Earwigs run rampant from late spring until fall. They munch happily in the
vegetable bed, snacking on fruit or having a gourmet meal made up of
flower petals from your favorite roses. The only way to fight the earwig is
to depend on some efficient chemicals. These chemicals should be
applied in damp, shady areas, around and under rocks, boards and similar
places, alleyways, rubbish heaps, along side the foundation of your home
and all the spots that earwigs tend to congregate. Check with your
California Certified Nursery Professional for the best recommendations.
Brighten your borders with annual flowers. They will combine with shrubs
and perennials to make border color the highlight of your garden. You can
use tall larkspurs and giant snapdragons as background plants with
stocks in the middle border and petunias, alyssum and dwarf marigolds in
the foreground. In raised beds, use trailing petunias and trailing lobelia to
fill the top of the bed and spill over the sides to show their color against the
supporting wall. These same two can be used in hanging baskets as well.
The time to spray roses is now. The principal pest of the rose in early
spring is the aphid. It is at the height of its season and the largest number
of them can be destroyed if you get into action now. Other annoying pests
include mites, chewing insects, borers and thrips. Most all-purpose
insecticides will take care of all these pests. Mildew is a main disease of
the rose and it, too, can be controlled with sprays or dusts recommended
by your local California Certified Nursery Professional. There's also the
problem of chlorosis (a yellowing of the leaves) and rust. Diseases and
pest problems on roses will vary with the area in which you live. So, don't
sit back, with a few decisive sprays you can control these nuisances and
have a glorious, blooming spring in the garden.
Don't forget the warm weather vegetables which you will find as vegetable
starts at your nursery. You can choose from tomatoes, peppers and
eggplants. In warmer areas, try some summer squash, cantaloupe, and
watermelon.
Plant a spring filled with blooming beauty by adding colorful annuals and
perennials to the flower beds, hanging baskets and other containers on the
deck and patio. Choose from stock, snapdragons, pansies, violas,
petunias (in warm areas), marigolds and much more. Check with your
local garden centers for suggestions.
This month your lawn would like a feeding of lawn food to give it a jump
start on spring. It's also a good time to gain control of crabgrass, spurge
and oxalis weeds in the lawn. Use a pre-emergence control to stop these
weed seeds from germinating. Check with your local California Certified
Nursery Professional for the correct application amounts.
MARCH ARTICLES
PAINT YOUR GARDEN A COOL WHITE
Just as we consider the best colors in clothes to compliment our skin
tone, we select the best color to fit our mood for the garden scheme
around our home. Some may prefer the cool blues, others the hot reds
and some may find it pleasing to have all white blooming flowers framed
against a lush green foliaged background.
Let's explore how we can achieve this all white garden which is refreshing
to look at. You can plant candytuft which is in bloom right now. This plant
provides clusters of white flowers among shiny, dark green leaves. It can
be cut for use in vases. Gypsophila paniculata, Baby's Breath, will provide
literally hundreds of tiny but abundant white flowers during the summer
months.
A prized favorite is the white petunia which will sparkle in flower beds and
containers. Arabis caucasica, wall rockcress, is a superb groundcover
that we can take advantage of not only for its low growing habit but also
for its gray colored leaves and its' small, white flowers that smother the
plant in the spring.
White flowering impatiens will fill hanging baskets with a lush show of
blooming beauty. They like a shadier location in the garden. Bergenia also
likes partial shade and has good-looking foliage all year round. Choose
varieties for their blooming times and for their white flowers. Some bloom
in spring, others in January and February.
Some of the more familiar favorites which have white flowers are vinca,
dahlias, fuchias, caladiums and the bulb flowers, gladiolus. By planting
now, you can insure white flowers in the garden through the end of
summer. At the same time, be sure to check out those unfamiliar white
flowering varieties which include nicotiana. Through hybridizing nicotiana
can now be bought in compact sizes growing only one to two and a half
feet with fragrant flowers. Achillea or yarrow usually thought of as
blooming with only bright yellow flowers has some species that bloom in
white.
Nierembergia repens can't be grown everywhere in California but if it's
available at your local nursery, be sure to try this low growing plant which
is covered in summer with white bell-like flowers.
Check out all the white flowers we have listed here to create a " white ",
crisp garden and to also broaden the selection of plants around the home.
FLOWERING PLANTS FOR EASTER GIFT-GIVING
Nothing seems as appropriate for giving at Easter as a flowering plant. For
many years, the Easter lily was at the top of the list and while it maintains
its popularity, there are many other choices available.
