Shade, Shape, and Impatiens: Designing Containers that Pop
If you’ve got a shady spot in your garden near a sun-speckled patio or a blank balcony wall in need of some color, flowers shouldn’t be the only thing you consider when trying to liven up the space.
The right container can make all the difference in your design. Think of it as the canvas that influences the scene for the plants you use. Whether you have a tall planter or a short bowl-shaped container, our Beacon® Impatiens can be used in a variety of ways to take your design to the next level.
With a few smart pairings, you can turn a drab-looking planter into a conversation piece flooded with natural beauty and textures found in a variety of plants. The first step is picking the perfect flowerpot.
Are you looking for a lush, maximalist impact? Or cascading drama with trailing elements and a stark broadleaf centerpiece? Either decision can lead you to use a different shaped container to aid in the impact of your design.
Picking the Perfect Planter
If you’re thinking of using a wide, bowl-shaped pot, a cascading element like a vining Swedish ivy would pair perfectly with Beacon Impatiens White. The soft white blooms from the impatiens complement the white rings on the ivy, which can lead a viewer’s eyes from the blooms down to the curves of your planter
On the other hand, if you have a shorter, low bowl type, having a lush, rounded design will complement the overall shape. This can be achieved by using materials like Begonia Dragon Wing®White and Begonia Rex Jurassic Megalo™ Croc. These rich burgundy leaves and white florets would pair perfectly with a bright pop from Beacon Impatiens Orange, which cascades over bare areas in a planter for an instant visual impact.
Think thriller, filler, and spiller for your lowmounded designs. Use a focal point like Alocasia Regal Shield with its stark broad leaf interest, then fill the open areas of the container with your Beacon Impatiens or Begonia Dragon Wings. Maybe allow a vining variety of hedera or lamium like Helix Glacier or White Nancy to spill over the side of your container to give your design a wild yet sophisticated look.
Tint, Texture & Twist
You should not only take into consideration the shape and size of your planter but also keep in mind how you can complement the color and texture of your containers with your selection of flowers to give an added level of depth to your design. A paler container will gain interest if you pair it with colorful flowers or foliage to contrast the plain tone the planter sets. A darker flowerpot would benefit from a more anchored, basic color scheme to bring interest to the container itself.
Planters can also have a variety of textures that you can mimic in your design to create visual softness or roughness depending on the type of container you choose. A pale, glossy modern planter would pair beautifully with the velvety texture of Coleus Kong Jr.™ Rose, with an intricate red center that contrasts with a rather basic container.
If your planter is ceramic and has textured designs, you could echo that texture with a rough fern or add variety with softer foliage like Dragon Wing Begonia. You can use the variety of colors the Beacon line of impatiens has to offer when thinking about planter color as well. Beacon orange or White complement a darker planter, while Beacon Lipstick and Bright Red would pair perfectly with a pale container.
We encourage you to use the flexible line of Beacon Impatiens like a painter’s palette to establish color and form in your shade planter designs. See how your flowerpots bloom when you combine shape, color, and texture intentionally in your garden. Find the perfect place in the shade, your pot of choice, and let your imagination run wild with Beacon Impatiens.