A Year Later
The top picture is of a little planter near my front door in SJC. The bottom picture is what it looked like about a year ago when I first planted it with succulents and perennials. The green leafy geranium without any blooms is a scented one that originally had burgundy splotches in the center of the green leaves and is called 'Chocolate Mint' which is exactly what it smells like. It is very aggressive and needs to be kept in check continuously. I guess it doesn't get enough sun to keep the coloration although it is not that shady here. The daylily is out of bloom and the chocolate cosmos are long gone along with the coral bells and hardy geranium. There is a little battery operated watering system in here and, opps!, the batteries died and so did many of the less than drought tolerant plants. I've added low growing sedums since they seem to do well and the ornamental grasses have filled in nicely. Not quite as colorful as the original plan, but much easier to maintain.
The top picture is of a little planter near my front door in SJC. The bottom picture is what it looked like about a year ago when I first planted it with succulents and perennials. The green leafy geranium without any blooms is a scented one that originally had burgundy splotches in the center of the green leaves and is called 'Chocolate Mint' which is exactly what it smells like. It is very aggressive and needs to be kept in check continuously. I guess it doesn't get enough sun to keep the coloration although it is not that shady here. The daylily is out of bloom and the chocolate cosmos are long gone along with the coral bells and hardy geranium. There is a little battery operated watering system in here and, opps!, the batteries died and so did many of the less than drought tolerant plants. I've added low growing sedums since they seem to do well and the ornamental grasses have filled in nicely. Not quite as colorful as the original plan, but much easier to maintain.
9 comments:
Gorgeous container! I love the variety of texture & color you have planted there.
I really like the succulent in the bottom right hand corner in the top picture. Would you mind telling me what it is. I have a thing for succulents in containers.
I've had the same experience with my Chocolate Mint geranium. It doesn't seem to matter how bad it's neglected, it just keeps on growing!
Cindy
Cindy, that succulent is an aeonium. It is very easy to grow and propagate!
Everything has really grown well!! Does the Chocolate Mint geranium leaves smell or just the flowers?
Cindee, the leaves of the chocolate mint geranium smell when they are torn or crushed. The flowers are small and insignificant.
I like it just as well now Sheila!!
Are those Aeonium there in the front right hand side of the top pic? I have terrible luck with them here and am wondering if they do best in drier climates. Yours are very lovely...soft green!
Julie, thanks for the comments! Yes those are aeoniums in the corner and they grow very well here. They do seem to prefer well drained soil.
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