The Accent (Companion) Plant Thread

[ghues]

Created this spring. Maybe my personal favorite so far. View attachment 159292

Indian paintbrush?.....from seed or dig you dig it?

 

[ghues]

Put this one together a few days ago. Edge-of-the-woods autumnal planting. The mushrooms are temporary but I hope they'll be replaced with some growing from a fungus-bearing piece of wood I've buried in the pot.

Which display do you think works better - the wood slice or the slats? Nice composition......My Vote - slats.

 

[Arcto]

Indian paintbrush?.....from seed or dig you dig it?

That one was from a native plant nursery. I have others I've collected or grown from seed.

 

[wsteinhoff]

Finally made an attempt at an accent plant. A kenilworth ivy division in a rock that should look nice after it grows a bit more.

 

[ABCarve]

Erodium

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Erodium

Nice! How do you overwinter it? I thought they’d be hardy here, but it didn’t make it through last winter. Had to start over:

 

[ABCarve]

My make-shift greenhouse made from sliding glass door replacements. Nights 54 F. Days 62 F.

 

[ABCarve]

I keep my mandavillas in there once I untangle them.

 

[ABCarve]

Nice! How do you overwinter it? I thought they’d be hardy here, but it didn’t make it through last winter. Had to start over:
View attachment 162249

Love the color. Couldn't find a pink one.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Love the color. Couldn't find a pink one.

Amazon Prime, if you can believe it!

 

[wsteinhoff]

My erodium:



The entire length of it has been carved out and so is a branch. After what I suspect to be a chipmunk (they like to hang around all the plants and dig in pots) took a chunk out of it, rot quickly spread and it dropped many of its leaves. I've now got a new front and will pot it at the angle I'm holding it at. It just needs a new pot and for more leaves to grow back.

 

[clevetromba]

View attachment 162246 Erodium

That's amazing! What is it, and how long does it bloom? It looks like you've carefully trained it, and kept it alive quite a while!

 

[clevetromba]

View attachment 162276 My make-shift greenhouse made from sliding glass door replacements. Nights 54 F. Days 62 F.

very cool! That's better than makeshift.

 

[clevetromba]

My erodium:

View attachment 162313

The entire length of it has been carved out and so is a branch. After what I suspect to be a chipmunk (they like to hang around all the plants and dig in pots) took a chunk out of it, rot quickly spread and it dropped many of its leaves. I've now got a new front and will pot it at the angle I'm holding it at. It just needs a new pot and for more leaves to grow back.

That could almost pass for a bona fide bonsai!

 

[wsteinhoff]

That's amazing! What is it, and how long does it bloom? It looks like you've carefully trained it, and kept it alive quite a while!

Erodium aka heron's bill is a small woody plant related to geraniums. Mine blooms year round.

 

[clevetromba]

View attachment 162276 My make-shift greenhouse made from sliding glass door replacements. Nights 54 F. Days 62 F.

What time of year does it maintain those temps? Do you have supplemental heat in there in Winter?

 

[TomB]

Those erodiums look very interesting. Think I'll have to investigate those.

Here's a snap of my accent growing area at the moment.

 

[ABCarve]

What time of year does it maintain those temps? Do you have supplemental heat in there in Winter?

Being from Erie, you and I have a very similar climate (5b) . I will start bringing my temperate stuff inside in a few weeks, when the nights are consistently in the mid to lower 40's. The season seems a little extended this year. There is supplemental electric heat with a thermostat that ramps the heat up a down. Energy bills aren't to bad with a real roof and insulation. Are you in the Cleveland club?

 

[clevetromba]

Being from Erie, you and I have a very similar climate (5b) . I will start bringing my temperate stuff inside in a few weeks, when the nights are consistently in the mid to lower 40's. The season seems a little extended this year. There is supplemental electric heat with a thermostat that ramps the heat up a down. Energy bills aren't to bad with a real roof and insulation. Are you in the Cleveland club?
View attachment 162329 View attachment 162330

So you keep it at those temps through the winter?
Yes, I am in the Cleveland club.

 

[ABCarve]

So you keep it at those temps through the winter?
Yes, I am in the Cleveland club.

I do keep those temps through winter. I'm a member as well.