Lois Miller's Greenspeak

Fountain Grass- the good, the bad and the ugly

2012-02-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum'- Fountain Grass appeared in the nurseries with many other ornamental grasses a few years ago, but be warned, not all ornamental grasses are as inocuous and lovely to care for as they first appear.

I too thought this would be a wonderful and graceful plant to use in ornamental, dry gardens. What a mistake! Fountain grass became quite the problem. Growing to a huge height and overwhelming borders only to completely die off in winter creating a giant cleanup and pruning project. That would not have been so bad in comparison to what was to come.

The worst surprise came when I took my dog in to see the vet. because he was scratching at his ear a lot. She extracted a seed head from his ear and said he had got a foxtail in his ear. I quickly spoke up saying we didn't have any foxtails in the garden. Then it dawned on me- this was not a foxtail but a seed from the fountain grass in the backyard. With his droopy ears the seed had burrowed down and was irritating his ear canal. This was awful. Not only had I hurt my dog but we had been using these grasses in lots of peoples yards. Horrible.

Unfortunately in gardening this type of thing happens sometimes. A new plant is introduced and seems great but the reality is different than the first impression. I always used my garden as a testing ground for different plants to understand the growth, maintenance and disease resistance of plants in our area. With the ornamental grasses the things to watch for are reseeding in an invasive way, unruly growth, and excessive maintenance issues. Most of my clients want low maintenance and if they have a gardener they may not know how to care for ornamental grasses. Over watering can also be a disaster creating way too much growth and spread or the opposite- rotting out the crown. Over the years I have honed down the choices to many nice plants that are long lasting, stay trim and are fairly disease and pest free. Its taken awhile and new plants are always being introduced. Gardening is a learning experience. Anyway, if I used a fountain grass in your garden I am sorry! It seemed wonderful at the time- wrong.

Rose Pruning

2012-02-08T16:04:00.000-08:00

Despite the lovely warm, dry weather the winter pruning must be done! Especially in mild years when plants are fooled by lack of cold and just keep growing and growing and growing. In the pictures above I have some before and afters of Roses trimmed and untrimmed (also note the poor staking of the tree rose- please use large.metal stakes when planting or this will happen to yours). Anyway the idea of doing winter pruning is to maintain good structure in the plants, prepare for the flowers and new growth in the spring and to prune out any dead or diseased wood also any crossoing branches (this is not always possible).
When pruning Roses always wear leather gloves preferably Rose gloves that have cuffs that cover your wrists and forearms too. After many, many scratches and abrasions I finally have learned to always where my gloves.
I don't really like to prune back into the old wood (branches with old bark and main trunk) so I try to keep up with the pruning each year so this doesn't become neccesary. Roses are fairly forgiving though so a few wrong cuts aren't usually a disaster.
Start by pruning out the current years growth cutting back the green wood just above an active bud (one that is plump and not dead looking). I like to leave 2 active buds along the branches so as the Rose grows out there will be enough new growth. Prune out any dead and damaged wood.
The old rule of thumb is not to leave the cut end of a dead branch any longer than 1/4" from the trunk.
As you prune open up the center of the plant so that as the foliage fills in there are not branches crowding the center and creating dark spots and poor air circulation that encourages pests.
As you finish pruning the Rose remove any leaves left on the plant and rake up below to remove diseased leaves that can infect the plant in the coming year.
For diagrams of the pruning see the Sunset pruning book which is very good or attend a class at a local nursery. I am happy to consult with local clients on garden care also.
A little care makes the world of difference in the flower production and health of your garden.
Enjoy and Happy Winter pruning!

New Year is Bare Root Season

2012-01-13T15:19:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012! I hope the new year will be full of happy surprises and successful projects. I recently relocated from Los Gatos to Redwood City and am happily settled in. Livin' down by the bay in Redwood shores and lots of walking trails. Its so much fun to see all the shore birds and explore a new area. I was sad that I had moved to this beautiful area just as winter started but as it turned out it has been a warm,gorgeous month so have been out on the trails everyday.

So around the beginning of the year (Dec. thru Feb) is bare root season. It is an awesome time to buy bare root plants i.e. roses, deciduous fruit trees and berries and some perennials. Plants are more affordable as bare root stock and can get a better "root hold" in the soil when grown from bare root stage.

Bare root means that the dormant plants are sold without soil with roots exposed and just wrapped in shavings. Only dormant or deciduous plants can be sold this way- no evergreens.

When buying bare root plants look for plants that are still without any new leaves or buds that are opening, roots that are plump and full rather than shrunken or shriveled, and plants that have a goodly amount of roots (these will help to support top growth).

Saok the bare root plants in a bucket of water when you get them home and plant in well turned earth that is not soggy or saturated with water. Always add compost and slow release fertilizer when planting new plants. use your fingers to pack the soil around the tender roots filling in all air
pockets. After planting use a broom handle to probe soil areas around the root ball making sure all air pockets are filled in. This is very important.

Water in the plants after planting and repeat as needed if it is not raining much. Use a shredded mulch layer over the root ball and soil to conserve water and keep weeds down. Pull mulch away from the plant crowns.

I often order Roses as bare root plants from Jackson and Perkins. They are excellent plants and I have had beautiful Roses for many years from these shipments.

I hope you will be able to experience this rewarding way of growing plants also and have many fruits from your labors- ha ha.

Helping SubTropicals to Overwinter

2011-12-05T14:14:00.000-08:00

We haven't had many hard freezes in the past few years but delicate sub-tropicals i.e. bougainvillea, gardenia, mandevillea, hibiscus etc.................need some help even in mild winters.

Spray these plants in early December with Wilt-pruf or Cloud Cover anti-dessicants to help them survive the winter cold.

If there is a warning out for a hard freeze cover plants with an old sheet or ground cloth (never plastic!)
supporting cloth off of the foliage. Putting a lamp or light (turned on) below the cloth adds heat to help in a freeze.

Move potted sub-tropicals under an overhang on a warm wall (south or west facing).

When planting these plants try to locate them below an eave on a warm wall so that even in winter the wall will warm in the day and retain some heat at night.

Avoid pruning back frost damaged areas of plants until way after the last freeze to allow plants additional coverage from old foliage and to see where new sprouts will appear.

Powdery Mildew

2011-12-05T14:04:00.000-08:00

A fungal disease, Powdery Mildew, shown here on the leaves of a Lilac shrub is a common problem in our area. Many times it is not a serious disease appearing on leaves just as the plants are about to go dormant or die off for the winter. New growth in the spring can also be affected and the leaves usally drop off or can be removed without treatement.

The fungus is most common in the foggy,humid days of spring and fall clearing up with the advent of warmer weather or the chill of winter.

Some plants are very prone to powdery mildew and it requires spray to help contol the disease on those plants- Squash, Zinnias, Hollyhocks,the older Rose hybrids and Dahlias are some plants that spring to mind.

Plants that are in areas of poor air circulation, the wrong light for the plant or overly humid areas can become so diseased that the plants will never thrive, so choosing the right location for the plants and not overcrowding or overwatering helps also.

With all fungal diseases it is important to remove any diseased leaves from the area below the plants as they fall or hand pinching out diseased leaves to stop the spread of the spores.

Sunset Western Garden book sites this fungus as one that likes dry surfaces so they suggest spraying plants with a jet of water early in the day to remove spores. They also site sprays of baking soda or garlic diluted as helpful non-toxic methods for treatement.
An anti-dessianct of Wilt-pruf or Cloud Cover can aslo help to block the action of the fungus.

As I said this is a common, mildly serious disease which usually clears up on its own so my action is to just remove diseased leaves and make sure I rake up under the diseased plants.

Pros and Cons of Artificial Turf

2011-11-30T19:24:00.000-08:00

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Is Artificial Turf a Good Idea?

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Many companies off artificial turf including sport court international. I have been referring forever lawns and Pacific Interlock paving stone for artificial turf as local companies.

Artificial turf has come a long way since the days of astroturf with better looking long blade products that even have thatch!

