The snow is receding and every time I walk in or out of the house I notice the planter by the side of the stairs and the wispy, brown foliage of whatever was in there last summer, bobbing in the breeze. Now, what did I plant there last year? More to the point, what should I plant there this year?
Containers you walk by every day should have something special in them, something to make you smile and feel glad to be home. This is not a particularly sunny spot, and thinking back on all the plants I've tried growing in it over the years, my mind stuck on Torenia. This is a quirky looking flower. One of its common names is Wishbone Flower, because the anthers form a wishbone, until the bees break it open. But I always think of it as the Clown Flower. I believe only the Clown Series are technically Clown Flowers, but that little yellow dot on the bottom lip of the flower makes it look like the flower is in a constant state of surprise, so I always remember them as clown flowers.
Whatever you call them, they bloom their little hearts out and don't require deadheading, which is a really, really big plus. And they love partial shade. So today I'm thinking one of the violet Torenia varieties would look very nice in that container this summer. Join me while I check out this week's featured plant: Torenia.
Photo: © Marie Iannotti
Comments
Pretty flower! Wonder if the bees make a wish?
I’d like to think they do.
this is a question as well as a comment. I recently moved to Claremore, Ok. I came from Corpus Christi,Tx. I love tropical plants, but being new too the cold weather, I am unsure of what to plant here. If anyone can give me advice to this area, it would greatly be appreciated. I love all plants, but do not know where to start being I am coming from warm, humid weather as to cool-cold freezing weather. I don’t even know where to start planting for this zone. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank You, Sincerely, Juliet (NEW& GREEN)
I’ve planted this pretty plant the last several years. It seems not to mind a slightly lower light level so I’ve used it successfully in planters to add color to shadier spots of my yard. I mix the pink and purple varieties together and they bloom almost all summer. They are just a cheerful bloomer!