Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
GreenFuse Botanicals' Grandstand Salvia Mix
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
GreenFuse Botanicals' In the Pink Compatible Mix
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
GreenFuse Botanicals' Compatible Mix - Lobularia 'Marineland White,' Petunia 'Good and Plenty Purple,' Calibrachoa 'Cruze Lavender'
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
GreenFuse Botanicals Compatible Mix
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Hort Couture vertical veggie pallet
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Hort Couture Purple Designer Mix
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Hort Couture Mix - Petunia, Bidens, Coleus
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Hort Couture vertical mixed pallet
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
PlantHaven vertical flower garden
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Ball FloraPlant Mix Masters Big Flirt
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Ball FloraPlant Solar Tower ipomoea, 'Mystical Spires' salvia, 'Headliner Night Sky Blue' petunia
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Ball FloraPlant Calibrachoa 'Can-Can Bumble Bee Pink,' Angelonia 'Archangel Raspberry,' Lantana 'Lucky Yellow,' Lamium 'Anne Greenaway'
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Ball FloraPlant Mix Masters Rose Everyday
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Selecta Trixi Who Knew Orleans
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Ch. Morel Tianis Deep Rose and White - with a Heuchera
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Jaldety Nursery combo with angelonia, ajuga, senecio, sedum, lamium
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Dümmen Orange geranium combo
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Dümmen Orange petunia combo (not named)
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Dümmen Orange coleus, yellow calibrachoa, verbena red with eye (not named)
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Dümmen Orange herb combos
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Dümmen Orange herb combos
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Sakata Ornamentals Coleus 'Dragon's Breath' with 'SuperCal Yellow' petchoa
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Benary early spring pansy combo
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Pacific Plug & Liner echibeckia, cordyline, carex, Night Sky petunia
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
HMA succulent combo
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Pacific Plug & Liner hydrangea, Platinum Blonde lavender, carex
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Pacific Plug & Liner - Ligustrum, heucherella, Ribbon Falls carex, coleus, Echibeckia
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Proven Winners 2018 Combination of the Year
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Proven Winners combo - gaura, calibrachoa, sedum
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Danziger experimental Mixis - gaura, petunia, verbena
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Danziger experimental Mixis - petunia, bidens, verbena
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Danziger experimental mixis - monoculture nemesia planter with red, white, yellow
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
GreenFuse Botanicals - Grandstand salvia, petunia, ipomoea
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Florist Holland - Garvinea gerbera combo with Westhoff petunias and calibrachoas
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Florist Holland Garvinea gerbera combo with Westhoff petunias and verbenas
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Suntory Flowers' Beedance Bee Colorful combo
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Suntory Flowers' Beedance Bee Bananas Combo
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Darwin Perennials Combo Concepts - Heuchera 'Carnival Candy Apple,' Penstemon 'Cherry Sparks,' experimental Iberis
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Darwin Perennials Combo Concepts - Heuchera, UpTick Coreopsis, gaura, yarrow
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Jaldety Nursery unique combo
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Dümmen Orange Garden Party Flamenco Dance
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Dümmen Orange combo (not named) - Coleus, calibrachoa, verbena
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Dümmen Orange Great Falls Outback Safari Mix
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Dümmen Orange Great Falls Safari Text Mix
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Dümmen Orange Great Falls Still Water Safari Mix
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Dümmen Orange Mix & Match Perennial Combo
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Dümmen Orange Mix & Match Perennial Combo
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Westhoff Flowers Crazytunia Mix with petunia, verbena, calibrachoa
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Plug Connection succulent mix
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Westhoff Flowers Crazytunia Mix
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Benary Success Petunia Mix
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Pacific Plug & Liner Hydrangea with Carex 'Ribbon Falls'
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Pacific Plug & Liner lunch table combos
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Proven Winners - heuchera, calibrachoa, ipomoea, euphorbia, double osteospermum
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Syngenta Flowers' Calliope Geranium Red Flame Mix
Cool Combos - Editor's Choice
Syngenta Flowers' Sunfinity Sunflower Mix with Calliope geranium, ipomoea, white angelonia
Every year, I marvel at the beautiful combinations we see as we travel along the West Coast for the California Spring Trials. And every year, I vow to make a slideshow of my favorites, but when we return from CAST, things get busy and other tasks take precedence. Yet with container gardening becoming more of a lifestyle among consumers than a trend, and breeders continuing to put more effort in container mixes and components, I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t share some of the special combinations that not only caught my eye, but absolutely took my breath away and made me want to immediately get started gardening.
I am just one person – one consumer, but I’m also part of your target demographic (40-year-old, female, homeowner, mother, disposable income). And I’m not your typical girly girl. Sure, I like pink (usually in small doses), but I mostly gravitate toward the darker jewel tones, as well as interesting foliage, texture, and mixed culture. I like combining annuals with foliage, blooming potted crops, perennials, and even food crops, but I also like low-maintenance because I’m busy. I like convenience and having mixes put together for me, as well as the freedom to experiment (with guidelines for what works together). I like shopping in store and online. But what I dislike is not being able to find what I like in stores to refresh containers after my spring combos are looking rough. So I’m hopeful that as growers begin to build out shoulder season crops, we’ll see more of these available in stores through summer and into fall.
Take my input and choices for what you will. And meanwhile, let me know which of my favorites are your favorites, too!
Laura Drotleff is a former Editor for Greenhouse Grower.
See all author stories here.