GARDENWRIGHT

WELCOME TO GARDENWRIGHT!

2011-06-15T09:29:00.001-07:00

Specializing in drought tolerant and easy maintenance gardens.

You can have a lush garden while conserving water.

With my "Before and After Photographic Mockup" program, I can design your garden wherever you are!

Garden "before"

Garden "Mockup Design"

Drop me a note at annebirds@gmail.com to inquire about fees and details.

MOON GARDENS & WHITE GARDENS

2011-06-15T09:29:00.000-07:00

The warm nights of summer draw us into our gardens like the luna moths who share the darkness. This is the time of white flowers, glowing in the light of a full moon, candles, and softly lit lamps. These are 'moon gardens.' One of the greatest pleasures of a night garden is its sweet fragrance. Being shy in color, white flowers rely on their enchanting fragrance to attract pollinators.

The allure of an all-white garden isn't limited to the night. The famed white garden at Sissinghurst, created by Vita Sackville-West, remains one of the most enchanting gardens of all time.

A white garden consists, of course, of white flowering plants, offset with rich green foliage. To add a twist of contrast, some gardeners plant burgundy or chocolate leafed bushes or flowers.

Here are just some of the gorgeous creatures you can use for your own private Sissinghurst...

NOTE: Drought tolerant plants are marked with a "DT"
Fragrant plants are marked with an "F"

ROSES, always

New Dawn climbing rose

Souvenir de la Malmaison, an old English rose F

Sharif Asama, a David Austen rose F

Pilgrim, another David Austen F

Climbing white Iceberg rose

PLANTS TO ATTRACTS BUTTERFLIES AND HUMMINGBIRDS

Chamomile

Valerian DT

White Hebe

Salvia Apiana (White Sage) DT,F

Salvia Waverly DT

White Ceanothus F, DT

White Heliotrope (which smells like vanilla) F

PLANTS FOR SHADE

Angel Wing Jasmine F

Diamond Frost Euphorbia DT

Brugmansia F Caution: This plant is highly toxic

Hosta

Spring Bouquet Viburnum F (Berries in winter also attract birds)

South African Jasmine F

Snowball Viburnum

White Astilbe

Marble Queen Coprosma

BURGUNDY & CHOCOLATE ACCENT PLANTS

Chocolate Chip Ajuga

Chocolate Cosmos

Blackbird Euphorbia

Schwarzkopf Aeonium DT

Berberis (Barberry)

Cotinus. A small ornamental tree

Phormium. DT. There are several burgundy varieties.

JOINING THE PARTY AT

SUMMER FLOWERS

2011-05-04T15:15:00.000-07:00

CONEFLOWERS: GREAT FOR BUTTERFLIES AND FINCHES

I'm noticing a little flower fever going around out there.... watch out, here it comes... !! and OUT come the garden gloves, OUT come the grunge garden clothes, OUT comes the wallet to buy all the color I can fit into my new garden...

Here are just some of the hardy, easy to maintain flowering plants I love. Most of them are drought tolerant and attract birds, butterflies, bees, and other good critters.

PENTAS: LONG BLOOMING PERENNIAL SHRUB-LIKE PLANT; SUPER ATTRACTIVE TO BUTTERFLIES AND HUMMINGBIRDS

PASSIFLORA (PASSION FLOWER VINE): VIGOROUS VINE WITH AMAZIING FLOWERS ; THE LEAVES ARE A FOOD SOURCE FOR THE GULF FRITILLARY BUTTERFLY

SALVIA WAVERLY: A PERENNIAL BUSH THAT HUMMINGBIRDS ADORE.

BUDDLEIA: SPICY SWEET INTENSE FRAGRANCE, BUTTERFLY MAGNET, GORGEOUS COLORS

COREOPSIS: FLOWERS SPRING SUMMER AND FALL; LOVED BY BUTTERFLIES, RETURNS EVERY YEAR

MONARDA: HARDY AND FRAGRANT AND A GOOD FOOD SOURCE FOR BEES

SWEET ALLYSUM: HARDY AND SPREADING, SMELLS LIKE HONEY

LOBELIA: DEEP INTENSE BLUE, SOFT AND CASCADING

WAXFLOWER: A TALL, HEAVILY FLOWERING BUSH, FANTASTIC FOR CUT FLOWERS

HEBE: A HARDY FLOWERING SHRUB IN A VARIETY OF SIZES AND COLORS; HUMMINGBIRD AND BUTTERFLY ATTRACTOR

YARROW: SOFT AND FERNY, NURTURES BUTTERFLIES, BEES,AND OTHER BENEFICIAL INSECTS

LAVENDER: DOZENS OF VARIETIES; ALL GORGEOUS , FRAGRANT, AND GOOD FOR BEES AND HUMMINGBIRDS

TAGETES (MEXICAN MARIGOLD) LUSH AND INTENSELY GOLD, THE FOLIAGE SMELLS LIKE JUICY FRUIT GUM

I could go on, and on, and on... you know how that is! HAPPY SUMMER!

Joining the party at

WRITTEN IN STONE: A FEW THOUGHTS ON USING ROCK IN THE GARDEN

2011-04-12T15:40:00.000-07:00

Stones are the bones of a garden. And, as the fashion magazines show us, good bone structure is everything.

Dramatic, but natural, is the way to go.

There are volumes written about stone in the garden, so I won't try to cover everything. I just want to point out a few obvious DON'TS.

DON'T ONE: Skeletons are meant to be under the skin, not on top of it. Ergo, rocks must look as if they are emerging from the earth, as they would in nature. Embed them in the soil with uneven edges.

DON'T:

DON'T:

DO:



DON'T TWO: No pearl necklaces.  Mikimoto belongs around your neck, not in the garden. Maybe its just me, but I absolutely cringe at "necklaces" of little round rocks arranged single file around a tree or edging a garden bed. Its one thing to use precut pavers, which are meant to give a clean narrow mowing edge and don't purport to look like anything other than artificial structures. (EXCEPT for little circles around big trees in the middle of the lawn, which are tabu no matter what you use.) But if you're going to use natural rock, keep it organic.  Pile stones together, use mixed sizes, make the edge wide.

DON'T:

DON'T:

PLEASE GOD, DON'T:

DO:

DO:



DON'T THREE: Keep your girdle hidden. If you're using gravel or small stones to make a path, you'll need an edge to keep the stone from spilling into the surrounding area. But please, embed the edge (and no, you can't cover it with little rocks. I tried that once, quel disaster.)

DON'T:

DON'T FOUR: If you want a stone waterfall, fine. But don't let it sit there bare, or with a few paltry ferns in pots around the base.  Balance that big slab of concrete/stone/fiberglass with an equal amount of greenery and other natural material.

DON'T:

DO:



CLOSING THOUGHT: Zen garden style is an exception. Rocks are meant to jut from flat beds of gravel. But this is a narrow exception: Asian gardens are actually perfect tutorials on how to use stone, and I recommend reading a basic primer, such as Sunset's book on Japanese Gardens to anyone wanting to incorporate boulders or stone in their garden.

Go rock your garden!

DROUGHT TOLERANT COTTAGE GARDENS

2011-02-19T14:11:00.000-08:00

Here in California and other arid states, we're really having to watch our water. But that does not mean that we have to forego lush, colorful, flowery gardens! Thanks to California native plants and many varieties from other dry climates like the Mediterranean and Australia, we have a huge selection of drought tolerant flowering shrubs and perennials to choose from.

BASIC DESIGN TIPS FOR A DROUGHT TOLERANT COTTAGE GARDEN

I. REDUCE YOUR LAWN: Lawns are not a key feature for a cottage garden anyway, and making them smaller will give you more room for those gorgeous colorful flowers. There are three basic techniques to do this:

-- Turn the big square lawn into a small, free form shape surrounded by planting beds, or perhaps a grass path between the plants.

-- Use native grasses such as Blue Grama, Sedge, or Buffalo grass. These give a soft meadowy look, and do not need to be mowed. Once established, they need no water during the winter, and only occasional water in summer.

-- Try the new artificial lawns. This ain't your daddy's Astroturf! It looks great and although a bit pricey to install, it makes up for the cost in zero water, maintenance, and fertilizer use.

