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Soothing Silver Green Planter

I broke every rule when I planted this soothing silver and green planter so I’m hoping it doesn’t wind up teaching me a lesson. The first broken rule is of course – I’ve mixed full sun plants in with shade plants. What really worries me though is that I completely forgot to think about the water needs of each plant.

Silver Green Planter – The Inspiration

It all started with a gorgeous white and green snake plant I spotted at one of my local garden centers. I absolutely had to have it. I knew snake plants do well in low light, but I didn’t realize at the time how susceptible they are to over watering.

Then I added an Artemisia Silver Brocade, a full-sun perennial with pretty silver green, almost white foliage.

And just because I’ve never had one and I feel it is a sorely underappreciated plant, I threw in a PW Flambé chrysocephalum, an annual calling for…? You guessed it – full-sun. It’s also susceptible to crown & stem rot when grown in cool, damp conditions, say like a jam-packed planter? But it does have that silver green foliage along with the unusual bright yellow flowers.

I added a silver and green variegated pothos slip to the mix and then threw it all into this square pot. Aside from the woeful lack of research I put into my plant choices, something else was missing. So I headed off to a local greenhouse that grows and sells tropical plants, and promptly purchased a bunch of 4″ plants I didn’t need, along with the ones I used to finish this planter.

Silver Green Planter – The Plants:

A & B are both snake plants. The taller, vertically striped white and green one that started it all, and a second shorter one (to the right in the top photo above with silver and green horizontal variegation. If I manage to not drown the poor things over the summer, both will do well over-wintering indoors.

C is a Dracaena. Another tropical/houseplant that does well in my house. Shown to the left in the top photo above. It’s basically just a fancier relative of the spike that appears in just about every geranium planter ever seen.

D is the Artemisia Silver Brocade, a full-sun perennial, and E is the Flambé, a full-sun annual.

F & G are both varieties of pothos. F is a white (not cream or yellow) variety called Glacier while G is a silver and green variety sometimes called Satin Pothos.

Silver Green Planter – The Planting Diagram

At the moment it’s a pretty planter, but it will be interesting to see how it does over the summer and what is still alive in the fall. I think the biggest concern will be making sure I don’t over-water this planter.

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Plant Your Own Dramatic Patio Planter!

It’s time to raise your trowel and solemnly pledge that you will plant at least one exciting or dramatic patio planter this year. Petunias are pretty, Geraniums are showy, but aren’t you just a teensy bit tired of having the same old same old in your outdoor living space?

I know I am! I’m especially tired of those spikes that are in every damn thing, so this is what I planted in the four 20″ planters on my deck instead.

Plant Your Own Dramatic Patio Planter!

The Plants:

A) Kimberley Queen or Australian Sword Fern

I purchased one large Kimberley Queen fern and divided it into four plants, one for each planter, for some green. Ferns do well in shady spots outdoors, like the shade of the large maple tree that keeps my deck comfortable for the summer.

Or you could use a Peace Lily

Or an Anthurium

B) Rubber Tree or Rubber Fig

Another Tropical house plant, I love the way the dark shiny leaves look in my planters. My only concern is it may grow too slowly to keep up with the rest of the plants over the summer, but let’s face it nothing grows very fast in the shade.

Or you could use one of these black and silver elephant ears

C) Silver Spike Helychrysum

Sold as an annual for full sun, this is another gamble, at best my deck could be a part-sun area. Since it’s grown for foliage instead of flowers, I’m hoping it will prove me right this summer and behave itself. Or I could end up with a leggy mess.

You could also use Artemesia Silver Mound or a Calocephalus Silver Bush. These are still all full-sun plants, but I’m already stretching planter boundaries anyway. Live dangerously!

My inspiration for this planter actually came from a landscape planting I saw of Calocephalus Silver Tumbleweed paired with a black Ajuga. It was striking but Ajuga in the landscape is living too dangerously for me.

D) Non Stop Mocca White Begonia

Hang around for a bit and you’ll find out Non Stop Begonias are one of my favorite plants and that I usually avoid white flowers. The brown marks on spent flowers are so much more visible on white. But – I received 3 of these as samples so free plants – obviously.

Or you could use any dark-leaved begonia in a color of your choice. A begonia matched with an Anthurium of the same color would look sweet!

E) Polka Dot Plant

I wish I could use almost any other plant than polka dot plant here, but I haven’t found anything else with that much clear white in the foliage. If you’ve got a suggestion for an alternate plant be a pal and share in the comments.

F) Tradescantia (Wandering Jew)

Another tropical house plant, tradescantia makes a really nice spiller in planters. I especially like this silver and green variety. You can bet I’ll over-winter some cuttings from these so they’re handy for next year.

The Planting Diagram:

Looking for more planter ideas? Check out the links below:

Happy Gardening!

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Kimberley Queen Fern

Kimberley Queen or Australian Sword Fern – Nephrolepis obliterata

If you haven’t guessed by its alternate name, Kimberley Queen originated in Australia. Indoors this tropical fern likes bright indirect light, and is less sensitive to low humidity than the usual Boston Fern.

Why You Want A Kimberley Queen Fern

For shade gardeners, outdoors is where the magic happens. Kimberley Queen’s upright fronds are showy enough to live in a planter by themselves or as part of a group. In combination planters, the green fronds make a pretty backdrop for begonias or other shade loving plants.

Kimberley Queen is sturdy enough to withstand heat and some wind. Maintain it by trimming away scraggly or brown fronds at the base of the plant. With an upright habit this fern is best viewed at eye level or from above so if you are using it in a hanging basket, make sure it’s a low hanging one.

Propagating Kimberley Queen

To propagate Kimberley Queen divide it exactly as you would for your Hostas. For the fern at the top of this post, I removed the pot and used a saw to cut the root mass into quarters. A sharp knife would have worked, but I wasn’t about to dull my kitchen knives cutting through dirt.

I’ll have to trim away damaged fronds for the first bit but it was still an easy and economical way to get four ferns for the price of one.

Speaking of price – Kimberley Ferns are still newer to garden centers than Boston ferns and usually only available in larger sizes, so expect to pay more. You should still be able to find one in your local garden center.

I plan to enjoy mine on my deck under the maple tree for the summer then move at least one inside for the winter.

Additional Resources:

Casa Flora – Australian Sword Fern

Costa Farms – Kimberley Queen Fern

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