The Gardener's Idea Book
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THE GARDENER’S IDEA BOOK Be a Pollinator Champion Gardeners are nurturers by nature. A sense of fulfillment comes each time we hear a hummingbird whiz on by or watch a robin build a new nest. Whether you garden on ten acres or on your condo’s patio, you can provide a safe space for pollinators to live, feed and multiply. To attract pollinators in this space, we painted our containers in vivid colors that bees, butterflies and hummingbirds can see. Then, we filled them with flat-topped and trumpet-shaped flowers that provide the nutritious pollen and nectar our winged friends are seeking. Whimsical birdhouses made from simple kits were added to attract more biodiversity to the space. How will you be a champion for pollinators this season? Above: VERMILLIONAIRE® Cuphea, LUSCIOUS® BERRY BLEND™ Lantana, LUSCIOUS® CITRUS BLEND™ Lantana, ‘Pardon My Cerise’ Monarda, ‘Pardon My Lavender’ Monarda, ‘Cat’s Pajamas’ Nepeta, SUPERTUNIA® Daybreak Charm Petunia, SUPERTUNIA® Giant Pink Petunia, SUPERTUNIA® Really Red Petunia, ROCKIN’® Deep Purple Salvia, ROCKIN’® Fuchsia Salvia, METEOR SHOWER® Verbena and MAGIC SHOW® ‘Wizard of Ahhs’ Veronica Above, top row: LUSCIOUS® BERRY BLEND™ Lantana and ROCKIN’® PLAYIN’ THE BLUES® Salvia Middle row: ‘Pardon My Lavender’ Monarda, LUSCIOUS® CITRUS BLEND™ Lantana and METEOR SHOWER® Verbena Bottom row: SUPERTUNIA® Daybreak Charm Petunia Click here to save pins of beautiful plants that feed pollinators. Love these birdhouses? Click here to get the sources and see how we assembled our own. You’ll also find a handy list of plants for pollinators there. 1 The art of the urban patio After a busy day in the city, there is nothing sweeter than being able to Opposite page and above: Square table planters: LEMON CORAL® Sedum come home and kick your feet up in a lush green space. You’ll forget Large patio planters: you’re in the middle of the city as you take in the fresh air of your SILVER BULLET® Artemisia stelleriana, TOUCAN® Scarlet Canna, transformed urban oasis. GRACEFUL GRASSES® VERTIGO® Pennisetum, ‘Denim ‘n Lace’ Perovskia, and SNOWSTORM® GIANT SNOWFLAKE® Sutera Surround yourself with an eclectic mix of richly textured, easy care Small patio planters: SNOWSTORM® Pink Sutera and METEOR SHOWER® Verbena plants in containers that can move with you when your lease is up. Windowbox 1: Those you see here won’t keep you chained to the hose, even with TRUFFULA™ Pink Gomphrena, LUSCIOUS® CITRUS BLEND™ Lantana, MOJAVE® Fuchsia Portulaca and SNOWSTORM® the reflected heat from surrounding structures. Mobile tables made Pink Sutera from wooden shipping crates paired with plush ottoman seating Windowbox 2: Sweet Caroline Bewitched GREEN WITH ENVY™ Ipomoea, are easy to rearrange as needed when entertaining. LUSCIOUS® Grape Lantana, MOJAVE® Fuchsia Portulaca and ROCKIN’® Fuchsia Salvia Large planter box: ‘Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Red’ Ipomoea, GRACEFUL Click here GRASSES® VERTIGO® Pennisetum, ROCKIN’® Fuchsia to find step-by-step instructions on Salvia and METEOR SHOWER® Verbena how to build your own crate planter table. 