II. USE RAISED BEDS: You can edge the beds with cobbles, bricks, wood, broken pieces of concrete (a great recycling use for an old concrete driveway being torn up), or keystone. Try to match the material to the style of your house. Or, you can simply mound a few yards of good planting mix and plant in that. Add compost and a balanced organic fertilizer, and the good soil will reduce water runoff and waste. Make sure that the beds are at least three feet wide so that you can plant in three layers: high, medium, and low.

III.    ADD FOCAL POINTS like birdbaths, benches, fountains, statuary, or mirrors on the wall. This is a design, rather than drought tolerant, tip.

IV.    PLANT IN A 'NATURAL' STYLE, combining flowers, vegetables, shrubs, herbs, and climbing vines. Let the colors mingle and alter the heights of the plants in a non-formal way. Add tuteurs or topiary shapes to give some vertical lines, and mix in some spiky plants (flax, kangaroo paw) to contrast with the broad leaf plants.

GREAT DROUGHT TOLERANT PLANTS FOR THE 'COTTAGE' LOOK:

PURPLE/LAVENDER/PINK:

Tall plants: Ceanothus, Manzanita, Waxflower
(Waxflower)

Medium :      Sweet lavender, Indian Hawthorne 'Jack Evans' or 'Pink Ballerina', Penstemon, Rockrose.

('Quasti' dwarf Spanish lavender)

Short : Rosy buckwheat, Pelargonium, Monarda, California wild Strawberry, purple Alyssum

   Buckwheat

(Monarda) BLUE:

Tall:    Ceanothus 'Dark Star,', Blue Juniper

(Ceanothus)

Medium: Perovskia, Salvia 'Indigo Spires', 'Waverly', or clevelandii, Westringia 'Wynnabie Gem'

Perovskia Salvia 'Waverly'

Short : Scabiosa, trailing rosemary, Convolvulus groundcover, Cranesbill 'Johnson's Blue.'

Scabiosa

YELLOW, RED, ORANGE:

Tall: Grevillea 'Long John', Bottlebrush, Cotoneaster, Arborvitae 'Aureum'

Grevillea 'Long John'

Medium: Tagetes, Leonitis, Penstemon, Salvia 'greggii', Jerusalem sage

Tagetes Penstemon

Short: Gazania, Mimulus, Lantana, Grevillea 'Golden Dragon'

Grevillea 'Golden Dragon

Mimulus

'WHITE/CHARTREUSE/SILVER:

Tall: Pittosporum tenufolium 'Marjorie Channon' or 'Silver Magic,' Matilija poppy, white Waxflower

Waxflower (white flowers)

Pittosporum 'Marjorie Channon'

Matijila poppy

Medium: Salvia apiana, Westringia, dwarf fruitless Olive bush, Tansy, Morning Glory bush

Westringia Salvia apiana

Low:       Yarrow (white flower), Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost', Heuchera 'Lime Rickey,' Euphorbia 'wulfenii'

' Euphorbia wulfenii

Heuchera 'Lime Rickey' Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost'

SPIKY ACCENT PLANTS:

Phormium (flax), Kangaroo Paw, Sedge

Phormium 'Rainbow Queen'

Kangaroo Paw

Sedge

BURGUNDY ACCENT PLANTS: Lophomyrtus, Coprosma 'County Park Red,' Euphorbia 'Blackbird', Heuchera 'Purple Ruffles'

Lophomyrtus

Coprosma

Cordyline

Euphorbia 'Blackbird'

Linking up to: Fishtail Cottage's Flora Thursday

GARDEN PATHS REDUCE LAWN AND WATER USE

2010-09-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

Water conservation has become the hallmark of southern California gardening. Hooray! This approach can make a garden soooo much more interesting, as we look for alternatives to big flat lawns and single file flower beds.

Garden paths are a great way to reduce the lawn area. You can put a path in ANY size garden, even a tiny patio.

THIS PATH IS IN A 50 SQUARE FOOT CONDO PATIO! IT HIDES THE HVAC UNIT.
Bark, decomposed granite, pea gravel, stone, pavers, and flagstones all make a good path. Or, use faux grass, which now looks and feels much more natural.

For a path that won't get too much foot traffic, try a fragrant groundcover like thyme or mint. Or, plant herbs or sweet alyssum between paving stones so that you will get a hint of perfume whenever you walk the path.

Pictures are more fun than words, so here are some examples of what I'm talking about... all of the following are from gardens I've designed. The materials are inexpensive, super easy to maintain, and easy enough for any do-it-yourselfer to install.

BARK MULCH PATH LINED WITH LAVENDER

FAUX GRASS

DECOMPOSED GRANITE

NATURAL FLAGSTONE

CONCRETE PAVERS WITH RUBBER BARK MULCH

PEA GRAVEL

Linking up to

GARDEN FOR SALE, HOUSE INCLUDED

2010-04-10T13:06:00.000-07:00

My garden and I have been together for thirteen years, and now I'm leaving it behind. And yes, its pulling that trick used by all those about to be jilted, by looking more lovely, and promising more delights, than ever before.
We are moving to a new home, in a new town (village, really) with an entirely new growing zone, soil type, and terrain awaiting me. I'm jazzed about the adventure, and about being able to grow things that our mild southern orange county climate won't allow (repeat after me, peonies, peonies, peonies....)
We've been planning a move for quite some time so I'd stopped buying new plants and left the existing mature shrubs and perennials on cruise control, which has suited them quite nicely. But in the last week or so I've been wandering around the garden more often, checking up on everything, and pondering what to take with me. My angel, of course, and both the Buddhas, the dragon, and the cement rock that reads "I don't remember planting this." Not sure about the bunny statuette or the camellia standard, but i'm going to dig up the clematis, since I heard they thrive in the mountains and its never been that happy here.
and so on... this isn't the garden that hatched my horticulture bug, but it is the one that launched me into design and gardening as a profession. It's been my laboratory, my nursery, my primary spending spree, and the place where I relax and enjoy tiny bits of magic.
There was a balmy summer evening when my husband and I were having dinner near the lawn and became the center of a massive cloud of dragonflies, acrobating in a frenzy of gnat hunting. Ten minutes of open mouthed amazement, seen once in a lifetime, never again yet. Or the possum who, for an entire summer, trudged myopically past my husband smoking his evening cigar, always managing to find the apple i tossed out each night. Or that nearly microscopic fly who luxuriated in the center of a blown out iceberg rose, showing me how even the mundane can be the entire universe for someone.
This garden taught me to stop buying one of everything and think in terms of luxurious masses of a single color or texture, repeated. Or at least to do that in addition to buying one of every pretty little temptation.
In this garden, I learned about great black elephant ears, tiny Virginia stock, the unbelievable coastal sweetness of Salvia clevelandii, and began my ongoing search for more lemon rose thyme. (I am definitely not leaving my one patch of it behind...)
I discovered that hummingbirds like to bathe in the bubble at the top of the fountain and on wet rose leaves, that bushtits will eat the 'bad' bugs if you don't poison the garden, and that Santa Rose plum trees like to be just left alone, yes, you with the hose and fertilizer.
I'm an Army brat, and moving is truly in my blood. I love to winnow, to pack, to set up a new household. I'm not sentimental enough to feel sad that I'm leaving my garden, but I am hoping that the new owner will appreciate it enough to prune back the infant peach and apple trees, throw down coffee grounds around the Golden Celebration and Easter Egg roses, and keep the fountain clean for the flocks of birds who rely on it for their public gatherings.

BUNNY VISITOR

ROSES FROM THE GARDEN

FEATHER GRASS IN THE SUN

DROUGHT TOLERANT COTTAGE GARDEN IN PLACE OF LAWN

LAVENDER PATH

BIRD WATERFALL

POT OF THYME

POTTING BENCH

BOTTLEBRUSH FOR THE HUMMINGBIRDS

And I think I will take that camellia, since after three years its finally recovered from spider mite and put on such a show...

Linking up to Sarah's Garden Party

VIRTUAL GARDEN DESIGN WITH PHOTO MOCKUPS

2009-08-09T02:32:00.000-07:00

"Seeing is believing." I will adapt that adage to say, when it comes to garden design, "seeing is understanding."