If the thought of a white bloom which is symbolic of purity appeals to you,
then the choice of a white blooming azaleas or a white rhododendron can
be a spectacular gift. Cyclamen also give a dazzling display in white as
well as many other colors. Even the chrysanthemum is there waiting to be
given as a gift at Easter. The recipient can be to Mom or Dad, your
grandmother and grandfather, sister or brother, or the hostess of your
Easter dinner.
Instead of a single plant, consider a color basket or bowl to brighten
anyone's garden, patio, terrace or deck no matter if it is small or large.
Perhaps a bowl of cyclamens delightfully bobbing about on their elegant
stems will be your choice. The varieties now available include those on
short stems that look good in a small container as well as the larger ones
filling out a bigger color pot. Other possibilities definitely include the use of
color available in four inch containers to put together your own
combination of plants in a container. Here you have the choice from bulbs
to bedding plants such as pansies, stock, snaps, allysum, candytuft,
marigolds and a long list of perennials. Let your imagination go and be
creative.
Remember if the lovely Easter lily was your choice all along, it can be
planted in a semi-shaded area of the garden in a rich but well draining soil
and will bloom again next year. This also applies to the azalea and
rhododendron. The care of each of these plants can easily be provided by
your local California Certified Nursery Professional.
This year, add to the fun and gaiety of the traditional Easter egg hunt
splashes of color to the yard or the indoors by planting up the yard for
Easter with plants that bloom just as colorfully as the eggs we decorate for
this holiday.
COLOR UP THE GARDEN WITH DAYLILIES
Have you given any thought lately to that old time favorite, the daylily? If
not, you should take another look at this perennial. Unlike some other
plants, the daylily has continued to be improved upon through hybridization
so that the number and types available to the home gardener seem to be
unlimited.
This charmer not only comes in many colors and combinations of various
colors but in heights from 8 inches to 4 feet. Then, consider the fact that
you can have early bloomers, mid-season or late bloomers and also those
that will come back for a second flush of bloom. Even all of this does not
tell the whole story about daylilies when you consider that they can be
deciduous, semi-deciduous or evergreen, fragrant, bloom at night only and
have flowers that come in many forms ranging in size from a little over 2
inches to a whopping 9 inches!
What more can one ask from one plant? Well we suppose it helps that
daylilies can literally grow in any part of the county, are simple to grow,
have few problems with pests and diseases, are easily divided and are
truly stunning in any landscape. What's the catch to this plant? Well, while
it does grow in most any soil, it would really like to live in one that is loose
and rich with plenty of organic material. Also, while it does grow in the sun,
a little shade would be okay in the warmer areas of the state.
Because the daylily is a rather heavy bloomer the use of a good flower
fertilizer at the time of planting in the spring and when the stalks appear
will add greatly to insuring a profusion of flowers when it does bloom.
When planting, be sure to place it at the same level as it was in the
container. If you have a root division, place the crown of the plant about 1"
below the soil level. The tops should be trimmed so that only 3 - 4 inches
remain. Water it in well so the soil settles. It is important for the plants to
be watered on a regular basis and use a soaker hose or a ground level
line.
Check with your California Certified Nursery Professional for
recommendations for the best varieties for your local area.
ENJOY A MAXIMUM OF OUTDOOR LIVING
California is blessed with a unique life style because we are able to spend
more time outdoors than most parts of the country; even in areas that
seem to have the extremes in climate like the desert or the mountains. No
matter where we live the use of the patios has added another dimension to
our lives. The patio provides the perfect area to show off beautiful
blooming containers. Patios add that extra touch allowing us to share the
beauty of nature in pots which precludes planting in soil.
The same holds true for those who live in condominiums or apartments.
The 'garden ' per say is a cemented balcony or a small enclosed patio.
Containers can help create an outdoor living area for these types of
homes too.
Planters can be used to create portable hedges, screens for privacy or to
hide fences and railings.
They establish a natural look and a colorful one, too, if you choose to use
blooming plants. Creating a mood for our outdoor living areas is also
possible with containers. For example, many of the tropical plants that are
found in shade gardens or inside the home make excellent plantings for
containers and can grace many a patio deck.
If a hedge is what is needed, any of the boxwoods or some myrtles do
well. Dwarf Escallonia makes a colorful hedge with small pink flowers
which cover it at blooming time. Another colorful plant would be one of the
small India hawthorns, raphiolepis, or use one of the Ericas, (heather), for
a lighter look.