One of the useful porducts in artificial turf has been the K9 grass which has anti-microbial and easy clean properties for dog yards. The product is very resistant to wear but should have some sheltering such as an arbor in the dog yard and the synthetic turf tends to be hot (see below).

See the additional information below about the use of artificial turf

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In my line of work as a Landscape Designer I get this question quite a lot lately.

Yes, Artificial Turf has improved a lot and it is the solution for very specific applications but on the whole

I would say that Artificial turf should not be used to replace the average lawn. Here is why:

Artificial turf is costly (3 times the cost of natural grass), it is installed in the same manner as

Interlocking Pavingstone which is laid on 6-8" of base rock and sand compacted in place

making it paving rather than "turf" and lastly it is hot. These are the top 3 complaints from

folks getting bids or installing these products. For me the problem is the fact that Artificial Turf is not

an environmentally friendly product. Carpeting the earth destroys the biomass and living organisms in

the soil leaving not an ecosystem but an inert area. The picture below shows the Carbon and Nitrogen

cycles, basically how the earth (soil) interacts with the Sun, air and living organisms to keep a balance

in the atmosphere so that we can actually breathe. Not to mention grow living things to feast on!

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Planting areas i.e. natural lawn, ground covers or mulch also act as drainage fields around our homes

catching and absorbing water before it runs off into the sewer and then down into the bay. The dilution

of the salinity of the bay over time changes the whole ecosystem of that area as well.

Artificial Turf does have very tiny holes that allow for percolation of water, however, as with any type of

paving most of the water runs off the surface.

Areas that I have used Artificial Turf that worked out quite well are poorly drained, dark and small

spaces. Most of these projects were for Townhomes or Condo areas where having a tiny lawn on

a north facing site made a muddy pit incapable of growing normal turf. The clients in these cases had

small children and needed a bit of play space for them.

Sport areas are normally also the first choice for Artificial Turf because it is even, does not wear down

easily and can be fitted to the specifications of the sport and client.

Saving water is a needed and important aspect of our future but using Artificial Turf to replace your front

lawn is not the solution. As time goes by and the product fades and becomes an icky color it will invariably

be removed to be sent to the landfill with all the other un-recyclable products. Turn instead to a water

conserving garden that will enhace your home rather than detracting from it. Most of these landscapes

act as an environment that is friendly to birds, butterflies and other wildlife while naturally percolating

water down to the ground water.

Back on the Web again!

2011-09-02T12:29:00.000-07:00

Well, it turns out that my old computer suffered from massive internal issues so now have a lovely updated version with super fast stuff and fancy,schmancy everything so am good for awhile. I am looking forward to getting back to blogging!

So- late summer in the garden. Time to prune out excessive growth, dead wood and revamp mulch areas. I have been doing a lot of clean up lately stream lining the look of the garden to alleviate that "overgrown" feeling. As you can imagine my garden is full of plants! It has been steadily filling in over the last 10 years here, so it is time to selectively remove and prune back the major plants.

This time of year we have the Indian Summer weather and it takes a toll on the garden leaving things looking tired and wilted. I just added slow release fertilizer and I am doing a bit of extra watering with the hose cleaning the leaves of dust and cobwebs plus giving extra moisture. Always water in fertilizer well after application to avoid burning. We are picking Apples now and they are superb. Be sure and remove dropped fruit and spoiled fruit from trees to avoid pest and disease issues.

I will add photos as I get the new Adobe Photoshop software. Am excited to be getting ready to offer more photos through web albums so will add the link for that as I have it ready.

Enjoy and hope you have time to relax in the garden!

Slightly Interrupted

2011-06-27T06:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Blog Readers, Friends and Countrymen,

I have been offline of late due to a crash- a computer crash that is. Will be up again posting beautiful photos, informational blogs and giving Lois advice as this glitch gets worked out.

For right now I am making due with a friends laptop and missing all my files on my regular computer.

Technology is a blessing and a curse!

Have fun in your garden, out playing at the beach or in the hills and enjoy this great summer weather.

Cheers from...........................................Lois

Bay to Breakers 100 years- we did it!

2011-05-16T15:20:00.001-07:00

For my 50th year I thought I should have a big birthday challenge and have some fun too! I chose to join a team with other single Moms and do the 100th Bay to Breakers Celebration Race. We walked it moving along with thousands of costumed party spirited participants from the Embarcadero over the Hayes Hill though Golden Gate Park and down to the Ocean.

We were scrabble letters and tried to spell out fun sayings and funny words. The crowds defeated that but we did have a blast seeing all the amazing costumes, ridiculous antics and spoofs on current affairs.

I have been trying to visit San Francisco more and do events, learn the neighborhoods and sight see just for fun. This day took us through a fabulous course and included the inhabitants making merry as well. I really enjoyed catching glimpses of the City at its best. Wonderful old Victorian Homes, beautiful Parks and lots of public Art and Festivities.

Don't know if I will do it again but it is a day I will never forget and one that gives me happy memories.

Must have been great when you end up on a beautiful beach with a view of Mount Tam.

Creative Solution to a Big Eyesore

2011-04-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

I saw this water tank up in a development in El Dorado Hills and was glad to see some creative camoflage not to mention public art! Homeowners with big properties often are required to have water storage tanks in case of fire or emergency. We are also using them now for gray water storage. They aren't this big but are still intrusive. They are hard to hide so why not use them as a canvas! It was interesting that the trees that they had planted in front of the tanks to hide them from the neighborhood had not survived so luckily the mural was in place. On smaller lots the tanks are often very visible and difficult to screen so I was encouraged to find these examples of tanks that "blend in" with the environment. My friend that I was with mentioned another example of a mural on a tank with the incredible hulk breaking through with gushing water- a more humorous interpretation! We had a great hike up there and the views in the spring from above Roseville and El Dorado Hills is spectacular! Happy Spring Everyone and I hope you all can get out and enjoy the wildflowers!

New Member of the Family

2011-04-12T11:21:00.001-07:00

I am overjoyed to announce the arrival of Isabel Sofia to our family! My daughter, Christine, and her husband, Carlos, have a new baby girl as of March 28th weighing in at 7 lbs 4 oz. She is beautiful and doing very well indeed. I got to go down and visit them this last week and we had a lot of fun hanging out with the baby. Looks like I will be spending some time on the road going down to L.A. to visit often. Can't wait to teach her the names of all the flowers and play games in the garden!

Rose Care

2011-03-18T13:43:00.001-07:00

When I first started studying Horticulture I didn't really think much of Roses. To me they were just spiny, diseased and gawky looking plants with an occasional nice flower. Then I started growing them and everything changed. I discovered the many varieties of Roses from ultra fragrant to ultra vibrant. Wow! I fell in love.

These days I usually have at least one scratch from rose thorns and always have one of our Roses blooming even in the winter.

I am amazed at how tough the plants are and what they become over time. As the plants age the trunks and branches become thick and tough supporting big plants with numerous blossoms mostly in spring but on and off all the time. At this point Roses are like candy to me and I never tire of trying new varieties and pouring over catalogs. So what does it take to grow lovely, healthy Roses? Well, some fairly general stuff.

First of all- Roses are not drought tolerant. They need consistent water throughout the year.

Let the area dry out in between watering and soak deeply 2-3 times a week.

Roses need sun- at least 6 hours. Hot reflexion off building is not great for them and burns them so it is better to have them out in an open area. Climbers can be on walls but use a trellis to allow for air circulation.

When planting use lots of compost and dig a big hole. If using bareroot roses follow planting instructions carefully being sure to poke in areas around roots with your hands or a broom handle to fill in air gaps around roots.

Feed them. They like rose food or slow release fertilizer. Follow label directions and water in well so roots don't get burned. Feed roses at least once a year in early spring.

Dead head old flowers. Cut back spent blossoms to the first 5 leafed stalk consistently to perpetuate bloom.

Prune back in January. Always prune Roses in the dormant season removing dead wood, shortening canes and cutting crossing branches. For climbers leave the main canes and cut back lateral branches to 3-4 buds. Miniature roses and floral carpet roses just need a little thinning and to be cut back about 4-6" at all branch ends. Pruning revitalizes the plants and keeps them full.