I like to give my design clients a choice between different styles for their garden. Its fun to engage them in the design process and it ensures their ultimate satisfaction.

However, its impossible for most clients to visualize a garden from a two dimensional drawing. That's why I use a photo program to show how their garden will look with its new design.

I make photo 'mockups' of the proposed garden. I can "erase" the existing landscape features and substitute how the garden will look with my design.

I've collected an extensive library of plant and garden feature images from the internet. Monrovia, Las Pilitas, and San Marcos have great photos of plants in jpg. format that you can download. Or, an image search usually yields what I need.

Lately, I've been dispensing with drawing and using the photographic image as the design plan. I can label the mockups with the plant names and the installer can work right off of the printed photo. And, the client then has a photographic record of exactly what has been planted.

As I said, seeing is understanding. So here are examples of how the mockup magic works...

EXAMPLE A

1. Existing Landscape

2. Design Idea A

3. Design Idea B

This is the design the client chose.

EXAMPLE 2

1. Existing Landscape

2. Design Idea A

3. Design Idea B

You get the idea...!

In addition to the landscape, you can also play with the appearance of the house to suggest ways that the client can integrate it into the new landscape. For example...

1. Existing Landscape and House

2. Proposed Design

Ta Da!

GARDEN DESIGN RECIPE OF THE WEEK: ALL SEASON COLOR BORDER

2009-08-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

Shrubs, to me, are like See's candy boxes to a chocaholic.

The reason, in three words: Lushness, variation, dependability.

Using shrubs with varied colors and shapes of foliage, and with different flowering seasons, gives a mature, full garden border all year long. Leaving one foot gaps between the shrubs lets you add seasonal annuals, garden ornaments, or even decorative stones or gourds, to change the look around without a lot of cost or work.

INGREDIENTS (per 25 feet x 5 feet bed)

3 Pittosporum tenufolium 'Marjorie Channon' or 'Oliver Twist'

3 Rhaphiolepis indica 'Clara'

2 Phormium 'Bronze Baby' or 'Sundowner'

3 Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold'

2 Salvia leucantha 'Santa Barbara'

5 quarts of Lemon Thyme or Sedum confusum

9 Allium 'Globemaster' bulbs (or other large variety of Allium)

6 cubic feet of planting compost (four 1.5 cf bags)

7.5 cubic feet of shredded or micro bark (five 1.5 cf bags)

1 eight pound bag of GroPower Plus

DIRECTIONS

Add planting compost and Grow Power to existing soil.

Dig, stir, dig, stir, dig, stir, dig stir.

Dig planting holes the same depth as the plant pot and three times as wide.

Gently loosen root ball of plants and set in hole as per diagram below. Back fill and tamp down gently.

Create slight watering dam around plants. Water in well. For extra fluffy plants, add some Plant Starter (humic acid) to water.

Add layer of bark mulch around plants, avoiding direct contact with plant stems.

TOTAL GARDEN TRANSFORMATION FOR UNDER THIRTY DOLLARS

2009-08-06T03:36:00.000-07:00

One word: PAINT.

For under $30 (roughly the cost of a gallon of paint) you can make a hugely dramatic change in your garden. Adding color to a drab background (whether it be a house wall, or a garden fence) will instantly transform the light, mood, and impact of your garden.

The choice of color is governed by no rule. Pick a color that contrasts with a flowering plant, such as a blue wall behind a red rosebush. Or, make an ugly cinderblock retaining wall disappear by tinting it dark green to blend with the surrounding foliage.

Add a quiet Zen-like accent by painting a wall a rich medium brown and placing a lacquered black pot hot with bamboo against it.

This advice is best shown in pictures, so I've used a little computer magic to make my point:

Plain vanilla versus rich caramel setting off a vine.

Instant warmth! Imagine the setting sun lighting this muted red wall.

White roses are incredible against a deep blue background.

Coprosma, ceanothus, and blue juniper contrast with a brick orange stucco garden wall.

Plain gray cinderblock

Now with a light stain of ochre.

Some of the most dramatic landscapes in the Southwest have been created by Steve Marino, whose trademark is placing striking architectural plants such as Agave against deeply saturated color. Here is an example of his work:

So, I say, go have some fun! If it doesn't work, or if you get tired of it, all you have to do is paint it back the same color it was. But I bet you won't!

Joining the fun at

GARDENING WITH WATER REDUCTION

2009-08-06T02:42:00.000-07:00

Its finally happened: here in Orange County, we're on mandatory water reduction. In my little town, we are required to reduce our water use by 20%! That's a fairly significant percentage, especially when you are being water frugal to start with.

But its okay! Your garden will do just fine, with a few adjustments. Here are some quick tips that should help:

MULCH.

A few inches of mulch, whether its bark, compost, gravel, or stone, will keep moisture in the soil and cool the roots. This alone can help many of your plants survive having less water.

REMOVE UNNECESSARY PLANTS. For example, you really don't need plants on the side of your house where you store the garbage cans. If there is a window with a view on that area, plant a dramatic Euphorbia like "Blackbird" in a pot and hand water it once a week. Then, cap off the sprinkler heads where you've removed the plants.

RESET THE SPRINKLERS FOR LESS OFTEN AND LONGER. If you're watering every day, or every other day, for three to five minutes at a time, switch to every third or fourth day for 10 minutes. This is how you should be watering, anyway. You want the water to penetrate deeply so that the plants send their roots deeper, which helps them cope with dry conditions.

REPLACE 'THIRSTY' PLANTS. Here's a list of common 'thirsty' plants and suggested replacements:

Impatiens: Substitute ivy geranium, thyme, gazanias.

Ferns/coleus: Substitute coral bells, kalanchoe, tansy.

Roses: Substitute salvia, tagetes, waxflower, pentas, mallow

Camellia/azalea: Substitute dwarf bottlebrush, viburnum

Willow: Substitute agonis, leptospermum 'Dark Shadows"

CREATE SHADE: Be creative and decorative! Use pretty umbrellas, arbors, or potted trees to add instant shade pockets in the garden. Don't eliminate sunlight, but arrange it so that the plants get shade in mid-day.

REMOVE LAWN: Lawns are water hogs! So unless you really use the lawn for recreation, you can at least reduce its size. You can substitute artificial grass (it looks great!), or drought tolerant ground cover like gazanias, myoporum, or sedum. You can also create a "stroll garden" of gravel or shredded bark winding through drought tolerant shrubs and flowers like rosemary, salvia, manzanita, ceanothus, and hawthorne. (See my previous post, 'Drought Tolerant Coastal Garden.")

GOOD INFORMATION SOURCES: Your local nursery and water company are a great source of advice and suggestions. Some counties even give homeowners free drought tolerant trees!

Hope this helps out. And pray for June Gloom!

DESIGN RECIPE: RAISED BEDS, GARDEN PATHS, DROUGHT TOLERANT PLANTS

2009-06-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS: One large blank slate of a yard.

8 x 10 foot raised beds of keystone, pavers, or wood.

Sandy loam planting mix, three feet deep in the beds.

Decomposed granite for paths between the raised beds.

To fill the beds:

Full sun plants:

Citrus or other fruit trees suited for your zone

Lavender

Roses ( (floribundas for abundance; hybrid teas for cutting bouquets)

Salvia

Upright Rosemary

Daylilies

Yarrow

Stachys (Lambs Ears) for edging

If you want some grass, use either artificial turf (it looks like the real thing!) or a native grass, such as Buffalo grass or Sedge.

**************************************************

DIRECTIONS: Outline the raised beds and build the borders with the chosen material.

Dig up the existing soil to a depth of one foot. Add sandy loam and mix with native soil.

Add irrigation: Either drip lines or overhead sprinklers, controlled with "smart timers."

Plant a fruit tree in the corner of each bed.

Plant the beds with any mix of drought tolerant plants you prefer; either mixed, or 1-2 types of plant per bed. (Keep the roses planted together, however.)

Between the beds, lay a weed cloth barrier and 3-4 inches of decomposed granite, compacted to make a solid path.

