hello, I have just recently moved to Victoria BC where you can pretty much grow all year round! so I decided I would like to grow some type of flowers on my deck. I have a large brown flower pot that I want to be full and luscious with annual flowers... I need advice because I don't know what will be best for me. My deck gets a lot of afternoon Sun.. Winter there is a lot of rain...I need it to be cat friendly...I had wanted to plant Calla lilies because they are my favorite flower but after buying the bulbs I read that they are quite bad for cats. Any suggestions are highly appreciated! Thank you
Petunias are great for sun and if you don't have a slug problem the wave varieties are awesome. Throw in some ornamental grass for height and winter interest. Don't be afraid of adding a favorite perrenial or even a colorful veggie like rainbow chard. I like autumn joy because of its big fleshy leaves and fall flower heads, but check out a garden center and see if they have something that interests you and don't be afraid to experiment.
Hello daffodil, You have so many choices. When I do up my containers, I usually don't start off with a set plan. I like to go to the garden centers and see what is offered and what I am drawn to. it's fun to experiment there with combinations and color. There are usually helpful people to assist if you have questions too. Have fun!
I like Kays advise, but do try to keep plants watering requirements similar in the same pots, otherwise you will most likely drown one type or dehydrate the other. Petunias are easy, but require that you deadhead them daily to keep the flowers from setting seeds and getting leggy. Impatiens are getting developed to thrive in full sun now too. They are called sunpatiens. Rudbeckia is a great sunflower type plant, but it grows much shorter. Bacopa and lobelia are nice filler flowers. Dwarf or container vegetables are a good choice also. tomatoes come in dwarfs or compacts, orange blaze (sweet)peppers (as are a few others) are container adaptable, chards as stated already, hot peppers will do okay, bush cukes and zucchinis, There is even corn available for container gardening, now. good luck, and you can mix your veggies with your flowers in the same container, just remember to fertilize them at least weekly.
Cannas would probably appreciate the heat more than Callas, and offer flowers for a longer time. They would also be tall, a nice focal point. Hummers are attracted to the flowers, if you have some in the area. Something like moss roses around the edges would be cute and also love the heat and sun, blooming all summer. Just don't try to put the roots of those too deep because they prefer to stay dry but would appreciate the water flowing BY the roots into the depths where the Canna will greedily drink it up, although they love to bake in the sun. A well-drained soil would be the key. Tradescantia zebrina might be a good low plant option also. It'll creep around in both sun/shade, covering the surface, draping the edges. The little spot of shade on the north side of the Canna might be a fantastic place for a wax Begonia. If you are in zone 7-8+, Canna, Begonia, Tradescantia would probably still be alive in the pot next spring, if it does drain well.
