If you want to learn how to grow exceptional flowers and bulbs, “The Flower Garden Deck” (Adams Media, 2025), by Jon Vanzile, is for you.
This is more than a grower’s guide, however, as each of the 50 floriferous species included is brilliantly pictured on the front of its card in the deck. Conveniently offered in a flip-top box, the back of the 4 by 6-inch cards includes the type of soil, hardiness, habitat, bloom time, pollinators, and pests for each flower type. This is a guide that is both a friendly flower refresher course for the veteran gardener and a wonderful introduction to flowers for the novice. Flowers are divided into annuals, biennials, and perennials, with a final “My Garden” section for storing the cards of those flowers that you will wish to grow, or may already be growing, yourself.
The more temperate orientation of the author — as opposed to our sub-tropical climate — was revealed in categorizing the pansy as a perennial. Although it is “typically treated as an annual in warmer climates, the pansy (Viola x wittrockiana) can be a perennial in cooler ones.” And although I have never seen pansies survive from one year to the next in Southern California, I have witnessed them endure from October until late June when planted in partial sun with their flowers removed or “dead-headed” as soon as they begin to fade.
The author notes that hydrangeas, which are perennial everywhere, are noted for being pink or red growing in alkaline soil such as our own, blue on acidic soil, and purple on “neutral to slightly acidic soil.” I was recently in Atlanta and was amazed by the deep blue color of hydrangeas growing under trees in that city. The reason for Atlanta’s acidic soil as compared to L.A.’s alkaline soil has to do with the amount of rainfall in these two cities. Annual rainfall in Atlanta is 50 inches compared to our annual rainfall of 15 inches. Rainfall leaches elements that impart alkalinity, such as magnesium and calcium, out of the soil, rendering it acidic. Although pine trees are plentiful in the forest that winds its way through Atlanta, they do not make the soil more acidic than any other tree (as is often claimed), but do grow better where soil happens to be acidic. The metamorphic rock from which Atlanta’s soil is derived also contributes to its alkalinity as does the constantly decomposing organic matter, consisting mostly of leaves, on the soil surface.
Peony (Paeonia spp.) is one of the most glorious of perennials and makes its presence known in the floral cornucopia presented here. Although the author avers that “It requires a cold period to flower, so does not do well in warmer gardens,” this rule for most peony varieties does not apply to the Itoh hybrids. These hybrids were created by Toichi Itoh in Japan 80 years ago by crossing tree peonies with herbaceous peonies. While both types need cold to produce flowers, their hybrid offspring, known as intersectionals, do not, and they can grow in Southern California.
Moreover, Itoh peonies are pleasantly perfumed and are the largest peonies, growing up to eight inches across. Flowers may have a single, semi-soluble or double layer of blooms, with yellow, coral, lavender, copper, red, pink, and white represented in single and multi-colored varieties. Itoh peonies, like their herbaceous parent, die back each winter. They should be situated in no more sun than a morning exposure provides unless you live by the coast, where they can take a fuller sun exposure. Peony roots do need to be kept moist so make sure to utilize several inches of mulch to cover their shallow rhizomes. Although Itoh peonies generally live 10-20 years, they can persist for 50 years where growing conditions are right, meaning soil should drain perfectly with an acidic pH. The effort enlisted to cultivate peonies is worth it, however, since you will be rewarded with around 50 dinner-plate size flowers each year that make outstanding subjects for vase display. You can find a wide selection of Itoh peonies at brecks.com.
“The Flower Garden Deck” is essential to have around as a reminder of garden selections that are – or should be – on the bucket list of anyone with a passion for growing flowers.
I recently wrote about hanging baskets that festoon Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills and received a photographic response from Paul Rayton, who gardens in Mount Washington, a Los Angeles neighborhood. He sent pictures of his own hanging baskets that are currently burgeoning with boisterous blooms. I asked him about his maintenance regime, and he said that he watered each day and applied Miracle-Gro with two out of every three waterings. He also wondered how often the Beverly Hills baskets are watered.
Upon closer examination of those baskets, they appear to be of a self-watering type made of plastic. Self-watering baskets include a reservoir of water beneath the soil, which is drawn upon as needed. Generally speaking, even in the hottest weather, self-watering hanging baskets or large flower pots should not require watering more than two or three times a week. However, such baskets are typically two feet in diameter, with a 2.5-gallon reservoir. In fact, if you are thinking about a container garden in general, it is best to select the largest containers you can afford since, even without self-watering, size matters as large containers will not need to be watered as frequently as small ones.
As for soil ingredients, Cornell Mix is a popular choice for both hanging baskets and containers of any sort. This mix consists of 50% peat moss or coconut coir and 50% vermiculite or perlite. Peat moss is not as environmentally friendly as coconut coir, since it is a slowly renewable resource with peat bogs — found in cold, northern latitudes — taking thousands of years to develop. Coconut coir, on the other hand, is made up of fibers extracted from coconut husks, a quick-growing resource from tropical countries, and is also less expensive than peat moss. The only advantage of peat moss is that it provides a more acidic environment than coir, so you would want to use it if growing azaleas, hydrangeas, peonies, or other acid-loving plants. As for the choice between vermiculite and perlite, vermiculite is more water retentive and would be best for growing most flowering plants. However, if you are growing succulents or California natives, a mix with the faster-draining perlite would be preferred.
Ginny Shoji, who gardens in Rolling Hills Estates, wrote that she has had “great success with lobelia, bacopa, and petunias in hanging baskets that get more sun,” while those that get some shade feature “begonias, lobelia, and alyssum.” As for their care, “I have everything on a drip system,” she explained, “and water is on daily for 4-5 minutes. I use a good potting mix, either with fertilizer included or work in Osmocote (a slow-release product). I change the (coir) liner every year.” She recently learned her coir liners now come with plastic that impedes drainage, so she makes sure to punch out plenty of drainage holes.
California native of the week: Since California grape (Vitis californica) grows along riverbanks or moist soil in its habitat, it can go an entire summer without water. While domesticated grapes are hermaphorditic, meaning their flowers contain both male and female organs, wild grapes are dioecious, meaning there are separate male and female plants, as is the case with this species. Although its grapes are sour when ripe, its six-inch, unpredictably lobed deciduous foliage is highly ornamental, emerging silvery green in spring before turning apple green in summer and then orange and gold before dropping in the fall. This is a vine that can be utilized as either a vine or as a ground cover.
Please send your questions, comments and conundrums to joshua@perfectplants.com.