Once the plants are established, you will only need to water them a few times a week during summer, and less often in winter if you get winter rain.

Concept mockup by Gardenwright

PATIO TREES

2009-05-25T03:23:00.000-07:00

Patio trees, also commonly called "standards," are a wonderful garden design element. They are especially useful to add height or a vertical element to a small garden space.

Another use they serve is to provide a visual screen while still leaving space below to plant other shrubs or flowers.

There is a wonderful selection of plants available in standard form these days. Here are some suggestions for their use:

FORMAL GARDENS

Privet, Eugenia, or Hawthorne

COTTAGE GARDENS

Roses

Duranta

Mallow (Lavatera)

Buddleia

ASIAN GARDENS

Chinese Fringe Flower (Loropetalum)

Dwarf Willow

CONTEMPORARY GARDENS

Olive (Olea europaea)

Cordyline

Along with standards, there are also many types of dwarf trees that serve the same purpose.

One of my very favorites is the Young's Weeping Birch, especially the fascinating serpentine style. I think its the perfect accent for an Asian garden.

Or, the weeping Blue Atlas Cedar

So, the next time you are looking for a unique plant to fill a narrow space, consider a standard. Even if your garden center doesn't have one on the grounds, you can make a special request for whichever type of standard you are seeking.

REPLACE THE LAWN AND GET DROUGHT TOLERANT FLOWERS

2009-05-20T01:57:00.000-07:00

Remember that post about removing the front lawn and planting drought tolerant flowers and shrubs instead? Here's how it looked earlier this year, and how it looks now. The coreopsis have re-emerged, the mallow and iceberg roses are blooming, and the jasmine is in full force:

ORIGINAL GARDEN

HOW IT LOOKS IN JUNE

LINKING TO

WHY IS MY CAMELLIA DROPPING ITS FLOWERS?

2009-05-07T04:29:00.000-07:00

Camellia Flower Blight. Oh so sad, oh so common. But fear not, help is available!

Camellia flower blight is what happens when your lovely blossoms turn brown and drop off prematurely.

The condition is caused by a fungus, Ciborinia camelliae. Rainy, humid weather is the culprit, and since camellias usually flower at this time of year, well, there lies the rub.

You can both prevent and manage the problem.

Prevent the blight by removing the infected flowers from the plant and the ground (but don't add them to the compost pile!) The fungus spores on the buds will go into the ground and can stay dormant for years, recurring each spring.

Manage the problem in a number of ways:

Avoid overhead watering. Cover the soil under the bushes with a few inches of organic mulch to help kill off spores. Prune out thin, old, or low hanging branches to promote air circulation.

If you want to spray a fungicide, I recommend using a product with neem oil, which is organic. Spray the plant and the soil around it.

DESIGN RECIPE OF THE WEEK: A COASTAL DROUGHT TOLERANT GARDEN

2009-05-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

BEFORE: 1600 square feet of dead lawn.

Photo of job site in Carmel, California

AFTER: A DELIGHTFUL, LOW MAINTENANCE AND DROUGHT TOLERANT STROLL GARDEN

Photo mockup by Gardenwright.

INGREDIENTS: (per 200 square feet)

1 cubic yard of decomposed granite

1 Ceanothus 'Concha' or 'Carmel Creeper'

1 Westringia 'Wynnabie Gem'

1 Golden Euonymus

1 Grevillea (either 'Coastal Gem' or 'Magic Lantern')

1 Salvia 'Waverly'

1 'Tuscan Blue' Rosemary

3 Erigeron (Santa Barbara Daisy)

3 Ivy Geranium (any bright color)

1 comfy weatherproof bench

DIRECTIONS:]

Remove lawn.

Generously apply pre-emergent herbicide such as Amaze to prevent the grass from resprouting.

For clay soil, add planting compost (but don't overamend; native plants prefer lean soil.)

Lay the decomposed granite over the entire area.

Plant in a meandering, curved pattern, leaving space in the center for a winding path.

Grab a mystery novel, a tall iced tea, and your sun hat and stroll to the bench to watch the hummingbirds and butterflies enjoy the garden with you!

PLANT OF THE WEEK: STIPA TENUISSIMA (Mexican Feather Grass)

2009-04-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

Floating in the slightest breeze, Stipa adds beautiful movement to the garden.

It literally glows golden in the light, and when it gets wet, the beads of water sparkle in its fine texture.

Easy to maintain, Stipa does not require a full cut back like other grasses. Simply grab the clump like a big ponytail, give it a twist, and cut the top back a few inches. It will return to a lovely arching shape. Or, you can let it grow to full size for a 3 foot tall drift of pale wine colored "flower" heads.

It is a delightful contrast to dense shrubs, or can be used alone to give a grassland look to a drier landscape.

Its drought tolerant and will grow in both full sun and part sun. It does self seed, but not excessively.

YET ANOTHER REMINDER WHY NOT TO SPRAY POISONS

2009-04-11T03:22:00.000-07:00

The bush tits in my lime tree reminded me why I don't spray poison in my garden.

I've been battling scale on my baby citrus trees. However, I like to garden "bare", meaning that I don't use many products in my garden other than GroPower fertilizer (which contains humus, love the stuff!) and mulch. I especially resist using any pesticides, even if they are "organic." They still kill things.

So,instead of spraying with Spinosad (organic but lethal) I got out a rag and some ammonia based window cleaner, and simply wiped the scale off the branches. Then I gave the plant a good rinse of water (which also knocked off the ants that were tending the scale.) It took a few minutes, but it was relaxing, and the plant was immediately free of the pests.

Later in the afternoon, my husband pointed out that there were birds in the lime tree. Sure enough, several little bush tits were perusing the branches, looking for any remaining insects which they promptly ate. If I'd sprayed with the Spinosad, it would have sickened the birds.

There are many ways to deal with unwanted bugs on your plants.

1. Keep the garden healthy. Give it healthy living soil, good air circulation, and proper watering. Healthy plants resist pests on their own.

2. Keep the plants clean. Pick up dropped fungusy leaves under the roses, remove brown soggy blossoms from the azaleas and camellias, prune off dead or infested branches and stems.

3. Use your hands. I was taught that the gardener's best tool is her fingertips. You can scrape off aphids and scale by hand (use latex gloves if you're squeamish) or move those unwanted tomato horn worms to a "sacrifice" plant.

4. Use non-toxic solutions. A bit of dish soap in water will get rid of aphids, or an alcohol/water solution is good to clean off spider mites and scale. Worm castings, applied regularly, will systemically repel whitefly.

5. Replace soil in containers. Certain pests and fungus will go dormant in the soil under an infested plant. If the problem keeps returning despite your best efforts, think about replacing the soil.

NOW, THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP OF ALL:

Invite and welcome birds, lizards, and "beneficial" insects into your garden! They are Nature's best pest controllers. If you spray a plant with pesticide or BT (which kills ALL caterpillars, including butterfly cats) you will injure and discourage those helpers.

Oh, and remember that hummingbird bathing on the rose leaves that I told you about in my rose post? A bath laced with fungicide and pesticide wouldn't be much of a treat.

Susan, aka "Gardenchick"garden chick's design tips makes an excellent point, which is that we can also learn to live with imperfection. There's a reward for being tolerant of some chewed leaves -- butterflies and a healthy ecosystem! Adorable bunnies playing in the yard.... it brings a garden to life. There's room enough and greenery enough to share!

MULCH!

2009-03-29T05:11:00.000-07:00

Mulch for weed control.

Mulch for moisture retention.

Mulch for soil enrichment.

Mulch for just plain old looking good!

Simply adding a layer of rich dark brown shredded bark will instantly transform the garden from scruffy to well manicured. The dark color sets off the plants and erases imperfections in the understory of the garden bed.

Just about anything will work as mulch, depending on the style of your garden.

SHREDDED BARK: (Note I said "shredded" -- I don't like nuggets and they don't look good over time. But shredded bark has a smooth finish and doesn't scatter like nuggets.) Use for these styles:

Traditional, woodland, Asian, shade garden, cottage.

