California Plants

This March 18 through May 31, 2009, there is an amazing gardening event happening in Florida at Walt Disney World.  The Epcot international Flower and Garden Festival fills the Walt Disney World Epcot Center grounds with educational happenings, arrays of flowers, topiaries, music, and more.  This is not just an event for the kids but can also be an event for parents, singles, or gardening professionals.  There are going to the millions of blooming flowers and shrubs plus trees.  There will also be items for sale such as gardening tools and other products.  Of course you will need to purchase admission into Epcot Center to see the show, but this indoor and outdoor amazing event is totally worth it. Here is a link to the event Website.

Dwarf Sunflowers are terrific as an annual to grow each year in your garden, or to use as a cut flower.  These plants are easy to grow from seed.  They can flower quite early in the spring and due to their dwarf growth habit, they have strong stems which can hold up well in a bouquet with other flowers.  A dwarf sunflower generally grows from 1 foot to 2 feet in height.  The Dwarf Sunflower in this photo is about 16 inches in height.  These flowers are generally 3-6 inches in diameter.  Dwarf Sunflowers are great for borders, container use, or as cut flowers.  The seeds go very far with Dwarf Sunflowers.  That means a small number of seeds can cover quite a nice sized area. They can be sown directly in the soil in the spring after the last frost, planted in containers to later be moved into the garden, or even kept as is.  Dwarf Sunflowers like rich, well drained soil.  Dwarf Sunflowers do best with a good amount of water.  The best amount of sun for a sunflower is at least six hours, preferably a full day of sun. Dwarf Sunflowers grow best when fertilized. The Dwarf Sunflower in this photo is a few months old, from seed to bloom!

Three Month Old Dwarf Sunflower From Seed to Bloom

Marigolds can be one of the most fun and rewarding annual plants to grow from seed at home.  Marigolds exhibit beautiful, brilliant yellow, orange, or red blooms.  They have compact bushy growth and can bloom for weeks to months.  Although marigolds can be planted from seed directly in the garden, I prefer to plant seeds in a sterile medium inside it the house in a window, in the basement under lights, or in the garden in trays.  This way once plants are large enough, they can be transplanted into the garden.  Marigolds are terrific for container gardening, sunny borders, or filling in empty areas between other plants.  Marigolds do not tolerate frost well so should be planted in the spring after danger of frost.  Marigolds like full sun.  Seeds can be planted 1/4″ in depth.  I generally plant marigolds seeds very close together and then thin them to between 1 inch to 12 inches apart.  The amount that you thin them will depend on how dense you want your marigolds to grow.  The marigolds in the photo, Happy Days Red, are planted very close together for a more impressive show.  Most marigolds bloom at a height of 3 inches to 12 inches. The marigolds in this photo are about three months old, from seed to bloom.

Marigold Happy Days Red in my Garden Border Started from Seed

Lavender is one of the most aromatic,  rewarding perennial plants to grow.  After Lavender gets established it can be a wonderful drought tolerant plant.  The foliage and flowers of a lavender plant are usually nicely fragrant.  The flowers can be purple, white, or a combination.  Foliage can be green to silver to bluish.

A Dense Variety of Lavender

Lavender plants attract butterflies to the garden as well as bees and other beneficial insects.  Lavender plants like part or full sun, with six or more hours of direct sun being ideal.

Lavender with Tall Flower Spikes

For the first number of months that you grow Lavender, it is important to water regularly.  After the plant is established, a more arid dry environment is permitted due to the deep roots of the plant.  Lavender plants bloom generally in the summer.  Spacing between Lavender plants is usually best to be between 15 to 25 inches.  Lavender plants grow at a medium pace but can grow fast.  Generally Lavender will be one foot to 3 feet in height, and can be anywhere from 2 inches wide when young to many feet wide when established.  Lavender is generally not happy below 32°F.  It is best to cut back lavender flowers after flowering To promote more bloom.  It is not important to fertilize lavender, but some can be beneficial.  When planting use a porous mixture with compost, sand, and other well-drained rich nutrients. The average size of a lavender plant is about 3′ x 3′.

Lavender Blooming Like Crazy