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Winter Bloomers

Hellebores, narcissus, daffodils, babiana, freesia, scilla, crocus, ipheion, are but a few of the many bulbs you can plant in your garden for winter and spring color. Fragrance in some species also is available if you plant freesias, (I prefer the species, old cvs. as they are more fragrant than [...]

By | January 17th, 2013|0 Comments

Frost Damage

Each winter the cold temperatures can burn plants. The evidence of frost burn are obvious and show immediately to a few days or weeks after the damage has happened. You will see this as dead tips of soft new growth, dead wood on older plant parts, fallen leaves that drop [...]

By | January 17th, 2013|0 Comments

Cold protection for your tender plants

The forsts have come and if you missed covering your tender plants, they may have burned some and been frosted back. Do not cut this dead growth off now, (wait until spring since it will protect tender plant parts that are still alive). If your plants are tender, semi tender [...]

By | December 30th, 2012|0 Comments

Winter clean up is important now.

To avoid many disease and insect problems in the coming spring, summer, it is important to practise good garden sanitation always. But winter clean up is one of the most important since debris lying about makes a habitat for overwintering spores, seeds, diseases, and eggs of insects. If you clear [...]

By | December 30th, 2012|0 Comments

How to grow native iris and bulbs

The native iris (Iris douglasiana and related species and their hybrids) can be planted now. Well drained soil is best and if you have partially shaded location in hot summer areas, or more sun as you get closer to the coast, is the best time to plant these showy, easy [...]

By | December 30th, 2012|0 Comments

California natives and drought tolerant plants

Plant these NOW, during the cool wet winter as long as soil is not saturated and they will establish quickly for abundant spring growth. These plants come from Mediterranean climates where they get the majority of their moisture at the cool season, thus do most root growth now and then [...]

By | December 30th, 2012|0 Comments

Blossoms for winter

Even with all this cold we are experiencing, there are buds and blooms at the nursery! Heathers, Camellias, and two other GEMS.. Wintersweet and Winter flowering bush honeysuckle, and an early surprise... Prunus mume! The eraly camellias are really doing their thing now, Bright red flowers help us to forget [...]

By | December 30th, 2012|0 Comments

How to grow/establish native plants

With water shortages becoming more frequent. It is wise to plant some of your garden with water conserving species (Xeriscape and CA Native plants), Their culture and care are easy in most instances and here are some tips to getting them to succeed in your garden. First of all identify [...]

By | December 11th, 2012|0 Comments

How to grow a Japanese maple

Japanese maples (Acer palmatum, A. japonicum, A. shiraswanum, and several other species) are all loved and admired gardening subjects. People often come to me with questions about their culture or problems they are having with their plants. Here are some tips. These maples requre AMPLE watering, good drainage, and reasonable [...]

By | December 11th, 2012|0 Comments

Unusual plants for winter color, CA natives

Winter need not be colorless when you plant some of these great plants! Early blooming camellias, heaths and heathers, wintersweet, bulbs, natives (many of which bloom in winter), and striped barked plants(trees and shrubs) There are many camellia varieties and the number over 1,000 now with new cvs. coming each [...]

By | December 11th, 2012|0 Comments