In article , Lilly wrote:

Just got a Weeping Pussy Willow to plant in a big barrel to go with my
patio water garden (not built yet) and I was wondering if anyone had
any thoughts about what to plant along with it? Maybe ornamental
grasses? I'm not especially partial to papyrus... Thanks!
(Zone 8 Pacific Northwest)

~Lilly

How thick a weeping willow? Grass needs lots of sun. I'd go for a hardy
epimedium. The spring flowers are striking in a wide array of colors for
sundry species & hybrids, but the main thing is the leaves, some of the
prettiest leaves any garden can have. And these are hardy as can be in the
Northwest. Some epimediums are at least partially evergreen so even have a
winter presence, albeit kind of worn-out looking in winter; others are
entirely die-back varieties. Here's a page showing two of mine:
http://www.paghat.com/epimedium.html

Now that they're blooming again I'm going to at some point during this
week divide that page into two pages with more pictures. We've added a
third epimedium this year, "Lilafee" which is a bright lilac bloomer, & I
managed to get one really good picture of it's first blooms this morning,
so will soon have pages for three epimediums. I grow them under large
rhodies & azaleas & I bet they'd be ideal under a containered willow too.
The amazing leaves are on wire-thin stems, so the lightest breeze causes
them to wiggle, & it's surprising how much a little "motion" adds to a
garden.

If you like the look of grass though, I'm partial to Douglas's blue-eyed
grass, though it shoudl be in a SEPARATE container if you're mainly
container-gardening -- blue-eyed grass only wants a lot of watering in
spring, then less watering the rest of the year, & the amount of water
willow wants the rest of the year wouldn't be good for the blue-eyed
grass. Though it looks like a clump of grass it is actually a primitive
lily & blooms so beautifully & in my Northwest setting it blooms for
months on end. Here's mine:
http://www.paghat.com/widowgrass.html

If you want it right in the same pot with the willow, Ophiopogon
planiscapus is a hardy lily grass that likes sun or shade & should be
compatible immediately under a willow. I have the black form, he
http://www.paghat.com/mondo.html
It briefly flowers, but the shiny black berries last much of the year.
It's 100% evergreen.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/