All posts by Jan Nelson

I am a landscape designer and consultant in the Santa Cruz mountains in California. I write a weekly gardening column for the Press Banner newspaper. I am also a Calif. Advanced Certified Nursery Professional and managed The Plantworks Nursery in Ben Lomond, Ca. for 20 years.
color in the garden, hummingbird plants

Color your Garden-Every Month of the Year

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I don’t know about your plans for the summer, but I’ll be sticking close to home. What with the price of gas and groceries, I’m planning a couple of camping trips in our great state. I guess you could say I’m going to be enjoying a "staycation".

With my attention directed more to the home front, I want to focus especially on making sure I have color in my garden every month of the year. I love my so I want to fine tune my containers and plantings so they attract as many of these small wonders as I can.

While making an entry in my journal recently, noting the progress of my pet trees, shrubs and perennials, I was struck by the realization that I don’t have enough color in my garden in the month of May. You’d think "April showers bring May flowers" would have done the trick but our cool weather has slowed things down a bit. I love my white calla lilies, Doublefile viburnum and bleeding hearts but all that white is a little too quiet for my tastes. I was sorry to see my vivid late red tulips finally drop their petals in the rain. Their absence leaves a void I plan to fill right away. I want a few hot samba colors to punch up my landscape.

I like many color combinations.  I could go with pale orange with white. They look great together. If I choose a variegated salmon Abutilon ( Flowering maple ) as a focal pint, I might pair it with orange calibrachoa, a rust colored coleus, bonfire begonia, Gartenmeister fuchsia and a Catlin’s Giant ajuga to tie it together. They’ll bloom all summer and the fuchsia attracts hummingbirds, too.  If you garden in the sun, you could use an orange geranium, Terra Cotta yarrow, orange coneflower, agastache or a wallflower with Evening Glow coprosma instead of the begonia and fuchsia.

Burgundy and gold are energetic opposites that never fail to catch the eye. When two colors are complimentary it means they bring out the best in each other. Their hues bring a sense of majesty to any garden. Plants that can be considered gold lie in a narrow band of color, ranging from pure yellow to chartreuse. It brightens shady spots and creates a great background for the burgundy. Did you know that the color yellow sit right in the middle of the light spectrum visible to the human eye. It reflects more light that any of the other colors? That must be why I have so much of this shade in my shady garden. It really livens up the place.

Here are some successful vignettes demonstrating eye-catching possibilities for any garden.
The smokebush is looking especially vibrant this year in the cool weather. It would pair well with a spirea Goldmound or Limemound. Add a phormium Jester, Roseglow Japanese barberry and a Sapphire blue oat grass to cool things down and you’ve got a winning combination.

Or how about a Bloodgood Japanese maple surrounded by All Gold Japanese forest grass, Festival grass cordyline or a Yellow wave New Zealand flax? Bearded iris come in every color of the rainbow and a purple and gold one would fit it perfectly. You could also add a Diamond Heights ceanothus and a pale yellow or red mumulus for the hummingbirds.

Whatever colors you choose kick it up a notch and make sure you have blooms and hummingbirds all year in your garden.

 

stone

Stone in the Garden

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One of my fondest childhood memories is the Tahoe camping trip in the rain that my Dad saved by digging a moat around our tent. So it was with unbridled enthusiasm that I started off in the rain a couple weeks ago to camp at Pinnacles National Monument.

Spring rains have unleashed a bounty of wildflowers nestled among the rock outcroppings, sprouting along creeks and covering meadows with dazzling color. There are over 100 species of wildflowers that live in the park. The spectacular rock formations and lichen covered boulders catch your eye and at every turn I pictured how this stone or that would fit into my garden. Be creative in your own landscaping with plants and stone to add a touch of timelessness and permanence.

Stone makes a garden look like it’s been there a very long time. Think of it as durable art – guiding you up a slope, channeling water away from your door, holding back a hillside or marking a path as it changes direction. Flat stones are good for sitting and resting as you wander through the garden.

You don’t have to design a massive project that requires heavy equipment and thousands of dollars to enjoy the magic of working with stone. With a little imagination you can create a place of enduring beauty with stone that you can move yourself or with just a little help.

Every gardener probably has a collection of special stones found while visiting different places. Are rocks different than stone? Technically, stone is a rock that has been exposed to the elements and smoothed, shaped, etched or altered by wind, water, ice and sun. Free stone can be found at construction sties, rocky hillsides and empty fields. Don’t gather stone from public parks and check first with the Forest Service before gathering in a national forest or other public lands. If you want larger quantities or sizes of stone you can find them at local rockeries.

