Native Flower Planter Box Plan
Two self-watering cedar planters, side by side along a fence. East-facing, morning to early afternoon sun. All Louisiana natives.
CedarCraft Self-Watering Cedar Planter — 22" W × 48" L × 30" H. Natural Western Red Cedar with 6-gallon self-watering reservoir, cedar wood legs, and water level indicator. $149.99 at Costco (Item #1759323, warehouse only).
Planters
2× CedarCraft Self-Watering Cedar Planters (22" W × 48" L × 30" H), natural Western Red Cedar, side by side along fence — $149.99 ea. at Costco (Item #1759323)
Location
East-facing front yard, New Orleans, LA — USDA Zone 9a
Sun
Morning through early afternoon sun (~6 hours)
Timing
Planting mid-April 2026 — ~6 weeks behind original March target. Firewheel, Coreopsis, and Penstemon are right on time; Phlox peak (early April) is already past.
Meet your plants
Box 1 — Left Box (Warm Tones)
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Back — Tall
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Qty: 1 | Height: 24–30"
Color: Bright orange | Blooms: June–Sept
Monarch host plant — they lay eggs on it. Slow to emerge in spring, be patient. Deep taproot loves the self-watering reservoir.
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Middle
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Qty: 2 | Height: 18–24"
Color: Golden yellow, dark center | Blooms: June–Oct
The workhorse of this box. Long bloom season. Deadhead to keep flowers coming. Easy to find at any nursery right now.
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Front — Low
Early Spring Bloomer
Firewheel
Gaillardia pulchella
Qty: 2 | Height: 12–18"
Color: Red & yellow pinwheel | Blooms: April–Nov
Your fastest spring color — starting to bloom right now. Also called Indian Blanket. Completely unbothered by NOLA summers.
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Front — Low
Early Spring Bloomer
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Qty: 1 | Height: 12–18"
Color: Bright yellow | Blooms: April–July
Louisiana's state wildflower. Delicate, airy texture softens the planter edge. In bloom now — buy in flower for immediate color.
Box 2 — Right Box (Cool Tones)
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Back — Tall
Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
Qty: 2 | Height: 24–36"
Color: Purple spikes | Blooms: July–Sept
Dramatic vertical spikes against the fence. Blooms top-down, which is fun to watch. Corms were a Feb–March item — likely scarce now; look for 1-gallon potted plants instead, or order corms for fall planting.
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Middle
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Qty: 1 | Height: 18–24"
Color: Pink-purple, orange cone | Blooms: June–Aug
Bridge between the warm and cool boxes — pink-purple petals with an orange center tie both sides together. Leave seedheads up for goldfinches.
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Middle
Blooming Now!
Gulf Coast Penstemon
Penstemon tenuis
Qty: 1 | Height: 18–24"
Color: Lavender-pink | Blooms: March–May
In peak bloom right now. Native specifically to the Gulf Coast. Buy it in flower at the nursery for instant color — window closes by late May.
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Front — Low
Wild Blue Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Qty: 3 | Height: 8–15"
Color: Lavender-blue | Blooms: March–May
Peak bloom (early April) is already past — you'll catch the tail end at best. Goes semi-dormant in summer heat (don't pull it — foliage returns with cooler weather for a bigger show next spring).
Layout
Since the boxes sit side by side, they read as one ~8-foot display. The design flows as a warm-to-cool gradient — oranges and yellows on the left, transitioning to purples and blues on the right. Taller plants go toward the fence, shorter ones face the street.
← FENCE SIDE (back) →
┌───────────────────────────────┐ ┌───────────────────────────────┐
│ Butterfly Black-Eyed │ │ Blazing Blazing │
│ Weed ● Susan ● │ │ Star ● Star ● │ TALL (24–36")
│ │ │ │
│ Black-Eyed Firewheel │ │ Coneflower ● Penstemon ● │ MID (18–24")
│ Susan ● ● │ │ │
│ │ │ │
│ Firewheel ● Coreopsis ● │ │ Phlox ● Phlox ● Phlox ● │ LOW (8–18")
│ Firewheel ● │ │ │
│ BOX 1 (LEFT) │ │ BOX 2 (RIGHT) │
└───────────────────────────────┘ └───────────────────────────────┘
← STREET SIDE (front) →
Bloom calendar
| Month | What's Blooming |
|---|---|
| March | Phlox, Penstemon |
| April | Phlox, Penstemon, Firewheel, Coreopsis |
| May | Phlox, Penstemon, Firewheel, Coreopsis |
| June | Firewheel, Coreopsis, Black-Eyed Susan, Butterfly Weed, Coneflower |
| July | Firewheel, Black-Eyed Susan, Butterfly Weed, Coneflower, Blazing Star |
| August | Firewheel, Black-Eyed Susan, Butterfly Weed, Coneflower, Blazing Star |
| September | Firewheel, Black-Eyed Susan, Butterfly Weed, Blazing Star |
| October | Firewheel, Black-Eyed Susan |
| November | Firewheel (late) |
Continuous color from March through November — about 9 months of bloom. Planting mid-April, we skip the March row entirely and catch only the tail end of Phlox's April bloom; everything else is on schedule.