PEA GRAVEL: Cheap, classic, crunchy to walk on -- love this stuff! Use in these types of gardens:

Formal, European, Asian, Parterre, Contemporary. Xeriscape

SMOOTH PEBBLES: Although the rounded black pebbles tend to be a cliche in the Asian garden, they do look good in small quantities. These rocks are also a striking contrast to light concrete in a contemporary garden.

RIVER ROCK: I love Del Rio and Palm Springs pebbles for their warm and varied tones of gold, cream, taupe and rose. They give the same warmth to a garden that butter yellow walls give to a room. Wonderful when there is brick in a garden. Try it for these styles:

Mediterranean, Southwestern, Coastal, Xeriscape, Contemporary.

Photo from Glorious Gardens by J. Heriteau

DECOMPOSED GRANITE ("DG") Great stuff! Some people resist this mulch because they think it looks like dirt, but really, it doesn't. It has a tight hard surface and a golden color that is a perfect look for a California native landscape or a parterred herb garden. Use it for the following styles:

Southwestern, Coastal, Cottage, Formal, Xeriscape.

Photo from Glorious Gardens by J. Heriteau

Photo credit to Jamie and Marina

REPLACE THE LAWN AND GO DROUGHT TOLERANT

2009-03-11T09:39:00.000-07:00

Ack, sometimes grass is just too much trouble. I'm not anti-lawn by any means, its a lovely soothing foreground for flowers, and I love watching the birds that are attracted by grass lawns picking for seeds and bugs.

But.... sometimes its just too much trouble....

My front yard was blah with so-so fescue turf, bald spots, and weeds. Not to mention, boring. So a while back I dug it up, rototilled the soil, and planted a butterfly garden.

INGREDIENTS:

Burgundy and White Iceberg roses

Goodwin Creek and Spanish Bee lavenders

Pink Princess Indian hawthorne (Rhaphiolepsis)

Wheelers Dwarf pittosporum

Tuscan Blue rosemary

Teuchrium

Salvia

Gaura

Mallow

Cuphea

Chrysanthemum, Coreopsis, Aeoniums, Asters, and annual flowers

I laid a flagstone path in a bed of sand and filled the gaps with pea gravel, and laid down shredded bark for mulch.

Here is how it looked before:

And here is what it looks like now, a year later...

p.s. Here is the other side of the driveway, kind of matching:

DESIGN RECIPE OF THE WEEK: MOUNDED MOSS PLANTER

2009-01-17T04:07:00.000-08:00

Ah, sagina subulata! How I love moss! Nothing feels better on the palm of the hand or sole of the foot than cool moss on a hot day.

My favorite thing to do with moss is plant it in mounds in interesting containers, the larger the better. Got a cracked fountain base or birdath? Don't toss it! Nothing is prettier than filling it with a soft mound of deep green or chartreuse moss.

Photo courtesy of Chadschuler on Flickr

Simple stone or concrete pots filled with moss are also an enchanting accent to an Asian style garden.

Photo courtesy of lara68 on Flickr

INGREDIENTS

One slightly shady (morning sun is ok) spot in your garden or patio.

One shallow, wide container with drainage (its easy to drill a hole in a birdbath or fountain base)

One flat of Scotch or Irish moss

Three or four small aeonium or echeveria (2-3 inch container size)

(As you can see, the texture contrast between moss and succulents is fantastic!)

One large bag of potting soil

One handful of balanced time release fertilizer (Multicote is good.)

DIRECTIONS

Fill the container with the potting soil. Mix in the fertilizer.

Mound the potting soil so that its crest is four inches above the base of the container. Pat down soil firmly.

Cut squares of the moss from the flat and press into the mound of soil until the entire mound is covered, except for a circle at the top of the mound.

Plant the little succulents in the circle on top.

Mist or lightly sprinkle the mound until it is wet through. Regular misting is best although you can get away with just watering it a few times a week if its in shade during the hot periods of the day.

For those of you who can't resist accessorizing your planters, ceramic mushrooms are particularly cute in moss. Maybe a tiny fairy. But please, no gnomes.

COOL PLANT OF THE WEEK: DIAMOND FROST EUPHORBIA

2009-01-11T01:12:00.000-08:00

The director of the Smithsonian Gardens said this about Diamond Frost Euphorbia. "AMAZING!! I never really believe publicity hype around a plant until I have grown it... but this one lived up to everything positive you could say about it and MORE!! LOVE IT!!"

Well! That's quite an endorsement. And, I agree completely.

Diamond Frost Euphorbia is just about the best plant ever for softening and adding light to a garden. Here in Zone 9, as well as in Zone 10, it is a perennial and blooms constantly. (In other zones it is used as an annual.)

Here's what it looks like closeup:

Diamond Frost grows to about 2 feet tall and wide. From a distance, it looks just like a soft white cloud, but in reality its as tough as any euphorbia. It takes sun, but also thrives in part shade, making it perfect for lighting up a dark garden area.

NOTE: All euphorbias have slightly toxic sap; more an irritant than a poison.

Diamond Frost is also fast growing, and one small 4 inch container will grow to fill a two foot area within one season. Because the plant is airy, its fine to plant it close with other plants to fill any empty space.

As you can see, Diamond Frost is also gorgeous in pots.

I use Diamond Frost in both informal cottage style gardens, as well as formal styles. Its white blossom and lushness are perfect for adding just a touch of softness to a classic classic shrub or topiary garden.

GARDEN RECIPE OF THE WEEK: WINTER COLOR RIOT!

2009-01-03T06:10:00.000-08:00

Zone 9 has its drawbacks. Obese housing prices, road rage, and paucity of open spaces. But one of the compensations is our year round planting climate and flowering season.

In my garden designs I plan for year round color. When possible the best way to do that is with fall and winter flowering shrubs and perennials, rather than annuals. Here is a recipe for adding rich winter color to your garden.

INGREDIENTS: Add one of each per nine linear feet of planting area.

Leptospermum 'Red Ensign' or 'Burgundy Queen.' The common name is New Zealand Tea Tree. Large, full bush (up to 6 feet but can be pruned to keep smaller) with burgundy needlelike foliage and masses of deep red/pink flowers. Great cutting flower!

Sedum 'Autumn Joy' : Three foot clusters of lime green succulent type foliage and fluffy flowerheads. A real butterfly favorite!

Tagetes lemonii (Mexican Bush Marigold): Tall, full bush with very fragrant, lacy foliage. Flowers all year long. Attracts butterflies.

Metrosideros 'Fiji' : A compact (2 x 2) bush with dark green glossy leaves. Great for coastal gardens as it really can withstand wind.

Erica 'Kramer's Red' or 'Maxwell's Heath.' Low, mounding heather that blooms winter through spring.

Pieris japonica: Commonly known as Lily of the Valley shrub, this medium height (3 to 4 ft) winter flowering shrub offers pink buds and flowers, and russet colored new foliage growth.

Purple Kale. A bright sturdy filler with broadleaf foliage to offset the denser texture of the flowering shrubs around it.

Eranthemum pulchellum 'Winter Blue.' A small (2 foot) shrub, somewhat frost tender. Also very good in containers.

And, last but not least, add winter annuals such as lobelia, snapdragons, pansies, and stock to fill in any bare spots.

DIRECTIONS:

Add one of these flowering shrubs for every nine linear feet of garden space (or more, as they are evergreen during the summer) to bring a bright flash of color throughout the garden.

Feed with a high phosphorus (middle number) fertilizer to keep blossoms going. NOTE! Do not feed the New Zealand Tea Trees with high phosphorus, as this will clog their pores.

Deadhead as the flowers die or cut branches for flower arrangements, to keep new blooms coming.

Photo courtesy of Icon Design on Flickr

GARDEN DESIGN RECIPE OF THE WEEK: A WALL OF FRUIT

2008-12-21T03:30:00.000-08:00

Owning an orchard is not limited to farmers or grand estate holders.

Even those of us with tiny backyards (or sideyards) can have a private collection of fruit trees and vines. Its called backyard orchard culture and involves high density planting, successive ripening, and pruning trees to short, manageable sizes.

I learned about backyard orchard culture during my Master Gardener training, from Tom Spellman of Dave Wilson Nursery, a major grower of fruit trees. Their web site is a fantastic source of information about this type of fruit gardening.