Wherever you find one stone in nature, you usually find many more. Small stones are formed by the breakup of larger ones, so nearby stones are related. In your garden you can re-create these relationships by placing stone features of varying sizes in positions that make them appear to have always existed exactly as they are. Then add carefully chosen plants to tie the stone family together.

When you use stone to pave a walkway or to build a low wall, it defines the lines of your landscape. Lines can lead to the front door or a flower bed or water garden. In the backyard, curved paths lined with stone feel more relaxed. Slopes can be tames with curved retaining walls built with stone.

What plants pair well with different types of stone? Rounded weathered stone always appears more settled and relaxed than jagged broken pieces. That’s why ferns and woodland plants typically found near streams combine well with rounded stone. Douglas iris, bleeding hearts, armeria, blue-eyed grass and carex grass make good companion plants, too.

Jagged stone that looks like the craggy peaks of distant mountains looks more at home with conifers, Japanese maples, mahonia, creeping thyme, bush poppy, phormiums and coffeeberry to name just a few.

You can move small to medium sized stones once you have collected them or had them delivered to your yard by dragging them atop an old tire or putting them in a flat bottomed bin. Be sure to protect the stone with a covering to preserve that precious lichen and weathering. You can also use a mechanics dolly, garbage can, garden cart or wheelbarrow. Pry bars and planks can also be used to roll stones around like the ancient Egyptians. Ropes, chains, winches, and straps are useful, too. Should you find that the task you have undertaken is beyond your strength or abilities, get help. 

Get the WOW factor by adding stone to your garden.

Deer Resistant Plants

Deer Resistant Strategies

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There’s something about babies. You know that feeling when you see a new infant and can’t help but gush "how cute and tiny!". It’s universal to be drawn to new life. This applies to other babies in the animal kingdom, too.

Last Tuesday morning I was delighted when I saw two tiny fawns in my driveway with their mother. Actually, it was my cat, Jasmine, who saw them from inside. They were so tiny that she thought they were invading neighbor cats and let out a low growl from her perch inside the window. I had to laugh when I saw the little fawns. Boy, was Jasmine confused for a couple of minutes. Despite the fact that I have no groundcover on my slope, I still enjoy sharing my surroundings with wildlife. But what are you have paid for with good hard cash? And are there really plants that are "deer resistant"?

At this time of year  last year’s youngsters are being chased away by their mothers.  In heavily wooded areas their territory may be only the square mile right around where they were born and since they eat about 5 pounds of food per day ( this would fill a large garbage bag )  your garden is this year’s smorgasbord.  Eating mostly semi-woody plants  they supplement  this with soft foliage and, as we all know, our beloved flowers.  They browse, moving from place to place seeking plants that taste good and have a high protein content. Knowing their habits can be your advantage.  Don’t let them make a habit of eating in your garden.  Employ some of the following techniques before they print out a menu of your plants.

There are many barriers you can use to keep deer out of your garden like mesh fencing, deer netting, chicken wire or fishing line.  Two short fences a few feet apart can keep them out.  Frightening devices that hook up to your hose work well, too.  But if you can’t fence your area then the following tips may help.

Protect young fruit and nut trees  by encircling the trunk with fencing to a height of 6 ft.  You can remove it after the tree has grown taller and can be limbed up.

Plant deer resistant plants as well as plants that deter deer. Make sure deer find the entryway to your garden unattractive.  Concentrate deer repelling plants here. Highly fragrant plants jam the deer’s predator-alert sensors and make them uneasy.  Try planting catmint, chives, lavender, sage, society garlic, thyme or yarrow around your favorite plants that they usually eat and you may have better luck this year.

Jam their senses with repellents like fermented eggs solids and garlic, You can buy these ready-to-use or in concentrates and are very effective. The idea is that you spray directly on the plants and the surrounding area two weeks in a row and then afterwards monthly.  They stay on the plants through the rain but keeping it fresh during the peak spring browsing period is a good idea.  Soap bars are effective for small areas for short periods.  You would have to use 450 bars per acre for a large area.  Deer get used to the smell of hair real quick and so it isn’t effective for very long.    Blood meal and sprays are effective also but can attract predators.

Taste repellents must be sprayed directly on the plants you want to protect and don’t use them on food plants.  You can buy hot pepper spray or mix it yourself:  2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce, 1 gal water, 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap.  Another spray you can make up yourself:  5 tablespoons cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon cooking oil, 1 gal water. 
   
My personal list of deer resistant plants that are flourishing in the shade are philodendron selloum, all ferns, liriope, mondo grass, Queen’s Tears hardy bromeliad, aspidistra or cast iron plant, bamboo in containers, podocarpus, carex grass, Japanese maple, fragrant sarcococca, clivia, calla lily, sago palm. douglas iris and hellebore.

