Plants that bring height to our outdoor container designs play a big role in the visual impact of a design. But finding height for outdoor shade designs can be tricky – so many of our usual choices need a fair amount of sun to thrive. Our solution: we turn to many of our favorite houseplants. Not only do they add beauty to our outdoor designs, but when the season is over, we can bring them back inside to enjoy them year-round.
Our Favorite Houseplants for Height
Finding height for your outdoor shade container is as easy as visiting our collection of tall houseplants in the greenhouse – or repurposing a houseplant of your own. For example, a character Dracaena marginata – with its slender curving canes – makes an unexpected and conversation-starting addition to a container combination. Surround it with something low – like ivy, impatiens, or torenia – to make sure those creative canes aren’t blocked from view. An alocasia is a fun choice for outdoor shade combinations too. Its long, arching stems and broad, heart-shaped leaves make the perfect tropical statement when surrounded by vividly colorful tropicals and shade-loving annuals like croton, New Guinea impatiens, and coleus. For a formal look, try Ficus benjamina or rubber plant. A schefflera or bamboo palm would look great in the center of a pot too.
Tips to Continue Reusing Your Houseplants
Whether you find a new plant in our collection or use one of your own, there’s a way to make the transition between indoors and out easier on you and your plant – keep the houseplant in its plastic grow pot. As you’re building your outdoor design, just set the grow pot down into the potting mix – as if you were planting it – and leave the upper edge slightly above soil level. This way, potting mix won’t fall in and build up around the stem of the plant – increasing the risk of stem rot. Then plant your other annuals around as usual. When you water the arrangement, be sure some gets into the pot with the houseplant too. With this approach, when fall arrives and it’s time to go inside again, you can simply pull the plant out by its grow pot and it’s all set to be a houseplant again.
Join Us to Learn More
To see more examples of double-duty houseplants in outdoor shade containers, join us for Container Design, a demonstration on Saturday, April 28th, at 10am and 2pm. There, we’ll share even more tips and inspiration – using all kinds of plants – to create outstanding outdoor combinations for sun and shade.
