Can you CA gardeners help me advise my daughter? :0)

18 years ago

Hi everyone,

My husband and I live in central New York State (BRRR), and our oldest daughter (21) got married and moved to Laguna Hills recently. She has never planted anything, but wants to grow some flowers in terra cotta pots on her apt. balcony. She would like to try some that will climb/vine upward, as well as some that she could cut for bouquets once in awhile. She says she has mostly sun with some part shade. (She DOESN'T like geraniums or petunias or begonias-only wants "fresh, cutting-type" flowers or vining, climbing types. I told her she must've caught that from me!)

She also says she'd like to grow flowers that attract wild hummingbirds that live there.

I am SO EXCITED that she has an interest in growing flowers, as I didn't learn to love flower-growing until AFTER my mom passed away...and I wish I could've shared her love of flower gardening with her when she was alive!

Anyway, I have TONS of flower seeds, but wonder if you might be able to direct me towards ones that would fit her need, esp. since I've never lived in sunny California! I want her to have success and joy in growing her first flowers. Thanks so much!

P.S. She also loves lilies, calla lilies and sunflowers. But when she told me she planted Mammoth sunflower seeds in a 6" pot, I tried not to chuckle. :0) Phyl GW Member name: Phylrae

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Comments (4)

gardenguru1950
18 years ago
Phyl:

VINES: Typical vines are poor container subjects. There are some little vines and "viney" things that would work in Laguna Hills...

Abutilon megapotamicum TRAILING CHINESE LANTERN
Asarina antirrhinifolia VIOLET TWINING SNAPDRAGON
Asparagus asparagoides FLORISTSÂ SMILAX
x Fatshedera lizei BOTANICAL WONDER
Jasminum angulare SOUTH AFRICAN JASMINE
Mandevilla (Dipladenia) splendens DIPLADENIA
Rosa ÂAbsolutelyÂ, ÂJeanne LajoieÂ, ÂNozomiÂ ÂRed CascadeÂ, ÂWork of ArtÂ MINIATURE CLIMBING ROSES
Sollya parviflora AUSTRALIAN BLUEBELL CREEPER

CUTFLOWERS IN CONTAINERS:

Those that would do best...

Shrubs --

Azara microphylla BOXLEAF AZARA - foliage
Chaenomeles FLOWERING QUINCE
Gardenia angusta GARDENIA
Hydrangea macrophylla HYDRANGEA
Ilex cornuta 'Willowleaf' CHINESE HOLLY -- foliage
Ruscus aculeatus JERUSALEM BUTCHERÂS BROOM -- foliage
Ruscus hypoglossum ITALIAN BUTCHERÂS BROOM -- folliage

Perennials --

Agapanthus LILY-OF-THE-NILE
Alstroemeria INCA LILY
Anigozanthos KANGAROO PAW
Cyrtomium falcatum HOLLY FERN -- foliage
Dianthus PINKS, CARNATION
Gerbera GERBERA
Patrinia scabiosifolia PATRINIA
Rumohra adiantiformis LEATHERLEAF FERN -- foliage
Scabiosa PINCUSHION FLOWER
Zantedeschia aethiopica CALLALILY

Bulbs --

Crocosmia hybrids MONTBRETIA
Freesia hybrids FREESIA
Gladiolus callianthus ABYSSINIAN SWORD LILY
Gladiolus tristis LEMON GLADIOLA, MARSH AFRIKANNER
Iris xiphioides DUTCH, ENGLISH IRIS
Ixia maculata CORN LILY
Narcissus pseudonarcissus DAFFODIL
Narcissus tazetta POLYANTHUS NARCISSUS
Nerine GUERNSEY LILY
Ornithogalum thyrsoides CHINCHERINCHEE
Ranunculus asiaticus RANUNCULUS
Triteleia 'Queen Fabiola' ITHERIALÂS SPEAR

Annuals --
c = for cool season sowing (sow in fall)
w = for warm season sowing (sow in spring)