2 3 East Coast Swing – ROCKAPULCO® Coral Reef Impatiens, LEMON CORAL® Sedum and COLORBLAZE® Chocolate Drop Solenostemon (Coleus) LEMONCORAL lights the way Gardeners like Laura of Garden Answer love to grow this worry-free succulent with crisp citrusy color, spiky-yet-soft texture and a tough as nails constitution. Lemon Coral plays nicely with others in containers and landscapes in sun and part shade. Forget to water for a few days? No one will ever know. If only everything in life was so easy! 4 Above, clockwise from upper left: LEMON CORAL® Sedum with cut flowers in water picks LEMON CORAL® Sedum in the landscape with COLORBLAZE® ROYALE APPLE BRANDY® Solenostemon (Coleus) Click here to see why Laura of Garden LEMON CORAL® Sedum in unique container Answer thinks Lemon Coral is the perfect LEMON CORAL® Sedum in landscape with Heart of the Jungle Colocasia, ‘Gold Edger’ Hosta and CATALINA® White Linen Torenia plant for containers and landscapes. LEMON CORAL® Sedum decorated with fall decor with DOLCE® ‘Cherry Truffles’ Heuchera in background Below, left to right: Click here to learn how to grow and Friends Forever: SUPERBELLS® Tropical Sunrise Calibrachoa, ROCKIN’® ‘Golden Delicious’ Salvia and LEMON CORAL® Sedum design with Lemon Coral. Cleopatra: BETH’S BLUE® Isotoma, LEMON CORAL® Sedum and METEOR SHOWER® Verbena Roman Emperor: VERMILLIONAIRE® Cuphea and LEMON CORAL® Sedum William the Conqueror: Sweet Caroline Raven Ipomoea, COLORBLAZE® Chocolate Drop Solenostemon (Coleus) Click here to learn how to dress and LEMON CORAL® Sedum up your party table with the Lemon Coral arrangement. 5 National Plants of the Year SHADOWLAND® ‘Autumn Frost’ Hosta Like a ray of sunshine for your shadiest spaces, this distinctive hosta will complement everything you plant it with. Extra-thick leaves make it more pest resistant. 12-16" Zone 3-9 SUMMERIFIC® ‘Berry Awesome’ Hibiscus Unbeatable flower power from midsummer into fall is what you’ll get every year with this tropical looking yet cold hardy, robust perennial. 40-48" Zone 4-9 LOW SCAPE® Mound Aronia This easy to grow, problem solving shrub delivers white flowers in spring, dark purple fruit birds love and brilliant red fall foliage. 6 12-24" Zone 3-9 Click here to find tips on how to grow all of our National Plants of the Year. AT LAST® Rosa Where has this incredible rose been all your life? You can grow beautifully fragrant, worry-free roses that bloom all season “at last.” 30-36" Zone 5-9 FIRE LIGHT® Hydrangea paniculata The gold standard in panicle hydrangeas, this multiple award winner delivers a stellar garden performance and spectacular red fall flower color. 4.5-6' Zone 3-8 SONIC BLOOM® Weigela florida Deer resistant, pollinator-friendly, low maintenance shrubs that bloom again and again all season. Fair warning: you’re going to want the whole series. 3-5' Zone 4-8 7 Garden to Table Goodness These containers are bursting with garden fresh goodness. A clean white backdrop allows aromatic bushels of basil and high yield tomatoes underplanted with cascading Supertunia Vista® Paradise petunias to shine. Everbearing strawberries with double, rose red flowers provide sweet berries all season. It’s easy to grow your own healthy, flavorful food when you start with our new Proven Harvest™ collection. Each item was selected with the utmost care to deliver distinctive flavors, strong disease resistance and a beautiful, bountiful harvest. Click here for tips for growing a bountiful harvest using Proven Harvest plants. 