January is the best time out here in Zone 9 to plant bare root fruit trees, so today's design will give you a start, using only a single wall!

Photo courtesy of Paul Lau

INGREDIENTS

One sunny wall, six feet high and 10 feet long (dimensions can vary, just adjust recipe to size and number of walls)
Four bare root fruit trees (different varieties, according to taste.)
One bare root berry vines, according to taste.
One fruit bush such as blueberry or currant.
Five one quart pots of assorted herbs.
Three 1.5 cf bags of Cactus Planting mix
Three 1.5 cf bags of compost
One 8 ounce container of Multi Cote time release fertilizer for flowering and fruiting plants
One pair of clean, sharp pruners
Several eyelet screws and a spool of coated wire.

One decorative wall plaque

One decorative bench

DIRECTIONS:

Dig a trench along the wall, extending out two feet from wall.

Amend native soil from trench with Cactus Mix, compost and MultiCote.

Plant one fruit tree at each end of wall, two feet out from wall.

Plant one fruit tree directly against wall, two feet away from the end tree.

Plant fruit vine between trees.

Prune the end fruit trees to leave three to four major branches, two feet long.

Prune inside fruit trees to form espallier along wall, attaching with wire and hooks.

Hang decorative plaque in center of wall near top.

Place bench in front of wall at center.

Enjoy the beauty and bounty of your private orchard!

GARDEN DESIGN RECIPE OF THE WEEK: STONED, SUCCULENT, AND SPIKEY

2008-12-08T13:25:00.000-08:00

TALE OF A TRANSFORMATION....
What's a black thumb to do?

My new clients pointed to the double level planter outside their front door and informed me that they had never, ever, grown anything there that survived.

Ha! I love challenges. Not only will I make it grow, I told them, but I will also make it verrrrrry unique... (which in a neighborhood full of all-green yards and pygmy date palms, wasn't that hard to achieve...)

Well, it worked out so well that I thought it would be worth sharing the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

2 Variegated pink/red Phormium (Evening Glow, Lancer Terracotta)

1 Burgundy medium height Phormium (Bronze Baby or Platt's Black)

20 Coleonema 'Sunset Gold' (dwarf gold Breath of Heaven)

3 flats of Gazania 'Pinata' hybrid mix

3 Salvia greggii 'Furman's Red'

3 flats Sedum 'Confusum'

6 to 8 assorted succulents (Aeonium, Echeveria, and Kalanchoe)

2 small to medium Three River stone boulders

1 decorative pot

DIRECTIONS

Pick a sunny spot (at least four hours a day of sun)

Amend well with a mixture of Cactus Mix and Planting Compost

Plant Salvia greggii in curved row at back of planting bed.

Plant Phormium in triangular pattern in center area, four feet apart.

Place boulders and pot in triangular pattern near boulders and pot.

Plant Coleonema in row around edge of planting bed, three feet in.

Plant gazania in row on outside of Coleonema

Plant succulents around boulders and in pot.

Plant Sedum throughout planting bed to cover any bare soil.

Water well daily for first week, then reduce water to give a good deep water twice a week (more or less, depending on rain/temperature.

WATCH IT THRIVE!

GARDEN DESIGN RECIPE OF THE WEEK: CHRISTMAS TREE FOR BIRDS

2008-11-30T05:02:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays! I don't celebrate any religious holiday, but I do love the festivities and sparkle of this season. This year I decided to splurge on a real tree, but hate to waste my artificial tree... so, I'm going to use it to decorate the front yard. But instead of using artificial decorations on it, I'm going to turn it into a Christmas tree for the birds! (Squirrels and field mice will also enjoy this.)

INGREDIENTS

1 Artificial Christmas tree in stand (you can also use a real cut or living tree)

Any combination of the following:

20 sprays of millet (available wherever pet bird food is sold)

Several clusters of hard berrries: Holly, currant, viburnum, etc.

10 small apples (Lady apples are perfect)

1 package of dried figs (make sure they don't contain sulfites)

1 cluster of red grapes

1 bag of rice cakes

1 bag of unsalted unshelled peanuts

1 large box of raisins

3 bags of raw cranberries

Several pine cones

Wild bird suet cakes

Mesh socks filled with niger seed

Dried ears of corn

1 bundle of green and/or red raffia

1 large package of soft moss (available at craft stores)

Pre-made bird food decorations (available online or at Wild Bird stores)

Optional for California and Arizona: 2 small tube style hummingbird feeders with clear nectar

DIRECTIONS

String the cranberries, raisins, peanuts and dried fruit into garlands or bundles with natural cotton twine.

Tie berries and millet sprays into bundles with raffia.

Poke hole through apples and rice cakes and string with cotton twine leaving hanger loop.

Stick clumps of moss among the branches.

Stuff pine cones with suet and place among branches.

LIGHTING: For lighting, its ok to use outdoor tree lights if they are not plugged in during the day. A safe alternative would be to use a low voltage spotlight to shine on the tree at night.

Replace materials as consumed!

A PLUMMET-MEASURED FACE: Garden Statuary

2008-11-27T09:13:00.000-08:00

I always recommend adding a statue or some kind of sculpted object in a garden, for the following reasons:

BALANCE: A well designed garden contains balance of all its elements. Visual weight, textural contrast, layout. And too, the balance of hard and soft, natural and manufactured.

An elegant bit of sculpture gracefully introduces the manufactured element. It also gives the eye a place to rest amongst the multiple textures and colors of the plants.

DEPTH: Hedges and large shrubs stand their ground staunchly. The eye quickly dismisses them as a solid mass, a mere divider of a flat plane. But imagine, as you walk past the tall hedge, a gleam of white marble, and suddenly the block becomes a shell, and space curves.

SURPRISE: My childhood memories of gardens feel magical, because they are about surprise. A small tortoise under a bush laying eggs. An unexpected red bridge in a Chinese garden. As adults in a stern world, we need surprises, like a dragon in the apple orchard, to remember how the delights of magic.

CONNECTION: By housing a man made object, the garden is integrated into the overall home both symbolically and stylistically. It becomes another room in which to express your taste.

FOCUS : Similarly, our interior rooms have focus: A fireplace or television, a dining table, the kitchen counter, the bed. Garden rooms benefit from having similar focal points.

Fountain and garden design by Modular Garden UK

PURPOSE: Water features attract birds and provide soothing sound to block unwanted noise. Carved stone benches provide resting spots. Wrought iron arches guide you through the garden. Dramatic pots hold plants in spots where they might otherwise not grow.

Photo credit to 'Ollie Girl' (Donna) at Flickr

Last, and most important:

BEAUTY: This needs no explanation.

Photo credit to Kelly O on Flickr

THANKSGIVING FEAST FOR THE BIRDS

2008-11-24T03:59:00.000-08:00

My Thanksgiving traditions include spreading a feast for the wild birds.

Since I don't grow all of their native food plants, I resort to putting out extra sunflower and thistle seeds, suet with peanuts, fruit, and mealworms.

But I thought it would be appropriate, since this is a garden rather than a avian gourmet blog, to mention some plants that are food sources for birds (and many butterflies as well.)

The list focuses on my Zone 9 habitat, but many of these are good in other regions as well. Some of the plants bear fruit which attracts the fruit eating birds, others attract insects which feed the bug eating birds.

All of these plants are suitable for a residential garden.

For berry eating birds such as Cedar Waxwings, Robins, Thrashers, Thrushes, Western Blue Birds, Mockingbirds, Towhees, Western Tanagers and Grosbeaks, try these pretty bushes:

Barberry (Berberis nevinii)

Coffeeberry (Rhamnus californica)

Elderberry (Sambucus mexicana)

Gooseberries and Currents (Ribes spp)

Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium)

Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)

Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)

Wild strawberry (Fragaria spp.)

For seed eating birds like Warblers, Finches, Goldfinches, Sparrows, Doves, Towhees, Juncos, Bushtits and Quail, try these:

Buckwheat (Eriogonum)

Bunchgrasses (Nasella spp.)

California Lilac (Ceanothus spp.)

California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)

Sedges (Carex spp.)