There are many deer resistant plants for the sun, too. The main thing is to start using one or several of these ideas now before deer establish feeding grounds for the season.
 

Uncategorized

Predicting the weather with The Farmer’s Almanac

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The other day I was leafing through the Harris’ Farmer’s Almanac 2011 Gardening Guide looking for gardening tips and checking out the regional weather forecasts for the year. This classic booklet has been published "for use of farmers, planters, mechanics and all families" since 1818 and contains "weather forecasts, planting tables, and a variety of matter useful and entertaining". If you haven’t read one lately, I can tell you it lives up to its promise.  Here is just a sampling.

This Farmer’s Almanac wisely points out that beauty is as important to a gardener as being able to grow a good tomato. In many ways, gardening is painting with plants, trees and flowers. If you don’t have the room or time for a separate vegetable patch, mix edibles in with ornamentals. Add multi-task plants like blueberries, artichokes, sage and lettuces in your mixed perennial beds as they’re easy to grow, delicious and beautiful, too. You’re limited only by imagination.

What about the Almanac’s famous weather forecasts? How accurate have they been so far and what’s in store for next winter? Here’s where it gets interesting. Seems that there’s an ‘Old Farmer’s Almanac’, too, a direct competitor, that’s been published since 1792.  This almanac published a study in their 1999 booklet about the woolly bear caterpillar, the larval form of the Isabella tiger moth, predicting the weather.  Here is the history, fact and lore about this famous caterpillar.

According to legend, the wider the middle brown band of the caterpillar, the milder the coming winter will be. Conversely, a narrow brown band is said to predict a harsh winter. A very large number of caterpillars would have to be examined to prove anything definitively but it’s become an excuse to go out to view fall foliage and have fun. Mike Peters, an entomologist at the University of Massachusetts, says there could, in fact, be a link. "There’s evidence", he says, ‘"that the number of brown hairs has to do with the age of the caterpillar- in other words, how late it got going in the spring. The only thing is…it’s telling you about the previous year." So much for predicting the weather by woolly caterpillars.

Remember that long dry spell we had from mid-January to mid-February? The Almanac predicted "locally heavy rain." This month, it predicts showers on May 6-8, 18-20 and 25-27. We’ll have to see how this month pans out to rate their accuracy. October is predicted to have isolated showers throughout the month, November to have "bands of showers" off an on during the month and December forecasts show "mainly light to moderate rainfall." Personally, I’d look at the satellite map and decide the weather for myself.

So much is packed into this little booklet including a good article about growing the San Marzano sauce tomato. So prized in Italy its place of origin on the banks of the Sarno River- between Naples and Salerno- is protected under international law. They can be grown in sun or light shade with deep but infrequent watering resulting in richly concentrated sugars, just the right thing for sauce or a salad. Tomatoes prefer soil with a pH between 6-7 and combine well with rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil and other aromatic herbs.

So whether you are interested in planting in tune with the moon, canning or freezing your harvest, propagating plants, growing and cooking carrots and chilis, drying flowers or learning what’s new in gardening tools, there’s something for everyone in The Farmer’s Almanac.
 

drought tolerant plants, water saving techniques

May is Water Awareness Month

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We know that water is a precious and vital resource.  Even our bodies are about 60 % water and the brain is 70%. Less than 1% of the water on the Earth, however, is suitable for human consumption. With the population increasing and the water supply staying the same, water conservation indoors and out is important. A well planned landscape makes water conservation outside the home even easier. Since May is Water Awareness month here are some tips to consider.

Start with simple things. Rock, stone, and permeable paths and driveways add visual interest to the landscape and don’t require irrigation. Improving your property’s soil quality aids in saving water regardless of the plants grown there. Organic materials added to the soil help establish a strong root system for plants. Nutrients in the soil allow the plants to become stronger, too. Adding a layer of mulch increases the plant’s efficiency by retaining moisture and keeping the soil temperature stable.

Choose the right plants for your location. California natives or plants from similar climates in the world are low maintenance, low irrigation plants and usually need less tending, fertilizer and pruning. Your choice of groundcover can make a big difference, too, in how much water the landscape saves. Keeping grass areas to a minimum generally reduces the amount of water needed to keep the landscape looking green and fire safe.

Your method or irrigation helps conserve water. Hand watering where possible, especially new plantings, directs the water exactly where it needs to go and you can shut off the hose as soon as the plants receive enough water. A soaker hose is another efficient option that reduces evaporation during the watering process. An automatic irrigation system with a rain sensor, weather based controller or soil moisture sensors is the newest way to save water.

