Lobelia ‘Palace Royal’ holds court in my containers

I wrote an article for the upcoming March issue of Northern Gardener magazine on taking one pot through all four seasons, swapping out plantings accordingly. It was a hoot to have this test pot in my garden though the spring, summer, fall and into the the holidays. It was my baby, my test kitchen. I cared for it fastidiously and it showed. May I tend all my pots and plantings so intimately this coming season.

I mixed it up in this particular container, going for the classic mix of thriller, filler and spiller, as well as textural and color contrasts. It makes for a pretty splashy affair. Such mixed plantings work especially well as a focal point, near a doorway or a sitting area. It’s a great way to get some fun variety in a limited amount of space.

Out and about in the perennial borders, I love a pot full of one variety. It’s a clean, classy pop of color; very useful to perk up a garden area. Lobelia ‘Palace Royal’ is a plant good enough to eat. The purplish/blue gentle flowers are so soft to the eye and touch.

I have the most luck with them in planters… they do well with plenty of watering, but must be well-drained. They love the sun, as long as they don’t bake. So sun and water and no wet feet will keep them happy. They really are striking… use them a lot.

In the above photo, because they are such a tidy, contained plant, they help the rusty old milk can work as a planter. The blue #27 was our farm’s # when we brought the cans of fresh milk into the Arlington Creamery every morning, as a sidenote. The Clematis ‘Ernest Markham’ gets along nicely, with the color of the lobelia.

When in doubt, a pot of one variety of flowers will have impact.