Login / RegisterFrank Ferragine picks the best plants for a killer container
After putting together the book Pot It Up, and weeding down 150 top planter combos from the 200 he experimented with at his family’s Ontario greenhouse, Frank Ferragine has developed a few fave varieties. Here is his list of top choices for a killer container.
Dragon wing begonia
Ferragine says it’s a foolproof annual that explodes with flowers in hues of pink and red. “If you put it in a sunny space and you forget to water it, it’s okay. It’ll look like a little insignificant plant when you buy it, but by end of the summer, it looks great and it’s the only thing left alive.”
Coleus and torenia
Impatiens used to be the go-to for shade plants, but it’s recently been hit hard by downy mildew. Ferragine’s suggestions? Coleus can handle full sun to full shade and has gorgeous multicoloured foliage in maroons, hot pinks, and lime greens. He’s also a big fan of trailing torenia, which has pretty white or blue blooms.
Edibles
“I love to cook; that’s my other passion,” Ferragine says. “There are so many beautiful varieties of herbs and different kinds of tomatoes, with basil [planted] underneath. I also love eggplants with different herbs and marigolds, and swiss chard is beautiful—now and again I’ll call it a sexy veggie. You can even grow potatoes in a container!”
