Topic: I know nothing about flowers!

[reddyreddy]

Absolutely nothing! I have some terracotta planters (oblong about 1 and a half feet long) like window boxes basically but on the ground, they go round the front of the house, about 8 of them. I'd like to fill them with shocking pink and blue flowers which will last from May until Sept, what can you clever peeps suggest?!!

[saddad]

You can get Livingstone daisies in shocking pink... they don't mind it dry...
Convolvulsus (Blue Ensign) is quite bright....  :)

[Tee Gee]

This list might give you a few ideas;

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Plants%20by%20location/Plants%20by%20location.htm

Click on pictures to enlarge;

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Containers%20&%20Planters/Containers%20&%20Planters/containers%20&%20planters.html

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Containers%20-%20Baskets/Containers-baskets/containers-baskets.html

[Eristic]

Keep it simple. 2 or 3 Pelagoniums for the pink back row and fill out with blue Lobelia or Ageratum at the front.

[reddyreddy]

Wow, you guys are on fire today! Thanks so much! Will the suggested flowers last the season? ie May - Sept?  :)

[reddyreddy]

Also, thanks Teegee, your almanac is great but the list of flowers ENORMOUS and knowing nothing at all about flowers I wouldn;t know where to start looking for blue and shocking pink ones! :-[

[saddad]

Probably.... the pelargoniums will go on until serious frosts...  :)

[manicscousers]

cornflowers are bright blue and seem to go on for ages  ;D

[Chrissie]

How about petunias? Not really blue but all shades of pink and purple, and they seem to go on and on and on... especially if you dead-head them. That would apply to most other flowers too if you want to keep them blooming, as if you let them set seed they think they've done their job and give up. You could edge the boxes with dark blue trailing lobelias (you don't need to dead-head those but make sure they don't dry out).

Show us some photos when the time comes!