Both San Lorenzo Valley Water ( http://www.slvwd.com ) and Scotts Valley Water Districts ( http://www.svwd.org ) offer many tips and incentives to conserve water. Scotts Valley Water Conservation intern, Amanda Robinson, explained they are very interested in getting out the word about using less water-intensive plants – there are lists on the website of drought-tolerant plants and water smart grasses-  as well as customers replacing lawns and old pop-up sprinkler systems. Their rebate programs offers several landscaping credits including  drip irrigation conversion credit, weather-based irrigation controller credit, replacement credit for converting an existing lawn to water-wise grasses, and lawn replacement to synthetic grass. Both districts have guidelines and procedures to apply for the rebates on their websites.

Scotts Valley gave 13 lawn replacement rebates in 2010 and 5 so far this year. Weather-based irrigation controller credits numbered 5 in 2010. Cistern credits for catching and storing rainwater totaled 3 in 2010 and 1 Low volume irrigation system conversion credit was given. Visit the web site for your water supplier to get more info. Don’t miss out on this important information and possible rebate.

There is even a workshop this Saturday, May 14th at the Scotts Valley Water District office from 10am – 1pm. Sponsored by the Ecological Landscaping Ass.and presented by Joy Albright-Souza, attendees can bring dimensions of their yard or project area and take home a class-created landscape plan. The cost is $45 and can be paid by check at the door. Call 831-419-5994 for more information.

Let’s make every month Water Awareness Month.
 

cut flowers

Cut Flowers on a Shoestring

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It’s rewarding to grow your own fruit and vegetables, but more and more of us also want to grow flowers that can be cut and , too. Growers are taking notice of this trend and there are more cut flower varieties available today than ever before. Now you can create your own landscaping masterpiece, a Monet’s garden, with a little planning and some jumbo packs. Here are some new and old favorites to try this year.

Ageratum Red Sea. Showy, burgundy-red flower clusters bloom summer to fall on long stems. Grow in full sun to part shade. This beautiful cut flower reaches 30" tall by 15-18" wide. Ageratum Blue Horizon is another great variety.

Celosia Spiky Purple. Deep purple flowers are crowded onto terminal spikes, opening slowly from the base. Blooms all summer long in full sun. 12-16" tall. Spiky Pink is a beauty, too.

Calendula Pink Surprise. Ruffled 1" flowers are orange at first and then take on a tinge of pink as they age. This plant grows 18" tall in full or part sun.  Great in containers or the flower bed as well as a cut flower. Often reseeds itself.

Larkspur Giant Imperial mix. If you want long spikes of soft lavender, blue and pink in your flower arrangements, grow larkspur. Flower stems are long and dense on 36-48" tall plants. Grow in full sun. Also good for drying.

Crespedia Billy Buttons or Drumstick Plant. This offbeat Australian daisy sends up 2 ft tall stalks topped by globes of bright yellow flowers. Bloom may occur at anytime of the year. Flowers are good fresh or dried in arrangements. Self sows freely.

Bachelor Buttons or Cornflower. The Centauria family of plants also includes Dusty Miller among other common plants. Blue Boy has double blooms in a stunning shade of deep blue. Great plants for the cutting garden or flower border, this wild flower is well suited for cutting, drying and pressing. Self sows. Did you know this plant’s common name, cornflower, refers to the fact that it was once typically found growing amid corn in Europe? Other plants named for their association with grain fields are corn cockle ( agrostemma ), corn poppy and corn marigold.

Aster Matsumoto. The Matsumoto series is known for disease resistance and superior cut flower quality. Semi-double blooms are borne on long, strong stems that are very long lasting in the vase.  Blooming begins in mid-summer and doesn’t quit until late fall. And the best part is, the more flowers you cut, the quicker new buds arise. The large, yellow center is surrounded by layers of bright purple, pink or white petals and is eye-catching even from across the garden. They thrive in any sunny garden spot or container. 24" tall.

Gomphrena Las Vegas mix. Draw hummingbirds and butterflies to your garden with this heat tolerant cut flower. The pink, purple, and white clover-like flowers may also be dried quickly and easily, retaining color and shape for winter arrangements. Plant this 16-20" tall plant in a container for a long-lasting living bouquet.

Statice Supreme Blue. A hardy, low maintenance annual, this deep blue cut flower is drought, heat and pest resistant. They even thrive in poor soil conditions and bloom continuously from late spring until first frost. Cut statice just after they have begun to open for the most vibrant, lasting color. Ideal for dried arrangementslike celosia and gomphrena.

These are just some of the affordable and easy to grow cut flowers available. Think of all the bouquets you’ll be able to  make this year from your own garden grown flowers.