Red, White and Blue Flowers for the 4th of July

Happy Independence Day! To celebrate the occasion many of your clients may have asked for arrangements or plantscapes that highlight the traditional red, white and blue. There are many flowers that will combine beautifully to make festive Independence Day patio planters for decks, porches and entry ways. The following are a few flower suggestions for red, white and blue container arrangements.

Blue

We will start with blue because this can be one of the most difficult colors to find in flower form. There are a few beautiful blue flowers that can be the centerpiece of a holiday patio planter. Salvia is a great container plant that can grow up to 3 feet tall depending on the variety. Better Homes and Gardens suggests Blue Salvia or Salvia farinacea  and Black and Blue Sage or Salvia guaranitica as ideal blue varieties.

Morning Glories are a climbing blue flower that are prolific and easy to care for.  They enjoy full sun and like to be moist but not wet. They will need a trellis or some kind of support to climb and according to the Gardener’s Network can grow up to 20 feet in a season. Morning Glories must be started from seed, but grow quickly once germinated. To encourage faster germination, soak the seeds before planting them. Be careful where you plant morning glories as they are considered a weed in some areas. It is best to keep them confined to a container.

Clematis is another climbing plant that offers blue flowers. Clematis are a little pickier and require more time for growth and are less prolific than morning glories. However, the flowers they offer are stunning. Clematis like high light, but their roots should not be allowed to get too hot.  Home of Clematis suggests using a potting mix that is high in peat moss, to help retain moisture but allow drainage as well. The clematis will also require a trellis or tripod to support it as it grows.

Calibrachoa or Million Bells is a low growing trailing flower that is perfect for borders and will cascade over the edge of patio planters or hang beautifully from hanging baskets. The prolific flowers on million bells look very much like tiny petunias and will add substantial color to any container arrangement. With full sun and fertilizer Calibrachoa will not disappoint. Better Homes and Gardens suggests Superbells Blue as an ideal blue variety for containers.

Red

Red is an easy flower color to come by and can be found on many sun and shade loving plants. Pentas are a larger plant with large bright red clusters of flowers. The dwarf varieties can grow to a foot tall. The “Graffiti Red Lace” variety, suggested by Better Homes and Gardens, is particularly suited to an Independence Day arrangement. It bears clusters of bright red flowers with white centers. Impatiens can be a brilliant red flower if you need to find a solution for a shady space. For more flair consider using fancier double impatiens. Begonias can offer both red flowers and interesting foliage. Zinnias present large bright red flowers. Both nasturtiums and million bells come in red varieties that will spill and trail out of containers.

White

Sweet Alyssum is a perfect fragrant flower for edges and borders. The tiny delicate flower will compliment any container arrangement. Petunias can offer larger, prolific, bright white flowers. Geraniums are easy to care for and provide interesting foliage as well as white flowers. All white varieties of snapdragons will add height to container arrangements. Many of the previously mentioned flowers also come in white.

When a client requests a holiday arrangement be sure to have plenty of ideas to share with them and be aware of the amount of time takes for the chosen varieties to produce flowers. It is never to early to start thinking about next year and how you will dazzle your customers with festive red, white and blue patio planters for their public spaces. Do you have any photos of 4th of July container arrangements you would like to share?

Photo “morning, glory” courtesy of Aunt Owwee

 Photo “Kusch’s Petunias” courtesy of KaCey97007