containers

Distinguishing traits: The foliage of purple fountain grass is outstanding, featuring a striking, dark burgundy/black grassy blade that has a lighter green base. This unusual coloration blends in well with other bright green and purplish plants and flowers. Long, foxtail-like plumes appear early in the season and remain late into the summer and fall, providing graceful movement and texture in the warm-season garden. Its medium size makes it a versatile addition to any garden, and the quick growth rate allows you to save money by purchasing it in a 1-gallon container. In no time at all, this ornamental grass will grow to twice and even three times its size.

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How to use it: Purple fountain grass is the perfect addition to perennial garden beds as well as larger container plantings, and gardeners in nearly any zone can find a use for it. Its height makes it a great plant for the middle part of your garden, mixed in with flowering perennials or planted en masse for a more meadow-like look. If you opt to use purple fountain grass in your mixed perennial bed, plant it in groups of three to provide repetition and consistency. If you tuck it into a container, make sure the vessel is large enough to accommodate the mature size of the grass; I usually opt for pots at least 2 feet wide at the top. Plant it in the middle of the pot, and place flowering annuals such as purple petunias or calibrachoas and lime-green sweet potato vine around the base. The purple and green colors play off each other beautifully and create a stunning focal point for your patio or deck.

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Planting notes: Purple fountain grass likes loose, well-drained soil. Let it dry out a bit in between watering — once established, it's fairly drought tolerant. If you live in an area with very hot and intense sun, this grass will take some partial shade, particularly in the afternoon. If you live in USDA zone 8b or above and would like to treat purple fountain grass as a perennial, let it shine in your garden until late winter (February) when you can cut it back to about 6 to 8 inches. All other zones should treat purple fountain grass as an annual, but since it is so affordable and such a fast grower, you won't mind replacing it annually.

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Choosing a Canna Color You'll find a wide variety of leaf and flower colors and variegation when picking out a canna plant. The traditional canna has basic green leaves with bright red flowers, but there are many others to choose from. Try out various flower hues, from flaming red and orange to softer yellows and apricots.

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Red cannas look especially beautiful when tamed by whites and pinks. Notice how the veins of the canna leaves are intensified by the lighter colors that surround them. Another way to enhance the patterns in the canna leaves is to place the plant so it is backlit either in the morning or evening. A sunset filtering through the leaves of a canna is a gorgeous sight.

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How to Care for Cannas Cannas are easy. They require a bit more effort than evergreen bushes, but not much. The only real work is pulling them up in the fall and planting them in the spring. It takes a total of perhaps two hours a year for 20 to 25 cannas. When the first frost hits, simply lift the cannas out of the ground by the stems and let them dry out in the sun for a day. Cut off the dried stems, store the rhizomes in a dry, cool space and they will be ready to go next spring.

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Holes in leaves. Pinch off the affected leaves and blast with a hose to keep critters at bay. Yellowing foliage. Try adding fertilizer to the soil around the cannas. They might be underfed. Shriveled or moldy rhizomes. When in storage, a few bulbs will inevitably go bad. Simply toss them in the trash or woodpile. For the most part, I plant my cannas and forget about them. They are tough, beautiful statement plants that you will either love or love to hate

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Try using cannas as "exploding" plants behind a low-clipped hedge of boxwood or yew. The plant is quite well behaved, but gives a tailored look a bit more excitement.

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Cannas can look very formal when planted in pots and interspersed with other mannerly plants. Using deep maroon foliage gives this entryway depth and distinction.

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Cannas can be worked into a formal garden by keeping them clustered and neat. Notice how the overall form of the canna planting is circular instead of "drifting" in a free-form pattern.

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Cannas have lush foliage, but can be top heavy. Try underplanting cannas with low-growing pots to cover up those bare ankles.

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At a Glance: Canna Lilies Botanical name: Cannaceae Common name: Canna lily USDA zones: 8-10 (find your zone) Water requirement: Well-drained, well-watered soil Light requirement: Full sun, slight shade Mature size: 2 to 9 feet tall, depending on variety Benefits: Easy to grow, tall and statuesque, pest resistant, interesting foliage, wide range of colors Best time to plant: 2 weeks after the last frost in your area for colder zones and anytime in zones 8-10 Seasonal interest: Foliage looks the best in late spring-mid summer, while the flowers put on a show in late summer.

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If your climate, soil or simple lack of outdoor space prevents you from incorporating sedums into your garden design, why not do something similar to what Debora Carl has done here? Low-growing sedums cascade nicely in indoor planters, making excellent gifts or dining table centerpieces. Shown here: Sedum 'Angelina', zones 3 to 10

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