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  1. Midwest Living
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  4. Plant Combos That Totally Nail Curb Appeal

Plant Combos That Totally Nail Curb Appeal

Teresa Woodard
By Teresa Woodard Updated March 29, 2023
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Michigan Avenue planters
Credit: Pamela Self

Ready to dress up your front flower beds? Try these showy plant combos from Chicago landscape architect Pamela Self, who designs Michigan Avenue's dazzling annual summer displays.

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Floral Show along Michigan Avenue

Michigan Avenue planters
Credit: Pamela Self

Since 2015, landscape architect Pamela Self has worked alongside the Chicago Department of Transportation to design the floral extravaganza down Michigan Avenue. The 2.3-mile show of more than 20,000 plants begins at the Field Museum and extends north to the John Hancock Building. 

Self has learned the best eye-catching combos and top-performing plants to shine all season. "Our plantings have to be impactful from Memorial Day to October," she says. Plants must withstand varying weather conditions, require no deadheading or pruning, and offer colorful flowers or foliage all season. Here are her favorite plant combos plus a few tips.

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Go Big

Michigan Avenue summer floral displays Chicago
Credit: Pamela Self

Self says larger tropical plants are more dramatic than finely textured ones. Try 'Red Sister' cordyline, planted in masses here with 'Marvel Gold' marigolds (upper left), 'Endurascape Pink' verbena (lower left) and 'Lucky Sunrise Rose' lantana (lower right).  Also, when purchasing tropicals like cannas and elephant ears, go with larger sizes. "What I've learned is tropicals don't grow as fast as I'd like, so we start those in larger pots," says Self.

Related: Turn Your Midwest Backyard Into a Tropical Oasis

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Embrace Bold Colors

Michigan Avenue summer floral displays Chicago
Credit: Pamela Self

For the 30-mile-per-hour wow, choose bolder colors. Self says one season they tried a softer color palette with white gaura, silver petunias and perwinkle verbena, but the combo didn't have nearly the impact. She recommends vivid bloomers like 'Artful Heart' caladium (upper left), 'Cherry Jolt' dianthus (below), 'Megawatt Pink Bronze Leaf' begonia (upper right) and 'French Quarter' coleus (upper center).

"These plantings are viewed from cars, sidewalks or buildings above, so we lean toward bold colors," says Self.

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Stagger Heights

Michigan Avenue summer floral displays Chicago
Credit: Pamela Self

Start with a background layer using plants 30" and taller. Next, add a mid-layer with plants ranging 18" to 24" in height. Finish with the foreground layer of trailers and plants 12" or less in height. Pictured here, 'Red Sister' corydline forms the background layer, 'Purple Magilla' perilla the mid-layer and 'Endurascape Hot Pink' verbena the foreground layer.

Related: Container Gardens Just Right for the Midwest

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Vary Shades

Michigan Avenue summer floral displays Chicago
Credit: Pamela Self

For added interest, try interplanting annuals in two slightly different shades. For example, Self combines blue and purple 'Endurascape' verbena (pictured here) or purple and silver 'Tidal Wave' petunias.

Related: Easy Annual Flowers That Deliver Color All Summer Long

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Mix Early and Late Bloomers

Michigan Avenue summer floral displays Chicago
Credit: Pamela Self

To sustain the color show through the season, Self interplants summer bloomers like 'Landmark Sunrise Rose' lantanas (front) with later stars like 'Redhead' coleus (back left), 'Dark Angel Dracula' dahlias (back center) and 'New Zealand Purple' castor beans (back right).

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Beyond Blooms

Michigan Avenue summer floral displays Chicago
Credit: Pamela Self

Self looks for plants that have colorful blooms and leaves. "We use 20 to 30 percent colorful foliage plants, so we're not relying only on flowers," says Self. 'Lava Rose' coleus (left), 'Megawatt Rose' wax begonias (center) and 'Mahogany Splendor' hibiscus (back right) are a few favorites.

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Create Patterns

Michigan Avenue summer floral displays Chicago
Credit: Pamela Self

At pedestrian crossings, plants must remain under 4" in height, so Self creates swirled or geometric patterns like this one with 'Clear Crystal Mix' sweet alyssum and 'Happy Trails Pink' portulaca.

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Bring Color to Shade

Michigan Avenue summer floral displays Chicago
Credit: Pamela Self

Not all spaces along Michigan Avenue are in full sun, so Self must select some shade-loving color combos. "Over the years we've come to understand the various areas—some shady concrete canyons, some windy corridors and some full-sun spots." Here, she's assembled 'Freckles' coleus and 'Megawatt Red' begonias under the shade of gingko trees.

Related: Shade Landscaping Ideas for Midwest Gardens

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Feed Blooms

Michigan Avenue summer floral displays Chicago
Credit: Pamela Self

To extend the show throughout the season, boost your plants' performance with a slow-release fertilizer mixed in the soil at planting time. Also, make sure the soil stays consistently moist but not soggy throughout the hottest months.

Related: Flowers That Beat the Heat

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Welcome Wildlife

Michigan Avenue summer floral displays Chicago
Credit: Pamela Self

Michigan Avenue is now a certified pollinator garden and features pollinator favorites like tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica), 'Blue Horizon' ageratum and balloon plant (Gomphocarpus physocarpus). Monarch butterflies, birds, hummingbird moths and more flock to the floral oasis. Self recommends interplanting the milkweed with other tall plants like cannas (pictured here), 'Benary Giant' zinnias or 'Sunfinity' helianthus, since the monarch caterpillars strip the leaves bare before forming their cocoons.

"Besides bringing a beautiful showcase to the city, these plantings play another valuable part in feeding pollinators and birds in this urban setting," she says.

Related: How to Attract Butterflies to Your Backyard Garden

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See the Flowers in Person

Michigan Avenue summer floral displays Chicago
Credit: Pamela Self

Wander down Michigan Avenue in summer to catch Self's beautiful displays in person. Here, the collection shows off 'Limelight' hydrangea, 'Cannova Lemon' canna, 'Double Zahara Yellow' zinnia, 'Belleza White' guara, 'Tidal Wave Silver' petunia, and 'Endurascape Purple' verbena.

Related: Top Things to Do in Chicago

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    1 of 12 Floral Show along Michigan Avenue
    2 of 12 Go Big
    3 of 12 Embrace Bold Colors
    4 of 12 Stagger Heights
    5 of 12 Vary Shades
    6 of 12 Mix Early and Late Bloomers
    7 of 12 Beyond Blooms
    8 of 12 Create Patterns
    9 of 12 Bring Color to Shade
    10 of 12 Feed Blooms
    11 of 12 Welcome Wildlife
    12 of 12 See the Flowers in Person

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