By Jim McCausland, Sunset Magazine

A garden can be a consuming passion—at least until you feel it consuming you. When Val Easton found herself in that spot, she knew it was time to move on, this time to a gem of a low-maintenance garden she made for herself. It kept her passion for gardening alive and spawned a terrific book, The NEW Low-Maintenance Garden (Timber Press, Portland, 2009; $19.95).

Because the book is rooted in Easton’s personal and recent experience, she makes her case with formidable authority: “Somewhere along the way to plant collecting and competitive gardening, we forgot the ancient notion of the garden as a place of respite, an oasis remote from worldly cares and chores. We forgot nature’s ability to soothe, renew, and nurture.… [Her] ability to work her magic on us is dependent on our slowing down and looking closely, not on our constant efforts to improve upon her.” Easton calls gardening as it was meant to be “the feast we forget to partake of.”

In the end, she found that low maintenance wasn’t about gardening lite—she wanted “the exhaustion ... taken out, not the fulfillment”—it was instead all about design. Thus her mantra: “Design before plants, think geometry, and invest in infrastructure.”

So how did all this work out in her own landscape? The book gives you a peek through the lens of Jacqueline Koch. In addition to vignettes of Easton’s own garden (see below), you get a look at a passel of other high appeal, low-maintenance gardens and parts of gardens that are scattered like jewels across North America. You look and say “I want this,” realizing that your desire has everything to do with the sanctuary garden that Easton is calling you back to. Low maintenance is just the part of the equation that gives you the time to enjoy the sanctuary you create.

By Sharon Cohoon , Sunset senior garden writer

Since I've already confessed to having limited success with plants in containers--(See Hard Truths)--you'd think I'd shy away from buying pots.  That would be logical.  But the truth is I love them.   So it is probably only a matter of time before I succumb to something from Flat Earth Designs, a line of goregous pots I saw recently at Molly Wood Garden Design's shop in Costa Mesa. 

Here's a sample:

The pots are cast concrete, and their English designer is obviously enamored with all things textured. 

And that, I'm afraid, is about all the info I have.  Not surprisingly, Wood is reluctant to share much info about her source.  And I haven't been able to find anything about Flat Earth Designs -- the name stamped on the pots -- through a web search.

All I know is I am already regretting not buying the small, ribbed pot directly above on the left.  It wouldn't have hurt my budget that much--the bigger ones can be a bit pricey--and I could keep it restocked with inexpensive supermarket houseplants and it would still look cute.  Heck, even a plastic plant would look good.

Or maybe I'll just buy that separate ring thing it is dropped into and set it on my desk.  It looks like a mermaid's tiara.  Maybe I'll even wear it.

By Julie Chai, Sunset associate garden editor

Photos by Alicia Martin

We can't wait to check out the Late Show Gardens, a brand new garden show at Cornerstone in Sonoma, California focusing on design and sustainability. We've been looking forward to it for months since the contributors are some of the biggest names in horticulture—essentially the who's who of the garden scene—from the Bay Area and beyond.

As you can imagine, pulling together a garden show is a major undertaking. It involves endless planning and organizing, and the week before the show, when designers actually start building the display gardens, is especially intense. Tons of soil are hauled in, along with large trees, landscape art, and accessories—the photo above is a behind-the-scenes look at two displays, Growth Melt and Overgrowth, in progress. We can't wait to see what they look like when they're done!

The show kicks off this Thursday 9/17 with an evening preview party, and runs through Sunday 9/20. I'll be there Friday—hope to see you there!

For info and tickets, go to thelateshowgardens.org or call 415/721-1550.

By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

This beautiful stacked wall with its amusing broken pot inserts was shot at Cambria Nursery in Cambria.  The idea came about when garden designer Shana McCormick of Great Gardens and artisan Gustavo Mora put their heads together to figure out a way to use some of the cracked pottery that was accumulating at the nursery.

Because these inserts have no drainage holes and aren't easy to water, succulents are the best things to plant in them, says nursery manager Becki Smith.  She also recommends not using pots that are too large.  "Don't go over 12 inch," she says. "If they're too large it takes away from the beauty of the wall."

You can see more of Mora's beautifully constructed walls at the Cambria Pines Lodge next door to the nursery.  Mora also conducts classes on how to build stacked walls at the nursery occasionally.  If you live in the area and are interested in attempting this yourself, you might want to get on the nursery's mailing list or check in regularly on their website.

Container lovers might also like our story on 24 Great One-Pot Gardens.

By Johanna Silver, Sunset test garden coordinator

I've been an EarthBox skeptic for a while now, not wanting to believe that growing vegetables in a plastic box could possibly be a good idea. Call me old fashioned, but I like my tomatoes in the ground. 

My tomatoes, in the ground

Like many things in life, we probably shouldn't judge them until we learn a little more. It turns out that the EarthBox has a lot of features that make good sense and keep plants healthy:

• EarthBox started offering an organic fertilizer rather than a conventional one. This is an absolute must to make my cut.