Antirrhinum majus (tall varieties) SNAPDRAGON -- c
Calendula officinalis CALENDULA, POT MARIGOLD -- c
Callistephus chinensis CHINA ASTER -- w
Centaurea cyanus BACHELORSÂ BUTTONS, CORNFLOWER -- c
Centaurea moschata SWEET SULTAN -- c
Lathyrus odoratus SWEET PEA -- c
Limonium sinuatum STATICE -- c
Matthiola incana STOCK -- c
Molucella laevis BELLS-OF-IRELAND -- c

Joe
phylrae
Original Author
18 years ago
Joe,
Thank you SO much for all your help. I do have some of those seeds...and at least I can give her a start. It really blessed my socks off lastnight when she told me she wanted to start growing flowers. :0) Phyl
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gardenguru1950
18 years ago
CONTAINER PLANTS THAT WILL ATTRACT our western native hummingbirds:

Shrubs --

Abutilon x hybridum ÂJerryÂs Red WaxÂ,
ÂNabobÂ, ÂStrybing RedÂ FLOWERING MAPLE(hb)
Callistemon viminalis "Little John" LITTLE JOHN BOTTLEBRUS
Correa AUSTRALIAN FUCHSIA(hb)
Fuchsia FUCHSIAS(hb)
Lavandula stoechas LAVENDER(hb)
Tecoma capensis CAPE HONEYSUCKLE(hb)

Perennials --

Aquilegia COLUMBINE(hb)
Aloe (many) ALOE (hb)
Anigozanthos KANGAROO PAWS(hb)
Centranthus ruber JUPITERÂS BEARD(hb)(bf)
Hesperaloe parviflora RED YUCCA, FALSE ALOE(hb)
Heuchera (red forms) CORAL BELLS(hb)
Kniphofia (reddest forms) TORCH LILY(hb)
Penstemon hybrids (reddest forms) BEARDTONGUE(hb)
Phygelius CAPE FUCHSIA(hb)

Wonderful Sages --
Champion hummingbird(hb) attractants and sometimes bring in the butterflies(bf); some are shrubs, some are perennials; some are subshrubs

Salvia azureus BLUE SAGE
Salvia blepharophylla PURPLE-LEAF SAGE
Salvia cacaliaefolia CACALIA SAGE
Salvia chiapensis CHIAPAS SAGE
Salvia elegans PINEAPPLE SAGE
Salvia guaranitica MAJESTIC SAGE
Salvia involucrata ROSELEAF SAGE
Salvia muelleri ROYAL PURPLE SAGE(cn)
Salvia regla MOUNTAIN SAGE
Salvia tesquicola RUSSIAN SAGE
Salvia verticillata ÂPurple RainÂ PURPLE RAIN SAGE
Salvia ÂIndigo SpiresÂ INDIGO SPIRES SAGE
Salvia ÂNuevo LeonÂ NUEVO LEON SAGE

Seasonal Bedding Flowers --
Season of bloom: Sp = spring; su = summer; f = fall; w = winter

Ipomoea quamoclit (su-f) CYPRESS VINE(hb)
Ipomopsis rubra (sp-su) STANDING CYPRESS(hb)
Lavatera trimestris (sp-su) MALLOW(hb)
Malva (w-sp) MALLOW(hb)
Phaseolus coccineus (su-f) SCARLET RUNNER BEAN(hb)
Salvia coccinea (su-f) TEXAS SAGE(hb)
Salvia splendens (su-f) SCARLET SAGE(hb)

Special Plants --

Abutilon megapotamicum TRAILING ABUTILON(hb)
Heliotropium HELIOTROPE
Pentas lanceolata EGYPTIAN STAR FLOWER(hb)(bf)

Joe
phylrae
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks again Joe...what great info! :0) Phyl

Can you CA gardeners help me advise my daughter? :0)

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Can you CA gardeners help me advise my daughter? :0)

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gardenguru1950

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phylrae
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