August 29, 2019 Remaking Containers, The Botanists Patrick Browne, Rudolf Geschwind and the Countess of Roses, Christina Rossetti, Colors from Nature by Bobbi McRae, Redesigning with Hostas, and Ingrid Bergman in Cactus Flower

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Monologue

Well, it's time to get serious about remaking our containers – especially on the front porch and around the front door.

Regularly editing containers is essential to keep them looking great.

Sometimes combinations don’t work well; other times, plants can grow in unexpected ways – too tall, too bushy, or just an abject failure.

With the arrival of fall, it’s the perfect time to remove spent plants and replace them with selections that are more seasonally appropriate.

Fall pansies are lovely to incorporate if you live in a cold climate. They can take colder temperatures with no problem. Of course, mums, asters, and even grasses are wonderful in fall pots.

I always like to look for bargains at my local nurseries and big box stores. Sometimes those finds are temporarily placed in containers before they find a home in the garden.

And don’t forget you can include houseplants when you’re working with your fall containers.

Pathos and Croton, even some chopped-up sections from an overgrown Boston fern, are tremendous additions to fall containers.

Botanical History On This Day

1790 Patrick Browne, Irish botanist, physician, and friend of Linnaeus, died. He left behind a groundbreaking flora of Jamaica that helped usher Linnaean classification into the English-speaking world.

1829 Rudolf Geschwind, German-Austrian rosarian and master breeder of frost-hardy roses, was born, his legacy later safeguarded by the remarkable Countess Maria Henrieta Chotek at Dolná Krupá.

Unearthed Words

Late August speaks in wind and falling leaves—verses from *A Year’s Windfalls* by Christina Rossetti, a poet who believed her garden could be nothing other than herself.

Grow That Garden Library™

Read The Daily Gardener review of Colors from Nature by Bobbi McRae

Buy the book on Amazon: Colors from Nature by Bobbi McRae

Today's Botanic Spark

1915 Actress Ingrid Bergman was born—forever beloved by gardeners for her immortal declaration in Cactus Flower: “My cactus! It’s blooming!”

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