Hi GPODers!
If you’ve been a part of the Garden Photo of the Day community for a while, the name Howard Nemeroff might ring a bell. Howard is the owner of Plant Parenting, Inc., an interior landscaping and container gardening company based in Chicago. He has shared his sensational designs several times over the years (One Window Box, Four Seasons; Howard’s Spring Container Displays; and Celebrating Summer and Welcoming Fall with Howard’s Containers, to name a few), and has been featured in Fine Gardening‘s print magazine (Accessorizing the Landscape with Seasonal Containers). Howard’s creations are anything but ordinary, and even after years of building containers for his clients, he is still managing to come up with completely new and unique designs. Here are some of his latest masterpieces.
Hi Fine Gardening! I wanted to share this new design. Fifteen tulips and three grape ranunculus in the center, purple pansy, and green vinca vine (Vinca major cv., Zones 7–9) outside. Hoping to achieve a hand-tied-bouquet effect.
This steel basket once used on a factory floor is repurposed by planting Ocean Mix pansies (Viola wittrockiana ‘Ocean Breeze Mix’, annual) on the outside and then weaving pussy willow collar around the rim. Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima, annual) completes the look (or could be wheat grass) to make ready for holiday eggs.
Lucky and goth: Combination of Iron Cross oxalis (Oxalis tetraphylla ‘Iron Cross’, Zones 8–11 or as an annual), ‘Black Mamba’ begonia (Begonia sp. ‘Black Mamba’, Zones 10–12 or as an annual), and ‘Club Moss’ selaginella (Selaginella kraussiana ‘Club Moss’, Zones 11–12 or as an annual). I actually added a couple of oyster mushroom plugs in here too, to attempt a woodsier look.
When I say alyssum at nose level, this delivers! What was done here: reused the alyssum and heuchera from spring, removed the hydrangeas and replaced with white caladium and begonias. Also, moved a couple of the alyssum from the right planter to the left as the shaded left side needed a little more balance, and replaced the gaps with Spotlight Lime ipomoea (Ipomoea batatas ‘Balspotime’, annual).
And a closer look at those entryway pots . . .
This planter is on a 46th-floor balcony! Low-maintenance cacti and succulents allow for some fabulous forms and color without endless trips to the faucet every day for watering. Be sure to check out the Plant Parenting Instagram to see the other container creations Howard made for this client: @plant_parenting.
Thank you so much for sharing your incredible container designs with us again, Howard! Your combinations are always a welcome reminder to think outside the box and try something new.
How are your container creations looking so far this year? Were your spring pots spectacular? Are your summer plantings starting to fill out? Consider sharing your container designs with Garden Photo of the Day! Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
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