California Plants

Angel’s Trumpet is quite the rewarding plant to grow. This vigorous plant (also can be trained to grow as a shrub or tree)  loves full sun, has fragrant flowers, and grows six to eight feet in height when mature. This plant can grow well in a pot or the ground. It does not like to dry out between waterings, and cannot get colder than 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Here is a beautiful white potted variety that can be transplanted into the ground, a pink one just like the one in our garden photo below you can grow from seed, an orange one that can be grown from seed, and a beautiful potted peach variety.

Pink Angels Trumpet Plant in Our Garden

Here are the steps to create a seed starting rack for your home. Creating this seed starting system doesn’t require much effort at all.

1. Purchase a wire rack. You can get this at a kitchen store, restaurant supply store, Costco, or another store. Ensure it has casters so it can roll. Ensure the shelves are adjustable.
2. Buy fluorescent tube grow lights or shop lights, with one warm and one cool bulb.
3. Hang shop lights from the rack shelves. Use the chains they come with.
5. Get a seed starter kit from any local home improvement store. Or just get a tray and punch holes in the bottom.
6. Use a soiless mixture for these seeds as new seedlings like a light and airy mix. Pre moisten the mixture in a bag before using it.
7. Don’t plant your seeds too deep. Just plant them about 1/2 centimeter deep, pressing into the mix.
8. Put a layer of sphagnum moss on top of your mix to prevent the seeds from dying overnight from damping off.
9. Optional: put a plastic dome on top of your seed tray so it acts as a greenhouse to give seeds a moist environment to sprout. Remove this dome once the seeds sprout.
10. Note that seedlings need 10-12 hours of light per day. You can use a timer so no there is no need to worry when the lights will come on. Keep the light close to your seedlings.
11. You can move the lights as close as possible as the seedlings grow.
12. Don’t forget to water the mix so it does not dry out at any time.
13. Once seedlings have grown 3 sets of new leaves it is time to be fed.
14. You can water with a soluble fertilizer at 1/2 strength so the plants feed themselves.
15. Pant seedlings in peat pots so when the weather is right they can go right into your garden - learn how to plant them with high density gardening here.

When looking for privacy plants, shrubs, and trees to create an outdoor privacy screen, there are a number of great options. Although it is possible to buy a garden fence for outdoor privacy, living things are relaxing and fun to look at. Outdoor privacy screens block out noise, give privacy, and look pleasant. Here are a number of plants, shrubs, and trees we recommend, all listed and priced here.

1. Stephanandra ‘Crispa’ - Shade, prevents erosion on hills, grows in zones 3-8
2. Taxus Margarita - Part shade or full sun, 4 to 6 ft height/width, grows in zones 3-7
3. Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’ - Part shade, beautiful big blooms, grows to height of 4 feet tall, grows in zones 4-9
4. Rhododendron P.J.M. - Part shade or full sun, beautiful foliage, 5-6 feet tall, grows in zones 4-8
5. x Cupressocyparis leylandii - Sun or light shade, fast growing, dense, can trim to be 10-30 feet tall, grows in zones 6-9
6. Caryopteris ‘Longwood Blue’ - Sun or part shade, great as a hedge, about 2 feet tall, grows in zones 5-9
7. Cryptomeria ‘Radicans’ - Part shade or full sun, drought resistant and fast grower, can grow 10-40 feet in height depending on your trimming, grows in zones 5-8
8. Pinus ‘Thunderhead’ - Sun, easy to grow, 5-6 feet in height, zones 5-9
9. Thuja ‘Green Giant’ - Part shade to sun, easy to grow and fragrant, trim to be anywhere between 10-30 feet tall, grows in zones 5-8