Living patchwork quilt idea

17 years ago

I tried to post this in the "groundcover" forum, but... surprise! ... they don't seem to have much going on in there. I checked out the "North" regional forum, but that's dead too, so I wonder if other Hosta addicts might have some input.

My nephew worked in a restaurant, and had the wisdom to save a couple of dozen plastic 5-gallon oil containers from the dumpster. I've inherited these, and I want to make a sort of "patchwork quilt" with them.

The idea is that I will cut the top & bottom off of the containers (which have a square shape), and bury them in the ground up to the top edge (with about 1/2 inch showing above ground before the mulch is applied). Then, I want to fill them in a patchwork-quilt pattern with different ground covers and other similar plants, in a wide range of colors and textures.

All of these plants should be low-growing (a foot or less), flowers are great, but not essential, and they should spread by root or runners. Also, this is going to be in dappled sun/mostly shade, so the plants have to be okay with that.

So far, I have several kinds of mini Hostas, pink and white Lily of the Valley and wild ginger that I can use. I am thinking of using about 4 of the squares with gravel or colored landscaping rocks or river rocks in them, and some sort of little sculpture or other item in that square. I'm also thinking about a larger item in the middle square, maybe a short bird-bath or gazing ball (although I think most of those are corny).

The "quilt" will be at my mother's house (where I have "my" garden), and I am in college full-time, out of town, and only have summers (not always guaranteed) and some weekends to attend the garden, so it has to be low-maintenance. We can do annuals in some of the squares, but getting them planted might be a trick. And spring bulbs are a nice idea, but what about when they finish blooming?

One more "hitch", I'm in the crack of zones 3/4, so it's gotta be hardy! I'm looking for about 6 more plants that I can include in this. The more interesting, the better!

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Comments (7)

idiothe
17 years ago
You could get all the variety you need with sedums... theres so many varieties in the low-growing ground cover sedums..

(I'm not looking these up, so forgive missspelllings...)

different shades of green, kamstschaticum and middenflorianum with yellow flowers in different weeks, also a green one that is similar in size to these two but blooms pink... also light green one called album that will grow on a bowling ball

blue green, theres a small, round-leafed one and also the one that looks like blue spruce

red-tinted - dragons' blood is a color changer... Elizabeth stays red longer... others

and there's a tricolor and several bicolor variations...
Babka NorCal 9b
17 years ago
Sounds like a fun plan. Go for it. Everything grows at a different pace, so some will be running into their neighbors over the tops of your containers. With 24 containers you have 4 x 6 or 8 x 3, so I'm guessing you will be able to get at the center ones for weeding and pruning?

My, what a fascination of texture and color you can create. Have fun and be sure to post some pics on how it goes.

-Babka
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lindac
17 years ago
Sounds like fun! but why the containers? You could get the same effect with bricks and you would have paths to get in to tend the plants.
I have seen this done...when I saw it it was lovely...but you will have to be careful that you don't have periods of scruffy" with certain plants. Lily of the Valley for example gets ratty in late summer.
How about a couple of varieties of dianthus? And of course Hen and Chicks...some of the new heuchera, like caramel, I think Palace purple will be too tall.
Sweet woodruff, lamium white nancy ( will have to be trimmed often) and my mind is seeing a couple of ornamental kale in there too
Post pictures!
Linda C
von1
17 years ago
Try some lavender is one. I'm in zone 4 and I have one huge bunch. It is in a protected corner of my garden. Maybe the container will protect it enough that it will work for you also. Its very beautiful.
ptilda
Original Author
17 years ago
Keep in mind, I'm talking about doing this in the shade. Will hens & chicks be ok? I have a lot of those, but they are all in the sun.

I like the idea of bricks, but I'll probably still use the containers for the more invasive-prone plants, since I'm not always here to tend it & if I'm gone for a year, I don't want it to be a disaster when I get back to the dirt! The bricks will probably move from the corners into the middle.

My LOV has always looked pretty good through the year, unless I transplant it. But I can always plant annuals in with it if need be.

Lavender & herbs would be great, but I don't know if that will work in shade. Maybe mints, but they will also need to be trimmed, along with the Sweet Woodruff, which I was also thinking about.

Keep the suggestions coming, I'm loving it!
flowerchild59
17 years ago
Why not do a patchwork of hostas?
You could use different colors for the patches and they wouldn't get ratty like some plants do. A patch of mini begonias would be lovely mixed in there too along with maybe some impatients.
thisismelissa
17 years ago
These are good in my zone 4a garden....

Creeping Jenny (Aurora...or something like that)... it's gold, spreads by runner and is pretty hardy. Needs water to establish.

Consider the Lamiums too. Purple Nancy is great,
but if you can find one that is really variegated like this one, it'd SHINE in your setting:
Anne Greenaway:
http://www.dorights.com/plantsigns/images/Lamium%20Golden%20Anniversary.jpg