Creating Your Own Little Getaway

I wanted to find a spot within my own gardens that was peaceful, privatized, and inviting. In order to do this, I found raised planter boxes to create height. My planter boxes reflect my personal style, there are many options to choose from to reflect your personal style and taste. The annuals I have chosen are full sun, be aware of your sun conditions and choose your plants accordingly. If you would like this to be year round, you may want to consider using evergreen options, boxwood would be lovely. You can add flowers at their base for the summer, little pumpkins on skewers for Halloween through Thanksgiving. For the winter months, little pinecones or a garland wrapped around the base. If you want to share your intimate space with a friend in the evening, tiny lights strung throughout would make it feel very special. I am so loving my space!

Beautiful Inspirations

​Evolvulus Blue Daze
Sun exposure
Full sun 
Bloom time
Annual
Flower color
​Blue
Foliage color
Fuzzy green/ grey
Height
Trailing

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​Sara Says...blue daze closes it's flowers at dusk and reopens at morning!
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Geranium Ivy Temprano Salmon
Sun exposure
Full sun 
Bloom time
Annual
Flower color
​Deep hot salmon
Foliage color
Green, large, waxy leaves
Height
Trailing

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​Sara Says...pinch off spent bloom stems to promote more flowers!

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Heliotrope Fragrant Delight
Sun exposure
Full sun to part shade
Bloom time
Annual
Flower color
​Deep purple
Foliage color
Deep green
Height
12 - 18 inches

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​Sara Says...unfortunately does not make a good cut flower. Will wilt in a vase!
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Marigold Aluma Vanilla Cream
Sun exposure
Full sun 
Bloom time
Annual
Flower color
​Buttery yellow
Foliage color
Insignificant
Height
 8 - 12 inches

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​Sara Says...cut back spent blooms and will keep rabbits away!
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Silver Falls Dichondra
Sun exposure
Full sun to part shade
Bloom time
N/A
Flower color
​N/A
Foliage color
Silver
Height
Draping

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​Sara Says...fantastic against dark pots. Glistens when sun hits. One of my all time favorites!
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​Snapdragon Old Fashioned
Sun exposure
Full sun
Bloom time
Annual
Flower color
​Wide variety (does not include true blues)
Foliage color
Wide variety
Height
wide variety

​​Sara Says...blooms all summer in non-humid conditions. Tend to die out in humidity!
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Sundiasca Upright Blush White
​Sun exposure
Full sun
Bloom time
Annual
Flower color
​Pinks to whites
Foliage color
Very little
Height
14 - 20 inches

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​Sara Says...will drape through other flowers while some of it stays linear!

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Sunpatiens Compact Coral Pink
Sun exposure
Full sun to part sun
​Bloom time
Annual
Flower color
​Wide variety
Foliage color
Solid to yellow or white margins
Height
12 - 18 inches

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​Sara Says...fantastic planted in mass in a perennial garden!
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These are the beautiful black, wrought iron raised planter boxes that I chose. I really like these because the dark color will create an amazing contrast to the colors of foliage that I picked. Isn't my perfect pooch Ozzy just adorable!?

​Below I have included some variations of planter boxes to give you some ideas to fit your personal style.

First things first, remember to always choose a great potting soil! In all things you do, the foundation will set the tone for the life of the plants. I work in an osmocote fertilizer for extra nutrients, and more beautiful foliage and floral output. The reason I chose an osmocote is because it gives the fertilizer a shell that dissolves over the season so that the plants get a nice continuous dose of plant food.

Next, lets start planting! I decided to put the tallest Snap Dragons in the back being spaced apart around 14 inches so that I achieve the privacy desired.

Thirdly, I added two of the vibrant blue Heliotrope in each box. The Heliotrope I placed randomly so that they didn't look too contrived, and easy going.

Then came the amazing Sunpatiens! They are my favorite part of this arrangement, and add the most pop of color so I placed them right front and center in each box. Sunpatiens can get very large, so two per box is plenty, and will give the continuous flourish of color all season. I also added the trailing Geraniums very close in color to the Sunpatiens. The reason I picked the trailing Geraniums is because of their self-cleaning abilities, which make them much easier to take care of versus seed Geraniums. The yellow Zinnias that I used were from a four pack of starter plants that I just dropped in so that it looked like a bird had placed them there. They make a great statement against the black! Lastly came the trailers, I picked the Silver Falls and Blue Daze. They both fill in quickly so I kept them two per box each, and I just love the combination of blue and silver against the black!

​​I love it, and I hope you love it too!