Website review: monrovia.com

If you are like me, you have an appetite for good sources of information on plants. What is their hardiness rating? What new varieties are available for purchase? Hey, what does it look like!? These and many more questions come to mind. One of the better Internet sites I've found to answer these questions and more is monrovia.com.

Monrovia is a wholesale container nursery that was started in 1926, by Harry Rosedale. The first nursery was located in California, although, now they have nurseries as far east as Georgia. I can remember back in my early nursery days in the late 70's that Monrovia was synonymous with quality and innovation, and they still are today.

So, on to the site! The web site is divided into four sections, Inspiration, Design, Learn and Community.

The Inspiration section has interesting features that include a "style quiz" that helps to give you a sense of what type of garden you'd really enjoy as your personal outdoor environment.

In the Design section of the website, you'll find tips on landscape design and a helpful "how-to video". The "how-to video" was well done and relevant to the season of the year.

Learn is broken down into six categories: soil story, plant catalog, new plants, gardening basics, zones and resources. Lots of good info here, particularly the resources area where you'll find a bunch of interesting links, but the main reason for visiting monrovia.com is the plant catalog and new plants portion of the Learn section of the website. Monrovia's catalog is vast and detailed. If you have a particular plant in mind that you want to get information on, you can simply access that info from the search engine at the top left of the home page, but it you are searching for advice on what might work in a specific situation, then use the searches in the plant catalog and new plant section of Learn. There are lots of ways to narrow your search using those two engines, but I'll warn you in advance not to put too many criteria in place when performing the search or you'll get zero matches. Once you find a plant, you are rewarded with fine photographs of the plant, plus info on light needs, mature size, etc.



PHOTO: Just one of hundreds of photos you'll find at monrovia.com. This one is Viburnum Opulus 'Aureum'

Community gives you an opportunity to develop a personal profile and participate in online forums, read blogs, and subscribe to a newsletter.

In conclusion, monrovia.com is a fun site with a lot of interesting and helpful places to visit in the site. It's plant search engine is a good way for you to get suggestions on what to plant in a specific spot in your yard and if you have a specific plant in mind, you can get some good info on that plant and perhaps find some closely related new varieties, as well. Rob's 5 star rating guide for monrovia.com: ****1/2 (4.5 stars)

When is it a good time to plant shrubs and trees?

This is a question I get asked from time to time and like many in my profession, I have my opinions. The criteria I am going to use for ranking months to plant woody shrubs and trees is survivability. Planting a large tree in scorching July heat, for instance, could be so stressful that a tree could perish with less than optimum care. So here are the rankings, from worst to best:

#11 and #12 - July and August - I wouldn’t suggest planting woody shrubs or trees in these two months. July is the hottest month in Central Alabama with an average high of 91 degrees; however, it can be a wet month, averaging a little over 5” of precipitation a month. August might be a little more tempting of a month due to its closer proximity to fall, but with an average high temperature of 90 degrees and it being the second driest month, with less than 3.5” of rain, on average, it is just as unsafe a month to plant in as July is.

#10 - June - Spring has sprung and summer is gaining momentum. Don’t get fooled by a few pretty days. With average high temps of 88 degrees and an average monthly rainfall of 3.78 inches (third worst month), June offers little upside for planting things like forsythia, maple and other shrubs and trees.


PHOTO: Red Sunset maple

#8 and #9 - May and September - Neither is an awesome month to plant in, yet neither is off limits. If the subsequent care (especially watering) of the plants being considered for installation is going to be good, I will plant them. Both of these months average over 80 degrees. September is a slightly drier month than May, but September is closer to fall (a very planting friendly season), so it’s a draw between these two.

#7 - April - I know. I know. That is a month when nurseries are bursting with folks looking for things to plant. Well, there are two things to consider. One, those people aren’t well informed….just kidding, haha. One, many of those people are looking for annuals and perennials to plant and my list is for woody shrubs and trees. And two, April is just two and a half months removed from the summer season. I’m not saying this is a bad month to plant in; it is a good month to plant in, just not the best.

#6 - March - March is a very fine time to plant. With an average high temp of 66 degrees and the wettest month of the year, March is plant friendly. But there are even better months ahead!

#4 & #5 - December and January - I love planting in December and January. These months would be ranked higher if not for the disclaimer I need to provide for them. Disclaimer: I would "consider" excluding plants with a zone hardiness rating of 8 or higher (some examples would be oleander ,pittosporum, or some varieties of gardenia), because of their susceptibility to cold damage. Don't let the disclaimer scare you off, though. Put on your long johns, grab a shovel, and plant your sweet shrub and dogwood, knowing they are loving you for caring enough to find them a new permanent home at the right time of the year.


PHOTO: Sweet shrub (fragrant, deciduous flowering shrub)

#3 - October - Why isn’t October #1 or #2? Well, it gets edged out because it can still be rather warm in October and it’s typically a dry month (the driest on average of all the months, averaging just 3.23” of rain). Still, fall has just begun and you’ve got all of this great root growing season ahead of you (fall and spring are the seasons when roots grow the most), plus the mild Alabama winter and then spring greet us before the harsh summer whacks us upside the head. October is a winning month for planting, for sure.

#2 - February - This is a great time to plant. Root growth is occurring. Deciduous plants haven’t leafed out, yet, reducing the amount of transpiration (water loss), which can stress a plant out. Yes, February is a wonderful time of the year for getting in your hydrangeas, magnolias, and other such flora. If not for the fact that February is less than four months away from summer, it would probably be #1. But forget that! It’s a totally awesome month to dig in. Can you dig it?

Ta,,,ta,ta,ta,ta,ta,taaaaaa!
#1 - November - This is the best of all the months to plant in, with February and October following close behind. November features an average high temperature of 65 degrees and is in the top half of rain producing months. The root growth of the plants you are planting will be through the roof and you have plenty of time before mean ol’ summer arrives.



PHOTO: Grancy gray beard (small tree or large shrub)


If you notice, the three worst months to plant in are in the summer. Heat does not blend in well with planting shrubs and trees. It can be done, but as you see, there are better times of the year. I really don’t have a problem with any of the other nine months for planting, but some are just a little better or a little worse than the other. It’s Novermber, now, so if you’ve got a little snowball viburnum or Grancy gray beard that you’re think of planting, there couldn’t be a better time than now!