Combination plantings are hot sellers - consumers are paying premium prices for readymade mixed planters, or bringing home the components for a "do-it-yourself" garden project. While colorful annuals take center stage, the backbone to these eye-catching mixed plantings is structural accent plants. Grown for the attractive foliage, these plants add touches of color, texture and shape to mixed baskets and containers of all types. Many are also useful in landscape plantings.

Availability: Refer to the Ball Specialty Garden Plants Order Form for a complete listing of the forms and sizes available, or check availability on-line at www.ballseed.com.

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Asparagus

A. Sprengerii
(Asparagus Fern)

Exposure:
Foliage: Airy, dark green, needlelike leaves
Plant type: Cascading, arching
Vigor: Strong
Finish container: 4-in. (10-cm) pot, 10-in. (25-cm) hanging basket
Best used for: Hanging baskets, mixed containers
Comments: Withstands a wide range of temperature/light conditions


Dracaena Spike

Dracaena
Cordyline indivisa

Exposure:
Foliage: Medium green, 2-ft. (61-cm) spikes
Plant type: Upright
Finish container: 4 and 6-in. (10 and
15-cm) pots
Best used for: Adding height and texture to combination containers


Helichrysum

Finish container: 4 to 6-in. (10 to15-cm) pots
Best used for: Mixed baskets and containers

Icicles
H. thianschanicum
Exposure:

Foliage: Thin and long with a velvety texture and intense silver color
Vigor: Fast growing
Plant type: Compact, upright

Licorice
H. petiolare, Trailing Dusty Miller
Exposure:

Foliage: Fuzzy, rounded, silver leaves
Vigor: Strong
Plant type: Semi-trailing

Limelight
H. petiolare
Exposure:

Foliage: Pale golden yellow
Vigor: Medium
Plant type: Mounding

Minus
H. petiolare
Exposure:

Foliage: Numerous small, fuzzy green leaves
Vigor: Smaller, less vigorous version of 'Licorice'
Plant type: Semi-trailing

Silver Spike
H. thianschanicum
Exposure:

Foliage: Long, silvery-white, needlelike
Vigor: Fast growing
Plant type: Compact

Spike
H. thianschanicum
Exposure:

Foliage: Long, grey-green, needlelike
Vigor: Fast growing
Plant type: Compact and upright

Variegated
H. petiolare
Exposure:

Foliage: Multi-shades of green and gold
Vigor: Slow
Plant type: Mounding

Variegated Lime
H. petiolare
Exposure:

Foliage: Green center with light yellow-green edge.
Vigor: Medium
Plant type: Mounding


Ipomoea
See Sweet Potato Vine


Ivy

Hedera helix
Exposure:

Plant type: Vining
Finish container: 4-in. (10-cm) pots to hanging baskets
Best used for: Versatile plants work well in both indoor and outdoor pots and baskets; many also perform well as groundcovers and climbing vines. Ivy makes a nice alternative to vinca vine in mixed containers because of the short internodes on the stems.

Comments: Most ivies tolerate drought well

Baltic
Foliage: Large green leaves
Vigor: Medium
Comments: Very hardy; withstands cold conditions well

California
Foliage: Fan-shaped leaves; prominent veining and variegation
Vigor: Strong
Comments: Fast-growing, climbing plants also make an excellent groundcover

English Ivy
Foliage: Glossy dark green
Vigor: Strong

German Ivy
Foliage: Pointed, dark green, slightly curled
Vigor: Medium

Glacier
Foliage: Predominantly green with a narrow white edge
Vigor: Medium

Gold Child
Foliage: Yellow margins, green center
Vigor: Medium
Comments: Slow

Mint Kolibri
Foliage: Small; gray center with green and yellow margin
Vigor: Medium

Needlepoint
Foliage: Distinctive long, pointed leaves
Vigor: Medium
Comments: Very short internodes and many branches

Ralf
Foliage: Solid green, heart-shaped
Vigor: Very strong; one of the fastest growing ivies
Comments: Very well branched

Saggitaefolia
Foliage: Solid green; more narrow and cut than 'Needlepoint'
Vigor: Medium

Variegated Ivy
Foliage: Green with creamy white margins
Vigor: Medium

Wax Ivy
See Senecio.


Lamium

L. maculatum
Exposure:

Plant type: Compact, mounded plants with creeping, trailing growth
Finish container: 4-in. (10-cm) pots
Best used for: Baskets, mixed plantings, groundcover

Beacon's Silver
Foliage: Silver-centered with a green edge
Flowers: Small, pink

Orchid Frost
USPP11122
Foliage: Silver and green
Flowers: Small, orchid blue


Lotus Vine
Exposure:

Foliage: Attractive gray/silver, needlelike leaves
Plant type: Cascading up to 3 ft. (91 cm)
Finish container: 4-in. (10-cm) pots
Best used for: Baskets, patio containers

L. Berthelotii
Flowers: Exotic orange-red blooms shaped like parrot’s beaks are produced with cold treatment
Vigor: Medium

Gold Flash
L. maculata
Flowers:
Golden yellow tinged with orange
Vigor: Medium

Red Flash
L. maculata
Flowers:
Orange-scarlet "parrot’s beak" blooms
Vigor: Medium


Mentha

M. sauvelons
(Variegated Peppermint)

Exposure:
Foliage: Green with yellow-white variegation
Vigor: Medium
Plant type: Mounding, trailing
Finish container:
4-in. (10-cm) pots
Best used for: Companion plant in mixed containers

 

 

 

 

 


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