Marianne Binetti is brimming with great ideas for the garden.
Use old fountains, cracked birdbaths and urns as containers.
Plant a tea herb container with chamomile, spearmint and chocolate mint and pop in a vintage tea cup as garden art.
Keep a basket on your porch. When you get home with new plants, store them in the basket still in their nursery containers until it’s time to plant. They’ll make a nice entryway arrangement and you’ll be reminded you need to plant what you’ve got before you buy more.
At least that’s her theory. Binetti, a Seattle garden personality, gave a talk today on containers in Everett. If you’ve never heard her speak she’s a hoot and a half.
She provided some simple recipes for creating containers you plant and leave alone for three or four years. The idea of not fussing around with containers every season brought applause and cheers from the audience.
Here’s her recipe: Take one pot at least 12 inches deep and fill with potting soil. Add at least three plants. Opt for plants that look good all year, age well and play well with others, she said.
Binetti said to aim for a thriller, a filler and a spiller. She means a wow plant, something to fill in around its base and one plant to drape over the edge.
Don’t forget a pinch of slow release plant food, she said.
For a shaded spot, she recommended variegated acanthus, a heuchera with yellow leaves and vinca minor ‘Illumination’
For a sunny area, she suggested euphorbia ‘Rudolf,’ heather ‘Red Head,’ and the ajuga ‘Burgundy Glow.’
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