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phylrae

Advice for CA daughter's 1st time container garden

phylrae
18 years ago

Hi everyone!

I'm SO excited that my 21 yo daughter wants to try her hand at growing flowers in terra cotta pots on her 3rd floor apt. balcony in Laguna Hills, CA. (Don't know the zone yet).

She would like ones that she can cut as well as just stay in the pots. She says she'd like some vining, climbing types too. She has mostly sun, some shade. Like me, she is NOT interested in geraniums, begonias, petunias etc.

Anyone here have any suggestions? I have already gotten quite a few from a California gardener and have lots of seeds to share with her. Oh, BTW, she will most likely plant SEEDS. Thanks so much! :0) Phyl

Comments (3)

  • pete_in_in
    18 years ago

    Some suggestions for your daughter:

    heliotrope Marine
    ageratum
    asters
    Sunbow zinnias
    Profusion zinnias
    Fiesta Del Sol tithonia
    Sundance Kid sunflower
    Bashful sunflower
    Firecracker sunflower
    Zebulon sunflower
    Royal, Old Spice or Painted Lady sweetpeas
    euphorbia
    Green Thumb or Pygmy Torch amaranthus
    Love Lies Bleeding
    anemone
    asclepias curassavica Butterfly Weed
    cardoon
    calendula
    castor bean
    coleus
    cobaea Cup and Saucer Vine
    datura Angel's Trumpet
    eucalyptus
    digitalis Camelot Mix
    gaillardia x grandiflora Torchlight

    Grasses:
    Pennisetum glaucum Jester
    Eragrostis tef Ruby Silk
    Pennisetum villosum Feathertop
    Zea mays Japonica

    gomphrena QIS Series
    heliopsis Summer Sun
    hyacinth bean vine Ruby Moon
    lisianthus Echo Series
    lobelia erinus
    phlox drummondii
    plectranthus argentatus
    Iceland poppies
    rudbeckia Goldilocks, Prairie Sun and Indian Summer
    salpiglossis sinuata
    salvia farinacea Gruppenblau

    Best wishes for your daughter who's trying her hand at growing flowers in pots.

    Regards,
    Pete

  • phylrae
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Pete,
    Thanks so much for answering! I sent our daughter a care package of seed packages and a gift certificate I had from J&P but will send her your list as well. Happy gardening...it is finally acting a little like spring here! Phyl

  • romando
    18 years ago

    Hi there! Laguna Hills, I believe, is zone 10, maybe 9. At any rate, it should be pretty much like where I live (I'm up north on the coast outside San Francisco, and Laguna Hills is down south, if I remember correctly). As much stuff as I've collected and grown, believe it or not, I'm a container gardener also, because we live in a townhouse and only have a cement slab patio to work with. You can check out my slideshow for more ideas of what she can plant, but my favorites have been:
    poppies
    morning glories
    clematis
    anigozanthos (kangaroo paw)
    passionflower
    violets
    brugmansia (yes! I have (gasp) 30, but of course, they're all from recent cuttings)
    ferns
    amaryllis can stay outside yearround
    pink saucer magnolias are stunning, though mine died : (
    all manner of bulbs (though we have to treat tulips as annuals, usually-- just doesn't get cold enough)
    clerodendrum bungeii (best in a pot anyway--it's very invasive, but gorgeous)
    wisteria (I have a 7 gallon-ish sized pot with wisteria)
    basically, anything! I even have a container water garden. You'd be surprised at what you can grow in a container. When you add the extra luck of being in California, those possiblities are basically limitless.

    Amanda 'romando'

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