New Plant Saturday for February 21st

Happy weekend, garden geeks!

This week we received a big order of all sorts of new goodies from Annie's Annuals & Perennials! Check out a few of our favorites below!
(all photos courtesy of Annie's Annuals!)

Aeoniums 

We are a HUGE fan of this family of plants! Easy to grow, funky & fun, they bring a delightful dynamic to ANY style of garden! We have several varieties in stock right now:

 Aeonium cilatum

 Aeonium heirrense - huge, and really cool 'trunk'!

 Aeonium simsii - small and super cute!

Aeonium urbicum - huge flower head!

Aeonium "Sunburst" - one of our favorites, great color!

Delphiniums 

We have LOTS of delphiniums in stock right now, about 8 different varieties, in fact! Two new ones just arrived from Annie's: Double Innocence, grown for it's striking bright white blooms, and "True Wild Form", a hard to find specimen that is super hardy and almost electric blue in color!

Hollyhocks

Towering giants of any garden, Hollyhocks are quite easy to grown, and fairly drought tolerant once established. They are a bit prone to a rust that affects just their family of plants. While it's not all that pretty, it's not really going to damage the plant, is easy to address, and really, a few dots on a leave are worth it when you see the blooms these plants produce! We have the varieties below in stock right now; all take full sun, average to low water (once established) and will grow between 4-8 feet tall!

 Hollyhock "Halo Apricot"

 Hollyhock "Halo Blossom"

 Hollyhock "Black Knight"

 Hollyhock "Halo Cerise"

Hollyhock "Halo Lavender"

Papaver Poppies

Another late winter/early spring favorite: poppies! These are not your run of the mill poppies, though. These unusual specimens - many of them 'heirloom plants' that have been around for centuries!  are grown for their show stopping, fun blooms! Check out a few of the ones we have in stock right now:

 "Ladybird"

 "Crimson Feathers"

 "Danbrog"

 "Lavender Fringed"

 "Lavender Semi-Double"

 "Orange Chiffon"

 "Queen's Poppy"

 "Sugar Plum"

This is, of course, just the tip of our 'new plant iceberg'! Other new plants from Annie's include Petunia axillaris, the popular California Ranunculus, all sorts of Salvias, and some really cute violas! Plus, we have a great selection available from some of our native growers, lots of succulents, and more!

The nursery is looking really nice and full right now, a great time to stop in and visit us, and perhaps take home some of your very own botanical goodies!

Burgundy Loosestrife

One of our other favorite plants of the moment is Lysimachia atropurpurea “Burgundy Loosestrife”. Doesn't look like much in its little 4" container, but plant it in the ground, watch it grow, and once it blooms - WOW! It's a showstopper! SUCH A COOL PLANT!

We ordered too many of them because we love them so much, so we even have them on sale right now for just $3 each! Come in and try a few out, we promise you'll love them AND will impress your garden nerd friends!

Black Coral Pea

Check out one of our newest additions to our gardens: Kennedia nigricans "Black Coral Pea"! We had this specimen in stock earlier this summer, and it sold out super quick! Easy to grow, this Australian native loves clay soil and is super hardy! Give it your toughest conditions, and it will thrive! Beautiful, unusual bloom, too! We kinda have a crush on this plant...

And don't forget, our sale section is nice and full right now, but stop in soon if you want to get in on it, our 'weekday regulars' will no doubt have it cleaned out by the end of the week!

The weekend is here!!!

Weekend time!!!!!!!!!! The perfect time to be outside. A big order from Annie's arrived yesterday with lots of treasures, including Clianthus puniceus “Parrot’s Bill”. This New Zealand native grows to about four feet wide and tall and puts on a show of amazing 'beak like' flowers! Easy to grow and adaptable too, a great 'anchor' shrub for the back of your garden.

We have them in 4" containers for just $4.50. 

 

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Hope to see you soon!

New plant day!

It's 'new plant day' at Johnnye Merle's! New arrivals today from Annie's Annuals & Perennials include all sorts of goodies: alonsoa, zinnias, dahlias, clematis, 'Day of the Dead' marigolds and much much more...including Briza media "Quaking Grass", pictured below! This easy to grow ornamental grass only gets to about a foot and a half tall, clumps (so it's not invasive!) & bears these awesome 'flowers' that look like little fairy lanterns, or the end of rattlesnake tails. Everyone always goes crazy over it when it blooms in our gardens! Super cute!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Coming tomorrow: Zinnia 'Raggedy Ann'

We've got some new goodies coming in from Annie's Annuals & Perennials tomorrow, including Zinnia elegans 'Raggedy Ann', one of our most favorite of all the zinnias!

