that do well in sun and heat.

I'm just happy my magnolia tree is FINALLY blooming. It's about 10 years old and this is the first year for blooms. Other than the one year that I had ONE bloom. Yes, one. I recently read that it sometimes takes 10-15 years for a magnolia to bloom. My gardenia is full of buds and I'm just waiting for the blooms!

tina

>

Beautiful KellyKath! What is the plant in the two black planters on either side of the front door?

I had to replace/move/prune some plants in several of my outside planters this past week. We've had such weird weather - it got really hot much earlier than usual - and dry - then with our watering and a couple of weeks of heavy rains and storms, some of my plants just weren't doing well. I love mixed containers so decided to try to spruce things up. Most everything survived other than some petunias that got too much water and a serious case of thrips.

tina

My front door earlier this spring:

Large shrubs are Daphne odora--you should smell them when they are in bloom in early March. Rest of the pots are different heucheras...and there are a couple of hostas as well.

Ignore the hayrack...it was a gift and I had to plant it up for a season. Gone now. It bothered me. Upset the balance.

Here are three pots on my front patio:

I keep a lot of my Japanese maples in pots.