Tour the Container Gardens of the Southern Living® Idea House
Hello Garden Enthusiasts! 🌿
I’m thrilled to take you behind the scenes of a project that was truly a dream come true: designing and installing the container gardens for this year’s Southern Living® Magazine Idea House! Buckle up for a journey through lush greens, captivating designs, and a touch of Southern charm.
Setting the Scene
Planning this project from my home office in Virginia was a breeze, thanks to lots of virtual coordination with the Southern Living Plant® Collection team and the folks at the Idea House. But nothing could prepare me for the real-life beauty of this Lowcountry gem located outside of Charleston, South Carolina. Imagine a brand-new farmhouse that blends classic charm, modern design, and a breathtaking view of the Kiawah River. The house, the landscape, and the talented people behind the scenes make this property truly special!
Lush evergreens take center stage in poolside planters at the Southern Living Idea House. Minimal use of flowers and color avoid competition with the beautiful pots, the architecture, and the interior design.
Creating the Natural Color Palette
Before heading to the site, I crafted a cohesive container garden plan inspired by the local scenery. Picture majestic oaks draped in Spanish moss, tall marsh grasses, and tropical palmetto trees. To capture this essence, I chose varieties from the Southern Living Plant Collection in rich greens and soothing blues — colors that would visually tie the farmhouse to its natural surroundings.
Special delivery! Southern Living plants were delivered to the site. Back row, left to right: Red Sky™ Ilex, Mood Ring® Podacarpus. Middle row, left to right: ‘Angyo Star’ Fatshedera, Diamond Spire® Gardenia. Front row, left to right: ‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia, Mini Touch™ Holly, Platinum Beauty™ Lomandra, Clarity Blue™ Dianella, and Chef’s Choice® Rosemary.
Choosing the Right Plants
Since the house will be open to the public from August through December, I needed arrangements that would look fabulous for several months with minimal upkeep. So each container features a statement Southern Living evergreen for lasting beauty and low maintenance. Here’s a peek at some of our evergreen stars:
Evergreens for Sun (Images used with permission from Southern Living Plant Collection.)
Evergreens for Shade (Images used with permission from Southern Living Plant Collection.)
To add seasonal interest to these evergreen thrillers, I selected annuals in white, silver, and lavender — a subtle scheme that would harmonize with the pots, the architecture, and the interior design.
Annuals for Sun
Annuals for Shade
Container Garden Tour
With my plants ordered and my designs in hand, I packed up and headed to Kiawah River. Let’s take a “tour” of the container gardens I created!
Front Steps
As you approach the home and its grand front steps, you’re greeted by a pair of French jars filled with Diamond Spire® Gardenia. These fragrant beauties will delight visitors from Spring through Fall. Diamond Snow® Euphorbia, Supertunia® Priscilla®, and Silver Falls™ Dichondra surround the gardenia and introduce our subdued color palette. This location enjoys very early morning sun and dappled midday shade.
Diamond Spire Gardenia anchors these heavily textured French urns.
Front Doors
The front steps lead you to a generous front porch, where tall egg planters flank the double doors. For this duo, I started with ‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia to mimic the wispy palms and ferns of the natural landscape. ‘White Christmas’ Caladium, Lavender Double Impatiens, and Needlepoint Ivy complement the Mahonia’s narrow blades. This spot gets a glimpse of early morning sun, but otherwise sits in full shade.
‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia is a shade-tolerant evergreen for these front porch planters.
Carriage House
To the left of the main house is a detached Carriage House where three tall egg planters frame the garage doors. Our centerpiece here is Red Sky™ Ilex – a slender, sun-loving, and deer-resistant evergreen. Each Ilex is surrounded by white Dipladenia, Euphorbia, and Dichondra, adding a fresh touch to the brick facade. This side of the Carriage House bakes in full sun until mid afternoon.
Poolside
Behind the carriage house, we find a captivating pool and patio outfitted for dining and lounging. Here, the pots themselves take on a slightly more contemporary vibe in smooth, unglazed clay. Locally-sourced European Olive trees add a dramatic sense of height in the tallest pots, while Diamond Spire® Gardenia bring elegance to the midsize planters. I took a more architectural approach to the smallest pot in this space by clustering three Clarity Blue™ Dianella in the center with Superbells® Double Twilight™ around the edges. The pool area enjoys morning and midday sun, but a very old oak tree provides late afternoon shade.
Unique thriller plants set the tone of these poolside container gardens. Left to right: European Olive tree, Diamond Spire® Gardenia, Diamond Spire® Gardenia, European Olive tree, Clarity Blue™ Dianella.
This trio welcomes you to the back porch. Left to right: Platinum Beauty™ Lomandra, Clarity Blue™ Dianella, and ‘Angyo Star’ Fatshedera.
Landing to the Screened Porch
Working our way up the stairs from the pool to the back porch, there’s an open corner calling for a trio of planters! I repeated the combo of Clarity Blue™ Dianella and superbells in the largest pot. ‘Angyo Star’ Fatshedera adds height to the midsize pot and rests in a bed of Euphorbia and Algerian Ivy for fullness. The smallest pot in this trio features a single Platinum Beauty™ Lomandra, whose variegated blades glow in this partly shady corner.
Screened Porch
The screened porch, a serene escape from the sun and bugs, showcases Anduze urns on either side of the outdoor fireplace. Each one features a casual mix of fall-bloomer, October Magic® Inspiration™ Camellia, plus ‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia. Lavender Torenia and white Browallia offer summer blooms and break up the greenery. A low bowl on the coffee table is full of ‘Spider’s Web’ Fatsia for a tropical touch.
Work in progress: This covered porch would soon be screened in for a break from the bugs. ‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia, October Magic® Inspiration™ Camellia, and ‘Spider’s Web’ Fatsia are all from the Southern Living Plant Collection.
Back Porch
Our tour concludes with the back porch that links the screened porch to a wall of glass doors leading inside to the great room. I flanked the doors with a pair of unglazed clay planters and installed Mini Touch™ Holly and Lavender Double Impatiens for a splash of color. Dried Spanish moss gave the edges a touch of Southern charm.
Southern Charm: Mini Touch™ Holly, Lavender Double Impatiens, and dried Spanish moss.
Final Thoughts
The Idea House exudes relaxed elegance, and my goal was to make the container gardens seamlessly blend the modern farmhouse to its natural surroundings. I’m incredibly proud of this project and grateful to everyone who made it possible. Working with the Southern Living Plant Collection has been an incredible experience and I’m deeply grateful for their trust in me.
For more photos and videos of these planters, follow me on Instagram! The Idea House is featured in the September 2024 issue of Southern Living Magazine and online here. In-person tours begin August 23 — don’t miss it!
Can’t wait to hear what you think!
Steph
Resource Guide:
Evergreens: Southern Living Plant Collection
Containers: Selected by the Idea House’s incredible interior designer, Allison Elebash. Sourced from local home and garden boutique, Elizabeth Stuart.
Annuals: Also supplied by Elizabeth Stuart.
Tickets: Want to tour the house in person? Purchase tickets here.