Fall
Overwintering Tender Plants: Tips for Keeping Your Tropicals Cozy
CONTAINEDBRILLIANCE As temperatures drop this time of year, my phone buzzes nonstop with texts and calls from friends wondering how to protect their beloved tropicals—like hibiscus, citrus trees, and aeoniums—from the chill of winter. It all boils down to one word: overwintering. Overwintering is about giving your plants the care and protection they need…
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Fall Foliage: The Secret to Stunning Container Gardens
CONTAINEDBRILLIANCE One big reason fall is a favorite season is the focus on foliage. Yes, those classic wine purples, burnt oranges, and golds that people travel to see. But as a container gardener, I appreciate foliage not just for its color, but as a design element for its texture and form. Just like layering…
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Growing Citrus in the Pacific Northwest
CONTAINEDBRILLIANCE Citrus, the fragrant, fruit-bearing beauty Citrus has a special place in my heart. When most people think of citrus, they think of its fruit but some citrus is grown for its fragrant leaves and flowers. It’s all of this and more for me. My parents have been taking care of kumquat trees since…
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Designing a Winter Planter with Style
CONTAINEDBRILLIANCE Get Creative and Stylize Your Winter Container Planting this Holiday Season I recently partook in a “Winter Style-It Container Challenge” sponsored by Monrovia and Digging In Gathering. The structure of the competition was to have a small group of container gardeners from various regions across the country design a winter planter using Monrovia’s…
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Narcissus ‘Tête `a Tête’ – The First Sign of Spring
CONTAINEDBRILLIANCE Narcissus ‘Tête `a Tête’ nodding to a new season’s arrival Because of the Narcissus ‘Tête `a Tête’, there is literally no need for a calendar to signify spring. One of the first signs of the new season, it offers up sweet fragrance, bright color and cheer. ‘Tête `a Tête’ is a French term,…
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Simple Ideas to Bring Festivity and Warmth to your Winter Container Plantings
CONTAINEDBRILLIANCE Winter is around the corner! I know this because daylight savings has ended, dogwood branches are bare, rose hips are visible, and I’ve shifted my drink of choice from a sweet chai latte to a Tiger Spice Chai latte. These things — seeing the bare branches, noticing gorgeous winter colors, and walking past…
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10 Tips For Planting Your Fall Containers
CONTAINEDBRILLIANCE Fall reminds us that change can be beautiful. While fall brings opportunity for fresh starts, new beginnings and rejuvenation, it’s always a little hard to say goodbye to summer. For those of us in the Pacific Northwest, gone are the long days of sunlight, and host of outdoor activities, dining and socializing. It’s…
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