Help w/ container design around a croton.

Discussion in 'Garden Design and Plant Suggestions' started by koipondgardener, Feb 15, 2009.

  1. koipondgardener

    koipondgardener Active Member

    Messages:
    46
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    WA,USA
    I would like some help in creating a container designed in a yellow and orange theme around a croton for the focal point. I am kind of at a loss as to what plants would fit the theme. I am interested in earth-tone, yellow, orange, and red colors for this pot. It will be in a 20 inch (approx. 50 cms.) pot that receives sun until noon.
    Thank you for the help.
     
  2. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

    Messages:
    21,250
    Likes Received:
    786
    Location:
    WA USA (Z8)
    Maybe something with small, rounded leaves for contrast in leaf shape and size. Try going to your favorite greenhouse and finding a similar croton plant for sale there, putting it next to possible candidates for your planter to see how the plants look together.

    I wouldn't walk in the door with the croton you already have, even if it is still in a small portable pot. That could be awkward.
     
  3. togata57

    togata57 Generous Contributor 10 Years

    Messages:
    3,417
    Likes Received:
    364
    Location:
    Columbus, Ohio
    Perhaps koip.g. could photograph the croton with cell phone or digital camera, either of which may be taken into a plant establishment.

    Will this planter be located indoors or out?
     
  4. koipondgardener

    koipondgardener Active Member

    Messages:
    46
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    WA,USA
    Thank you for the replies. Yes, this will be an outdoor container. I have yet to buy the croton to put in the pot, but I do have one as a houseplant. Orange and yellow in the veins of the leaves with the rest of the leaf being very deep green describes my indoor plant. I do not like the maple leaf shaped crotons, so I will be looking for the traditional oval leafed one. I think that an apricot million bells would look good trailing over the side of the planter with it. Any ideas for fillers and
    more spillers?
     
  5. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

    Messages:
    4,776
    Likes Received:
    6
    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    You could go with Senecio rowleyana - 'String of Beads' for another spiller. For standing accents, the red-variegated cultivars of Coleus and Pepperomia will do you well. You may also be able to find yellow or orange Lobelias, which hover between standing and creeping, and have attractive dark green foliage when they're not blooming.

    With a pot size like that, you'll be wanting the smaller plants rather than the larger ones, no? So that the don't choke the croton?
     
  6. koipondgardener

    koipondgardener Active Member

    Messages:
    46
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    WA,USA
    Thank you for the ideas. I am not extremely concerned with the crotons space needs because it will be in a pot and everything in a pot is cramped for space. Plus, I am aiming for a very full, very bright pot. The croton just happens to be the thriller.

    Lorax- Is pepperomia able to take six hours of morning sunlight?

    Just throwing this out there. How would those little yellow celosias look? the ones they sell by the droves in big box stores? I definitely want to include a coleus. What other flowers would be bright and flamboyant? Are there some medium small grasses? I am looking for a wow container to go at the door to my patio.
     
  7. togata57

    togata57 Generous Contributor 10 Years

    Messages:
    3,417
    Likes Received:
    364
    Location:
    Columbus, Ohio
    If you have full sun, portulaca is good. In years past I have often had a big pot full of multicolored portulaca---great bright colors.
    What about petunias? Many varieties bloom profusely, and they are available in just about any color.
     
  8. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

    Messages:
    4,776
    Likes Received:
    6
    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    My Pepperomias live in full sun and they don't seem to mind it any. Makes 'em really bright (same with my in-ground crotons, actually. I have one that's so purple it's almost black.)

    I was more referring to actual leaf-size for the pot - Caladium bicolor came to mind for a mid-level plant, since the variegation is very attractive, but it may get tall enough to obscure the croton. That's what I meant by "choke." My apologies - you all are my English language link to the outside world, and my word choice tends to suffer when I've been speaking exclusively Spanish and Quichua for long periods of time.
     
  9. togata57

    togata57 Generous Contributor 10 Years

    Messages:
    3,417
    Likes Received:
    364
    Location:
    Columbus, Ohio
    Would that the exclusively English-speaking folks I associate with could speak and write with elegance and precision equal to your own, lorax!
     