This lovely old fashioned variety grows 3-4' tall, bearing double flowers 4”-5” across with curved & twisted petals. Super cute, great cut, easy to grow, long blooming and self sows. OMG! Come in and get one! We'll have them out and ready to go by late Friday afternoon.

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

We hope to see you this weekend!

Every garden needs a little Elvis..

So, this plant you need not only for the amazing purple blooms and easy to grow habit, but for its name: Plectranthus 'Velvet Elvis'! This fast grower is another great addition to your shady areas - they will be in later on today, come on down and take one home!

Source: terranovanurseries.com via Brande on Pinterest

Agastache Apache Sunset

Garden Nerd Alert: Arriving to our gardens tomorrow: Agastache "Apache Sunset"! Grows to about two feet high and wide, sending up lots and lots of deep orange spikes that bloom from rose purple buds all summer long. Aromatic and easy to grow, requires full sun and good drainage. Popular with hummingbirds, butterflies and bees, too! Good stuff all around - stop by tomorrow and take one home!

Source: swallowtailgardenseeds.com via Brande on Pinterest

Dianthus Black Adder and Fullerton Green Scene!

 Check out Dianthus 'Black Adder', currently in stock! 

Lovely and easy to grow and a prolific bloomer, an all around great plant! We loooooove throwing dark blooms into our garden! We're putting together a display today for a 'goth garden', come check it out! :)

 We have them in 4" containers right now, for just $4!

 

Source: Uploaded by user via Brande on Pinterest

 

And don't forget, today is the last day of the Fullerton Green Scene - a fun plant sale at the Fullerton Aboretum.

It's just a short drive from our shop  and a great excuse to make a day out of a visit to Orange! 

Enjoy your Sunday, gardeners!

Dicliptera suberecta “Uraguayan Firecracker Plant”

Some new Annie's Annuals & Perennials are arriving to our gardens tomorrow (and hopefully this wind will be LEAVING!), including the lovely Dicliptera suberecta “Uraguayan Firecracker Plant”, one of our favorites!

Drought tolerant and hardy, this awesome specimen is a great way to bring some bright color to your garden, especially in those 'tough spots'. The grey foliage brings in an interesting 'architectural' element, too. AND hummingbirds love! It will be ready to go home with you by tomorrow afternoon....we'll have them in 4" containers for just $5!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Plant of the day!

Happy Tuesday, gardeners!

Our plant of the day today: Euphorbia lambii. Super cool, it's a touch Dr. Suess but also edgy and architectural, and quite easy to grow! We love all things euphorbia at Johnnye Merle's, and this is one of our favorites! Put it in a spot where you need a bit of height - it can get up to six feet tall!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

We've got 'em in 4" containers right now for just $4.50! Come in and take one home!

Physotegia "Crystal White"

Ohhh...we are in LOVE with this new plant!

Physotegia "Crystal White" is super cool - little 'crowns' of white blooms adorn this adorable cottage garden plant. This perennial should do well in just about any sunny spot with adequate water; grows to about 2.5 feet in height, and spreads in a lovely way.

Stop by our garden and take one home with you - we are open 10-5 every day!

Source: powerflowers.com via Brande on Pinterest

Dianthus "Thea Mary"

Happy Sunday gardeners! It's been a lovely lovely weekend, and we hope you've spent some time with your plants!

Today's featured plant is Dianthus plumarius 'Thea Mary', a lovely, delightful variety grown by Annie's Annuals & Perennials! This is a perennial dianthus with an adorable pink bloom to it; grows to about a foot and a half in full sun or part shade, with regular watering. If you cut them back after their spring bloom, they'll put on a second show the same year in the late summer and fall! A great plant for the edges of your beds or pots...

We have this and loooooots of other plants in stock right now; we had new plants come in on both Wednesday and Friday last week, stop by today and check them all out!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Hollyhocks!

Among the bazillion or so plants we brought in from Annie's Annuals and Perennials this week (that is, we do believe, an accurate number...), there were several fun varieties of Hollyhocks that we wanted to share with you all!

Hollyhocks are actually the plant genus Alcea, part of the mallow family Malvacae; Lavatera is too, which is why they do look somewhat similar. Hollyhocks, however, don't take on the shrub like appearance that Lavatera does, instead growing large, wide 'bases' of single petal leaves, and stocks that can get upwards of ten feet tall. They are native to Asia, with a few species said to be native to Egypt and Europe. They are generally quite drought resistant, and do well in sunny spots with less than great soil. When happy, they get BIG and reseed, so give 'em space, but man oh man, are they a fun addition to your garden!