8 This page and opposite: BERRIED TREASURE™ Red Fragaria (Strawberry), ‘Garden Treasure’ Lycopersicon (Tomato), ‘Garden Gem’ Lycopersicon (Tomato), AMAZEL™ Basil Ocimum, SUPERTUNIA® Daybreak Charm Petunia and SUPERTUNIA VISTA® Paradise Petunia Outlined above: The double blooms of BERRIED TREASURE™ Red Fragaria (Strawberry) with SUPERTUNIA VISTA® Paradise Petunia 9 10 Foodscaping with Flair Maximize the square footage you have by turning it into a multi-use space that combines Proven Harvest™ plants with edible flowers in your patio containers. We took Gardener’s Supply Company’s suggestion to “grow your own happy hour” in their eight-foot-long, reclaimed wood outdoor planter bar by filling it with aromatic herbs and strawberries that can be conveniently plucked for craft cocktails. Having fresh ingredients on hand frees up time to relax with your guests and share moments in the edible ambiance you’ve created. Food has a way of bringing people together, doesn’t it? Click here to gather delectable recipe ideas using Proven Harvest plants and edible flowers for your next party. At left, in the bar: SUREFIRE® Rose Begonia, LADY GODIVA® Orange Calendula, FRUIT PUNCH® ‘Spiked Punch’ Dianthus, BERRIED TREASURE™ Red Fragaria, AMAZEL™ Basil Ocimum, OSO EASY HOT PAPRIKA® Rosa, along with English thyme, lemon verbena, spearmint and orange mint Table centerpieces: SUREFIRE® Rose Begonia and LEMON CORAL® Sedum In the landscape: ROCKIN’® Fuchsia Salvia and ROCKIN’® ‘Golden Delicious’ Salvia In containers: FRUIT PUNCH® ‘Spiked Punch’ Dianthus, BERRIED TREASURE™ Red Fragaria (Strawberry), LUSCIOUS® Royale Cosmo Lantana, ‘Garden Gem’ Lycopersicon (Tomato), ‘Garden Treasure’ Lycopersicon (Tomato), MOJAVE® Fuchsia Portulaca, ROCKIN’® ‘Golden Delicious’ Salvia and bell pepper 11 STRAWBERRY SAUCE: Keep your flowers in bloom SUPERBELLS® STRAWBERRY PUNCH™ Calibrachoa, LAGUNA® White Lobelia and all season by adding continuous SUPERBENA® Royale Romance Verbena release plant food to the soil when ® Suggested Thriller: GRACEFUL GRASSES ‘Sky Rocket’ Pennisetum (not pictured) you plant, and feeding them every third time you water with water soluble plant food. A great hanging basket is like jewelry for your front porch, just the right embellishment to greet your guests with a warm hello. Garden centers abound with full, opulent baskets in spring. If you’re limited on space to hang them, it’s easy to unclip the hook and transplant the combination of plants into an upright container. Most bowls and urns will do. Voila! You’ll have an instantly lush container. All-In-One Instant 12 At far left: PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE – SUNSATIA® BLOOD ORANGE™ Nemesia SUPERTUNIA® LATTE™ Petunia SUPERBENA ROYALE® Plum Wine Verbena Suggested Thriller: GRACEFUL GRASSES® Purple Fountain Grass Pennisetum (not pictured) At left and above: IRRESISTIBLE – SUPERBELLS® Yellow Calibrachoa LAGUNA® ULTRAVIOLET™ Lobelia SUNSATIA® BLOOD ORANGE™ Nemesia Suggested Thriller: GRACEFUL GRASSES® Purple Fountain Grass Pennisetum (not pictured) Click here to learn how to grow and maintain gorgeous container recipes and hanging baskets that last all season. Gratification 13 This page: SPARKLE AND GLOW SUPERBELLS® GRAPE PUNCH™ Calibrachoa LAGUNA® ULTRAVIOLET™ Lobelia SUPERBENA SPARKLING® Amethyst Verbena Suggested Thriller: METEOR SHOWER® Verbena Take Your Recipe to New Heights If you love the colors in a hanging basket you see at the store but need something a little taller for your space, make it work. For this corner space, we purchased two identical hanging baskets of Sparkle and Glow. One was transplanted into a short bowl planter while the other went into a taller urn, leaving a gap in the back to add Meteor Shower® verbena.