Pot Shots, Mid-September

'Picasso' petunias

I went out this morning to take an inventory of my pots and see what is still looking good, four months after planting. The winners are angelonia, heliotrope, lantana (some), perilla, scaveola,  setcresea, begonias, and of course all the sweet potato vines. Some of the million bells are still hanging in, but looking a little straggly. Surprisingly, my vincas don't look that good, kind of yellowed and losing steam. They usually do great right up until frost. And I have been disappointed this year with the lantana, which is always a winner for me. Maybe I picked up the wrong varieties this year, but the ones I have in pots are tall and gangly, not very attractive in pots. It seems like the pink and purple varieties are doing well, but the other colors are not. Strange.

Angelonia, Perilla, Heliotrope, Sweet Potato Vine

Heliotrope, Sweet Potato Vine, Angelonia

Pink Lantana, Heliotrope, Sweet Potato Vine

Scarlet Vinca, Lantana, Million Bells

Scaveola, Setcresea, Sweet Potato Vine

Scaveola, Variegated Sage, Perilla, Sweet Potato Vine

Vinca, Lantana, Heliotrope, Angelonia

Perilla, Lavender Lantana

This pot of white vinca and euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' has never looked good. Why haven't I just pitched it?

I cut everything back in this pot a few weeks ago--pink scaveola, pink million bells, and some angelonia--but it hasn't really recovered. I think it was too many plants for the pot, as they never really flourished. Time to go. I also have a pot of 'Profusion' zinnias, which I couldn't even make myself take a picture of, they look so bad. They do awesome in the ground, but not so good in a pot (at least for me). I don't mind editing a little at this time of year...time for a few pots to go.