  10. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

    Messages:
    21,250
    Likes Received:
    786
    Location:
    WA USA (Z8)
    We have cool summers here, several of the plants mentioned (including croton) are primarily tropical house or greenhouse plants in this climate. Have you tried croton outdoors in summer before? Seems like there would be only a few months out of the year when it would be consistently warm enough for it to do well. If we had tropical summers like those of the Atlantic and Gulf states it might be a different story.

    Another problem with putting house plants outside for the summer is that they have to endure being moved outside into brighter light at the start of it, and then have to survive the change back to indoor conditions at the end - at which time they may come in with bugs and slugs on them.
     
  11. koipondgardener

    koipondgardener Active Member

    Messages:
    46
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    WA,USA
    I actually live in Eastern WA, so I don't have to deal with the cool summer temperatures like those who live on the other side of the cascades do. I have 100+ days in the growing season at my house so I am not concerned with how long I can keep it outside. thank you for the suggestions by the way!

    Lorax- Yo tambien hablo espanol, pero es el oposito conmigo. Mi eleccion de palabras es un poco malo aveces tambien en espanol en vez de ingles, pero no importa. gracias por la ayuda.
     
  12. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

    Messages:
    4,776
    Likes Received:
    6
    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    No hay ningun problema! Soy feliz ser de ayuda.
     
  13. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

    Messages:
    21,250
    Likes Received:
    786
    Location:
    WA USA (Z8)
    Maybe in future post your location with more detail, such as city or region, USDA Hardiness Zone etc. The dialog in Spanish of course excludes everyone who does not read Spanish from the discussion.
     
  14. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

    Messages:
    4,776
    Likes Received:
    6
    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    What KoiPond said was that I shouldn't worry about my word choice in English, becuase his/her Spanish word choice is just as bad.
     
  15. togata57

    togata57 Generous Contributor 10 Years

    Messages:
    3,417
    Likes Received:
    364
    Location:
    Columbus, Ohio
    So-o-o...how about nasturtiums?
     
  16. koipondgardener

    koipondgardener Active Member

    Messages:
    46
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    WA,USA
    Well... thank you for the suggestions. I like the idea of nasturtiums, but I am unsure how they would mix with crotons. They seem like they would portray totally different looks in the pot.
    I was thinking of some rust colored grass with a coleus or two with million bells flowing over the side and adding another kind of bright flower (any suggestions?)
    What about gazanias? they are bright.
    I think I will have to keep my eyes peeled for more potential combos. If any of you have more suggestions I would love to here them.
     
  17. joclyn

    joclyn Rising Contributor

    Messages:
    2,707
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    philly, pa, usa 6b
    the portulaca is a wonderful suggestion for a 'trailer' type plant. if you're putting this planter in a sunny spot, those will grow up to just about 2 feet long, so they'll offer a really nice effect falling over the edge of the container. the leaf shape (pointy) and color (pale-ish light green) will also be a nice offset for the croton. they come in a variety of bloom colors - you can get one that pulls from the croton's coloration to compliment or something completely different to offer another contrast. they might not do well, water-needswise, with the croton though as they can manage quite well with little watering.

    what about sweet potato vine?? there are a few different varieties that i've seen so far (and probably more coming out this year) - solid green/yellowish, variegated green/white/purple and one that is dark, dark purple/black. they would do well for a bit of top-cover as well as for trailing effect after they've been growing for a bit and start to take off. the solid green/yellowish one would look wonderful with the croton you're describing.

    calibrachoa 'million bells' has become one of my standard trailers for the few planters i do.

    senecio rowleyana 'string of beads' is always a great addition as it provides a really nice contrast (love that silver tone of the leaves) and it trails so nicely, too.

    i've even put the calibrachoa in the center and the sweet potato at the edges - that looks really nice as they grow and the million bells is full in the center and *just* going over the edges and the vine is much fuller below.

    wave petunia's. you definitely can't go wrong with them!!!
     
    Last edited: Feb 18, 2009

Share This Page