By Cathy Hough, general manager & buyer

Join us on Monday, September 6 for Customer Appreciation Day! We’ll have free hot dogs and beverages from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in honor of all of you! We’re open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Labor Day.

Plants, pottery, fountains, statuary… the Marina del Rey Garden Center’s selection goes beyond the ordinary. Thanks to our huge 2+-acre location and 30+ years in business, we are able to offer exceptional products, including hard-to-find plants and classic and contemporary fountains, statuary and containers, not to mention our unrivaled expertise. We are nursery professionals you can count on.

You can always find something to add to your garden at the Marina Garden Center! We have beautiful hanging baskets and bedding plants for quick and easy color. And our selection is always changing thanks to our stream of daily deliveries. Visiting us can be a fun daily experience. Bring your favorite beverage and stroll our paradise. Being in the midst of our glorious garden will put a smile on your face and a lightness in your step. So share the MDRGC experience with a friend! Our staff of gardening experts are ready to answer any questions you may have.

Fall is the best time for planting so stop in to get ideas about what you’d like to add to your garden. Let Steve or Darla know your sun or shade requirements and surrounding plants in the area and they can help you find some vines, shrubs, trees, perennials, shade plants, or small bedding plants to enhance that specific part of your garden.

Peace and tranquility are hallmarks of a garden. (Above) If your idea of paradise is tropical, you’ll want to plant a Red Leaf Banana (above) for its striking foliage. A new shipment has just arrived.

We can help you plant a waterwise garden (lavender, below, is waterwise) and have a large selection of succulents and cacti, in addition to other waterwise plants including California natives. And our selection doesn’t stop there: We have Australian natives, South African natives, and plants that thrive in a Mediterranean climate such as we have here.

Our fountain selection is very large and (below) is one of our newest fountains. I love how its flowing water falls in sheets and mimics the sights and sounds of a waterfall.

We carry unusual and hard-to-find plants, such as the begonia (below), which features large pink flowers on tall stems.

Sasanqua Camellias (below), which bloom September through December depending on the variety, are budding up profusely now. Consider finding the right spot to plant a Camellia. They are absolutely beautiful plants that can be grown as shrubs or trees. Particular Sasanquas that I like are Jean May, Shishi Gashira, Apple Blossom, Kanjiro, Chansonette, and the holiday favorite, Yuletide.

Like the Japonica Camellias, Sasanquas have been selected and hybridized into dozens of forms that vary immensely in flower color and size and shape. Sasanquas have mature heights that range from about 4-15 feet. The taller cultivars are typically trimmed up as small trees. Other cultivars remain shrubby and limited in height, and some, such as “Bonanza,” were developed to serve as groundcovers and with minimal training can be maintained at about 2 feet in height.

Even when not in bloom, Sasanquas make a statement with their beautifully glossy, rich green leaves (below).

Sasanqua Camellia flowers (below) are among the most beautiful flowers in the world. Camellias are originally from China and Japan and can be found in Chinese and Japanese gardens worldwide, as well as intriguingly mixed in to other garden formats and designs.

The Azalea (below) is a good companion for the Camellia and features delicate flowers in white, pink, and red. Visit Descanso Gardens in La Crescenta to see North America’s largest camellia collection.