Plant News You Can Use

A traditional apple like this Red Delicious might not fare as well in a warming climate.

A recent article in the New York Times caught my eye: Hot weather cherries, drought resistant melons and six other crops that are being developed or already in the market could change how we eat in a fast warming world. In the face of our erratic climate, floods and pests that farmers never used to worry about plant breeders are working to perfect varieties of fruit and vegetables that can thrive under these conditions. Solutions can come from research in molecular technology to mining the vast global collections of seeds that have been conserved for centuries. These new fruits and vegetables taste good, too. Here are just a few in the news.

In a warming climate, cherries are finding it harder to get enough chill hours during the winter and also handle hotter summers. Breeders have come up with the heart-shaped Cheery Cupid which handles these conditions and is also juicy and sweet. They will be available next season in North American markets.

Then there are two new melons – the Supermelon and Flavorific – with deeper root systems have been bred to handle drought my pulling more water from the soil. They can drink less. The melons are sweet, with dense flesh, and have just been made available to farmers.

If you like cauliflower there’s a new variety that won’t get sunburned in a warming climate. Now, farmers fold the leaves back over the white head or curd by hand about two weeks before harvest. It’s expensive and time consuming. Plant breeders developed the Destinica, a true white cauliflower. It’s already in supermarkets. Essentially, it doesn’t get sunburned and it’s easier on the soil because fewer workers walk the fields. The same developer has breed a white cabbage that requires less nitrogen and can thrive during prolonged dry periods.

Breeding a new apple takes time. A horticulturist at Washington State University, Kate Evans, says twenty years is typical. Cosmic Crisp, an apple developed to grow well in the heat now grows on 21 million trees in Washington State.

Another promising new apple is the Tutti, a light crisp red apple being tested throughout Europe. A New Zealand company developed it to help Spanish farmers struggling with hotter temperatures.

We all love avocados. A new, more environmentally friendly avocado has been 50 years in the making. The Luna, which is nutty, smooth and perhaps a bit sweeter than the Haas, was developed by breeders at the University of California, Riverside which houses one of the world’s largest collections of avocado genetic material. The new trees are slender, shorter and have a smaller footprint. They use less water and produce more fruit on less land. They are also easier to harvest which saves labor costs.

Enter the potato. Potatoes like a constant, moderate supply of water and prefer cool weather, but the climate is changing so fast that researchers recently warned that the potato industry is in trouble. Researchers at the University of Maine are looking to South America, where potato cultivation began around 8,000 B.C. and to heat tolerant varieties in the American South for genetic traits that can help spuds survive excessive heat and floods.

Researchers are also exploring how to battle new waves of pests and disease that come with hotter, wetter growing conditions. One strategy being studied is breeding plants with hairier leaves which make it harder to insects to move through crops.

These are just some of the vegetables and fruits in our future.

Plant Combinations that Inspire

Warm-toned combinations look great in the fall.

You know it when you see it. That combination of plants that cry out “we get along.” Because it’s fall already after a way-too-short summer, I’m drawn to grasses and warm toned flowering perennials. I’m thinking of ways that will have any garden bursting with interest for the next few months. Therse are strategies for combining plants that are adaptable to all types of garden conditions whether you live in the sun or the shade and will also look good in other seasons of the year.

A vignette is a small group of plants that make a pleasing scene because of their complementary and contrasting features. I have several lists of good plant combinations that I regularly refer to when designing a garden. I usually start with a strong foliage plant then add other plants that have interesting texture, form or color.

When you look at a garden that you admire it’s usually the dramatic form of one of the plants that draws you in. When you use a plant with a bold, architectural form it makes a statement. The spiky foliage of Cream Delight phormium alongside a Burgundy loropetalum would make a good combination. Or how about creating a vignette of Festival Burgundy cordyline with Annabelle hydrangea and Cream de Mint pittosporum?

During the next few months plants begin to show soft, fall colors. Combine the fading foliage of these plants with plants that complement each other. The reddish fall color or Oakleaf hydrangea along with the pinkish-tan color of their fading flowers looks wonderful when combined with Japanese Forest Grass as it turns pink before winter. Another complementary fall combination is Royal Purple Smoke Tree surrounded by a bed of Autumn Joy sedum.

Phormium Guardsman with geum.

Strong colors sometimes contrast instead of blend when plants change colors in the fall. I like to tone down a combination with silver foliage. An example of this would be a plant grouping of Evening Glow phormium, sedum Autumn Joy and Glacier Blue or Tasmanian Tiger euphorbia.

Another way to create a great plant combination is by blending textures. Coral Bark Japanese maple and Plum Passion nandina work well together. Cistus Sunset with Spanish lavender and rosemary is another good combination. I also like a large mass of Blue Oat Grass and Salmon salvia greggii planted together. Santa Barbara daisy goes well with Red Fountain Grass.

