Potted Plants Outside My Winter House
It's always a joy to see beautiful potted plants displayed around the farm during the warm season.
Every year, I take out many of my outdoor ornamental urns and fill them with plants. They do so well outside in the summer months and look great arranged around my home. Yesterday, my gardeners filled several planters in front of my carport with various plants - echeveria, Selaginella, sword ferns, lady palms, and others. These plants are among the first I see when I walk out of the house and some of the last I see when I return.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- This concrete trough is located on the stone wall outside my carport. I like to place a variety of planters outside my home and fill them with warm weather specimens. Here, one can see that the drain holes are already covered with pottery shards for drainage and to prevent any soil mix from escaping.
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- Earlier this spring, the planter was lined with a piece of all-purpose garden fabric or weed cloth to protect the interior of the planter and to make it easier to empty after the season ends.
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- The trough was also filled with a good quality potting soil. Using a proper soil mix will help to promote faster root growth and give quick anchorage to young roots.
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- We use Scotts Miracle-Gro Performance Organics Container Mix made with natural, organic aged compost. Find it on Martha.com.
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- Pete fills several more containers with potting mix on the opposite side of the carport. Doing this in a production line process is quick and efficient. It also helps to ensure there is an equal amount of soil medium in each vessel.
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- Next – it’s planting time. Pete pots up some Selaginella.
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- Selaginella is a species of vascular plant in the family Selaginellaceae. It is referred to by the common name spike moss and is mostly found in the tropical regions of the world. Selaginella species are creeping plants with simple, scale-like leaves on branching stems.
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- It’s so nice to see these pots filled with lush green plants. Spike moss foliage is a vibrant green color. It loves high humidity and indirect light – this will be a perfect summer spot for them.
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- To protect the rather porous and fragile pots and to simplify the removal in autumn, Brian places this sword fern still in its plastic container.
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- Brian top dresses the urn with more potting mix. The sword fern plant prefers light to deep shade, but will do well in full sun if watered regularly in summer.
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- Native to North America, the Western sword fern gets its name from its elongated blade-like fronds. The robust, handsome leaves can grow several feet long and have as many as a hundred leaves. In fact, long ago on the California coast, Native American Miwoks used the long, sturdy fronds to thatch structures. I have lots of ferns here at the farm – in my gardens and in pots.
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- As each specimen on the ledge is planted, Brian tamps the soil down to prevent any air holes.
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- Next, Pete sprinkles a handful of plant food in every pot – a very important part of gardening. I always say, “if you eat, so should your plants.” Each planter gets a sprinkling of Osmocote – small plant food particles known as prills.
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- Osmocote prills contain a core of nutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. As the plant’s root system takes-up nutrition from the soil, it also takes up the needed nutrients from the Osmocote.
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- Small wooden shims are used to lift all the planters off the ledge. This is very important for good drainage. All the pots around the farm are always raised. We save any usable pieces of wood from year to year for this purpose.
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- Brian uses this battery powered handheld blower from STIHL to clean the ledge of any dirt and soil. This blower is less noisy and perfect for around my Winter House.
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- The troughs are now filled with succulents. Succulents are mostly native to arid regions and store water in their fleshy leaves, stems, and roots, enabling them to resist drought. The round antique ornamental containers are planted with sago palms.
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- Succulents have relatively shallow root systems so they don’t need a lot of soil.
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- Echeverias are some of the most attractive of all succulents and they are highly valued by plant enthusiasts for their gorgeous colors and beautiful shapes. The leaves are also fleshy and have a waxy cuticle on the exterior. The echeveria plant is slow growing and usually doesn’t exceed 12 inches in height or spread.
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- The sago palm, Cycas revoluta, is a popular houseplant known for its feathery foliage and ease of care. Native to the southern islands of Japan, the sago palm goes by several common names, including Japanese palm, funeral palm, king sago, or just plain sago palm. Sago palms are cycads, one of the most ancient plants that have been around since prehistoric times.
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- Finally, Brian gives every plant a good drink. It’s always important to water after planting, transplanting and potting. It is a good way to avoid transplant shock, and will help the plant settle in to its new location.
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- I love how these ledges look. These plants will thrive here all season long where they will get ample sun and light shade. The gardens and all my plants are looking so beautiful.
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