Don't crowd them. Over crowding causes areas of poor air circulation where diseases and pests can live.

Choose the best quality plants. Don't buy your roses from Home Depot! Order first quality Roses from Jackson and Perkins. They are the best and will do very well in the garden.

Enjoy and love them- they like that best!

Rodent Explosion!

2011-02-22T17:38:00.000-08:00

Over the years I have battled Squirrels,Gophers, Rats, Moles and the occasional Rabbit but now a full fledged war is on!

The mild weather and late spring rains have created a huge population of rodents in our area. Add to that the depletion of natural predators and we have a big problem on our hands.

Rabbits aren't just in the wildlands anymore they are creeping into lots of urban areas and have been eating a perfectly trimmed skirt around shrubs, ruining lawns and decimating flower beds.
With Gophers eating the tops and Deer browsing too, some areas have become very frustrating garden spots.

If you have a Deer Fence then adding aviary wire along the base will help keep Rabbits out. Deer repellent also works for Rabbits, so that can help if they haven't taken over the garden.
Inside the fencing the Rabbits need to be trapped and moved out into the woods.

Gophers are also taking off and we now routinely use galvanized aviary baskets to plant in but make sure the wire extends up high enough so they don't dive over the edge into the root ball!

Gophers also can be trapped or there is a pretty good pellet drop tool for poisoning them. Not so great for wildlife and cats though!

Let me know if you need a referral on Rodent trapping or information on Deer tolerant plants.
There is no sure things with Deer or other pests but the damage can be kept down with some evasive measures.

One of the key things we have found with these pests is that herby, auromatic plants seem to be something that Rabbits and Deer dont like and even Gophers avoid.
At least these are plants that are good for humans and bees plus are low water requiring!

Squirrels and Rats are also an issue. They eat bark off trees, your fruit and the tips of branches just as they bud out. They are impossible to control and the best solution is a really good hunting cat (or a pack of them). Dogs help a bit but can't get up high enough to be a real threat.
They are way out of control in terms of population size so trying to dissuade them from living in your attic or nesting in dense foliage is a definitely called for. Covering trees with bird netting or mesh doesn't work for these guys at all. Best to plant fruit trees away from powerlines, fence lines and other adjacent trees. An Arborist friend pointed out that the powerlines are the Squirrel highways!

Good luck and I hope you are not a casualty of the rodent war!

Makin' Jam

2010-12-03T15:36:00.000-08:00

Well, after growing fruit for more than 20 years now I am finally learning how to make and can fruit, jam and preserves! Good grief- I feel so silly that I haven't done it before but made a lot of excuses. Was always worried I would give the whole family botulism mainly! So this year when I harvested the fruit I cut it all up and froze it (killing a few germs in the process!).

I usually give away tons of our lovely fruit to family, neighbors and friends but in the poor economy I horded my gorgeous, juicy apricots and peaches. Peeled a lot of pretty hard bosc pears- they actually softened up a bit after de-thawing. A client gave me some huge granny smith apples and those also froze very well. Last of all I usually get a crate of organic strawberries out by Pescadero and so............you guessed it, those got cut up, bagged and thrown in the freezer.

This was all a bit of work but was spread out over the summer and fall so was not too bad a chore. The great part is that I can take my time and make the jam over many months also.

With my daughter, Christines, help I learned to boil the jars and after a few trys made some nice, thick jam. She and I made yummy strawberry-pineapple gauva (another gift from a client) jam. I am aghast at how much sugar goes into jam- yikes. I am using low sugar recipes but am going to decrease the sugar a bit more to allot for the sugars of the tree ripened fruit.

Last night I made apple-pear butter. Woweee- it is so much better than any apple butter I ever tried before and actually has texture!
I am loving trying different combinations of fruit. Today I am going to do some pomegranate-apricot jam using juice from our pomegranates (they juice well using an electric juicer with filter).
Well, you can guess what we are giving for Christmas this year! This is one way to avoid the malls and give something that is useful and delicious!

Salvias- got to love 'em

2010-11-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

Salvia (Sage) should be the poster child for the easy, low water requiring perennial. It is one of the best border plants for our semi-arid area and comes in many sizes, colors and growth habits.

I have always wanted to design a garden using predominantly Salvias with a few companion plants like Roses and Lavender. That is how varied these plants are- you could create a whole garden with just Salvia hybrids.
Salvias also have annual forms which are great long term color for hot areas.

The colors tend to be intense i.e. hot pink, red and varied blues. The trumpet shaped flowers are a favorite of hummingbirds and bees providing food for them over at least 6 months.

The one thing you should know about caring for Salvia is that it should be pruned back, usually hard, after blooming or in the winter. You will often see the new growth sprouting from the base so all the woody areas can be trimmed off.

They like some water but can take dry periods between watering quite well. Salvias vary in water needs, sun exposure preference and ability to withstand freeze so check Sunset Western Garden Book for tips and info. Many of my plants that were damaged by freeze came back from the base so it is worth trying the tropical forms where they have some protection i.e. tree
or eave cover.

Oh yeah, Salvia has a culinary form too. You can use the hybrids as an herb but for good flavor use the Sage labeled for use as an herb. Some of the bush forms taste nasty.
Salvias have little trouble from bugs and the deer tend to leave them alone too- yippee.

I put a Salvia blog in this month because they are great fall color- they tend to like the warm, dry months.

Hope you will try growing some and if you have them already that this will encourage you to notice them even more!

Fall Check List

2010-11-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

All of a sudden its fall! Scarlet, yellow and orange leaves glow in the late afternoon sun and the air is kind of cool and warm at the same time.

It is a great time to get out in the garden before the yucky cold weather and hard rains.

Here are a few things to take care of before all that:

Clean off the roof and clear the gutters.

Trim back long branches and excess growth in trees and large shrubs to let the air move through and to give them a good shape.

Rake up falling leaves so the snails don't make a home in them and have lots of eggs.

Spread slow release fertilizer for the rains to wash into the garden.

Turn down or off the irrigation controller as the rains pick up.

Pick up fallen fruit and any fruit still hanging on the trees that are over ripe to avoid

disease problems.

Check areas in garden where water can collect i.e. cans, pots or carts and turn over.

Put in cushions, umbrellas and outdoor decor that can be damaged in the storms.

Check drainage points and clear inground drain outlets that have collected debris and leaves.

Well that sounds like quite enough to do. I forgot to list- sit in a lounge chair and have a nice warm beverage!

Happy fall- it looks like it will be a great one.

Chlorosis

2010-09-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

Chlorosis- a condition in which leaves turn yellow with veins remaining somewhat green.

Above on the left is a chlorotic citrus tree with yellowing leaves and some curling of the leaves.

Above on the right is a healthy citrus with good looking green leaves- lots of them.

In our area we have a lot of heavy clay and alkaline soils which tie up nutrients to trees and plants. In this case some of my Citrus are showing these signs of chlorosis or the lack of available iron. Sometimes a lack of zinc or manganese can also cause this. Believe it or not the healthy tree is in the same garden but is planted in better soil where the bunny hutch used to be!

The extra organic matter helped to loosen and fertilize the soil so that tree is doing great.

For the other trees I am using 'liquinox' chelated iron and zinc (in liquid form) diluted in a

bucket of water and then fed around the drip line of the trees. This is done every 3 months in the growing season. Our large Orange tree I will give several buckets full around the much bigger drip line.

This should help the trees green up, fruit better and be more full. It is a good idea to add compost or mulch around the base of chlorotic plants and carefully work it in if you can. This will break the heavy clay surface and allow nutrients to penetrate the soil. Try not to break up the root mass too much. For citrus it is important for the leaves to shade the thin bark or the branches and trunk can get sun scald. So the fuller the canopy the better.

Citrus are just one of the trees effected by this condition. Gardenias are also especially susceptible along with Hibiscus, Avocado, Azaleas and Rhododendrons. Nutrient deficiency can effect any plant but these are some that are prone to iron deficiency in our area.

