Going Native: Container Planting with Missy Fabel of Missy Fabel Ecological Landscape Design

Going Native is our gardening series highlighting the contribution of native plants to building resilient landscapes. MyRye.com will introduce you to native plant experts that will tell you ways to get started with a small garden patch, a complete property or just a few garden containers.

Today we speak with Missy Fabel of Missy Fabel Ecological Landscape Design.

MyRye.com: What are good options for native plants to put in a container, for placement on a deck or patio?

Fabel: Unlike ornamental annuals, native plants flower at different times of the season, so don’t expect the flowers of one species to last all summer long. However, there is a wide variety of species that provide texture and color and combinations that will yield a pleasing pot combination all season long. 

Note: Native warm season grasses can provide structure for a large pot.

• Heartleaf foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia). This species blooms early spring, but the mottled foliage remains interesting all year round and can act as “spiller” gracefully flowing over the sides of the pot. Be sure to choose the straight species or the cultivar ‘Running Tapestry’ for the filler effect.
• Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata). Flowering early spring, this plant forms an attractive evergreen mat that can also act as a “spiller.”
• Blue giant hyssop, anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum). Lavender to purple terminal spikes bloom from summer through fall and provide structure, the “thriller.”
• Sedges (Carex spp.). Sedges are highly adaptable – there is likely a sedge for every growing situation from sun to shade, moist to dry. Sedges can be used to add fine texture to a pot, acting as the “filler.” [see Mt. Cuba Center study and ratings: Carex for the Mid-Atlantic Region.]

Also read: Going Native: Missy Fabel Ecological Landscape Design’s Missy Fabel and our Going Native series.