Well, despite the heat, it is Fall and that means time to plant in Southern California. Whether you have a tiny balcony, a porch or a concrete patio, you can still plant a lot in containers. Even vegetables. Jump below to see some of our favorite plants to add to a Fall container garden:
Vegetables
Because our climate stays above freezing (except for a couple of nights in january and february) it's safe to plant vegetables in the Fall. When planting them in containers you want to make sure to fertilize (or add worm castings to keep the soil rich enough to support the plants. You also want to make sure that your pots have good drainage otherwise the roots will start to rot and your vegetables will not be happy.
Try some of these, they're hearty and perfect for planting in the Fall:
beets, peppers, green onions, beans, lettuce, broccoli and radishes.
You can start them from seed or find baby plants. But either way make sure you read the details of how big the plant gets, how much sun it needs and much depth they need in the container to make sure you put them in the right spot.
Native Plants
Try flaxes and grasses that are either native to california or perfectly suited to our climate. We love Jack Spratt flax and also succulents. For some inspiration we were going to check out the California Cactus Center or the Theodore Payne Nursery. Remember this teeny tiny succulent garden? Totally inspiring.
Flowers:
Try some cool weather annuals like pansies, snapdragons, stocks, primroses, or cyclamens. This is also a great time to start planting springtime bulbs (see Sunset's top 5 favorite bulbs to plant in the Fall)
Herbs
This is a great time to start your windowsill herb garden. We keep basil, 2 different kinds of thyme, rosemary and Italian parsley.
Images (clockwise): Decorative Cabbage, Fresh Basil, carrots and beets, Japonica Gold Mound, Iceland Poppy
Related Reads:
Best Plant Containers for Small Spaces
Best White Containers
LA Store: Pottery Manufacturing in Gardena
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where is the advice for boston? we can't do this, next week i'll be digging a snow tunnel to get out of my house :)
but i would loooove some advice on how not to kill plants :0) basil and cacti in particular please :)
view elinka189's profile
so happy you posted this - i just did some massive pruning and weed removal in my yard this weekend and was stumped on what i could plant that would survive the winter months - fantastic!
view seenatalieblog.'s profile
elinka--the main thing is the amount of sunlight and the amount of water. Make sure the basil is getting plenty of light. if the dirt is sopping wet, let it dry out for a couple of days. if it's bone dry, soak it in some water. and if you're using it to cook make sure to pinch of the flowers that try to bloom. Once they bloom it changes the flavor of the basil!
The cactus, not sure, it's hard to over or under water them, but make sure it gets direct light!
view laure's profile
god, i wish i didn't live near buffalo. i want more temperate winters!
view indiasoup's profile
thank you laure, i will experiment with the basil :)
view elinka189's profile