Life with Hummingbirds

2010-08-30T14:39:00.001-07:00

There was a hummingbird in this picture but he zoomed off! It is hard to get a shot of those little guys they are so busy.

Pictured above is Salvia leucantha- Mexican Bush Sage one of the sages that the Hummingbirds love in our garden. They consistently favor tube shaped flowers or the mini tube shaped blossoms of larger flowers like Lily of the Nile (agapanthus) or the salvia stalks.

This year I realized that we were on the 8th or more generation of a hummingbird family that lives in our garden. This made me happy to think that we had created a consistent habitat for these amazing creatures. Over the years they have become quite at home in the plum tree and I have watched them bathe in the waterfall and even in the spray of the hose as I water the plants.

They have become accustomed to my presence near them and will light on the branches right above me as I work in the garden and sometimes fly up near me as I pull weeds.

We have provided lots of flowering plants to feed at and our pond as a water source so they are well fed. I need not put out nectar because they have plenty. The trees give hidden areas for their nests and to this day I cannot spot the nest in the plum tree!

They are territorial and chase off other hummers who come near the nest. Throughout the day I hear them chatting and hovering about the garden continuously busy from sun up till sunset.

Its lovely to have these little companions and be entertained by their movements and wild play.
Despite our cat they have little fear and I feel they are as much a part of the garden as the flowers and stones.

For your garden to be a place for hummers just provide a source of clean water, bird cover in the form of trees (small trees are o.k.) and lots of tube shaped flowers i.e. sages, abutilon, agapanthus, penstemon, mallow, california fuchsia etc.............

I think that flower nectar is preferable to nectar from sugar in feeders just like fruit juice is better for kids than soda!

Zoom..........................................

Re-potting Orchids

2010-08-03T11:35:00.000-07:00

Orchids are tree dwellers thusly they don't really grow in soil but are planted in bark. Special orchid bark as a matter of fact.

Orchids are commonly given as gifts in tiny containers or even in plastic sleeves. They like to have their roots crowded but after awhile they sap the energy out of the old bark and it is time for new.

We were just potting up some the other day and thought I would pass on a few notes about the
process.

Choose a container with a hole in the bottom (no water logged roots that way).

The container should only be a little bigger than that of the original (crowding is good).

Leave air roots exposed. These are roots that have grown up out of the sides or crown of the plant over the pot or into the air. These roots like to be misted by the way.

Add slow release fertilizer to the orchid bark- Osmocote is good but not too much.

You can use pebbles or broken pot shards in the bottom of the pot to avoid the hole getting blocked.

Gently lift out your Orchid and place it in the pot and fill around the root ball with bark. Don't break up the roots or score them. This can damage the plant.

Clean the leaves with a damp cloth. Remove any dead leaves.

Orchids like light but not hot direct sun. They enjoy heat too but not to the extreme. Create humidity by misting occasionally.

Orchids will actually bloom again if you put them on a regular fertilizing schedule and give them good light- a room that gets strong morning sun is the best.

Cymbidium orchids are the easiest and actually live outdoors in a protected spot that gets morning sun.
The hothouse orchids are harder to get to rebloom but they can surprise you if they get their food and some nice warm diffuse light. Hey, that sound like a greenhouse!

Tinkering with Irrigation

2010-07-25T12:49:00.001-07:00

The hot weather is upon us and I have been out tinkering with the irrigation.
I thought I would check for overspray, adjust heads and work on adding drippers to pots.

You can adjust radius on sprinkler heads (somewhat) using a small screwdriver to turn the little
srew on the top of the sprinkler head/nozzle. This will adjust the throw of the water farther out or reduce it down a bit. My heads were throwing a lot of water onto the paving so in an effort to save water and avoid hitting walking folk I adjusted them down. I will now check periodically and see if the adjustment resulted in some of the plants not getting watered.

If you have a drip hose in, it is easy to add drip emitters and drip feeder tubes for added pots or plants. Only a hole puncher and parts are needed so this is an easy fix. To add a new drip hose and drip feeder tubes a valve with filter and pressure regulator is needed or you can run drip off of a hose bib with a battery operated 1 station controller (Gardena makes these). The slow watering is great for narrow areas and pots. I really like soaker hose too and it can be run in the same way.

As the garden has grown in and areas have been changed I have a few spots with plants blocking heads and one spot where a head waters nothing at all. That one was easy to fix. Using a tall threaded riser I just dug down and unscrewed the existing head and riser and put in the new riser with a cap for now so it can be used in future if needed.

The head that was blocked by a plant needed to have the riser extended up with a pop-up or shrub head on top so it can spray over the offending shrub. Not too pretty but it works. If I am worried about aesthetics I either move the head over or use a high-pop (taller head).

Other checks I have been doing are to work on leaky heads, clogged heads or drippers and leaky valves. Some of these are easy fixes- tightening screw on areas of heads or valves, using seal tape on threaded areas, removing nozzles and cleaning them out, and replacing worn or broken parts. Replacing valves is a pain and I usually have one of my contractor buddies come over and help me do those. I hate working on valve manifolds. ugh.

Overall, this work will help to save water, avoid water damage to areas and increase the efficiency of the irrigation system. I usually work on the system once a year about now then make small checks during the growing season to check for breaks.

The good part is that you get sprayed by water sometimes to cool you down!

The Handrail Project

2010-07-12T13:30:00.001-07:00

Steep Stairs? No Problem- well,

at least not after figuring out how to build it!

We are all getting older and so a

handrail was needed on the steep stairs going up to my Mom's House.

She lives up in Marin and it is not a garden spot. Between the thin soil, hords of Deer, very large Hares, Gophers and drought it is a challenge to say the least. But it is a beautiful spot and we love it there. My Mom and Dad built the house and the concrete stair going up to it about 50 years ago. About 30 years ago we got lights for the stair and now the time has come to have a handrail.

It was quite a thinker to figure out how to build one as the stair is very wide, there is an electrical line under the ground on one side plus stones in the way and the other side has a concrete gutter. The budget did not allow for the hiring of a contractor so Lois had to put on her thinking cap.

This became quite the green project! We recycled these old clay drain pipes (rectangular boxes) from the property as post bases to pour concrete in. I had some long 2x6 redwood planks that we sanded down for the cap and we purchased the 2x4 running boards that sandwich the posts.

I used 2" diameter sch 40 pvc for the posts and spray painted them with some paint I had.

The reason for the plastic round posts was to allow for the rail to be able to turn slightly at angle

to follow the stair as it goes up (with wood we would have had to route the posts- no tools for that!

We put lovely polished stones, left over from my daughters table settings for her wedding, in the surface of the concrete and left a cavity to plant some succulents in the front of the boxes.

To hold back the concrete I scrounged some leftover wood from another project and we used old bricks to hold it in place.

The wood was bolted through the plastic pipe and the rail was screwed on. The hard parts were getting the holes to line up right with the angle of the stairs and mixing and pouring the concrete.

Luckily I had some helpers- my younger daughter and her boyfriend really saved the day and my back! Mom was out there too supervising, sanding and placing pebbles.

The finished product may be somewhat rustic but I think it goes with the place and it does a great job helping us up the stairs. It was great to utilize a lot of things we had and to work it out to be compatible with Lois' skillset!

Christine's Wedding at the L.A. Arboretum

2010-06-21T11:01:00.000-07:00

Christine and Carlos Got Married

at the L.A. Arbortetum in April 2010!

It was a lovely wedding and the happy couple made a great choice in venue- an Arboretum!

The rose garden to be exact. Full of scented old fashioned roses and surrounded by Citrus trees this was a lovely and delicious smelling place to have the ceremony and reception.

My daughter is a grand planner and did a fabulous job with all the arrangements and settings.

Her Mom, the nature girl, was overjoyed.

The Arboretum is in Pasadena and is a great place to visit if you are in the area. It is huge and is broken into many distinct sections. I love the trees there. They are huge and very unusual.

Think of us if you go and seek out the Rose Garden- it is heavenly.

Summer Gardening Tasks

2010-06-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

I am just getting ready to thin the fruit on the Peach and Apricot.
I am a little late but still can get the weight down on the limbs to avoid breakage. Looks like some propping with 2x4's is in order too.

Summer in the garden is an easy time. Just a bit of weeding and a lot of watering (or spot watering with the irrigation system).
If you have a vegetable garden or fruit trees then it is keeping up with the produce-yum.

Just a reminder to keep an eye on your fruiting plants- including vegetables to check for heavy areas and thin out the numbers. Citrus don't usually need this but if the limbs are long and leggy sometimes the branches on the citrus can break too.

The fruit trees that are in the most danger are peaches, apples, nectarines, persimmons and
apricots. Plums and pears self thin for the most part.
Heavy branches may need propping and I usually thin fruit down to be spaced evenly on the branches rather than in bunches. I want to be greedy and leave more but that has lead to breakage in the past.

Other garden tasks include: keeping up with snail bait and or patrol, dead heading (removing dead flower heads), deep watering trees (once per month in the summer and early fall) and
lawn fertilizing (and of course mowing!). For other parts of the garden use a slow release fertilizer that works for 6 months. I usually apply this in the spring and fall. Watch for yellowing or leaves that have green viens and yellow leaves. This is a sign of iron deficiency and the liquid iron or chelated iron formulas are best for this.

Enjoy the long,warm days and evenings. Keeping a nice garden and patio area really pays off in the summer!

Violet Agression

2010-06-16T11:40:00.000-07:00

Heart shaped leaves. Lovely little dark purple flowers. Green
lushness. Who would have guessed such a nice ground cover would become a rampant pest. Well, I should have.

I didn't plant it and yet these wild violets have emerged and spread throughout the garden at an alarming rate. Beware!
Now I spend my evenings digging it out and plan to spray any
new shoots with Round-up. This is what it has come to.

I think this weed got past me by being so nice looking and I was further seduced by my Mothers exclamation of "oh look, violets!". She loves them but now I know the reason they call them "wild" violets.

So just a warning- don't let them go crazy in your garden or they will squeeze out all the nice plants that you have actually planted!

Time for some Lawn Care

2010-05-18T10:51:00.000-07:00

I have been noticing a lot of yellowing lawns of late. It is time for some lawn fertilizing! This year we have these late rains that will help wash down the fertilizer into the ground even better.

Fertilizer gets tied up easily in our heavy clay soil so it needs a lot of "leaching" or heavy watering or rains to get it down into the soil. The lawn above is looking good- a nice medium to dark green and very even in color.

I don't really recommend any certain brands as there are a ton but you can go with your preference as to organic or un-organic type. A balanced 10-10-10 or some close variation of those numbers is good. Use a drop spreader or broadcast spreader to apply the small granular and wash in well because fertilizer can be very burning in any form. Follow instructions on the bag carefully to avoid burned patches.

Lawn fertilizer comes with or without weed herbicides. The "weed and feed" type controls broadleaf weeds in the lawn and works well- do not use in planting beds! It will kill your plants.

If you get lawn fertilizer without herbicide in it then it can also be used for flower beds around your home. Wash leaves off after application to avoid burning.

You will probably use both types over the course of the year so having the two types on hand is o.k.

For planting beds I like to use 'Osmocote' slow release fertilizer because it lasts for 6-10 monthes and is relatively non-burning. It takes awhile to work into the soil so if you need fast results this is not the thing. It can be used on lawn but is not as good as regular lawn fertilizer due to its slow action.

Lawns typically are fertilized every 6 weeks in the growing months- March-November.

I have noticed that gardening services are pretty random about this and are lax in feeding the garden. You don't want to over do it by fertilizing if your gardener has already done it so a frank conversation is in order. In general if the garden has a light green-yellow tinge in late spring/early summer it is a sign that no nitrogen/fertilizer is being applied.

In planting beds adding fertilizer then mulching or adding compost to the area in a 1-2" layer

will help feed the plants and hold in moisture. Pull mulch or compost away from plant crowns to avoid crown rot.

Topdressing lawn with fine soil conditioner is a similar idea to this for the lawn. This is normally done when adding seed for thin spots. Fill dips, low spots or holes with clean, coarse sand and over seed as needed then topdress. This helps keep the lawn even.

Dethatching and aerating is the last task in lawn maintenance. Aerating can be done every other year. Dethatching is done every 5-7 years or more. A lawn service can do this or you can rent the equipment to do it yourself.

Last note- do not use Chem-lawn or services that come out to do fertilizing for you. They are using too much chemical fertilizer, too often and making a toxic environment for your family and the community -not to mention the creatures living in the garden! It is better to under-do than overdo it with chemical fertilizers!

Enjoy the green and protect your lawn health for a longer lasting turf.

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T14:07:00.000-07:00

It has long been my Mother's Day tradition to spend the day in my garden. I am often too busy to spend a whole, entire day in my garden so this is a luxury for me. This year it is kind of rainy but that will be refreshing- I guess. I am re-doing a path that has sunken about 2" and is now kind dangerous to traverse.
Usually I spend the day planting flowers and the tomato plants. This is a great day to do this after the cold weather but before the heat of summer sets in. The tomato is a slow plant anyway just taking its time until we get some hot days. But yum- there is nothing like a plump, homegrown tomato.
My kids always understood. They knew what their mother was really passionate about. They thought it a good excuse to lounge around in their rooms. We avoid the restaurant crowds and get a tan instead! The garden appreciates the care and is more beautiful for it. All I ask is that I be left in peace to do my thing with an occasional- "hey, Mom how ya doin?" Then back into the house they go or off to see friends. Its great.
Now the girls are off on their own but the tradition continues and I enjoy it just as much. The phone brings the "hey- Mom how ya doin?" instead of their shiny faces but that is o.k. too.
I hope you all have a lovely Mother's Day and can get some time to relax and enjoy the people or things you are really passionate about.

California Poppies!

2010-04-23T12:16:00.001-07:00

OMG!

Another stop on our journey into the southland was the Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve about an hour north of L.A.. Wow! We saw a lot of wildflowers on the trip but this was absolutely dayglo. My daughter had planned her wedding to coincide with the poppy bloom so we could go out there and now I know why. We hit it right at the peak and had a wonderful time hiking the hills with millions of blooms.

Interspersed with the poppies were lupine, gold fields, phacelia, and daisies of varied types.

The area is a high desert and sage covers many of the hills giving the air a lovely scent.

The preserve has nice, easy trails and picnic area. It tends to be very windy here but the day we went it was just a breeze.

My mother had always wanted to visit Antelope Valley and so this was a wonderful outing for us and she had a dream come true to arrive on the perfect day!

My daughter said the hills looked like they had been colored with a highliter!

I didn't see a single Antelope though.

This is a spring place and is barren the rest of the year so the time to visit is March through the beginning of May.

I hope you can go some time too!

Huntington Cacti Garden

2010-04-23T11:42:00.000-07:00

On the recent wedding trip down to L.A. we got to do some touring and stopped at the Huntington Garden and Library in Pasadena.

This is just a section of the huge garden area. A whole hillside showcasing cacti and succulents from around the world. I love all the barrel cacti here and we were lucky to visit during the blooming season.

There are also pond areas, giant specimen trees and acres of formal gardens i.e. chinese and japanese gardens, rose garden and sections devoted to regions of the world. Oh yes, there is a library too! The library has rare documents on display and changing exhibits of paintings and books.

If you have not been there it is a great place to go and is a full days worth of sites. The cafe has good food. Beware of the heat and start early or go in the cooler season. I have gone twice in the summer and it was very humid so I would recommend the early spring or late fall.

I have to say that this is my favorite cacti garden so wanted to share the info. with you.

Late Spring Flowering Bulbs

2010-04-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

At the end of the spring flowering bulb season the Dutch Iris, Tulips and Watsonia take the stage for a last burst of vibrant color. It is magnificent and sad at the same time knowing that these will be the last of the spring bulbs until next year. The summer flowering bulbs do their thing but are not quite as much fun as the easy and joyous blossoms of spring. The summer heat also gives the flowers of summer a hard time and shortens the petal life of many flowers.

Next comes the big Rose bloom which is always the best with the first cycle in spring. Some of our Roses are already in full throttle especially the vines that I didn't prune back very far.

The Roses take the heat of Los Gatos very well except in the extreme hot weather. It will be exciting to see them all open in the next month or more.

The big wedding is finally here and I go next week to help out and enjoy the activities. Will post some photos of the ceremony in the Rose Garden- weren't we just talking about Roses?!- should be fun and exhausting!

Happy Spring and I hope that you all have a chance to be out in the garden. It is lovely out there!

The Care and Feeding of Wisteria

2010-04-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

I wish that you could smell the fragrance of these blooms. The air of the whole back garden smells of sweet perfume of the blossoms.

Wisteria is the most gorgeous of vines. Rampant but beautiful.

The flowers and the foliage are lovely and it is a fast grower so is good for arbors.

The key to living with a Wisteria is control. They need trimming heavily in winter and a lighter pruning in fall. The vines should be kept out of trees, off power poles and roof tops of homes. Without a certain amount of supervision they quickly run amock and grow over, under and through all the surrounding area.

Watch for ground creeping tendrils also as they can emerge 20' away after growing along the ground below other plants.

Wisteria has long fuzzy pods that break open to drop dime-sized seeds. To avoid the pods clip the dead flower heads after bloom is over.

Feed the vines with a slow release fertilizer in spring and fall and let the rain wash in the granules. 'Osmocote' works well. Keep the area at the base of the vines clear to avoid suckers sprouting up and deforming the shape of the larger vines. Thin canes in the winter during the heavy pruning.

This vine is moderate water requiring and needs summer water to thrive. It is tolerant to many different soil types.

Enjoy but beware! Wisteria can be a beauty or a beast!

Spring cleanup- The Pond

2010-03-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

For those who have ponds it is the yearly big filter clean in the biofall- the mats and rocks in the waterfall tub.

It is a big job for us and I had my daughter, Carolyn, helping me with this gooey chore.

We scooped out floating algae, brushed off the boulders in the pond, cleaned the mats in the biofall and skimmer and added some fresh water to even out the pH.

I had a fish die off one year in spring due to a pH spike so I am now careful to do the pond clean-up before the heat of the late spring sets in.

As you can see the pond is large and full of plants so I usually thin out the plants in the pond a bit too. This allows flow to the pond skimmer and gives room for our waterlilies. My favorite!

Don't forget to add the good bacteria back in with Aquaclearer or Mircrobiotics so that the rocks and mats will be replenished with these helpers.

Enjoy the cool water and say hi to the fish for me!

Spring Garden Reminders

2010-03-08T11:41:00.000-08:00

Wow- spring has sprung!

A few tips for garden tasks in the early spring:

*spray fruit trees with dormant oil spray just as the flowers buds are about to open.

*Apply snail bait often- they're herrrrrrrrre! Use "Sluggo" for gardens with pets and wildlife.

*Trim back subtropicals to keep them from getting leggy i.e. fuchsias, abutilon, bougainvillea,
hibiscus, angels trumpet etc....

*Pull weeds just after the rain- they come out with root and all when the soil is wet.

*Fertilize plants and add iron chelate for yellowing plants so that the spring rains will wash it in.

*Prune tips of Crape Myrtles and old flower heads (seed pods) for better flowering and a fuller tree.

Enjoy the garden- it is a great time of year and so much fun!

Early Wildflowers of the Redwood Forest

2010-02-22T12:22:00.000-08:00

Trilliums or Wake Robins (white 3 petaled flower), Slink Pods (delicate white-purple flower with spotted leaves) and Redwood Sorrel (shamrock leafed) grace the cold hollows of the Redwood forest this month along with some stupendous ferns!

It is a big year for trilliums which are allusive most years but are having a big bloom with all the rain. You have to go out early in the wildflower season to see these as they bloom in winter not spring.

We saw these out at Samuel P. Taylor Park or Camp Taylor in Marin last weekend while walking along the rushing Papermill Creek. Not too many mushrooms or newts yet but the unusual flowers i.e. Slink Pods made up for that!

First Spring Wildflowers

2010-02-16T13:01:00.000-08:00

Milk Maids are the first

wildflowers of the year

blooming in winter months.

Hounds Tongue just came

out with tall stalks from

tongue shaped leaves at the

base.

It is always so exciting to see the Milk Maids blooming in the hills. This means that many beautiful wildflowers will soon start to appear. With the green grass the colorful blooms decorate our forest and foothills making spring a celebration of new growth. Poetic- huh!

It all just makes me want to go for a hike and see what flowers I can find. Along with the wildflowers this year came a new baby faun up at Mom's in Marin. The deer roam freely and enjoy eating what we plant there but don't bother the wildflowers and can't keep up with the grass!

Time to plant summer bulbs

2010-02-11T20:21:00.000-08:00

I was out at the nurseries this week checking out stock and getting some plants to fill in gaps in my garden. I was happy to see the summer flowering bulbs for sale and now is a good time to get those in.

Lilies, Gladiolas, Tuberous Begonias, Dahlias and Peony are available in tuber form and can go into pots with annuals or perennials or into loamy soil.

This year I made a small plateau in the garden with sand, potting soil and garden soil about 6" high so that the bulbs could drain quickly and have some nice loose, fertile earth to root into.

The tuberous begonias I plant in pots in the shade and they last for quite awhile that way.

Add some slow release fertilizer to the planting areas and remember to stake the tall flowers as they tend to fall over.

Most of these are good cut flowers and the Lilies smell good (remove the anthers as the red pollen dust falls off onto your tablecloth!). My goal is to have flowering bulbs blooming all year and I am almost there!

Garden Jewels

2010-02-01T12:51:00.000-08:00

Tiny bulbs make shining jewels in the gloomy winter cold. Pictured are golden crocus, a miniature daffodil and super dwarf iris. All under 4" tall! So small they are easily hidden by fallen leaves.

Post-winter pruning

2010-02-01T12:29:00.000-08:00

I have been out doing the big winter pruning this last weekend. Quite a job- as you can see! I clipped down the perennials to about 12" or less off the ground, pruned roses, pulled weeds, shaped shrubs and low trees and cleaned up old leaves below plants.

The purpose of all this hard work is to prepare for the spring growth. The plants will rejuvinate and bloom more heavily. Removing the leaf litter gets rid of fungus spores, insect and snail eggs in the debris and allows me to see any sprouting weeds to be pulled and maybe a tiny bulb blooming. The winter pruning also keeps the garden from getting too overgrown, which it was, and keeps the plants full rather than scraggly and leggy.

Weeding is definitely the most tedious job of gardening. I do not use pre-emergent herbicides because of my bulbs and pond so must get down low and pull them out. Doing so after the heavy rain made the job somewhat easier.

I do get some weeds in the cracks of the pavers which I hit with a shot of round-up, staying well away from the pond, this gets done several times in the spring usually.

The cats have enjoyed hanging out with me during this process and finding out what is below the old growth. They now have much more room to play. I enjoy seeing the edges of the pond again and the new look.

I don't always get to such a heavy clean-up but it really helps the garden when I do. All I have left to do is the fruit trees and climbers on the arbors. Remember to spray your deciduous fruit trees with dormant oil spray right before the flower buds begin to open.

Now for a little rest sitting doing landscape plans!

Pre-winter pruning

2010-02-01T12:25:00.000-08:00

This is how the pond area looked last spring/summer. The next blog entry shows post pruning with notes.

Miniature S.F. and Train in the Conservatory of Flowers

2010-01-11T13:18:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely trip to the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco on New Years Eve. On special display (until April) is a miniature version of the famous sites of the city made from recycled stuff- so much fun! A train circles with a bonsai rock garden landscape. There is a game of "what can you find in the scene" for the children and a also a childs fantasy train with some inventive characters.
It was great to escape the cold day and see this display as well as the rooms of orchids, giant ferns and lotus'. I had a little trouble with my camera lense fogging up but enjoyed being in the sauna atmosphere!
Catch it if you can- it really cheered up our New Year!

The first Crocus!

2010-01-11T12:53:00.000-08:00

It is always a great treat to see the first spring flowering bulb bloom, in this case a Crocus, a tiny harbinger of what is to come. Contrary to their title many of these spring flowering bulbs bloom in the dead of winter. These little crocus' are among the first and I had a lovely mini rock garden iris pop up the other day too.

This weekend was spent carefully clearing away leaves and weeds so that we would not miss out on any of these lovely jewels.

Also hidden in all those fallen leaves were a bunch of snail eggs, slugs and snails who feast on my lovely flowers so getting rid of as many of those as possible is definitely called for.

If you would like to grow crosus' or other spring flowering bulbs, they are planted here in the late fall (early November) and can be stored in the fridge in paper bags until you are ready to plant them.

I will publish more photos of our bulb garden next month as they come into full bloom.

The Sleeping Beauty Rose

2010-01-11T12:27:00.000-08:00

I was out pruning the roses on the weekend, as is the custom during the football season, doing battle with the giant climber that grows on an arch by our front path. I call this rose "The Sleeping Beauty Rose" because it grows to mammoth proportions engulfing not only the arch but much of the front yard. It has some pretty scary thorns too. So each January, and sometimes during the year too, I pull on my leather gloves that come up to my elbows and go in armed with some long handled loppers. It is a job that requires 2 huge green waste bins and usually a few bandaids.

My daughter, Carolyn, cracked me up one day when we drove up to the house and I remarked that this huge climber reminded me of the rose that surrounded Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Carolyn piped up saying that that was good because Sleeping Beauty lives here. She had just been in a play where she had played Sleeping Beauty ( a good part as it involved lying motionless for most of the play- perfect for a teenager!).

From then on this climbing rose, which is actually 'Mermaid', has been known around the house as the sleeping beauty rose. Pictured here after its winter pruning.

All of this is a reminder to prune the roses this month. Hopefully yours will be a piece of cake compared to this one! Also it is a good idea to remove all the leaves in addition to the pruning.

Rust spores and fungus' can overwinter on the back of the leaves so removing the leaves and raking up under the plants helps to avoid diseases next year.

Enjoy the winter chill and the sounds of cheering football fans as you clip and rake!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T17:29:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

The girls and I have been busy getting ready for the holiday and catching up on all the news. We also have been working on Christine's wedding dress for the upcoming event -very exciting. She is a great organizer and has it all well in hand.

I hope that all of you have a lovely holiday and wonderful New Year- 2010!

In the New Year, I will continue to add to the file of posts with gardening tasks, plant info. and other various topics related to the green world.

See you on the blog in the coming months...........................Lois

Garden Spots- Southern California

2009-11-27T16:59:00.000-08:00

Have had a small hiatus from blogging this month due to the need to do a bit of family visiting.
Many of you have heard me speak of my daughters, Christine and Carolyn who are now well on their way into adult adventures. I was reminded as I drove down to L.A., to visit Christine, that there is a superb Botanic Garden in Santa Barbara. I wanted to pass along a plug for this lovely
location to all of you if you are down that way. This public garden is broken up into sections displaying different flora from the various regions of California. Needless to say that this is a great place to see native plants. Its also a peaceful location to walk with shaded creek areas and woodlands. There are enough trails to get a good walk in. The garden is up at the top of Mission Canyon and is easy to find following the signs for the Historic Mission Site (also an interesting stop). Nestled at the top of the canyon, the garden has great views and is set out of the city sounds.
When the girls were little we really enjoyed the Santa Barbara Zoo too. Caroyln is now studying Biology up at Chico State and has always had an interest in the big cats i.e. lions, tigers and cheetas. Hence, we spent part of many vacations visiting various zoos. This was not so bad because it turns out that zoos have a lot of interesting plants too! I guess they do call them Zoologic Gardens.
Christine is down in Glendale teaching now. She took a break from the whiny 8th graders to give me a tour of the L.A. Arboretum. Like most Arboretums the garden is broken out into regions of the world and has acres of astounding flora with a definite feel of tropical environs. Christine and her fiance, Carlos, found a lovely inner hidden garden filled with fragrant roses and citrus trees to have their wedding in next April. Guess she is a chip off the old block. It is a beautiful place and was lovely this month with less heat and clear skies. Good views to the mountains after a short rain the day before I arrived. This garden also has some interesting sculptures, water features and masonary areas. This is a vast place so if you visit bring comfortable shoes. There is a tram for tours also.
I hope you liked this mini travel log. I love to explore and spend lots of time finding hiking spots, public gardens and cool old stuff so will incorporate some of these areas in the blog from time to time.
Happy travels!

Windy Surprise

2009-10-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

We were caught by surprise a few weeks ago with gusty winds that blew down branches and even whole trees. It was a reminder to clean out the gutters, check the roof and put in all the stuff that could blow away.

In the garden its also a good idea to give your trees a critical eye and see if there are any heavy
branches that have elongated over the growing season and now have too much weight out at the ends. I also look at the density of evergreens in the garden that could get heavy with rain water and then blow over. These trees and shrubs should be thinned to allow the wind to blow through and balanced so the branches don't crack. For large trees I call in my arborist buddy- Dan Hoskins and the shrubs and small trees I work on myself over the fall months. If you use a gardener ask them to thin rather than shear the shrubs and small trees so that they are more open and allow the air to move through. This is probably easier said than done but its worth a try.

Garden Arches with vines on can be at risk also from strong winds. Our heavy 'Mermaid' Rose really catches the wind and tries to blow over every year. I think I am on my 3rd arch for that one. Vines need to thinned and cut back to the arch every year anyway so before the winter is a good time to start this.

Its starting to be cool enough now to start the winter pruning for the perennials (that are not blooming), shrubs and vines. For Deciduous Trees wait until they lose their leaves. I note this because it is helpful to do the pruning over a long period to be able to fit the trimmings in those green waste bins and for starting compost if you have the space. I get fairly sore and crickety these days so breaking up the garden work into shorter periods is easier on my body too.

Let me know if you have any questions on maintenance tasks and enjoy the fall coolness!

Fall Perennial Color

2009-10-21T18:18:00.000-07:00

With the cooler weather comes some amazing color. With the leaves turning and

less heat to wilt the flowers I thought I would expound on the virtues of some fall favorites.

Above are pictured the quintessential fall bloomer: the mum- chrysanthemums to be exact.

They are often used as potted plants but are great in the garden and bloom for a long period of time. They are great cut flowers and last well even with dry stems.

Other favorites in fall include Salvias or Sages which come in lots of colors and are great summer and fall blooming small shrubs or flowering perennials. Also a big favorite with hummingbirds!Asters which are not that common here but are wonderful for late summer and fall. They are medium to tall daisies.

Coleus which is largely a foliage plant and have amazing colored leaves all summer and fall.

These are used as annuals in pots mostly but will sometimes over-winter and last for more than one year. I actually miss these when I don't plant them for the summer because they are so lovely. Black-eyed Daisies and Blanket Flowers are really good fall colors. They last from summer to fall. Echinacea or Cone Flower is a tall purple daisy with a cone in the center. It blooms summer and fall with the added benefit of being medicinal.

So add some fall flowers to your pumpkin grouping and cheer up the front entry or patio area.

And enjoy the autumn weather after all the summer heat!

The Trouble with Cobbles

2009-10-07T11:30:00.000-07:00

In this case we are discussing the river washed stones or "cobbles" that are often used below trees and over exposed roots. An easy solution to a decorative solution for an area that plants cannot root due to tree roots and compacted soil. The problem arises as the cobbles get filled in with leaves and debris which breaks down and forms soil over time. This traps moisture at the crown (where the trunk stops and the roots begin) of the tree. The crown actually needs to breath and the trapped moisture encourages the growth of fungus and a place for insects to lay eggs.

This problem became apparent after a few years of installing these stones and enough accumulation of leaves and soil had filled in the crevices of the stones. Please pull the stones away from the tree crown by about 4-6". Use a blower to clean out the stones around the crown and over the exposed tree roots, which also have bark on them. I do this aobut once per month. It does not hurt to remove stones every 5 years or so and rake off excess soil that has been formed, and then replace the stones.

In general avoid building soil up over the crowns of trees and root masses as this can cause crown rot and kill the trees.

Just a heads up to protect our trees!

Please pick all the Fruit.

2009-09-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

Whether you eat it, compost it or donate it to Second Harvest, please pick all the fruit from your fruit trees each year. Old fruit left hanging on the tree can become a home for diseases and pests to over winter and cause harm to the tree in the following years. The tree also puts energy into supporting the fruit until you pick it, so give the tree a break and harvest as soon as the fruit is ripe. We are also having quite a hard time with rats around here, so removing excess fruit will eliminate a food source for those varmits. Fallen fruit is also a source of nutrition for molds and bacterias so rake that up as well. The same goes for ornamental fruits and berries.

In early spring/late winter just before the flower buds begin to open spray deciduous fruit trees (not Citrus) with dormant oil spray to ward off leaf curls and pests. I usually remove any curled leaves from the Peach Tree by hand as it is a small tree. This seems to help a lot and is in addition to the oil spray. Our little Peach tree is my favorite and my daughters and I eagerly await the lovely and delicious fruit each year. It gets very heavy with fruit and so I thin out the fruit by more than half and prop it up as best as I can. Even then it has had some broken branches. Thanks to Dan Hoskins, my trusted tree trimming buddy, it has been successfully re-trained several times. To me the Peaches are the equivalent of garden gold.

Deciduous fruit trees are usually pruned back by 1/3 each year in January and the Sunset pruning book is a good guide. Citrus are just shaped to have a nice round canopy and any dead branches are removed. Do not open up Citrus canopies and expose the branches as they can get sun scald which makes the bark peel back. Deeply water all friut trees in the summer for good fruit production and the health of the trees. After all, fruit is full of water!

Spring Flowering Bulbs!

2009-09-17T17:35:00.000-07:00

You may see spring flowering bulbs for sale now in the grocery or nursery outlets and think its time to plant them now but wait! Before you dig down into our heavy clay soil in 90 degree weather, give your bulbs a little chill in the fridge. It is too hot to plant them now anyway.

Because we live in a temperate climate it benefits those bulbs from Holland to have more chill.

Refrigerate bulbs in a paper bag for 6-8 weeks and plant them in the early part of November

when the heat has passed. Just don't forget they are in there!

Use a bit of bonemeal or bulb food in the holes or trenches when you plant them and mix in food with the soil. Be sure and put them pointy end up. Bulbs should come with instructions for planting depth.

Spring Flowering Bulbs are watered by the rain so do not need irrigation and the Deer don't eat a lot of them. I don't think Gophers like them that much either. I love bulbs because they are a great surprise in the spring. I may have forgotten all about planting them and then they pop-up.

If you already have bulbs in the ground dont worry about digging them up for chilling in the fridge- that is too much work! In our clay soil some may rot out over time but they usually last very well except for Tulips which don't come back very well. I have had good luck with species tulips which can be found through a bulb grower i.e. Van Engelen (great prices too!).

In the spring leave the leaves on until they wither to replenish the bulbs for the next year.The best repeat bloomers for our area are: Grape Hyacinth, Daffodils, Freesias, Ipheon, Leucojum and regular Hyacinths. Hyacinths and some Daffodils are fragrant too. Don't be afraid to use lots. Plant in groups between low plants and enjoy winter and spring color for many years.

Fall Clean-Up

2009-09-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

The heat of the summer has been doing a job on our gardens and now it is time for the end of the summer-beginning of fall clean-up. It is a good job to do in the cool evenings. And you get to enjoy the sunset at the same time!

Prune back withered foliage and dead leaves, catch up on the weeding, gather up hiding snails and add a nice layer of mulch to finish up. Please remember to pull mulch away from plant crowns. A 2-3" layer is good and I like a fine shred fir bark mulch. In big open areas use a coarse gorilla hair mulch (shredded redwood bark) in a very deep layer of 6-8" to help control weeds and erosion. This makes a roughish path too.

Check sprinkler heads as you clean-up and prune away plants that are blocking the heads. I just dug up a sprinkler that had been cracked off its riser by a giant root! Quite the chore to fix but feel that I have accomplished something by doing it. I noticed a few weeks ago that the pressure in the whole circuit (groups of sprinkler heads) was very low and that some of the heads were hardly popping up. Normally breaks are at the base of the heads so I started looking for pooling water or very wet areas and sure enough

water was percolating up like a little geyser near one of the heads. With a bit of digging and a few trips to Ace I now have a working circuit again. At least the tree got a lot of water!

More about sticky stuff

2009-09-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

To continue from the last entry I wanted to add a bit more information about the sticky excretions found below plants on paving, cars, patio furniture etc..... This sticky residue is honeydew that actually is excreted from tiny insects i.e. spider mites, scale, aphids and thrips. This honeydew is often collected by ants and you may see a trail of ants going up tree or shrub trunks looking for honeydew and also for the insects that produce it. The ants are known to "farm" the insects protecting them and bringing them into sheltered areas.

These insects are piercing-sucking insects (yuk) and literally suck the life out of plants. They are most often found on the backs of the leaves and look like specs of dust. If you want to be horrified get out a magnifier and look at them up close. They reproduce rapidly in the warm season on stressed plants (many of which have been planted in the wrong location). When not given enough light, water or air circulation plants become stressed and the bugs move in.

It helps to give your plants a bath regularly to discourage colonies from forming and to wash dust from the leaves allowing the pores or stomata to breathe. For more serious infestations use a mild soapy solution in a hose end sprayer to wash the plant or tree then apply the appropriate pesticide (take sample to nursery and check with nurseryperson for products). Some of these pesticides are fairly non-toxic i.e. 'Safer Insecticidal Soap'. I try to avoid using pesticides in our garden but will use insecticidal soap from time to time to avoid longterm damage from these posts.
Aphids usually show up in spring on tender shoots and can be treated with soapy solution alone. They are very easy to control normally. Of all the above pests, scale, is the hardest to control because it has a little shell over the actual bug. With scale the plant must be sprayed when the insects are in their crawling stage so the help of a good nursery person is important or a tree spraying company for large trees. Scale is severly affecting Liriodendron and the Deciduous Magnolias (Saucer Magnolia), so keep an eye out if you have these trees.

Signs to look for in the garden are wilting, silvered leaves, specs on the backs of the leaves, that sticky stuff we spoke of, black residue on the trunks and loss of leaves (more than usual). Inspect your plants occasionally in order to get ahead of any pest problems and the garden will thrive.

Stressed out trees.

2009-08-30T18:06:00.000-07:00

We have some very stressed out trees around here! The drought is taking its toll on the biggest members of the garden and the tiny insects are sucking all their energy too. Time to get the hose out and do some deep watering pronto. A "Ross Root Feeder" is good too but you might need to drive in some stakes (then remove them) to put the probe down into. You know how hard our soil is!
Water seeking trees, fruit trees and trees from climates where it rains in the summer are most in need. Large shrubs may also be in peril if your watering system does not water deeply.
Signs of stress are wilting, dull looking leaves, lots of leaf dropage, dead branches in the tops of the trees and sticky stuff dropping on cars and paving. The sticky stuff is honeydew from the insects that are feeding on your trees.
Please water trees at the drip line (edge of the canopy- not at the trunk) in 5-6 locations around the tree for 30 minutes per location setting the hose to percolate slowly. Regular irrigation does not water this deeply. Deep water trees twice a month in the summer and early fall.
If you do notice sticky stuff on the leaves or dripping from the trees, it is not a bad idea to give the tree a bath. Shower with the hose where the spray will reach and this will help to wash some of those insects off and clean the dust off the trees for better health. If the tree has lots of stick ooze and looks very bad consult a nursery professional for the correct pesticide to be applied. The larger tree companies i.e. Bartlett also apply these sprays.
In a few months the rain will come and do the job for us!