Nature Contained

This weekend the weather has finally cooled down so we finally were able to plant fall containers at some of our neighbors’ shops. I really enjoy all the fall combinations with all its chards, beets, cabbages, kales and peppers. I also like to add some other textures like heuchera, ajuga, carex, juncus, lysmachia and chameleon plant. This year, due to the drought, I found it very difficult to find the big healthy grasses which I like to use as a central element in the containers. I found a few nice specimens of switch grass which I used in the container below; but other than that I found our fall palette was lacking in the height department. I started using large massings of curly willow and clusters of gorgeous iris plants, both variegated and standard, which seems to have solved my little problem. The nice thing about the curly willow is that you can bottom light them from deep in the center of the vessel and create an autumnal spooky glow-especially if you use an orangey-red flickering light. I promise you its tasteful!!!

It’s always fun to plant the front containers at The Cottage. The Cottage is absolutely magical! Owner Nancy Hemmenway has created a sanctuary for all things beautiful for the home. All the women at The Cottage are absolutely wonderful and extremely talented in the world of visual merchandising. We are so fortunate to be surrounded with such lovely people in our community! Here’s a little fun garden snip it, Ivy Hall, Cottage employee and super cute new mom is married to the hort-rock star Ed Bowen of Opus. Visit Opus' website to learn more about Ed's uncommon line up of plants.
Here’s a peek inside The Cottage…