You can even use plants in a container to cover a wall such as star
jasmine. Not only will this plant provide green beauty year round but
fragrant flowers as well. There are other vines that will do as nicely
including climbing roses. Be sure to consult with your local California
Certified Nursery Professional to use the right plant for the exposure you
have.
For attractive plants to fill a container, look for camellias, azaleas, kaffir
lilies, ferns and even dwarf fruit trees, particularly citrus. Color bowls filled
to the brim with seasonal color always show that special something. The
use of your imagination in creating a garden wonderland in small space
gardening will make it as unique and personal as you care to venture.
FUCHSIAS -- THE PIED PIPER OF HUMMINGBIRDS
Attracting hummingbirds to feed in your garden is as easy as planting
Fuchsias, and with danger of frost safely past in most of California, it's a
great time to stock up on Fuchsias. If you've never tried them, take the
plunge now. You'll be rewarded with their charming flowers from early
summer until frost.
The most showy types bloom fully double flowers up to 4 " long and 2 1/2 "
across. They are like dainty ballerinas in bi-colored outfits of red and white,
pink and white, lavender and pink. Less spectacular, but equally delightful
are the single flowering types. These do better in warmer climates away
from coastal influences than the double types. The most common of these
are red or red and white.
Trailing types are best shown off in hanging baskets. Avoid hanging
fuchsias too close to the roofline, however, as trapped heat can cause
wilting and defoliation. The more upright forms can be treated as shrubs or
trained as " tree " forms. All do best in partial shade and away from drying
winds. If you have such an area or can create one with lath or shade cloth,
then your fuchsia will do well.
Fuchsias are moisture loving so be sure to use a soil mix that retains
moisture. When temperatures rise later this spring and summer, daily
watering and misting is recommended. Use wood or light colored
containers. Dark colored plastic pots retain too much heat and feeder
roots can be burned.
As plants begin their vigorous growth this spring, encourage bushy growth
with mild applications of liquid feed and regular pinching. The more small
pinches you make now, the more flowering branchlets this summer.
Removing the seed capsules that form after the flowers drop off will also
encourage more blooms.
Few diseases bother the Fuchsia, but keep an eye out for spider mites
and white fly that attack the undersides of the leaves. Hosing off the
undersides of the foliage daily will keep spider mites down but the white fly
may require repeated spraying.
Hang or plant your Fuchsias where you can enjoy their prolific blooms and
the hummingbirds they're sure to attract.
RHODODENDRONS
Offering a large variety of flower colors, Rhododendrons put on one of the
biggest and brightest shows of color in the spring garden. Huge
bell-shaped flowers, in clusters of unbelievable sizes, adorn these popular
plants which add dignity and charm to the shade garden. Rhododendrons
are more sun tolerant than you might suspect but they prefer protection
from the hottest part of the day. Avoid planting them where hot, reflected
sun can scald the foliage.
The foliage of the Rhododendron is reason enough to plant it -- long,
tapered leaves and varying foliage textures add handsome and refined
interest to the landscape. Rhododendrons are a giant sized family, given
various divisions by botanists and horticulturists ( Azaleas, for example,
are a type of Rhododendron ). It is sufficient to say there are assorted
heights available from compact, low-growing varieties suitable for
container growing to Rhododendrons which are veritable trees. All can be
used effectively in the landscape. During the blooming season,
Rhododendrons put on a really big show--rivaled by few flowering shrubs.
Nurseries have Rhododendrons coming into bloom now, other varieties
are ladened with buds and will flower in the coming weeks. It's an
interesting experience to select colors for your own garden.
While cultural requirements --such as watering and feeding --are
important and necessary, they aren't difficult to fulfill. Of prime
consideration is providing proper drainage for Rhododendrons. This isn't
tough to accomplish either. A ready to use planter mix, incorporated with
the native soil, simplifies providing adequate drainage. Nurseries have the
planter mix, which is formulated especially for such plants as
Rhododendrons, Azaleas and Camellias.
It isn't necessary, or advisable, to set the plant too deep into its garden
home. The roots do not penetrate the soil, but tend to surface. The
recommended organic-type planter mix will keep the roots moist, but
allows excess water to pass through the root zone, where it can do no
damage to the plant. In heavy soils, the water tends to accumulate in the
planting hole; it's necessary when planting rhododendrons to set the
crown of the plant higher if such conditions exist.
