Re: successful planting in containers

Pamela -

I think you might consider Tecomaria capensis, the Cape Honeysuckle from South
Africa. This plant is is usually classed as a vine, and indeed it is easily
trained against a wall as an espalier, but left to its own, it tends to be an
upright shrub with a number of upward sweeping stems ending in brilliant
orange, melon, or dark red flowers.  There is a yellow-orange form in my
garden that is also quite beautiful.  (A striking yet curious clear yellow
form also exists in cultivation that tends to send out new stems in a
horizontal manner, so if it best used as a large groundcover.)  The evergreen
foliage is very clean looking and shiny, always handsome.  Locally, garden
maintenance people tend to trim this shrub (and virtually everything they can
get their hands on!) into rounded blobs of foliage, which I think is
especially a crime in this case.  Selective pruning of past flowered stems
will create an interesting, open shrub and renew the display which is
concentrated in the late summer & fall, but can often last well into winter.

Seán A. O'Hara
sean(at)gimcw.org
www.hortulusaptus.com
(ask about mediterranean climate gardening forum)

>
> Dear All
> We are having huge difficulty (for over a year now) about deciding what
> would be best for a specific area of our garden.(Dry Costa Blanca).  On the
> side of our driveway we have seven  1.5 -3x metre x 1-2 meter deep rectangle
> white concrete containers (with drainage) which are integral to driveway by
> making a wall which is stepped down with slope of the driveway. We need to
> screen this area and that is why we had these containers put in but I am
> having great difficulty about what we could grow successfully.  We will have
> irrigation into each container.
>
> People on this site have been very kind to give me lists of various possibly
> suitable plants over 18 months ago when we were deciding to go with this
> idea. But I have not been able to come up with something that is
> evergreen,(but not too dense)  can stand pot life, not too much water, full
> sun, salt winds, fairly quick growing, growth to about 3-4 meters, no berry
> staining.   First we decided on Cupressa arizonica but my mind was changed
> because they go brown easily and the specimens I saw in the garden centre
> did not look happy.  We then looked at Bamboo... ...Phylostachys nigra
> especially but decided against that lovely plant because of water needs and
> it could become unhappy quickly and lose its leaves. We have now an idea of
> Photinia ( Red Robin) but have been told its not wonderful in pots! I am
> really at a loss here and I am wondering if there a few robust plants which
> you might know of which would fit the bill.  I would also like to know your
> recommendations about the size of the plants which should be purchased.
> I am looking forward to your replies.
> Pamela
>
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