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I have a city terrece that I would love to plant with something...I did annuals in it last year and it is getting very expensive to plant every year..it is the length of our propery..I dont want tall things since I like people to be able to see what I have done with the front yard..any help would be appreciated..Judy
You can plant lots of perennials in containers. Last year I put a few orange day lilles in a container because I didn't want more in my beds, and they look amazing, and were fine over winter.
I agree, I think you just need to switch to perennials instead of annuals. It might help with suggestions if you could tell us what annuals you grew and liked, then people might be able to suggest perennials that would have a similar look and height. Or if you really like the annuals (since they will typically give you a much more extended bloom period than many perennials) you could always try starting them from seed instead of buying plants every year.
There are many perennials in the less than 24" tall range. Sweet Kate Golden Spiderwort is a lovely plant that grows only 12" tall with a spread of 18 - 24". Much as I enjoy all the varieties of Heuchera I wouldn't like a mass planting of them. I like them as accent plants. They average 12-15" tall when not in bloom and are grown mostly for their colorful foliage. Coreopsis has many varieties that don't get too tall. I planted some Blue Chip Campanulas this year. I can't wait to see their blooms. They only get 12" tall. We planted Pink Cheddars 5 years ago, 3 plants. They are a 2'x4' clump right outside our door now.
I don't like planting annuals. I'd like to say the ongoing cost is the reason but my real reason is I'm too lazy. I was lucky to find enough ambition to do it once. LOL