• The box is made of food-grade, recyclable plastic that was chosen specifically because it won't leach into your soil.

• The reservoir feature really does prevent over-watering, and makes the EarthBox very forgiving should you forget your plants for a few days.

• Their partnership with The Growing Connection is completely admirable. This program links people in need (domestically and abroad) with, "low-cost, water efficient, and sustainable food growing innovations."

• There's just no denying it -- my plants are absolutely thriving:

My plants, absolutely thriving.

The EarthBox tomatoes are on the left and doing much better compared to the ones on the right, living in galvanized pots.

• A lot of people are not in touch with their gardening instincts and feel less than confident about their ability to keep something alive. The EarthBox offers clear instructions for putting the kit together. It takes the mystery out of gardening.

So am I converting Sunset's test garden to an EarthBox-only garden? No, I'll keep using our great soil and I'll always experiment with different types of pots and containers, but I'll definitely be a lot quicker to recommend an EarthBox to the next apartment-dweller or garden-phobic person that comes my way.

By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

We saw these containers designed by Kelly Lamb on the L.A. at Home blog of the Los Angeles Times and thought they were so amusing and original we wanted to share them.  I love the way they draw extra attention to sculptural plants like succulents.  But I also thought they seemed particularly appropriate for California with our shifting tectonic plates and even shakier state budget.

The concrete containers, called Geo-Planters for their geodesic dome shape range in price from $80 to $195 and are available at Mohawk General Store in Los Angeles or though Kelly Lamb's website.

By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

Here's a foliage plant I haven't grown yet but can imagine a half dozen uses for without half trying.  It is called Santolina virens 'Lemon Fizz.'  I can picture it in light shade at the front edge of a dry shade border.  I think its feathery foliage would be a nice contrast to the thicker leaves of succulents.  It would be striking against black Mexican river pebbles on either side of a sidewalk.  It would look good in a wide, shallow container with a small ornamental grass like Carex 'Toffee Twist.'  Or, I don't know, how would you use it?

The close-up photo is from Native Sons, one of my favorite wholesale nurseries in Southern California.  And the other photo, which gives you a better idea of flat, compact habit, is from The Perennial Blogger.

 By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

Buy this new striped Mandevilla developed by Suntory Flowers Limited and tuck in some dark blue lobelia around the rim of the pot, and you've got a Fourth of July theme. How easy is that?  In Southern California you're most likely to find 'Stars & Stripes' at Armstrong Garden Centers.

Another fun idea for the Fourth from Sunset.  How-to details here.

By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

Dustin Gimbel, owner of Second Nature Garden Design, gardens mostly in containers by necessity.  (See yesterday's post below).  But Dustin doesn't limit himself to nursery pots.  Anything that will hold a few scoops of dirt is fair game.

These industrial-chic containers, for instance, are inexpensive metal storage bins from IKEA.  The fact they aren't very porous is actually an advantage in this hot roof-top situation, says Dustin.

 The handsome boxes below are alley finds Dustin rescued.  From the lettering you can still read on a few of them he believes they were old machine shop tool bins.  Because Dustin didn't want to drill holes in such handsome pieces, he filled them with a sharp potting soil and planted them with succulents, which don't require a lot of water.

And, finally, can you guess what these are?  Palm fronds in the streets after a high wind are a common occurrence in Southern California.  Dustin is rescuing them, too, and making what he calls "rafts" out of the sheaths.

What about you?  Are you planting in a container that would surprise us?  Send us a photo.

By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

Today I'm recognizing all the good stuff other bloggers got to before I did.  Even stuff I knew about but just didn't have time to research and post.  Darn deadlines!  So here are the links.

The EarthTainer -- a device that's half pot/half hydroponic growing system that is supposed to be the best way yet to grow tomatoes.  Devised by a Silicon Valley home gardener.  Found on Cindy McNatt's blog Dirt Dujour

Woolly Pockets -- felt planters made out of recycled plastic.  Noticed their ad in a magazine on the airline on the way home from Sunset Celebration.  (Trust me, their ads are hard to miss, as you will soon see.)  Thought the product was as intriguing as the company's ad campaign, but once again Dirt Dujour beat me to the punch.

The Grass Roots Program -- a coalition of Los Angeles-based iirrigation and horticultural professionals and Green Movement citizens who recognize some people still want lawns and are promoting the use of less thirsty varieties such as UC Verde buffalo grass as well as better methods of irrigation.  I knew about the program, but Shirley Bovshow at Eden Makers Blog posted it first.

How to Grow an Olive Tree in a Container -- I told several visitor to the Sunset Celebration booth not to waste their time trying to grow an olive tree in a pot, but Fern at Life on the Balcony says it can be done with certain varieties, and she sounds pretty convincing. I stand corrected.