- 1). Start your planting in early spring, around the last frost of the year. Most annuals and perennials do best with a warm start, and starting early in spring gives you a long growing season. Timing may range from early February in Southern California to late March in Northern California, Oregon and Washington.
- 2). Prepare pots according to your chosen flowers. Annuals do well in small 3- to 5-gallon pots, while large perennials like roses need at least 10 gallons of space. Use long, narrow containers for row plantings, and large pots for crowded, multiple plantings. Always use pots with drainage holes, as no flowers like to sit in water. Make sure that your pots are heavy enough to balance the flowers.
- 3). Mix your own potting soil with quick-draining potting soil and organic compost, in equal parts. This provides rich nutrition and good moisture retention for potted flowers, which lose nutrition and dry out more quickly than garden flowers. Add 5-10-5 granular fertilizer to the soil to give flowers a good start.
- 4). Fill all pots and containers 3/4 full of your potting mix, then plant your chosen annuals and perennials. The West Coast's zones 9 and 10 support nearly all perennials, and summertime annuals grow only during the summer.
- 5). Place the pots in areas that get full sunshine and good air circulation, unless plant labels direct otherwise. Shade perennials and annuals need filtered sunlight or full shade, and burn in direct sun.
- 6). Fill the pots with water and allow it to soak in, to settle the planting and water the plants. Put all flowers on a variety-specific watering schedule. If you're uncertain about a watering schedule, water the flowers with 2 inches of water every time the soil dries.