Because the garden doesn't get a lot of direct sun, I have to find plants that do well in shade. I decided to try and use annuals in the front of the garden for season-long color. I was so happy with how it turned out. Along the front of the border I have several impatience. They did okay until about half way through August. It got so hot (ten days in a row of over 100 degrees) that they had a hard time recupperating in the evening. I eventually cut them way back, but they never really bounced back.
In the picture below you can see the urn. It's planted with Purple Fountain Grass, pink impatience and a varigated sweet potatoe plant. In the rear it has coleus. I love the grass with it's pink plumes. One thing I need to learn is how to pinch plants better. The impatience in the urn got very leggy. It's easy to pinch foliage plants, but I just don't quite get plants with blooms on them. I can't figure out if you're supposed to pinch the bloom off along with the leaves. Any advice???? Notice the pretty pink plant in the middle of the border - it's a pink caldium and it has been a powerhouse all summer. It never skipped a beat, even during the hot weather. I am going to try to save the tubers for next year. I want to have it in several places in the border. It looked so pretty with the yellow coreopsis that was blooming next to it.
Here's a closeup of it. See how pretty it looks with the coreopsis. I like the balloon flower, too.
Next up will be plans for next year. I've got a little shade garden that needs some cleanup!
