September 14, 2017 - Village Nurseries Orange and Huntington Beach hosted another lunch-and-learn event for landscape professionals, "Color Changes for the Season," in which Brett Krey of Huntington Beach and Debra Doyle talked to landscape designers and contractors about how to talk to clients about containers and container planting.
Experience shows that clients may not take into consideration some important factors when deciding on containers for the landscape.
Color
Of course, containers and plants should complement each other, but does the container clash with seasonal colors? In other words, is the client going to regret those big, vibrant aqua blue containers when the holiday season arrives, with its rich reds and forest greens? This may mean extra work for you or your crew when you have to roll those containers out of sight until the season changes.
Maintenance
How well can the client maintain their plants? Will they know what to do when the plant no longer fits the container? It's not always obvious that the plant that seems so perfectly placed may outgrow it!
Natives
What about planting native plants in containers? That's a no-no, according to Debra. Explain to your clients that "native plants thrive in environments that are most like their natural environment. Native plants will be mad at you!"
Bonus tip: the secret formula for a good container is thriller-filler-spiller. A good container has a plant with stunning upward growth, a complementary filler plant, and a spiller to drape over the side.
Want more tips for fall containers? Call Debra at 714-998-8751 or Brett at 714-963-5372 and they'll be glad to help!
Don't miss our next landscape contractor event, Pruning and Staking for Fall & Winter Weather, on October 4 at Orange and Huntington Beach. RSVP to vevents@villagenurseries.com to save your spot!