My list of potential plant combinations is pretty long as I’ve made notes over the years. Each garden has its own personality and growing conditions. A hot, dry garden might depend on a ground cover ceanothus along with lavender while a shadier garden might use natives like heuchera maxima, iris douglasiana, yerba buena and salvia spathacea. Whatever plants you choose, let them work together to make exciting vignettes in your garden.

In a garden that inspires you the plants should be ones that you love looking at and taking care of. Some of us like the look of dark green plants while others like grasses that move in the wind. Others are not fans of succulents. Whether you grow plants to feed the birds and attract wildlife or want a little bit of everything there’s a combination of plants that’s perfect for you and your garden.

How to Make a Garden your Own

Adding personal touches makes a garden your own.

The cry for help came from a new homeowner. She loves her lovely new home but feels everything in the garden is in the wrong place. She wishes to create “a haven for birds and bugs and give it a sense of life.” The plant palette here is far different from Tennessee where she’s from but she describes herself as enthusiastic and willing to learn. Boy, do I have lots of ideas for her.

Outdoor spaces are just more inviting if they feel like a real room with a ceiling, walls and attractive flooring. An arbor or pergola is a good way to provide a lid on your outdoor space. If you have natural trees in your garden they can shield you from the sky in some areas and open up other areas to passing clouds and sun. You can achieve a similar effect with groups of potted trees that shade your sitting area. Japanese maples, ornamental plums, cherries or crabapple are just a few of the trees that do well in pots. If you like to grow edibles plant a fig in a pot to provide some shade.

Creating an outdoor room with vines will make your yard feel cozy. They readily provide the walls to enclose a space. Views from one part of the garden may be partially open, framed by vines or blocked entirely. Shrubs can also be used to create garden rooms but vines form a thin living wall that is quickly established. Creating boundaries with vines also adds vertical design elements to an otherwise flat landscape. By adding walls and a ceiling to your garden, you’ll be able to enjoy another dimension in addition to more color and fragrance.

The sounds you hear while in the garden are part of the experience, too. The atmosphere just wouldn’t be the same without the sound of rustling grasses, wind chimes or birds splashing about in the bird bath or fountain. Auditory elements can even come from the sound of gravel crunching underfoot as you walk or the wind in the trees.

Texture in the garden refers to the overall visual texture of the plants. Large, bold foliage like Flowering Maple, Pride of Madeira, rhododendron, viburnum, oakleaf hydrangea or hosta make a large garden appear smaller. Soft, fine foliage will make the garden appear larger by giving it the allusion of more space. Examples of finely textured plants include ornamental grasses, Breath of Heaven, ferns and asters. You might use different textured plants in different parts of your garden to get the affect you like.

Create an interesting path experience with color & fragrance

Blur the garden’s boundaries to make it more interesting. You won’t be able to see the whole garden at one glance if you curve the path behind some shrubs, tall plants or sheer, see-through perennials. Leave some wild areas for the birds and bees to join you. Garden organically and mix in native plants wherever you can to keep the garden healthy.

Garden lighting is another easy way to add atmosphere to your garden. As inviting a space a garden might be during the day it becomes magical at night when lit. Solar lighting has come a long way. Walk your property and decide the most effective spots for lighting. Pathway lighting can illuminate the driveway, walkways and steps and mark the edges of areas like ponds and patios. Accent lighting can define a space and show off plantings, benches or illuminate a pergola. Spotlights direct the eye up into trees, show off garden art or accent a focal point.

Sound is important too. Ornamental grasses rustle in the wind or add a fountain with running water. An urn fountain with pebbles and plants at the base would be a simple choice. A drilled basalt column fountain or basalt dish fountain would look natural in the forest here.

Your sense of smell is important also to create atmosphere in the garden. In the spring the smell of ceanothus fills the air. Then the stargazer lilies start to bloom followed by lily-of-the-valley, daphne, flowering crabapple, carnation, iris, heliotrope, lavender, alyssum and a couple of roses. By enjoying the fragrance of both flowers and the foliage of salvia, lavender and breath of heaven as I walk the garden I’m able to add another dimension to the garden.

Creating atmosphere in the garden is the art of combining space, time and light to make a garden that reflects who we are. It’s different for every gardener. One person might like straight rows of vegetables while another scatters poppies and nasturtiums randomly. Whatever appeals to you it should be close to your heart and that’s the atmosphere in your garden that’s right for you.

Dahlias

It’s that time of year when the dahlia exhibitions are held. I missed a couple already but the Santa Cruz County Fair is still going on this weekend and there’s always a huge display there. Last year a dark magenta cactus dahlia was my favorite. These mammoth flowers take longer to grow, I’m told and fewer are produced by each plant but boy, are they worth it.

