Every year, I marvel at the beautiful combinations we see as we travel along the West Coast for the California Spring Trials. And every year, I vow to make a slideshow of my favorites, but when we return from CAST, things get busy and other tasks take precedence. Yet with container gardening becoming more of a lifestyle among consumers than a trend, and breeders continuing to put more effort in container mixes and components, I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t share some of the special combinations that not only caught my eye, but absolutely took my breath away and made me want to immediately get started gardening.
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GreenFuse Botanicals' Grandstand Salvia Mix
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GreenFuse Botanicals' In the Pink Compatible Mix
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GreenFuse Botanicals' Compatible Mix - Lobularia 'Marineland White,' Petunia 'Good and Plenty Purple,' Calibrachoa 'Cruze Lavender'
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GreenFuse Botanicals Compatible Mix
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Hort Couture vertical veggie pallet
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Hort Couture Purple Designer Mix
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Hort Couture Mix - Petunia, Bidens, Coleus
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Hort Couture vertical mixed pallet
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PlantHaven vertical flower garden
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Ball FloraPlant Mix Masters Big Flirt
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Ball FloraPlant Solar Tower ipomoea, 'Mystical Spires' salvia, 'Headliner Night Sky Blue' petunia
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Ball FloraPlant Calibrachoa 'Can-Can Bumble Bee Pink,' Angelonia 'Archangel Raspberry,' Lantana 'Lucky Yellow,' Lamium 'Anne Greenaway'
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Ball FloraPlant Mix Masters Rose Everyday
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Selecta Trixi Who Knew Orleans
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Ch. Morel Tianis Deep Rose and White - with a Heuchera
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Jaldety Nursery combo with angelonia, ajuga, senecio, sedum, lamium
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Dümmen Orange geranium combo
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Dümmen Orange petunia combo (not named)
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Dümmen Orange coleus, yellow calibrachoa, verbena red with eye (not named)
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Dümmen Orange herb combos
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Dümmen Orange herb combos
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Sakata Ornamentals Coleus 'Dragon's Breath' with 'SuperCal Yellow' petchoa
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Benary early spring pansy combo
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Pacific Plug & Liner echibeckia, cordyline, carex, Night Sky petunia
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Pacific Plug & Liner hydrangea, Platinum Blonde lavender, carex
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Pacific Plug & Liner - Ligustrum, heucherella, Ribbon Falls carex, coleus, Echibeckia
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Proven Winners 2018 Combination of the Year
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Proven Winners combo - gaura, calibrachoa, sedum
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Danziger experimental Mixis - gaura, petunia, verbena
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Danziger experimental Mixis - petunia, bidens, verbena
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Danziger experimental mixis - monoculture nemesia planter with red, white, yellow
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GreenFuse Botanicals - Grandstand salvia, petunia, ipomoea
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Florist Holland - Garvinea gerbera combo with Westhoff petunias and calibrachoas
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Florist Holland Garvinea gerbera combo with Westhoff petunias and verbenas
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Suntory Flowers' Beedance Bee Colorful combo
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Suntory Flowers' Beedance Bee Bananas Combo
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Darwin Perennials Combo Concepts - Heuchera 'Carnival Candy Apple,' Penstemon 'Cherry Sparks,' experimental Iberis
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Darwin Perennials Combo Concepts - Heuchera, UpTick Coreopsis, gaura, yarrow
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Jaldety Nursery unique combo
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Dümmen Orange Garden Party Flamenco Dance
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Dümmen Orange combo (not named) - Coleus, calibrachoa, verbena
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Dümmen Orange Great Falls Outback Safari Mix
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Dümmen Orange Great Falls Safari Text Mix
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Dümmen Orange Great Falls Still Water Safari Mix
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Dümmen Orange Mix & Match Perennial Combo
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Dümmen Orange Mix & Match Perennial Combo
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Westhoff Flowers Crazytunia Mix with petunia, verbena, calibrachoa
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Plug Connection succulent mix
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Westhoff Flowers Crazytunia Mix
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Benary Success Petunia Mix
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Pacific Plug & Liner Hydrangea with Carex 'Ribbon Falls'
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Pacific Plug & Liner lunch table combos
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Proven Winners - heuchera, calibrachoa, ipomoea, euphorbia, double osteospermum
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Syngenta Flowers' Calliope Geranium Red Flame Mix
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Syngenta Flowers' Sunfinity Sunflower Mix with Calliope geranium, ipomoea, white angelonia
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I am just one person – one consumer, but I’m also part of your target demographic (40-year-old, female, homeowner, mother, disposable income). And I’m not your typical girly girl. Sure, I like pink (usually in small doses), but I mostly gravitate toward the darker jewel tones, as well as interesting foliage, texture, and mixed culture. I like combining annuals with foliage, blooming potted crops, perennials, and even food crops, but I also like low-maintenance because I’m busy. I like convenience and having mixes put together for me, as well as the freedom to experiment (with guidelines for what works together). I like shopping in store and online. But what I dislike is not being able to find what I like in stores to refresh containers after my spring combos are looking rough. So I’m hopeful that as growers begin to build out shoulder season crops, we’ll see more of these available in stores through summer and into fall.
Take my input and choices for what you will. And meanwhile, let me know which of my favorites are your favorites, too!
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Laura Drotleff is a former Editor for Greenhouse Grower. See all author stories here.