Thistle (Silybum marianum)

This list doesn't include the zillions of wild and cultivated flowers that also feed birds, but you can find information about this at

http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/backyard_birds/top_ten/flowers.aspx

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!

Photo credit to Jerry DeBoer

DESIGN RECIPE OF THE WEEK: HERB GARDEN

2008-11-16T02:13:00.000-08:00

CLASSIC SPRING HERB GARDEN

INGREDIENTS:

Enough ledge stone, keystone block, brick, or railroad ties to construct a 7 foot diameter circle or square.
200 cubic feet of premium planting mix
six 1.5 cf bags of shredded bark
1 8 lb bag of GroPower Plus
1 iron or wooden tuteur
2 pots of English thyme
1 pots of Lemon thyme
1 pots of Lime thyme
1 pot chamomile
2 pots of variegated culinary sage
2 pots of oregano
2 pots of marjoram
2 pots of rosemary
1 pot of lemon verbena
2 pots of tarragon
6 pots of sweet basil
3 pots of Provence or Grosso lavender
1 package of sugar snap peas

DIRECTIONS:

Choose a 10 foot square area in your garden that gets at least five hours of sun a day.

Cut straight edges to outline the area, and spread gray gravel for a flat surface inside the outline. If possible, create a paver or gravel path leading to the area.

In the center of the gravel bed, lay the building materials in a seven foot diameter circle, two layers tall (or if you are using railroad ties, lay in square one tie tall.) In center of large circle, build a three foot diameter circle twice as tall as the surrounding circle (or 3 foot square with ties.) Optional: Create pie shaped sections with additional stone or brick.

Fill circles with planting mix. Place tuteur in center of small circle.
Toss GroPower Plus on top of soil.

Plant herbs in any combination you like (but if you are using divided style, cluster the herbs within each section.)

Plant pea seeds around the tuteur. (You can substitute beans, cucumber, or a flowering climber.)

Mulch with the shredded bark.

Water well and let bake in spring sunshine. Serves dozens.

Joining

ROSES: NO REASON NOT TO GROW THEM

2008-11-13T11:37:00.000-08:00

Gardeners seem to fall into two distinct camps when it comes to roses: One group loves and grows them, the other loves and won't grow them. Those in the latter camp almost always cite one reason: Roses are too much work.

Oh, say its not true -- okay, its not true! The newer breeds are way more mildew and disease resistant, and even here on the coast, with our "May Gray" and "June Gloom", they flourish easily.

Here are a few. among the zillions of roses out there, that have proven themselves very hardy, even in overcast, cool springs.

Red Roses

Carefree Spirit (Shrub/Weeks) : Blooms from spring through fall. Mounding habit to 2.5 feet. Totally free of powdery mildew, rust, and black spot! Light fragrance.
Kardinal (Hybrid tea/Kordes) : Constantly in bloom, impervious to weather, long stemmed, light fragrance.

Legends (Hybrid tea/Weeks) : New! Massive ruby red ruffled blossoms, up to eight inches across. Vigorous deep green leathery foliage. Moderate fragrance. An Oprah fave!

Lover's Lane (Hybrid tea/Jackson & Perkins) : Deep velvety red with a light reverse. Long stemmed and long lasting, light fragrance.
Olympiad (Hybrid tea/Weeks) : Long stemmed, long lasting as cut flowers, light fragrance.
Topsy Turvey (Floribunda/Weeks) : Red, with white reverse, the petals twist into a pinwheel shape. Light apple fragrance, flowers from early spring through Christmas.
Trumpeter (Floribunda/Weeks) : Another long bloomer, covered with bright brick red blossoms. Compact mounding habit. One of the most popular landscape roses here in California.

Pink and Coral Roses
Brilliant Pink Iceberg (Floribunda/Weeks) : So easy to grow! A large floribunda that thrives both by the coast and inland. Bright pink flowers, this rose can be cut back anytime and within weeks will be flowering again. Light fragrance. (Also comes in a deep burgundy color.)

New Zealand (Hybrid tea/Weeks) : Bright pink flowers on long stems. Luxuriant foliage. Intoxicating honeysuckle fragrance.
Pink Promise (Hybrid tea/Weeks) : New! Long stemmed and intensely fragrant, up to 30 petals per delicate pink blossom. Many nurseries are donating portions of the sale of this rose to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
Ruffles and Flourishes (Hybrid tea/Armstrong) : New! Sprays of ruffled pink flowers, strong old fashioned rose fragrance. Very vigorous.
Brigadoon (Hybrid tea/Weeks) : A pretty blend of cream, light pink, and strawberry, with a mild fragrance.

Yellow, Peach and Orange Roses
Artistry (Hybrid tea/Jackson & Perkins) : A vibrant blend of coral and orange with a splash of cream on the underside. Light fragrance.

Brass Band (Floribunda/Weeks): Lovely sprays of melon, peach, and apricot flowers. Moderate spicy fragrance
Gold Medal (Grandiflora/Weeks) : Sprays of large, deep yellow flowers touched with a bit of copper. Rich fruity fragrance
Honey Perfume (Floribunda/Weeks) : Large ruffled bright apricot yellow flowers with a licorice fragrance.
Just Joey (Hybrid tea/Weeks) : Large ruffled apricot flowers with long stems and a strong, fruity perfume.
Light My Fire (Floribunda/Jackson & Perkins) New! Flaming orange-red blossoms from spring through fall. Ideal for borders or containers.

Mellow Yellow (Hybrid tea/Weeks) : Bright butter yellow flowers, very vigorous with tons of flowers, light fragrance.

Tuscan Sun (Floribunda/Jackson & Perkins) : Rich peach colored blossoms are presented in sprays that are great for cutting. Tons of flowers, sweet spicy fragrance.

White and Lavender Roses

White Iceberg (Floribunda/Weeks) Like its pink and burgundy sisters, this billowing, trouble free floribunda blooms almost year round in our mild climate.
Caroline de Monaco (Hybrid tea/Star) : Pure white, very large blossoms (up to 45 petals) with a light fragrance.
Elle (Hybrid tea/Weeks) This compact (up to 3 feet) rose is one of the BEST cutting roses I've found. Exquisite shell pink and ivory flowers with an intoxicating fragrance, they held their shape longer than any of the others in the mixed bouquet.

Lynn Anderson (Hybrid tea/Weeks) : Large, very long stemmed creamy white flowers edged with dark pink, dark leathery foliage. Light fragrance.
Paradise Found (Hybrid tea/Star) : New! Impervious to all disease except black spot, with large blossoms blending shades of lavender. Lemony, licoricey fragrance.
Tips on Successful Rose Gardening: Oh, I won't even begin to scratch the surface... I love roses and grow several, but I'm not a rosarian! But keeping it simple, what works for me, in our mild climate, is:

Give them enough water and food. I hand water mine between sprinkler cycles. I throw down GroPower Plus every other month, and coffee grounds once every three months to attract earthworms. (But we have alkaline soil. If your soil is already acid, you may not want to add the coffee.)
Give them good air circulation. Also, don't let water sit on the leaves. Either water them in the morning so that they'll have time in the sun to dry, or use drip watering.
Don't be afraid to prune whenever they look ratty. Out here, at least, I prune them in July and January, and sometimes in between if they are looking ratty. They come back fast with fresh, healthy foliage and blooms
Re: insect control : I garden organically, so I try to use the mildest forms of control. Hard spray from the hose to wash off aphids, mild soapy water spray after that. Ladybugs. Neem oil is an effective organic insecticide/miticide/fungicide, but its not that gentle and will kill "good" bugs as well as "bad." But I prefer it to chemicals.

The most compelling argument against toxic sprays, for me, was the sight of a hummingbird bathing in the wet leaves of a newly watered rose bush.

(Photo by Nyvekk 59 on Flickr)

A BIT ABOUT ME

2008-11-08T01:43:00.000-08:00

I am a Master Gardener and a Certified California Nursery Professional.

I have designed over a hundred gardens.

I specialize in residential gardens.

My philosophy is that a beautiful garden should be available to anyone, no matter what their budget and no matter what size their property.

Gardening is a source of health for the gardener and the world around us, and should be enjoyed.