I’m envious of those that have the right conditions in their garden to grow these awesome flowers. According to the American Dahlia Society, dahlia culture is similar to growing tomatoes. So if you can grow tomatoes in your garden you can grow dahlias.

Dahlias are often referred to as the queen of the autumn garden. They are native to the mountainous regions of Mexico with history that dates back to ancient times. The Aztecs cultivated these remarkable plants for their edible tubers. Spanish explorers and botanist encounter dahlias during their journeys to the New World in the late 18th century. The first recorded description of the dahlia by a European was made by Francis Hernandes, Spanish physician in 1615.

The name dahlia honors Swedish botanist Anders Dahl, who studied them in the late 18th century. Over time, dahlias made their way to Europe, where they were cultivated and by the 19th century, dahlias had become a symbol of elegance and refinement in Victorian gardens across Europe.

Over time, dahlias made their way to Europe, where they were cultivated and by the 19th century, dahlias had become a symbol of elegance and refinement in Victorian gardens across Europe.

Dahlias need good drainage, fertile soil and at least six hours of sunlight per day. When planting, provide adequate spacing, usually around 18 inches between each plant to ensure good air circulation. They do well in pots, too.

Watering is crucial for dahlias, especially during the growing season. Apply mulch to retain moisture. Regular deadheading encourages continuous blooming throughout the growing season. Fertilize regularly and stake taller varieties.

Small dahlia plants are susceptible to slugs damage. Bait with Sluggo or remove slugs manually. Japanese beetles can eat dahlia blooms. Remove and put in a bucket of soapy water. Earwigs like dahlias, too. Trap them using rolled up newspaper.

Dahlia exhibit an astonishing array of shapes, sizes and colors. They are classified into cactus, pompous, anemone and ball dahlias. Popular dahlia varieties include the Dinnerplate Dahlias with gigantic blooms that can reach up to 12 inches in diameter. There are even tree dahlias that grow to 13 feet tall.

I was able to visit Beeline Blooms Dahlia Farm in Ben Lomond last Friday. This is a place you don’t want to miss. Karla and her sister are extremely knowledgeable You’ll come away inspired, educated and with a huge bouquet of dahlias.

What to Do in the Garden in September

Abutilon bloom nearly year round and are relished by hummingbirds.

Summer is winding down. Already. Seems it barely started two months ago. Who doesn’t love these long days and warm nights? The calendar might say fall is near but Indian summer is one of the our best seasons so I love this time of year, too. But then I get all excited when spring rolls around and everything is in bloom. It’s all good. I have a check list of some garden tasks I need to do at this time of year so I better get to them between hiking and trips to the beach.

Fertilize shrubs lightly one last time if you haven’t already done so last month. All shrubs, especially broad-leaved evergreens such as rhododendron, pieris, camellia, hebe, need to calm down, stop growing and harden off to get ready for the winter cold. Some plants have already set next year’s buds.

Roses especially appreciate a bit of fertilizer now, encouraging them to bloom another round in October. To keep them blooming make a habit of pinching and pruning off old flowers. Always cut back to an outward facing branchlet with five leaves. There are hormones there that will cause a new rose to grow much sooner than if you cut to one with only three leaves. You can always cut lower on the stem if you need to control height.

Deadhead flowering annuals and perennials in the ground as often as you possibly can. Annuals like zinnias and cosmos will stop blooming if you allow them to go to seed. The same is true of repeat blooming perennials like dahlia, scabiosa, echinacea and lantana. Santa Barbara daisies will bloom late into winter if cut back now.

These plants know they’re on this earth to reproduce. If they get a chance to set seed the show’s over, they’ve raised their family. Try to remove fading flowers regularly and you’ll be amply rewarded. If you want to start perennial flowers from seeds this is the time so that they’ll be mature enough to bloom next year.

Now through October, divide summer blooming perennials like agapanthus, coreopsis, daylilies and penstemons that are overgrown and not flowering well. You can also divide spring blooming perennials like candytuft, columbine, astilbe, bergenia and bleeding heart but sometimes they don’t bloom the first spring afterwards due to the energy they use re-establishing themselves. If you’re on a roll out in the garden, though, go for it now.

It’s still a little hot to plant cool season veggies starts in the ground. They appreciate conditions later in September when the soil is still warm but temps have cooled. It is OK to plant seeds of beets, carrots, spinach, arugula, mustard, leeks, onions, peas, radishes and turnips.

If you aren’t going to grow vegetables in the garden this fall consider planting a cover crop like crimson clover after you’ve harvested your summer vegetables. Next month I’ll talk about how to go about doing this and how this benefits your soil.

