What's your approach to buying plants for your garden? Do you research candidates to fit your climate and space requirements and draw plans to determine how they might complement other plants? There was a time when I did that, especially when I was addressing a vacant bed or renovating a large area. It's easier for me to make decisions on purchases when I'm dealing with a relatively blank slate. As my garden's matured, it's now more common that I find a plant I like, bring it home, and then shove it in somewhere. With the arrival of our peak planting season, I've been buying new plants here and there for the past month but my purchases have been haphazard at best.
Buying plants to fill pots is the simplest, most guilt-free kind of plant shopping. I can always buy another pot if I come up short.
I'm always looking for new begonias to tuck into my lath (shade) house. This one is Rex Begonia 'Jurassic Snowball'. |
I fell in love at first sight with this little Geogenanthus poeppigii (aka seersucker plant). It also found a home in my lath house. |
The last new addition to the lath house is Peperomia caperata 'Schumi Red' |
I bought this Vriesea splendens (aka flaming sword) to replace the bromeliad that formerly occupied this pot |
Filling wider empty spaces in a bed that's already half-occupied by plants I want to keep is more of a challenge. The bed shown below is dominated by a tree-like shrub, Leucadendron 'Pisa', and a large Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt', recently pruned to uncover the space below it. My thought was to focus on low groundcovers that would complement the existing plants with yellow flowers, including Hippeastrum 'Luna', Hemerocallis 'For Pete's Sake', and Lantana 'Samantha'. I recently picked up plants that filled those basic requirements because they were available at the local garden center. It remains to be seen if the mix comes together.
I'm a sucker for sales. I took advantage of a California native plant sale promoted by Annie's Annuals & Perennials. The six plants shipped on October 4th and should be delivered sometime today. Here's the list with links to photos in the meantime:
- Heuchera maxima - two plants to go in next to one I already have in my front garden
- Penstemon heterophyllus 'Blue Springs' - to plant next to other foothill penstemons in my back garden
- Ribes sanguineum glutinosum - a pink flowered shrub with low water needs for a shady area below one of the western redbud trees I inherited with the garden
- Rubus calycinoides (aka creeping raspberry - to try out as a drought tolerant groundcover under the Magnolia
- Trichostemma lanatum x purpusii 'Midnight Magic' - to replace a half-dead specimen I've had for years
The local garden center offered some other possibilities:
I recognized this Coniogramme emeiensis 'Golden Zebra' but it's another plant that likes plenty of water. At $40+ dollars I'd never buy it in this size as an experiment either. |
Loree of danger garden has convinced me that a Pyrrosia lingua (tongue fern) might make a useful groundcover here in shady areas. I've got a small one in a pot in my lath house now but I'm not ready to trade up to a 2-gallon plant for $45 so a broader search is required. |
One sun lover appealed to me; however, I've no idea where I could put it:
A friend and I had a plant shopping trip planned for this weekend before we were hit with a heatwave. We've put it off for two weeks (following my annual tree trimming extravaganza). I'll be seeking inspiration.
All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
Oh, but that Golden Zebra is just gorgeous. Wow.
ReplyDeleteI've had no luck growing myrsine (can't remember the variety as it's been decades now) so I'm trying not to be tempted by the pretty golden colors of yours.
'Golden Zebra' is indeed gorgeous. I might try it in a small pot in my lath house, although most thirsty plants are short-lived even there.
DeleteI'm a bit of both type of shopper. But definitely lean towards the haphazard "oh, I'll find a spot for this!". I do love redoing an area, makes it easier to focus. Dang, it has been so hot for October.
ReplyDeleteOctober is often hot here but I always hope it won't be, only to be disappointed when the Santa Ana winds blow, leaving us hot and dry, tz. It sounds as though we may see a cool down starting on Sunday but yesterday and today have been very uncomfortable even if we stayed well below 100F.
DeleteThat variegated Myrsine is sooooo tempting. Where did you see that for sale? K has grown the regular green version in garden for decades and it looks fabulous even with little to no irrigation.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful ferns there, too. I grow the Pyrrosia also and it can do with little to no irrigation as well as long as its in shade. It's slow, but slow is low maintenance. :)
I am doing less impulse buying--though impulse buying still happens. I feel worse nowadays when a plant has to wait in a pot too long--a strong motivator not to overbuy.
