Tradition rules in stylized symmetry. Homeowner Irene Holmes repeats classic plant combinations of boxwood, hydrangeas, and arborvitae in the larger landscape. She then reinforces the French-influenced, pastoral stage set with appropriately scaled architectural elements: a bluestone path, balustrade, stone baskets, limestone sculptures, treillage, fountains… But what really catch the eye are planted pots of vigorous potato vines and begonias. The founder of Petals by Irene, Holmes knows how to create a formula with impressive results, as beautiful as a string of flawless pearls or an Emilio Pucci dress.
In their Ladue landscape, Steve and Carol Higgins have created a series of intricately patterned, textured vignettes. A vigorous coleus of no particular pedigree perfectly echoes the crimson Japanese maple in the border behind it. Creeping jenny, a chartreuse ground cover and trailer, lends contrast to the coleus, as does the crisp, variegated foliage of a red twig dogwood. In choosing containers, the homeowners favor form and foliage over flowers, cultivating complexity in their eclectic landscape.
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Sturdy succulents and their close kin fill this elegant-yet-functional glasshouse. The profusion of potted plants, which require only infrequent watering, have just had a long drink, and the stone floor glistens. Imagine the fragrant greenhouse at night, glowing in candlelight,
a magical venue for a romantic dinner party.
Massive in scale and unplanted, a simple buff rolled-rim planter is the central focal point of an elaborate formal rose garden, the primary vista from the main terrace. The pot’s honey color is in contrast to both brick and limestone; its sculptural mass reinforces the circular design of the beds. Purely architectural, this pot is the strongest possible decorative statement to all of the floral fireworks.
Michelle Trulaske has a penchant for pots and a passion for cacti and succulents, among the most architectural of plants. This terra-cotta container features the vertical drama of an imposing cactus planted with Agave x arizonica, Echeveria ‘Neon Breakers,’ Euphorbia tirucalli, and more. Trulaske’s Mediterranean-inspired containers add a bit of the exotic to a haute couture patio. Welcome, lounge lizards. Beware of prickles.
