The Power of the Gardening Community
Inspired by monrovia®
I recently participated in a fun “Style It Challenge” sponsored by Monrovia® and Digging In Gathering. You may recognize the Monrovia brand as one of the largest US growers of potted plants sold through retail garden centers. They’re obsessed with quality and it shows! Digging In Gathering is a nationwide community of professional container gardeners — yes, such a thing exists! I’ve been a member and a superfan since its inception in 2017. This challenge harnessed the power of both organizations and created truly stunning results!
About the challenge: Monrovia sent a small group of Digging In members one Goshiki Osmanthus to include in a holiday themed container garden. Picture an episode of Food Network’s Chopped, only with plants…and a more relaxed timeframe. ;)
Monrovia Plants: Goshiki Osmanthus
Goshiki translates from Japanese as “five colors”. This false holly boasts splashes of red, deep green, creamy white, gray-green, and chartreuse.
Photos of the designs trickled in via Instagram throughout November. You may have seen them featured on the Monrovia Plants and Digging In stories. Each entry was completely unique and beautiful in its own way, crafted with materials available in each designer’s region. They undoubtedly inspired both DIY and professional gardeners to experiment in their own planters. This is the power of the gardening community!
In cased you missed them, I’m featuring the entries and their talented designers here. If you don’t already follow these accounts, check them out! In no particular order, but clustered geographically…
MIDWEST ENTRIES
Plant Parenting paired the Goshiki Osmanthus with a Dwarf Alberta Spruce. Grapevine wreaths, faux berries in a deep plum, and pine cones polished off the design.
Urban Oasis used a medley of evergreens (False Cypress, Blue Star Juniper, Gaultheria, and Ajuga) and a cluster of Osage Oranges to accentuate the lime green tips of the Goshiki Osmanthus.
northeast ENTRIES
Thistle Containers built height and breadth with birch logs, Umbrella Pine, Chartreuse and Danica Cedar, Red Sprite Winterberry Holly, and Gold Juniper. Winterberry and pine cones added a contrasting punch of color and texture.
Urned Elegance created a long-lasting outdoor “floral” arrangement by surrounding the Goshiki Osmanthus with Magnolia, Cedar, and Fir branches. Seasonal picks and cones livened it up for the holidays.
Wubby was so inspired by this challenge that she created TWO different arrangements. This one featured a moody palette of grays and blues to play off the limey green tips of the Goshiki Osmanthus. (Blue Spruce, Juniper, Black Mondo Grass)
SOUTHEAST ENTRIES
Danielle at Mustard Seed Market & Home used Rooster Grass and branches of assorted Cedar and Magnolia to surround her Goshiki Osmanthus. The Billy Balls and mustard yellow pot brought an unexpected touch of whimsy and brightness!
Atlanta Planters added conifers, Hellebores, Pansies, Thyme, Ornamental Cabbage, and Magnolia leaves to her Goshiki Osmanthus. A trellis and a bow gave the arrangement height and a festive touch!
Living Blooms in Tampa created a vibrant mix with Blue Point Juniper, Sedum, and Petunias! Dried branches and Eucalyptus created height and depth.
In my creation, the Goshiki Osmanthus was surrounded by texture and color, courtesy of Dwarf Alberta Spruce, Lemon Cypress, Dwarf Japanese Garden Juniper, Citronelle Heuchera, Osaka Pink Cabbage, and Kewensis Euonymous.
Pacific northwest ENTRIES
Garden Revelry paired her Osmanthus with the deep plum of Cordyline and Heuchera, plus a few Pansies and Ferns. She also tucked in a few bulbs for a surprise in the Spring. Very clever!
FloraWood created height with Red Twig Dogwood stems, then surrounded her Goshiki Osmanthus with lush Fire Alarm Heuchera, Fern, Wire Vine, Pansies, Gaultheria, and Carex.
INSPIRING GARDENERS of all levels
I was giddy every time I saw a new entry come across my Instagram feed. These designers are all so creative and inspire me daily, so it was fun to see how we all applied our unique approaches to containers using one common ingredient.
I also loved hearing all of the questions and comments in response to my window box Post and Reel on Instagram. Several DIY gardeners told me they went out and bought the same plants I used and put them in their own planters! Others were looking for a non-Christmassy way to fill their winter containers and loved my untraditional pops of chartreuse and lavender. This is probably one of my favorite parts of running Contained Creations — inspiring others to do something they didn’t know was possible. Can you imagine the impact that Monrovia and all of these Digging In designers collectively had on DIY container gardening fans everywhere? I love the diversity and creativity of this gardening community.
Many thanks to Monrovia and Digging In for sponsoring this challenge and including me! All of this evergreen inspiration gives me an idea for my next blog. Stay tuned…
XO,