I saw the Myrsine at my local Armstrong, HB. It occurs to me I might like it next to Pennisetum 'Rubrum' but then those spots are currently taken...I'll be looking for a Pyrrosia in a 1-gallon container on my next trip to Seaside - $45 for a larger pot of a plant I haven't previously tried growing in the ground here feels like a bad bet.
DeleteI got my Annie's order this afternoon. Those plants will probably get potted up during their holding period. No way I'm putting them into the ground until the humidity is back up and the temperatures are back down.
I have Myrsine growing in full dry shade on the north side of the house, so you shouldn't feel limited by a sun-lover tag (although I suppose the variegation may be affected). Love how the Vriesea and co. are complemented by their pot!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback on the Myrsine - it may help me find a spot for it :)
DeleteApproaches to buying plants, a very interesting topic. I was recently in Long Beach and dashed out to a local nursery, not for anything for the LB garden but just to check on what's circulating now. Surprisingly, there were 'Slieve Donard' dierama plants in 4-inch pots and an evergreen I've been thinking about for the Oregon garden, Ugni molinae - so those both rode north. (I think we all know dierama is not happening in SoCal!). And one of my favorite planting situations is one you find challenging -- the gaps around established plants. I like playing against and complementing successful plantings. -- have a great planting season, Kris! (and I note that myrsine is hardy to zone 8...)
ReplyDeleteWhile the Sunset Western Garden book indicates that Dierama are suitable to Sunset zone 24, the reference to "regular water" and moist soil certainly rules it out for me, Denise. Maybe growers are banking on El Nino to deliver another banner year for rain. I've debated the Chilean guava off and on for a few years - Annie's carries it too.
DeleteFYI, my contact at the PV C&SS was here yesterday to pick up bulbils I'd harvested for 2 of my agaves this year. While here, she mentioned that she still has some of the variegated Agave vilmoriniana bulbils your gifted to me (and I passed along) a couple of years ago ;)
I'm like you in choosing an appealing plant and trying to figure out where I can plant it. There is a small amount of attrition in the garden, but not enough to keep pace with plants I want. I've had to 'just say no' to quite a few candidates. I have a friend who is forever dividing up anything I admire, so I have to tone down my admirations! Hope the current heat wave isn't too onerous. Eliza
ReplyDeleteAlong the way, I've used a lot of filler plants like Aeonium arboreum in spots where I haven't come up with "just the right plant" so do feel I have some flexibility to yank out those now and then when I find something my garden "needs." This heatwave is mostly irritating but we've gotten up into the low 90s 2 days in a row. There was a marine layer this morning and it's only 86 now so maybe the tide is turning...
DeleteMy strategy is impulse buying and wedging in, with a weakness for beautiful shrubs that get too big and that I don't have space for. I'm trying to figure out a new strategy. Maybe setting quantity limits would work (no more than 20 plants per year or no new shrubs). That Geogenanthus poeppigii is a stunner!
ReplyDeleteI should probably set a no-shrub purchase rule for myself too, Jerry. Maybe with a caveat that, if one of my bigger shrubs bites the dust or declines, a replacement of similar size at maturity is permitted. Buying the Ribes sanguineum was probably questionable on my part but I'm probably going to remove a Grevillea 'Ned Kelly" in the area I have in mind for it. The Grevillea got too much shade and has never been happy. I also have a lot of Pelargonium tomentosum I could pull to provide the Ribes room as it matures. I prefer to buy plants in small sizes but, when I buy shrubs, I often fail to plan for the long haul.
DeleteWell, guess who just bought 5 more broadleaf evergreen shrubs he didn't have room for? They are so cute when they are one gallon size and it's hard to imagine they will ever be that big. Now to find a place to cram them in somewhere.
DeleteHa! Somehow we always manage to cram them in somewhere! I've never felt even remotely compelled to give a new plant away ;)
DeleteWill wait, dutifully, till our autumn rain in March. Then I will plant my gaps. I have one preferred nursery for lowland fynbos.
ReplyDeleteYou have more self-restraint than I do, Diana, although I'm getting better at least when it comes to avoiding planting during the summer months. Autumn is the best time to plant here too.
DeleteI haven't really done any plant shopping yet this fall, but your post makes me itchy to go. Once I'm back from Germany...
ReplyDeleteI've done less than usual! Enjoy your trip to Germany, Gerhard.
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