Annual layout: criticism welcomed

[CaptainsLS]

I have 3 beds that are irrigated in partial shade. They are 30' x 7' at a local gas station. This is my Spring/Summer layout as of now:

First 2' on all sides, 1' on center (so 2 rows deep) white & purple wave petunias.

In the center which is now 3' deep by 26' groups and bunches of:

Dusty Miller
Coleus
Purple Salvia
Moonbeam Coreopsis (yellow)

Thoughts, ideas, input......?

[MuirView Design]

Friends don't let friends plant annuals......;)

[CaptainsLS]

Hey! I don’t like this stuff that much either, I just like parking my trucks in the center of town and getting paid for it! My greenscape ability isn’t very strong at all, we use a combination of an LA and garden center for that, but I figured I could handle this?

[CaptainsLS]

Hmmm...you guys are making me go to that "other" site, eh?

[4seasons]

how about some annual grasses and some impatiens
if there is enough room cannas are awsome.

[MuirView Design]

Hmmm...you guys are making me go to that "other" site, eh?

Hahaha - good luck with that! I was just quoting the bumper sticker on the back of my dump trailer. I always get a chuckle from the yard guys with that one.

The concept sounds good. i like the idea of some grasses, maybe purple fountain. Cannas are awesome, but probably not the best for an island situation. I don't do a lot of annual designing, but you can't go wrong with the wave petunias. Hell, just about anything will dress up a gas station!

[CaptainsLS]

I like cannas as well but I'm in zone 5/6. I don’t think they do that well here? I figured I would get a little height from the Salvia and Coreopsis in the center, and then kill it with the wave petunias overflowing into the parking lot and street. I just don’t know if this stuff will clash with each other?

[MuirView Design]

What do you constitute as partial shade? I'd shy away from the moonbeam if you have more than 3 or 4 hours of shade.

[cgland]

Are we talking annuals or perennials? Salvia and Coreopsis are perennials. Is this something you will be changing out several times per year? I'd go with a center row of Purple fountain grass, surrounded by Impatiens, surrounded by Marigolds, then killed w/ Double Wave Petunias.

[CaptainsLS]

On the shade question, there are trees in the island. They are ornamentals so there isn’t a ton of shade.

Chris, Yes we will be switching out the arrangements during the year. Does your landscape division have any clients that you do the seasonal planting?

[cgland]

We have 5-6 clients that get a seasonal color program.

[CaptainsLS]

You wouldnt by chance have a pict, would you?

[JZap]

I do annual designs every year. A little trick I use for great effects with little thought is to buy combo hanging baskets (12" are good) say one will have 2 color petunias, nemesia and Osteospernums. You plant the whole basket in the ground with potting soil and you have a great combo that already has fertilzer. Then in addition to these baskets I'd recommend maybe using 3-4 different shades of Heuchera mixed together. (Heuchera has both perennial and annual forms). The trick is to get a few heights, textures and colors from maybe about 4-5 different annuals in each bed. The grasses or dracena can give height. I always use "proven winners" annuals.
Here's a couple pics of my annual designs. The first one shows the heuchera just installed, but filled in it looks cool. The others are more annual designs in shaded areas.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7d835b3127cce858350e64c0e00000036100AYtWzZu1aNm MA
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7d835b3127cce85836ae6cd2300000036100AYtWzZu1aNm MA
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7d835b3127cce858368f04c0400000036100AYtWzZu1aNm MA
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7d835b3127cce858366af4c5c00000036100AYtWzZu1aNm MA

[MuirView Design]

Good Pics John! Stunning design. I love the last two!

[CaptainsLS]

Nice pics John, I really like pic 2 myself, what plants are used in that arrangement?

[JZap]

Starting from the front is obviously junipers which is the permanent template for this annual area. Then there is Proven Winners Sweet Potato Vine, Proven Winners Coleous "Christmas Candy", and Proven Winners Coleous "Dappled Apple"
Here's a link to a useful site for combo ideas and sun and shade annuals, perennials and some shrubs.
http://www.provenwinners.com/ce_main.cfm?pwMainPage
And no I don't work for Proven Winners, but they work for me! Never had any issues with them and even with often customer neglect they still look good.

[JZap]

Here's a few more from the same house different years. Keep in mind this is almost $20,000 in materials. This house takes 2 box trucks full of annuals.


http://a900.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/108/l_12b82c0965c54ea35a47ecf0573bc263.jpg
http://a625.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/120/l_8e49c1c40661ebc698ec51c306cbc170.jpg
http://a669.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/109/l_fa490c00d5132b515a6991daa4fdb85c.jpg
http://a396.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/105/l_e372e2b07295e201877ab5339252bb8b.jpg

[cgland]

Nnnniiccceeee!

[STLPONDS]

We use a lot of begonias around here which is the same zone.

[CaptainsLS]

Wow John, those hit the spot! Lot of money there, that’s for sure. I'm a big fan of the proven winners myself. We use predominantly PW plants with great success with all of them.

[JZap]

Unfortunately, this customer sold this property about 1.5 years ago and the new owner brought in an in-house gardening crew that lives on the property. This house sits on over 400 acres in Chester County! It's a horse farm (polo horses) the stable itself was around $3.3 mil. he has 35 horses here, the house here is a historic house and all these annuals get replaced with mums in the fall. I don't have any pics of that, but, yes, it was a nice account and definately I had a lot of pride working here. The former owner I speak of owns many restaurants and this ONE of his summer homes.