Container Gardening 101!
Here at our urban nursery, we’re tight on space and we don’t always have the luxury of planting everything in the ground. If we’ve offered it for sale, then we’ve tried it in a container – from small trees to the tiniest rock garden treasures. And if we’ve learned one thing (OK – more than one thing, but that’s why you should watch the video) – it is this: SIZE MATTERS. As in, the size of your container is of essential importance. Those chubby, juicy roots are going to need space to spread out and if hindered, will lead to less than thrilling results. If you’ve been disappointed by how your containers have performed in the past then tune in – we’re going to give you some of our tried and true tips for how to do it right!
Can’t Go Wrong Plant Combinations
One of the #1 things people ask for when they come into the nursery is help choosing pretty plant combinations. They see our demonstrations gardens all a’bloom and want to know how they can make that same magic happen in their home gardens. Well, the secret is pretty simple – choose compatible plants that grow and bloom at the same time! So many of these wonderful CA natives and Mediterranean annuals self-sow, which means you’ll enjoy repeat performances next Spring and beyond!
Plants in order of appearance:
Phacelia minor
Ixia hybrid ‘Buttercup’
Lupinus regalis ‘Thomas Church’
Aquilegia yabeana
Agrostemma githago ‘Ocean Pearls’
Nemophila menziesii “Baby Blue Eyes”
Papaver commutatum ‘Ladybird’
Eschscholzia californica ‘Alba’
Layia platyglossa “Tidy Tips”
Camissonia bistorta “Sunflakes”
Layia gaillardiodes
Rosa ‘Cornelia’
Myosotis palustris “Perennial Forget-Me-Not”
Papaver hybridum ‘Orange Chiffon’
Delphinium belladonna ‘Bellamosum’ or Delphinium elatum
Centaurea cyanea “Blue Diadem”
Eschscholzia californica ‘Apricot Chiffon’
Eschscholzia californica ‘Rose Chiffon’
Geum coccineum ‘Totally Tangerine’
Heuchera x micrantha ‘Melting Fire’
November: Cutting Back and Cleaning Up
We followed Annie around with a camera last Fall to see what she does to prepare for those stunning gardens you see here at the nursery each Spring. In this first installment in a series of four, Annie will walk you through what she does each month to prepare for that bodacious Spring flower explosion we all dream about!
PLANT LIST:
Lupinus arboreus ‘Yellow’ “Tree Lupine”
Cosmos ‘Apricot’
Dahlia coccinea ‘Mixed Colors’
Verbascum species ‘Cotswold King’
Scabiosa caucasica ‘Fama Blue’
Geranium pyrenaicum ‘Bill Wallis’
Aquilegia chrysantha ‘Yellow Queen’
Adenophera potaninii
Fall blooming perennials
Plectranthus ecklonii
Pericallis papyracea
December: Planting Perennials
If you garden in temperate climes like ours, from now until December you can – no wait – you NEED to plant biennials, perennials and even some hardy annuals in order to have a spectacular and bloomiferous garden come Spring!
PLANT LIST:
Nicotiana alata ‘Lime Green’
Lathyrus odoratus “Sweet Peas”
Campanula persicifolia ‘Telham Beauty’
Scabiosa caucasica ‘Fama Blue’
Hollyhocks
Verbascums
Campanula medium “Canterbury Bells”
Aquilegia “Columbines”
Sluggo
February: Planting Hardy Annuals
Here in coastal California, we plant hardy annuals in January and February for a fabulous bloom-a-thon come April. Your garden will be in full and spectacular bloom just when everybody is rushing out to the garden centers!
PLANT LIST
Nemophila menziesii “Baby Blue Eyes”
Papaver setigerum
Malcolmia maritima “Virginia Stock”
Sidalcea hendersonii
Eschscholzia caespitosa “Tufted Poppy”
May: The Finale!
Months in the making, all the steps we put in the previous videos paid off, with a grand explosion of our favorite Spring bloomers. Nuff said – just watch!
PLANT LIST
