Traffic-Stopping Petunias in Ray’s Garden


Today we are seeing photos of Ray Jones’s garden.

My garden is on new construction. This was a pasture a few years ago and is in Palo, Iowa, Zone 4b/5a. I grow a mix of perennials, tropicals, and annuals. Much of the yard is still in process.

My favorites this year were the petunias ‘Vista Fuschia’ and ‘Vista Paradise’ (Zones 10–11 or as annuals). People stop and take pictures of the front of the house.

close up of pink and purple flowers in the gardenThis is one of the allium hybrids, either ‘Millenium’ or the very similar ‘Serendipity’ (both Zones 4–8). Unlike the spring-blooming bulbous alliums, which flower and then go dormant, this is one of the summer-blooming rhizomatous alliums, which flower heavily and have foliage that stays green and attractive the whole growing season. In front, masses of bright annual vinca (Catharanthus roseus, Zones 10–11 or as an annual) bloom.

yellow and black butterfly on allium flowersThis swallowtail butterfly is a big fan of the allium blooms as well.

garden bed around the front porch with pink and orange flowersThe front of the house includes a blaze of color from the petunias. You can see why this planting is literally stopping traffic!

clumps of bright pink flowers with white and light green foliage plants bordering behindBehind the masses of brilliant petunias is a row of caladiums (Caladium hybrid, Zones 9–11 or as tender bulbs) with nearly entirely white leaves. Caladiums are often recommended for shade, but they can grow in more sun, especially if temperatures are cooler and they have plenty of water.

bright pink petunias surrounded by colorful foliage plantsBehind the blaze of petunias, a tall canna (Canna hybrid, Zones 7–11 or as a tender bulb) with bright yellow-striped foliage adds more color to the planting.

close up of bright red canna flowersCannas don’t just have colorful foliage; they have beautiful flowers as well.

garden bed with ornamental grass and colorful coleusColeus (Plectranthus scutellarioides, Zones 10–11 or as an annual) is the king of colorful foliage, with varieties that will thrive in sun or shade.

clump of yellow coneflowers in bloomA bright yellow coneflower (Echinacea hybrid, Zones 4–9)

close up of orange coneflowersAnd a coneflower in brilliant orange. The early colorful coneflower hybrids were beautiful but tended not to last long in the garden. The newer breeding has produced better garden plants that are more reliably perennial and that flower like crazy.

 

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Originally posted 2022-08-18 15:08:44.