Cut back berry vines that have produced fruit. Canes of the current season should be trained in their place.

Spider mites are especially prolific during hot, dry weather. Sometimes you don’t even know how bad the infestation is until all your leaves are pale with stippling. Periodically rinse dust and dirt off leaves with water. Spray the undersides of infected leaves with organics like insecticidal soap switching to neem oil if they build up a resistance to one of the pesticides.

Now that you’ve taken care of your chores reward yourself by adding perennials to your garden for color in late summer through fall. Take a look at the garden areas that aren’t working for you and replant. Good choices include aster, chrysanthemum, coreopsis, and gaillardia. Abutilon also called Flowering Maple come in so many colors that you probably need another one in your garden. Petite Pink gaura looks fabulous planted near the burgundy foliage of a loropetalum. Don’t overlook the color of other foliage plants like Orange Libertia and Japanese bloodgrass in the garden.

One last to do: Make a journal entry celebrating the best things about your garden this year.

The Best Cut Flowers from the Garden

This mixed bouquet features late summer bloomer like verbena bonariensis,
rudbeckia, yarrow and cosmos.

Several of my friends have big gardens. Gardens that are big enough to have lots of blooming flowers that can be cut and barely make a dent in the riot of color in their garden. The other day I recieved a huge mixed bouquet. It’s spectacular. If you’ve always wanted a garden like this here are some tips for the best perennials and annuals to grow for cutting.

Don’t have much space to devote to a cutting garden? No problem. Although we all dream of a dedicated spot in the garden set aside for growing masses of flowers and foliage for bouquets, it’s not a necessity. Many great plants for cutting can just as easily be grown in raised beds, containers and between shrubs. So whether you prefer formal floral bouquets or casual, deconstructed flower and foliage arrangements let your imagination run wild and grow plants that make either easy to put together.

While just about any plant material that strikes your fancy will work in a mixed bouquet there are four types of plant forms that naturally look good together. First are the spires for height and architectural properties. Flowers like liatris, snapdragon, gladiola, salvia, Bells-of-Ireland as well as the strappy leaves of New Zealand flax or cordyline fall into this category. Secondly are plants and foliage with a round form for focus such as roses, dahlias, long-stemmed marigolds and peonies. Last are the lacy accents for fillers- ferns, baby’s breath, dill and foliage from shrubs such as abelia, breath of heaven, smoke bush, Japanese maple and ornamental grasses. Grapes and other vines and herbs are also good as accents.

A deconstructed arrangement separates each type of flower into their own vase or container instead of grouping them in a mixed bouquet. Vary the size and shape of the vases and containers and group them together to create a unique vignette.

In shady gardens, fragrant daphne odora is a wonderful small shrub that provides interesting variegated foliage as well as flowers. Sweet olive or osmanthus fragrans blooms smell like apricots. Oakleaf hydrangea foliage and flowers look great in bouquets and the leaves turn red in fall which is an added bonus. Our native shrub philadelphus, also called mock orange, has flowers that smell like oranges and will grow in some shade as well as sun. Pittosporum ‘Marjorie Channon’ will add white with a hint of lime to your bouquets.

For sunny spots grow penstemon and kangaroo paw. Coreopsis attract butterflies and are long lasting in bouquets. Perennial coneflowers, dahlias, gloriosa daisy, delphinium, foxglove, scabiosa, aster, shasta daisy and yarrow are good as cut flowers.

Self-sowing annuals that have a long vase life are bachelor buttons, clarkia, cosmos, flax, love-in-a-mist, nasturtium, cleome and calendula. Annual flowers such as zinnia, lisianthus, snapdragon, statice and marigolds are great in containers where you can make every drop of water count and are also good for cutting.

Native flowers that last for a week or more include Clarkia and Sticky Monkeyflower. Yarrow and hummingbird sage will last 4-6 days.

To make cut flowers last, pick them early in the morning before heat stresses them. Flowers cut in the middle of the day will have difficulty absorbing enough water. Cut non-woody stems on a slant for maximum water absorption. Woody stems can be cut straight across but smash the ends. Plunge immediately in a bucket of tepid water. Indoors, fill a container with cool water and recut each stem under water so an air bubble doesn’t keep the water from being absorbed.

Pull off any foliage or flowers that will be below the water level in the vase. Fill a clean vase with 3 parts lukewarm water mixed with 1 part lemon-lime soda, 1 teaspoon vinegar and a crushed aspirin. Another recipe for floral food is 2 teaspoons sugar, 2 tablespoons white vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon bleach in 1 quart water. The sugar helps buds open and last longer, the acid improves water flow in the stems and the bleach reduces the growth of bacteria and fungus. Change the water and recut the stems every few days to enjoy you bouquets for a week or maybe even two.

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