This grouping on the author's front porch was potted in early June and is shown still growing strong late in September. Fuchsia 'Gardenmeister' blooms for months, set off by the dark, scalloped leaves of 'Inky Fingers' coleus and a spreading frill of Helichrysum petiolare 'Limelight.' The heavy urn that holds the composition is obscured in late summer by all the foliage; in springtime it holds tulips, and in winter, boughs of holly.

Key to container success is good-quality soil, because a small amount has to provide everything the plants need from now until first frost. Choose a commercial soil mix made for containers, and it doesn't hurt to work in some time-release fertilizer. But remember, such fertilizers aren't active until soil warms up to 50 degrees, which may take until midsummer, so plants will need liquid fertilizer to do their best.

When the garden blooms with roses, lilies and hydrangeas, we may not feel the need for more flowers. So pots overflowing with foliage might best convey that brief but satisfying feeling of summer sumptuousness. Coleus, ornamental grasses, canna lilies, fancy-leafed geraniums, variegated abutilon and licorice plant (Helichrysum) are all good candidates for medleys of textural, scented and colorful leaves. A single hosta can be just as appealing, though, and a simple container holding a dwarf conifer or small deciduous tree is always elegant.

			Now In Bloom Rosa 'Penelope' puts on its first big flush of bloom in June, then repeats later in the season. Glossy leaves frame especially fragrant semidouble flowers that open a warm coral-pink and fade to palest cream. An old-fashioned hybrid musk, it is disease-resistant and reliably hardy. 'Penelope' grows to 6 feet, and can be a bit ungainly in shape, so it's perfect for the back of the border.

We want to experience our all-too-brief summer as intensely as possible, and potted plantings can amp it up, as well as give reason to linger outdoors. It is easy to plant for a dose of fragrance right where you want it. Brugmansia, datura, evening primrose, Madonna lily (L. candidum) and the flowering tobaccos Nicotiana alata and N. sylvestris are especially fragrant after dark, perfect on a patio. Heliotrope is richly scented, with little purple or pale lavender flowers that bloom all summer. Hang a basket of heliotrope for the warm scent of vanilla (or almond, depending upon your perception) every time you pass by. Anytime I do a grouping of containers without fragrance, I just add a small pot of heliotrope to redeem the situation. Lilies love pot culture, and their slim stalks don't take up much room for the height and fragrance they add; stock, lavender, mignonette, carnations and phlox can all be tucked in to add perfume.

Instead of stirring up a sticky mixture for the feeder, plant a pot to attract hummingbirds. A large container can hold enough nectar-bearing flowers to lure dozens of hummers. The little birds love brightly colored salvias such as the red Salvia greggii, and blue S. guaranitica, as well as Mexican sage, penstemon and cape fuchsias (Phygelius species). For a butterfly pot, put a honey-scented buddleia in the center, surround it with asters, bachelor's buttons and purple coneflowers, and drape catmint down the sides. All these bloomers are perennials, so pots like these will last for years if you divide some of the plants and add fresh soil in springtime.

Finally, let's not forget about a pot to attract little humans. Cherry tomatoes grown in a pot ripen more quickly than they do in the ground, and a single big pot of ever-bearing strawberries provides season-long snacking.

Tour Finalist Gardens

Five private North Seattle gardens that were finalists in the annual Pacific Northwest Gardens Competition will be open for a public tour to benefit the Washington Park Arboretum on Saturday, June 15. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; tickets are $20 per person, $15 for Arboretum Foundation members. For information call the Graham Visitors Center at 206-325-4510.

Valerie Easton is manager at the Miller Horticultural Library. Her e-mail address is vjeaston@aol.com. Mike Siegel is a Seattle Times news photographer.