The autumn fern is evergreen, meaning it won’t die back in the winter (hopefully), and is so named because new fronds are a copper color and mature to a dark green. The variegated ivy is evergreen as well, and when I went back to next day to actually buy the plants (I am very indecisive), a different employee mentioned she has had that ivy growing on a wall for years. In my experience with heuchera (Coral bells), they just look a little more limp in the winter rather than completely dying back. So, here is hoping that my hanging baskets will be a little longer lasting than annual plants. The key will be to continue watering the plants all year, even in the winter. One of the main reasons perennials aren’t successful in containers is that people forget to water them in the fall and winter. And if all else fails, I can plant these plants in the ground so that at least I’m not throwing away money and plants.
You will end up paying more at a nursery than Home Depot, but I think it is worth it for the wider selection of and the depth of knowledge about plants. If budget is your concern, you can buy some of the key plants for your landscape there, and the more common ones at Home Depot.
Or buy smaller, less mature versions of the same plants that you want. I have been wanting to get a maidenhair fern for a while, and they had many options that would have been more than I wanted to spend, but I found this baby for $2.50. This picture is me attempting to take a picture like the Instagram bloggers do where they are holding a plant in their hand. It doesn’t seem quite as artsy when I do it, but what can you do. So, I get to try out a new plant, support a local business, and not break the bank in the process. Support your small/local businesses when you can!