Alcea rosea 'Nigra' "Black Hollyhock"

Now, we must admit we are a sucker for ANY dark blooming plant; it is our deep rooted fantasy to one day create a 'goth garden' for a client, so we are biased, but still, this plant is AMAZING! Grows easy, reseeds and tough as...well, cement. We had planted one in our mom's parkway, an area that rarely got any water, had horrible soil, and was a favorite dumping ground for cement remnants of our younger brother's stone making projects. These suckers FLOURISHED!  They were over 6 feet high, reseeding like mad, and looked so amazing that people would literally stop their cars to look! How's that for an endorsement?

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Hollyhock Alcea 'Halo Cerise'

These Halo varieties are new to us, but we love them, they remind us of Hibiscus and Hawaiian vacations! Slightly smaller than the other alceas,  these hollyhocks produce masses of 5", magenta-fading-to-deep-purple blooms; start blooming in the first heat of summer & keep the show going until it gets cold. Attracts hummingbirds, bees and butterflies too! Plant in the back of your beds for an amazing 'anchor' or 'show stopper' plant! 

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Hollyhock Alcea 'Halo Pink'

Similar to 'Cerise', but with a pink flower and yellow center. So cute!

Source: tandmwholesale.com via Brande on Pinterest

Hollyhock Alcea 'Halo White'

How cheerful is THIS plant????  5” blossoms that are fresh-white and centered with a splash of lemon yellow, this is the ultimate cheerful summer plant!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Alcea rugosa “Yellow Fig-Leaved Hollyhock”

We just love this dainty variety, and it's also quite hardy and rust resistant as well, a definite bonus feature! Long blooming and bushy enough to never need staking, they also will return each spring for a good 4-5 years, meaning they aren't your typical biennial Hollyhock. Like most Hollyhocks, it too will attract hummingbirds, bees and butterflies!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

All of our Hollyhocks are in 4" containers and priced at just $4.50. Stop by and take a few home today; don't forget, our gardens are PACKED right now with awesome plants - see us soon!

And a note on rust, from grower Annie's Annuals on Hollyhocks and rust: "A little note:
Hollyhocks are notoriously rusty creatures, and even those types that are less prone to rust still get a few spots in the garden, particularly if you overhead water or live somewhere with fog! The particular species of rust that effects hollyhocks, Puccinia malvacearum, effects only members of the Mallow family, and will not spread to other plants. To control rust, simply remove the rusty leaves, and refrain from overhead watering. You should also plant your hollyhocks in as much sun as you can provide. Our plants have to be overhead watered in their 4" pots, and though we take many preventative measures to control rust, it is very hard to eradicate it completely -after all, the spores are everywhere (they're in your garden right now!), airborne, and particularly drawn to hollyhocks. We may send out plants that have a few spots of rust now and again, but on the whole, the plants are healthy, and we try not to send out any material that is heavily infested. Rust very seldom kills the plant, and if the plants are in good soil in good sun, and watered correctly, rust is primarily a cosmetic problem. Even the species hollyhocks that are less rust prone than the Alcea rosea hybrids sometimes get a little bit of rust! It's true! There's just no way to have everything in the garden be completely sterile, you know? If you unilaterally object to the occasional rust spot, it could be that hollyhocks are not for you!"

Let's talk about marigolds...

Folks, lets talk about marigolds this morning. Not the boring stuff you find at your local home improvement store though, we are talking some serious marigolds. We are talking about Marigold ‘Day of the Dead Orange’. Oh yeah.
 

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

 Know what you need on this sleepy Thursday morning? You need Marigold ‘Day of the Dead Orange', also known as “Cempazuchitl”, grown by Annie's Annuals & Perennials. You need them because 1. they are AWESOME and 2. they are actually quite hard to find and 3. because we have them in stock right now, along with loooots of other fun, cool plants!

Seriously, give marigolds a chance! These are soooo fun in any garden - look at the size of those blooms! 4" containers and just $4, or maybe even just $3.50, we can't remember. But they are cheap, and they will make you happy, and we all want to be happy!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Have fun! Get planting! It's spring, you should smell like dirt by the end of the day!

Selinum wallichianum "Emerald Lace"

Meet Selinum wallichianum "Emerald Lace", just one of the many many awesome, weird and unusual plants available in our garden right now!

This lovely plant reminds us of a cross between good old fashioned Queen Anne's Lace and a ginormous geranium! So cool! Meant for sunny spot, its fern like foliage gives birth to some amazing white blooms on red stems. YOU NEED IT!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

We have them in 4" containers right now for just $5! 

Echeveria

Echeveria are one of our very favorite plant families here at Johnnye Merles. There are versatile, easy to grow, and look awesome year round and mixed into virtually any garden design style.

They are technically a succulent, though we find them to be much more hardy than the tender succulents you might be familiar with. Native to Mexico through Central American into northwester South America, they seem do do particularly well here in Southern California as well. Cool fact? They were named after an 18th century Mexican botanical artist, Atanasio Echeverría y Godoy. They are low water/drought tolerant plants, making them a perfect choice for your water conscious gardens and pots. Even better though, is that based on our experience, many of them are able to tolerate a certain amount of shade and even some frost, making them even more versatile!

