Cincinnati June 2022

In blooming color
By far, the backyard’s container gardens
steal the show. Eye-catching
blooms and trailing greenery spill
over from multiple series of pots
that were part of the overall design
concept.
“We wanted large overflowing pots
with vegetation that had a soft feel,”
explains Elizabeth, “and we wanted
their height to be the centerpiece and
give us some soft screening, since we
sit up on a hill and look down into
our back yard.”
The Site Group rotates the plantings
every year, but they typically
include a colorful canvas of petunias,
sunpatiens, vinca and some kind of
center focal piece such as a mini palm
or hibiscus. “The thriller is the centerpiece,
the filler is around the centerpiece,
and then the spiller is a sweet
potato vine or creeping jenny vine
to come over top of the container,”
adds Ben.
The scatterings of vivid pinks, reds,
yellows and oranges create a gardener’s
paradise that is on trend with
what the latest (outdoor) looks are
for 2022. There’s a trend now toward
flowing evergreen shrubs in the yard
with color pulled in through containers
on patios and annuals in beds.
People are moving away from perennials,
which can wither as the season
goes on.
“We are planting more ground
cover such as liriope and groundcover
sedum,” says Ben. “We put it up against
boxwood or juniper and layer in flowering
shrubs such as Hydrangeas,
Viburnums or Itea. We do a lot of
Hydrangeas as a backdrop.” ➻
1
2
1 Potted containers and plantings full of warm annuals add eye-catching appeal.
2 Placement of the hot tub was a careful consideration during planning.
22 housetrends.com