Spring action plan
1
Today — Call nurseries
Phone Delta Flora, Pelican Greenhouse, and Harold's Plants today and ask what's in stock. Priority: Gulf Coast Penstemon in bloom (peak right now), Firewheel and Coreopsis (hitting shelves now), and Blazing Star as potted plants (corms are likely gone). Don't expect Wild Blue Phlox in flower — buy foliage for next year, or skip and replace with more Phlox in fall.
2
This weekend — Buy supplies & plants
Pick up potting mix (4–5 bags of 1.5 cu ft, like FoxFarm Ocean Forest or Miracle-Gro Performance Organics), a bag of compost, and a bale of pine straw mulch. Grab transplants for everything available — Firewheel and Black-Eyed Susan are at every nursery.
3
This weekend / next — Fill & plant
Potting mix in both boxes, plant according to the layout (tall in back near fence, short in front). Water deeply after planting, then fill the self-watering reservoir completely. Top with 1" of pine straw mulch. Planting this late means less time to establish before summer heat — top-water root zones 2–3× per week for the first two weeks on top of the reservoir.
4
What you'll see
Immediately: Penstemon and Coreopsis in flower if bought in bloom; Firewheel starting. Late April–May: Firewheel and Coreopsis in full color, Penstemon finishing, Phlox going semi-dormant. June: Black-Eyed Susan, Butterfly Weed, and Coneflower kick in. July–Sept: Blazing Star spikes. Full display runs through November.
Care guide
Watering
For the first 2 weeks after planting, top-water root zones 2–3× per week so roots reach the reservoir before May heat sets in. After that the self-watering reservoir does most of the work — check and refill weekly. In peak summer (July–August), check every 3–4 days.
Fertilizer
One application of slow-release organic fertilizer (Espoma Plant-tone) at planting. That's it for the year.
Deadheading
Snip spent Firewheel, Black-Eyed Susan, and Coneflower blooms to keep new ones coming. Leave Coneflower seedheads up after October for winter birds.
Winter
Butterfly Weed and Blazing Star die back completely — they'll return from the roots in spring. Don't pull them out thinking they're dead.
Shopping list
| Plant | Qty | Buy As | Est. Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butterfly Weed | 1 | 1-gallon pot | $8–12 |
| Black-Eyed Susan | 2 | 4" pots or 1-gallon | $5–10 ea. |
| Firewheel | 2 | 4" pots or 1-gallon | $5–8 ea. |
| Lanceleaf Coreopsis | 1 | 4" pot or 1-gallon | $5–8 |
| Blazing Star | 2 | Corms (bulbs) or 1-gallon | $5–10 ea. |
| Purple Coneflower | 1 | 1-gallon pot | $8–12 |
| Gulf Coast Penstemon | 1 | 1-gallon pot | $8–12 |
| Wild Blue Phlox | 3 | 4" pots | $5–8 ea. |
| Potting mix | 4–5 bags | 1.5 cu ft bags | $12–18 ea. |
| Compost | 1 bag | 1 cu ft | $6–10 |
| Pine straw mulch | 1 bale | — | $5–8 |
| Slow-release fertilizer | 1 bag | Espoma Plant-tone | $10–15 |
| Estimated Total (plants + supplies) | $130–200 | ||
Where to buy in New Orleans
- Delta Flora Nursery — Best native plant selection in the city — 2710 Touro St — Sat 10am–12pm only
- Pelican Greenhouse (City Park) — 2 Celebration Dr — Fri–Sun 8am–12pm
- Harold's Plants — Good native stock — 1135 Press St — Daily 8am–5pm
- Perino's Garden Center (Metairie) — Can special order if something's not on the shelf — 3100 Veterans Blvd — Daily 9am–5pm
Call today — native stock is thinning out this late in spring, and what's left goes fast.
Pollinator cheat sheet
| Visitor | What Draws Them |
|---|---|
| Monarch Butterflies | Butterfly Weed (host plant — they lay eggs on it) |
| Swallowtails | Coneflower, Penstemon, Blazing Star |
| Bumblebees | Phlox, Coneflower, Penstemon |
| Honeybees | Coreopsis, Black-Eyed Susan, Firewheel |
| Hummingbirds | Blazing Star, Butterfly Weed, Penstemon |
| Goldfinches | Coneflower seedheads (fall/winter) |