When do you know its time to increase your workload, change jobs, or stay where you are? I ask this because yesterday I agreed to take on further work at Spruce. I happily took on the task of assisting the buying of the green goods for the store - trouble is, I've never really paid much attention to where plants come from, I've just expected to be able to find what I was looking for when I was shopping for a landscape client. I saw the trucks rolling in, but never looked at the supplier name on the side. Now I have 15 pages of notes on where we buy, what we buy, and who has the best product. I'm brushing up on my latin and discovering I know more perennials than I thought! I have gone from Landscape Coordinator, to Landscape Designer, to Public Relations, to buying. I'm guessing it's good to learn many aspects of an industry you love, but can I feasably make it all work? Time will tell...For now, all I know is there is no other place I'd rather be working and I love the staff, so it should be an exciting ride!
The forecast is good for the next little while, so I am cautiously believing that I can finally plant my annuals - hope I have time to! With all of this new product rolling in, I will have a tough time choosing what plants to put in my 25 containers. I find containers to be the best way to express some creativity. Go for plants with different textures, foliage colors and no more than 3 bloom colors. Number one container failure problem? Improper drainage...Make sure that you leave an escape route for the water and flush your plants right through, every time. You should be able to see the water run out from the container. I like to use the slow-release fertilizer pellets, but I also supplement with further fertilizing throughout the season. Annuals are heavy feeders, particularly if you have lots of plants in one pot. Use larger pots and mix in some moisture retainer like CocoEarth. Pots look nice when displayed in groupings of three (if possible), and they don't all have to be the same style. For instance, choose a tall and short square pot and a medium sized round pot and group them in a corner on your deck. Always, always use a Planter Box soil for best results, as regular top soil is too heavy and less porous, leaving little breathing room for the plants. Select plants for sun or shade depending on where the container will be placed, and don't be afraid to mix some perennials in with the annuals for texture and foliage contrast. I will post some pictures when I have mine ready! Happy Potting!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment