Indian Summer continues

The trees rustle their skirts of russet and gold, amber and burgundy in the light breezes of Indian Summer. What?! It is December already and yes, we are still enjoying lovely, warm days (interspersed with those dreary foggy mornings). Spring narcissus have begun to bloom, Canna and daylilies beginning a second bloom, and white violets dance across the bright green lawns, moist with recent rains. Is this really the winter season? With lack of snow, Heavenly did not open on Thanksgiving, disappointing many, nor did Kirkwood Ski Resort. Plants get very confused, that is why we have spring bulbs coming up, and perennials blooming again instead of slowing down for winter.

The only thing to do is to enjoy the late blooms! Our vegetable garden is still producing tomatoes, zucchini, basil and bell peppers. The rosemary shrub is abloom with petite lavender flowers, and our chive stalks are plentiful. Make good use of this extended time in the garden to prepare it for winter with mulching, removing spent plants, cleaning up the beds, cutting back perennial's. Photo: Tim picks the last of our tomatoes in a mild winter, photo by Eva Dunn

Be sure mulch is not right up against tree trunks, or rose tree trunks; that will induce mold and invite boring insects. Tim wraps tiny, clear lights around our lemon tree to give it extra heat against the winter frost. He plants the colorful Cyclamen into window boxes, burgundy in the cold mornings; what a great all-season plant. Four O'clock are fragrant and lovely (pictured here), blooming until late this month.

The feathery leaves and delicate daisy petals of Cosmos flowers are some of my favorite annuals in the garden; they bloom until frost although they do get a bit leggy. Their seeds are one of the easiest to save and are so plentiful. Lenten Rose is evergreen and in the coldest months when all is grey sky and brown gardens, it produces lovely blossoms. They even bloom right through the snow. Ahh, it is after five and the sun has gone down and there is a soft light everywhere. The gardens are lovely to see with bright spots of color amid the vibrant evergreens and fall's russet colors. A living tapestry! Photo: Four O'clock's are fragrant in late afternoon, photo by Eva Dunn

Remember your favorite gardener this season; there is never a wrong gift, and gardeners can never have too many plants, seed packets or bulbs ready for spring. Surprise them with new pruners, a variety of spring bulbs, a bareroot rose that will bloom in summer, perhaps a winter plant that will bring joy in the cold months. Buying gifts for a gardener is fun, and you may even find something for yourself! December 2008    Back to Top

Garden Memories
I am a new gardener, in gardener years, with only about five years of intensive learning and hands on experience. My husband was an experienced hand who taught me much about the soil, crops, and vegetables. He fed a hunger within, a quiet seed that had lain all this time, dormant, until it burst forth. I have since discovered that my new passion will happily lead me through the hardest of days, renewing me, comforting me, giving me joy, renewing my spirit.

I have vivid memories of my mother's flowering shrubs by the front door when I was small, grandma's fragrant, rose gardens full of bees, brilliant dragonflies and chirping birds, and my aunt Grace's wonderful garden. She tucked little plants in everything from old shoes to broken pieces of pottery. She ordered seeds from Europe, or White Farm Nursery; she experimented, and grew fruit trees, flowers, vegetables, grapes, and herbs. Her garden was wonderful, inspiring, magical!

Gardening provided a pleasurable pastime for my husband and I when we lived in West Point, in our first home together, from producing com-post, planting seeds, and harvesting vegetables, we did everything and have become practiced gardeners. Tim and I enjoyed having our first greenhouse, and we became certified and sold our first seedlings to Ridge Road Garden Center. That was so much fun, and I learned so much. Tim is the strong hand in the gardens now, since I have developed osteoporosis; so now I create and design through digital photos. I absolutely love capturing my flowers in the early morning light, in the soft glow of sunset, and sharing them through my websites. I get around on a scooter now, rolling across the front lawn to zip over and check out the boisterous Rock Rose with multiple blooms, or the Bergenia at the end of the beds. I check out the Four o'clock, white and perky tucked under Aaron's Beard, so fragrant in the evening. Photo: Rosemary blooms year-round

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Delicious Rain
Wasn't the rain just delicious? Our gardens just lifted their flowery heads and gulped up all that refreshing water! It was becoming some-what of a drudgery for my husband to keep things watered. Now that the season has changed to the cooler weather of fall, this will signal plants to stop producing blooms, and produce seeds. The garden will begin to wind down in preparation for winter and leaves will change their color.

Cyclamen is a lovely plant in bright colors of pink, rose, and serene white with those great mottled green leaves, taking our gardens well into frost. Primroses start to bloom in the coolness of fall, while asters and mums are winding down. Create visual interest in your gardens with striking plant combinations; first with the pinks, yellows and whites of spring, then the lilies, astilbes, peonies, and irises in yellow, purple, rose and apricot. Add rocks, evergreens, and cascading plants such as ferns and lady's mantle; create small garden rooms within your gardens. Keep an eye to the seasons to ensure your garden will bloom throughout the year beautifully. Photo: a clay pot filled with long-blooming and hardy plants

Right now, water deeply and clean off potted plants that winter inside your home. Make sure not to bring in ants, snails, earwigs or other insects that have lived in your potted plants all summer while being out on the porch. Create plant zones in your home to not only beautify, but to provide that extra oxygen for dry winter homes. Keep your home warm in winter, but not above 70 degrees. Better for you, better for your plants.  October 2008     Back to Top

Tough Summer Plants
So here we are, in the dog days of summer! How's your garden growing? Wilted, burnt, sad, dangling, wimpy, dry? See, you are still trying to grow plants not suited for their location. Location, location, location! Many plants that are grown for full sun really do much better with some afternoon shade. Dappled afternoon shade is such a luxury, bringing hot beauties some relief. There are some plants who love, love, love the heat and hot sun though. Like the SunPatiens, a new-breed impatiens that grow twice as fast in hot sun! Another trouper is Lemon Zest Petunia, bright yellow flowers in mounds of color, easy bloom, easy to grow. Under the Viva trademark.

So now you know what to plant for next year, but how about this summer's garden? Well, visit your local nursery and pick up some Cosmos, plants really love the sun, and they come in CHOCOLATE! Hello! Yes, brownish red flowers, chocolate scented cosmos, perky in the hot sun. Red skin Dahlia mix is a nice hot orange color. Penstemons are wonderful, wonderful plants that bloom all summer long, well into fall. Hot pink Fire Dance, a fringed pink Loropetalum chinense looks great with the lovely strands of Siskiyou Pink Gaura. The shrubs start small. Photo: Gaura is light, airy on long stems, photo by Eva Dunn

Blooming now are the Naked Ladies! Lovely, classic look, pink and so fragrant. They love the sun, and those strappy green, wide leaves are nice all year before they bloom which is right after the foliage dies back. Blur the boundaries, soften path edges with river rocks and creeping plants like cape fuchsia, or creeping Thyme. Use gravel in your paths, it is a natural look, crisp and casual; it does well in all climates and has quick drainage so water never puddles. It is a nice earthy texture with a pleasing crunch.  Photo: Naked Ladies are lovely and fragrant, photo by Eva Dunn

Something I really miss in my garden since moving from West Point, is my deep purple Ceanothus, known as wild lilac. It was a spectacular shrub, and it also comes in white. Its lovely clusters of flowers are abundant. Want something special in your garden that will bloom until fall? Get a Bougainvillea! The peacock of the plant world is impossible to ignore with its masses of papery, petal-like bracts surrounding tiny, tubular white flowers. They come in many colors and are billowy; they bring a touch of class to anyone's gardens. They love hot sun and you will love them! September 2008    Back to Top

Summer's Garden
California's weather has been changed, not by the seasons, but by the smoke and ash, the scorching sun with triple digit days, and now the humid, muggy heat with breezes now and then. Our gardens are suffering just as we are; be sure to keep them well watered, and protect the less tough ones from the afternoon sun, hottest between 12 noon and 4pm. You can stick an old umbrella in the ground just above those tender flowers, or if in a pot, put it on a back porch or front porch out of direct sun. Indoor plants will need to be spritzed more frequently with inside temperatures hovering around 80 degrees most days. Just remember, if you are uncomfortable, so are they!

Our vegetable garden in two weeks went from little seedlings to huge plants; peppers, tomatoes, squash and basil fill the raised beds. Raised beds! I am so excited...it only took 18 years to finally get raised beds. LOL So now the gophers are thwarted! I am ensured to have Ambrosia Melon for my summer meals; I can hardly wait. I also look forward to harvesting my green striped globe tomatoes. Won't that look fresh and summery in salads? Wonder about the taste.

Our Wisteria is blooming a second time; I spied it along the top of the fence last week, and off the driveway the old Wisteria also blooms. I love that! Our Crape Myrtle is beginning to bloom, two flowers already; soon the whole shrub will be a gorgeous magenta color! What a wonderful plant to have in your yard. They are slow growers and do not crowd out other plants or shrubs; they have great trunks. Photo: Blooming Wisteria is fragrant and a show stopper, photo by Eva Dunn

Don't forget the hard-working Petunias! They are ruffly, cover large areas, and come in many colors. The Supertunia Vista Bubblegum Petunias spill over abundantly, are disease resistant, self-cleaning, with sturdy stems and will bloom until frost. Bee balm is great in a summer garden with Rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan) and yarrow; they will all bloom through the summer and the yellow, purple and crimson reds will perk up droopy gardens in August. Astilbes provide a nice feathery accent. Try Hibiscus, they love full sun and give a tropical look to your garden, flowering abundantly. Tim has just finished constructing our two raised beds for the vegetable garden, protected on the bottom by hardware cloth against the gophers. We are looking forward to harvesting striped tomatoes, Brandywine tomatoes, yellow pear, burpless cucumbers, striped beets, lots of Basil, and sweet honeydew melons. Photo: Lamb's ears leaves are soft, and a lovely grey green that compliments the garden

July promises to be hot and soon we will be harvesting. Until then, we will shop at our local Farmer's Markets that bring us such a wonderful variety of produce, flowers, baked goods, and more. This summer, Amador Farmer's Markets appear weekly in five different towns. Check the ad on page 9 for locations. Plant something new this season; grow an heirloom tomato, a unique veggie; start a water garden; add twinkle lights to the patio; grow a Plumeria! Summer is here and the living is easy out in the garden! July 2008 Back to Top

Gorgeous Plantings
On a gorgeous sunny Monday last week, I called my daughter Jennifer on her day off from her beauty salon in Sacramento to see what she was doing. Her husband answered the phone and told me she was planting flowers in the garden. I love doing that! Nurseries are full of color right now, with so much to choose from! Jennifer selected Zinnias, Impatiens, snapdragons, and many other great perennial plants that would work hard in her garden most of the year and for many years to come.

April rain brings May flowers and are they ever blooming! As I cannot garden myself any longer, I take digitals of my beauties. The lovely lavender and wine-red Iris mingle in with the russet Aaron's Beard. White daisies shine next to Spanish Lavender; yellow Iris are bright spots in the flower bed and the prolific Rock Rose has lovely crepe blossoms with four magenta dots in each center, just lovely. An old-fashioned peach colored rose blooms happily next to a vibrant purple Butterfly Bush with white geraniums at her feet. Variegated ivy, the large white splotches brightening up the shady areas in which she sprawls, lazily curls around the Redbud tree and spectacular Palm, Queen of the garden. Photo: April Daisies are delightful in the garden

A gorgeous, ruffled red herbaceous Peony lives at the front of a garden bed surrounded by lavender and white spring bulbs. Pendulous white blooms of the Snowball are striking against its green foliage. Ready to burst into bloom are golden daylilies, yellow King Columbine, and pink Bergenia. It is really lovely how this old place was planted with so many wonderful plants and flowers that bloom all through the year, all in their own season. There is always something in bloom and it matches or contrasts beautifully with their neighbors. The lemon tree is budding now and her scent will be amazing!  Back to Top

Spring in the Garden
The days of spring are some of the loveliest in the year. So much is new and blooming in a radiant palette of color. There is renewal everywhere you look, from the grass, trees, spring bulbs, to new calves and lambs dotted across verdant hills. Your garden too is experiencing this newness in new shoots of sleeping, dormant plants. Everything is blooming, peonies, lilacs, lavender, irises. Redbud trees are lovely in deep pink blossoms, and the wisteria is heavenly! Spring is here! Still time to plant those bareroot fruit trees, shrubs, berry plants, and artichokes. Visit your local nurseries to see what wonderful plants are in store for you. Many are proven winners, meaning they will grow and delight you as they have many before you. Go to www.provenwinners.com for wonderful combination ideas.

Now is a good time to transplant shrubs, daisy clumps and to finish that weeding. The ground is still soft enough. Hopefully, you pruned your roses already because they have started leafing and budding out. Some may have even bloomed. Don't remove that winter mulch yet, until it is really warm. Wait, don't dig in that soil until you can squeeze it and it crumbles, otherwise you will destroy the soil structure your plants need to thrive. Be patient, there will be lots to do and time to do it in a few more weeks.

Some of you have asked about 'Roll and Grow Flowers'. My aunt had done this for several years in her garden and it looked lovely plus they were perennials so they came back every year reliably. Takes all the guesswork out of planning your garden, but such a boon for our busy lives. Now that plants are budding and showing new growth, you can make accurate decisions to cut back winter-damaged or dead wood. Vow to start a compost pile for your garden this year; your plants will grow wonderfully, and be so healthy. Making 'black gold' and garden 'Tea' for your plants is a good thing! Happy Gardening!  Back to Top

The Mature Gardener
The reality for most older gardeners is that our bones do hurt, our bodies do slow down. We cannot do what we did 30 years ago. So what are we to do? If gardening makes you happy and you do not wish to give it up, plan for your 'older' gardening days.

We no longer have the energy to clean out flower beds and prepare the lawn in the fall or spring. I hired someone to do that once when Tim was very ill. It was wonderful to have some-one clean up and weed our flower beds and mow the lawns. How pleasant it was to walk in my garden and see neat beds; my husband appreciated it also. Plan your garden so that there is nothing that needs to be coddled. All winter long you can leisurely putter around, snip here and there and enjoy yourself. Place garden benches or chairs in your garden to enjoy everything. I love being outside, watching our cat Elvis play in the bushes, smell the perfumed air. This week I snipped pieces of fragrant, blue-flowered rosemary, and sweet Candytuft, full and white. I brought cuttings of Flowering Quince inside to enjoy the blooms opening close up; Forsythia has budded, pansies are blooming, camellia's have fat buds, cyclamen is still jaunty and bright colored, and the white narcissus smells divine. Spring is almost here! Do not garden for only three seasons of beauty; make an interesting winter garden to warm your heart and delight your senses.

When it comes to flowering shrubs, gardeners should be careful about cutting back. Spring bloomers like azaleas and lilacs have already set their buds; butterfly bush, and coneflowers provide shape as well as seeds for the birds in your winter garden. Leave them standing til spring.

Evergreens look wonderful for four seasons of the year, marvelous as backdrops for annuals and perennials and providing structure in the garden. We all know the beauty and magic of Perennials; the huge variety of color, form, and scent. There are plants for every location, every soil type and water needs. Lilies, daylilies, all spring bulbs, daisies, rudbeckia, goats beard, peonies, abutalons, hostas, hydrangeas, etc. Visit your local nursery to see an amazing assortment of perennials that make garden work easy for you.

Cut down on hard jobs such as dividing or removing overgrown plants- round up young, willing and able budding gardeners and encourage them to help themselves to your hostas or naked ladies, or whatever plant is taking over your beds. You can minimize weeding by planting thickly and using filler plants like hostas, ajuga, or bergenia. Mulching cuts down on weeding, but it is a lot of back-breaking work. You can always hire someone to mulch your beds, or ask a friend; better still, make a honey-do list!

Trees not only give you flowers and dappled shade in the summer but also add interest in fall and winter. Flowering shrubs are hard workers in the garden and a delight. Always leave enough time in your life to do something that makes you happy, satisfied, even joyous. That is the best thing for your well being and your health.  Back to Top

The Older Gardener
I began serious gardening at the age of 46; I was strong and impassioned. I had grown up watching my grandmother, my aunt, and my mother enjoy gardening. Sun-lit roses on weekends in my grandmother's gardens provided landing pads for darting dragonflies in shimmering blues and greens. On weekends in West Point, I could garden for 10 to 12 hours on Saturdays and Sundays with nary a sore muscle or aching joint, gardening til after the sun went down and Tim called me in for the night. After my day job, I would put in 2 or 3 hours of gardening, creating more beds, paths or planting my new finds.

Once I reached the age of 56, my joints began to creak, moan and pain me, especially after the several falls I had before being diagnosed with diabetes-related neuropathy. When the dust settled after years of immobility, after having to sell our wonderful 5 acres, it dawned on me, "Since I am not that strong woman, how will I ever be able to garden again?" I in no way wanted to give up my passion. I am now way over 50 (older than dirt I have been told) but still have a young spirit, although some days I feel like 101. I do not want to be one of those older gardeners I often overhear saying, "I cannot work in my garden any more. It is too much for me. I can't bend, dig, weed, trim or plant like I did years ago. I do not have the stamina and energy and my knee pain and back pain are terrible! My garden looks a mess. I must have most of the plants taken out, and go back to just grass. Annuals are too much work! Perennials need too much cutting back. Are my gardening days over?" And, finally, "...should I sell my property and move?"

If gardening makes you happy and you do not wish to give it up, plan for your 'sunset' gardening days. You do this by planning and planting a garden that looks beautiful in three seasons, remembering that also means in the winter. This calls for flowering shrubs, conifers, evergreen trees and deciduous trees that look especially good in the winter. It might be their bark, shape or color.

Your winter garden should invite you to want to be in it even though the weather is cold or snowy. You must have enough interest and structure in your garden that it beckons to you to want to sit, walk around, and even putter in it even though the garden is dormant. You will be amazed at the variety of plants and foliage that will bring new life and beauty to winter gardens. The best part is that it will not require maintenance on your part. The shrubs, flowers, and trees will unfold with the seasons, bringing color and beauty to your gardens while you watch in joy.

Planter boxes or round planting saucers placed on your porch with perennials such as mums, pansies, geraniums and alyssum will delight you all year long and only need a drink of water now and then. Don't give up something you love like gardening; continue the beauty and magic of it. But build in a little wisdom.   Back to Top

Winter Blooming Plants are a surprise in the garden, a refreshing spot of color amidst the many grays of winter. Another world of opportunities for the gardener, these plants are cold hardy and even bloom through the snow. The important thing is to provide good drain-age so their roots don't rot. A favorite is Cyclamen, in many shades of pink, rose, red, and snow white. This plant has green mottled leaves in a pleasing tuft surrounding the perky, 6-inch tall blooms, very neat and tidy. Tuck them in among plants in the front of your garden that die back in winter, or put them next to rock gardens or that stacked stone wall. They will look terrific wherever you plant them. They can even be brought inside to give you a cheery lift; keep them cool and well watered. They love bright, winter light.

Now a plant every garden should have! Osmanthus Fragrans or Sweet Olive Shrub. In late fall, or early winter, this evergreen shrub, or small tree, has tiny white, clustered flowers that give off the most heavenly fragrance; it will fill the air. Sweet, light, yet heady. Camellia like leaves, this plant does not need a lot of water and is marvelous for home gardens. I first saw one in my Aunt Glorya's garden in Fresno where she got some snow during the year. This shrub thrived, and grew to a small tree size, with this magnificent scent. It is the same heavenly fragrance with which Daphne delights us.

Another cold hardy plant, many of you may have noticed it at Daffodil Hill blooming among the daffodils in early spring, Daphne is a delight in the garden. It is easy to take care of, and is one of those plants to embrace the coldness of winter. Evergreen, it is a slow grower, but will become a full rounded shrub whose blooms you will look forward to each year. You can also keep them in pots on your porch or near a doorway outside to delight you.

Things you should be doing now in your gardens: Move frost tender plants to a sheltered location like against the house, on a porch, under a breezeway. Protect others in the garden with old sheets, newspaper, cardboard, stakes, plastic, old blankets, frost covers. Use sticks or stakes to support a tent over the plant. For small plants, use milk jugs, pieces of newspaper, or card-board. Remove them in the morning after the frost has thawed. Don't let the plastic touch the leaves; never leave plants covered with plastic when it's sunny.

Don't prune damaged limbs til spring as they continue to protect the plant. Move citrus containers to a protected location. We string white Christmas lights on ours and it gives them enough protection through the winter so they don't die; besides making the garden look romantic at night!

Roses are dormant right now, and it's almost time to prune. The cold and the winter winds can dry them out terribly. Check them frequently and water them when dry. If they are under snow, forget about them; their roots are insulated. Browse through your garden catalogues for new roses to add to your 2008 gardens. Dream wonderful dreams of multi-colored, fragrant gardens that include roses, Sweet Olive, and Daphne.  Back to Top

 

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