A garden center's efforts to educate the public

Last Saturday, my husband and I paid a visit to Roger's Gardens in Orange County.  My husband doesn't generally accompany me to a garden center, at least not willingly.  The purpose of this visit was to meet up with our nephew, who now lives and works in San Diego County.  We'd booked a table at the on-site Farmhouse restaurant, which has comfortable outdoor seating.  My husband agreed to leave early for our restaurant reservation so that I could check out what was new in the garden center.  We arrived about 90 minutes early, which was just about perfect.

Roger's has declared it "Hummingbird Summer" and this emphasis was apparent as soon as we entered the property.

The photos on the left and upper right show segments of the demonstration garden near the entrance featuring plants that appeal to hummingbirds, like Agastache, Lantana, and various Salvias.  The photo on the lower right shows hummingbird plants for sale, including Hamelia patens, Pentas, and Salvia clevelandii.

In addition to educating customers about hummingbirds, selling plants that support them, and raising money for the Audubon Society as they did in 2021, Roger's is also boosting customer awareness of the plight of Monarch butterflies.

Roger's has been offering to swap any tropical milkweed brought in by customers for native milkweed free of charge for at least 2 years now for reasons described here.  They're also offering garden kits containing plants that support Monarch butterflies (not free).  In addition, people who make donations of $5 to the Xerces Society to support Monarch conservation can add a butterfly emblem to a wishing tree.

Roger's has an expansive bird and butterfly display garden in the middle of its property too.

Information on creating a bird and butterfly garden is provided by Roger's here

For more than a decade, the garden center has put tremendous effort into educating the public on sustainable gardening in our drought-plagued climate as well.  They sponsored a "California Friendly" Garden Contest for years until it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  (You can find photos and information on the 2018 contest here.)  They've also devoted a substantial amount of sale space to succulents and other drought-tolerant plants.  They've hosted presentations and online videos dealing with waterwise plants and landscaping.  And they've used such plants extensively in landscaping their own property.

This demonstration garden shows what can be created in a small space using a range of succulents and other drought tolerant plants

Two sides of a vertical garden planted entirely with succulents

This and the next 2 photos show the exterior area of Roger's Gardens on one corner with heavy auto traffic

Aloes and Agaves

Ornamental grasses and Leucadendrons

This slope facing the street shows what can be done with a simple palette of Grevillea 'Scarlet Sprite', Leucadendrons, prostrate rosemary, and Westringia 'Morning Light'

Even the parking lot medians are dressed up with California friendly plants, including Cordyline, Leucadendron, Leucospermum, and a variety of succulents.  "California friendly" plants can be defined as natives and plants from other Mediterranean climates that are well adapted to local conditions.

Roger's offers a lot amount of information on their website to assist homeowners in dealing with California's severe drought and creating a California friendly garden that supports wildlife without wasting water.  You can find more information here and here.  Frankly, they're doing a lot more than my local botanic garden in calling attention to our water issues, providing useful reference material, and suggesting ways to manage with less water in the garden.  This is all the more important as California and six other southwestern states have been ordered to collaborate on a plan to dramatically cut the amount of water they draw from the Colorado River before the federal government creates the plan for them.  This depressing topic is covered in detail here.  The clock is ticking.

My husband, nephew and I had a very nice lunch under an umbrella with lush planters separating us from other guests.  I was in love with the mix of plants surrounding us, which included blue Salvia 'Mystic Spires', white Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost', blue and white Bacopa, purple-leafed Heuchera, and lamb's ear, among other things, but I couldn't get a good photo without disturbing other diners.

Given that summer's heat is on, I shouldn't have bought any plants but of course I did.

I picked up 3 Catanache caerulea (aka cupid's dart) and 3 Stachys hybrid 'Lilac Falls'.  Both are said to get by on "moderate" water but I've killed off 'Lilac Falls' before so I'll try a different spot for it.  Getting both species established during the height of summer is the trickiest part.

I'll plant my Roger's purchases out this weekend but I'm taking a different tact with my most recent mail order purchases.  I had these plants on my wish list at Annie's Annuals & Perennials and, as I couldn't count on them being available in the fall, I went ahead with that purchase but I've transferred them from 4-inch pots into one-gallon containers to see them through the summer until fall's cooler temperatures arrive and I can plant them in the garden with a higher likelihood of success.

The 2 plants on the left are Agastache 'Black Adder' and the 2 on the right are Fabiana imbricata (aka false heather)

Best wishes for a peaceful weekend.  Between weather woes, politics, and, in the US, the never-ending misery perpetuated by gun violence, I expect we can all use a bit of peace wherever we can find it.

All material © 2012-2022by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party