When designing with Echeveria, you have a lot to work with: versatile growing conditions, an amazing array of colors and blooms, and a cool, ‘architectural’ quality to their leaves and structure. I’ve worked them into garden designs of all types, with much success: native/drought tolerant plantings, ‘minimalist’ landscapes using a lot of grasses and succulents, as well as classic cottage and English style gardens. Care is very easy; clean out dead leaves, and I like to prune back the dead stalk once they are done flowering. Even though they are drought tolerant, occasional deep watering and fertilizing will get an even better performance out of them if you are able to do so.

I took a few photos of some of the Echeveria we have in stock right now at Johnnye Merles - check out the variety and diversity of these plants, and of course, be sure to stop in and take one home!


Echeveria Pul-Oliver


Echeveria 'Topsy Turvy’


Echeveria 'Afterglow’


Echeveria 'Shaviana'


Echeveria 'Perle Von Nürnberg’


Echeveria haagai tolimanensis

A nice shout out...

Johnnye Merle's got a nice little blurb in this months edition of Orange Coast Magazine. We were listed along with eight great other Orange County nurseries as a resource for drought tolerant and native plants - something we are very proud of! Having designed gardens in LA and OC for over ten years now, I take great pride in our unusual selection of plants that look great AND are eco-friendly!

As always, we have a great selection of plants in stock right now, and we are even getting an early start on prepping our gardens for fall plantings - be sure to stop in and see us soon!

Thanks to our friends at Orange Coast for the mention - you can check it out here.

July Garden Tips

Hard to believe we are already well into July. Luckily, this mild summer has meant we can stay out working in the garden later than normal. Below are some tips inspired by the Better Homes and Gardens website.

* As the weather gets warmer, schedule your gardening for early morning and late afternoon when the air is cooler and the sun not so intense. Keep in mind too that pruning and planting in extreme heat can stress plants out and damage or even kill them; in the midst of an intense heatwave, hold off on gardening. Otherwise, in the summer, I find it best to do pruning either in early AM hours, or even better, in the evening ahead of of a cool(er) night.


* Deadheading 101 -- Keep deadheading. For the most flowers and tidiest garden, deadhead daily. Some gardeners take a few minutes each morning, making it part of their daily routine.


* Keep up with watering chores. While you're at it, give your trees, shrubs, and perennials an occasional hosing down from top to bottom to wash off dust and pests.


* Keep new plantings well-watered. As we always tell our customers, even your natives and drought tolerant plants need to be watered until they are well established. Any plant in a container needs to be checked regularly in hot weather.


* When annuals or perennials get leggy or scraggly, consider cutting them back by one-third or more. With some plants, this not only makes them look neater, but it also often encourages a fresh flush of growth and/or bloom. We are a big believer in 'hacking away' here at Johnnye Merles! It's always a little scary, but in most cases, pruning back always makes your garden come back nice and full. Remember though, again, watch weather conditions before doing so. You have a few more weeks from now to still get away with it, but once August comes along, I'd hold off till cooler fall months.


* Fertilize any acid-loving plants and any that may be showing an iron deficiency; for example, young leaves may appear yellow-green with dark green leaves. Acid-loving plants include azaleas, gardenias blueberries, and camellias. Fertilize containers. Constant watering flushes out nutrients. Fertilizing does NOT have to mean scary looking colored powders - you can fertilize organically; we'll post a whole article on that soon, but to get started, check out these resources:

http://www.cleanairgardening.com/fertilizeguide.html
http://www.the-organic-gardener.com/organic-fertilizer.html


* Harvesting Vegetables -- Keep up with the harvest from your vegetable garden. Be sure to pick small and often. Tiny filet green beans, for example, need picking daily. And be sure to remove rotting or diseased produce from the garden. They act as disease magnets. Harvest veggies to keep them producing, same as when you dead head flowers!


* Plant late-summer flowering annuals and perennials, as well as heat-loving tropical and sub-tropical plants. You can still plant veggies and herbs too! The beauty of SoCal gardening is that it is year round!

* Enjoy! One of my favorite things to do is sit down on one of our (nearly rotted...) benches in the nursery after working a full day and just take in all the awesome plants, bugs, and lately, even cats that our nursery has! I love watering for that same reason - it's my time to zone out and notice what's blooming, what's growing, etc. I even discovered a huge nest of baby grasshoppers the other day! Have you ever seen baby grasshoppers? They are super tiny and bright green and jump all over the place if you water them on accident - I had no idea! Point is, the whole idea of a garden is to relax, learn, and enjoy, so take the time in the summer months to do it.