GORGEOUS EUONYMUS

2008-11-06T01:15:00.000-08:00

I REALLY SCORED yesterday at the garden center. This is a one gallon size, believe it or not! A Monrovia plant like this, for only $11.00 Yoohooo!

Isn't it gorgeous? Its a Gold Spot Euonymus (Euonymus japonicus 'Aureovariegatus')

I like to keep shrubs in pots like this, but this would also be a fantastic hedge.

IT ABSOLUTELY GLOWS IN THE SUN!

100 SQUARE FOOT ITALIAN VILLA GARDEN

2008-11-05T06:41:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS

SPLASHING FOUNTAIN.

BOXWOOD TOPIARIES.

LEMON TREES.

LAVENDER and JUNIPERS and ROSES.

FLAGSTONE PATHWAY.

And it's all in a patio twelve foot square.

This little condominium patio has all of the elements of a classic Italian garden. Well, not counting the villa that should go with it. It took one day, and under $2,000 to create. Here's what we used:

Fountain: This one is concrete, by Giannini, and cost $750. But there are a lot of wall fountains available for a lot less.

Concrete bench: Also by Giannini, matching the fountain. But I have one almost like it that I got at Target for $60.

Lemon trees in pots: I used Meyer lemons, which are smaller scale. If you can't find those in your area, a Eureka will do just fine, kept pruned. Underplant it with sweet alyssum and thyme.

Gravel mulch: Classic gray pea gravel from Lowes.

Flagstone path: Its really fun, in a small garden, to create a "path to nowhere." This one curves around the air conditioning unit (concealed behind an airy Pittosporum tenufolium 'Marjorie Channon) to the back corner of the patio walls. Its only seven feet long, but since the terminus is hidden, it seems longer. And a wall mirror was added to visually double the size of the garden.

THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE BEFORE

Topiaries: Green Mountain boxwood and Blue Point juniper do well in pots.

Climbing Iceberg Roses: This white rose blooms almost all year round here in southern California. Its low maintenance, disease resistant, and has delicate canes that don't take up much room.

Dwarf lavender: 'Hazel' spanish lavender (lavandula stoechas 'Hazel') and 'Munstead' English lavender (lavandula angustfolia 'Munstead) fit into the 1.5 foot wide borders.

Creeping fig: These photos, taken soon after planting, don't show the creeping fig that we planted to cover the concrete walls. But eventually the garden will be enclosed with dark green walls, hiding the new construction.

Linking t o

SIX TIPS TO MAKE YOUR GARDEN GORGEOUS OVERNIGHT

2008-11-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

TRANSFORMATIONS ARE MY FAVORITE THING.

Faces, rooms, gardens... whatever! I am totally fascinated by "before and after."

Most of the gardens that I work with are small and challenged by poor soil, flat rectangular layouts, and too much concrete. Hey, its southern California, after all, and land ain't cheap! So my greatest challenge is to transform that boring rectangle into a beautiful, useable, interesting garden.

I have the great fortune to be making a living from working with gardens. It gives me joy to hear my clients say "I'm excited!" after we meet to talk about re-designing their outdoor space. Most clients want a fast transformation. I've got six tricks that really seem to work really well in going overnight from "boooring" to "wow, i love it!" and don't have to cost a lot of money.

FEWER and BIGGER: Pick out three basic shrubs or perennials as the bones for your garden, get the biggest specimens you can afford, and repeat them throughout the garden.
DEEPEN and RAISE THE PLANTING BEDS: Expand the depth of the planting beds to accomodate a minimum of two tiers of plants. Unless you want a formal garden, shape the beds into long swooping curves (no wiggles, please!) And if the garden is flat, raising the beds will make it a lot more interesting (plus you can bring in great soil.)

ADD A FOCAL POINT: This could be anything from a birdbath, to a garden sculpture, to a seating area. Plan the rest of the garden around it.

USE CONTRASTING FOLIAGE: Use the foundation shrubs to create color and shape contrast. Combine a burgundy flax with a rounded lime green 'Wheelers Dwarf' pittosporum, for example, or a lacy chartreuse Mother Fern with the massive dark leaves of an Acanthus.

ADD A SPECIMEN TREE: Even small trees, such as a Crape Myrtle or Japanese Maple, will make a garden seem grander. And if you have even twelve square feet to spare, you can create a cluster of fruit trees, pruning them every winter to keep them from overgrowing the space.

MULCH! Adding a layer of fresh mulch, whether it is shredded bark or stone or compost, will immediately make the garden look better. Plus, its crucial for reducing weeds and retaining water. Use the same mulch throughout the garden to tie it all together visually.

2008-11-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

GARDEN DESIGN AND CONSULTATION SERVICES

Residential and Commercial Landscape Design

Consultation re: Garden Care and Maintenance

Landscape"Staging"

Design and Creation of Outdoor Rooms

Nursery Tours to Discuss and Select Plants

Consultation to HOAs re: Water Conservation

Speaking to Garden Clubs and Other Groups

Services are offered at either an hourly or fixed fee, depending on the client's wishes.

The "Before and After" Photographic Package:

My most popular service! From photos of your garden, I create "before and after" photographs showing two different designs. You pick the design you like (combining elements of each can be done.)

Service includes: One site visit for up to an hour to photograph and discuss your preferences; up to three separate areas of the garden photographed ; a detailed plant list including quantities, sizes, and specific varieties prepared of the design. Installers are able to work from the list and the mockup photos, which label the plants. $150 set fee.

EXPERIENCE and CERTIFICATIONS

California Certified Nursery Professional Reg. No. 9004152

Certified Master Gardener

Armstrong Garden Centers Design and Landscape Consultant

Over 100 Gardens Designed

SPECIAL INTERESTS

Organic Gardening

Bird and Butterfly Gardens

Water Features

Lush Yet Drought Tolerant Gardens

Pathways and Garden Rooms

Special Needs Gardens (Allergies, Pets, Children, Mobility)

Here are some examples of "before" and "after."

Please see my Photo Album, Gardens I've Designed, For More Pictures.

BACKYARD WILDLIFE HABITAT PROGRAM

2008-11-01T02:49:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking I'd better get with some plant talk soon.... or I won't rightly be able to call this a garden blog! But before I do, I've just got to put in a plug for the National WIldlife Federation's "Backyard Wildlife Habitat" program.

Your backyard can be certified as a "Wildlife Habitat." All you need to do is provide elements from each of the following areas:

Food Sources. For example: Native plants, seeds, fruits, nuts, berries, nectar

Water Sources. For example: Birdbath, pond, water garden, stream

Places for Cover. For example: Thicket, rockpile, birdhouse

Places to Raise Young. For example: Dense shrubs, vegetation, nesting box, pond

Sustainable Gardening. For example: Mulch, compost, rain garden, chemical-free fertilizer

When you certify with your application fee of $15, you’ll receive:

A personalized certificate that recognizes your NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat™.

A free NWF membership which includes a full year’s subscription to the award-winning National Wildlife® magazine.

A free subscription to the quarterly e-newsletter, Habitats, full of tips and information on gardening and attracting wildlife year after year.

Your name listed in NWF’s National registry of certified habitats.

Plus, a really cool sign for your garden!

This could be a great gift for a gardener who loves birds and other wildlife, and whose hard work at keeping their garden safe and healthy for critters deserves recognition.

Plus, another cool thing is that the local kids will stop and look at the sign, and get their awareness raised.

Here is the link to the program:

http://www.nwf.org/backyard/certify.cfm

Now, I'm off to refill the niger seed feeder, to keep the goldfinches around now that the thistle and other flowers are less abundant...

WHY I LOVE THIS PLANT: SALVIA

2008-10-30T06:40:00.000-07:00

ADDICTION CAN BE A GOOD THING

WHY I LOVE THIS PLANT

Every color of the rainbow.

Growth from one foot to eight feet tall and wide.

Drought tolerant.

Looks great when pruned once a year.

Varieties available for both sun and shade.

Wildly attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies.

As sweetly fragrant as the coastline breeze.

Easy to propagate from rootlings.

Just so damn gorgeous!

In her wonderful book, The New Book of Salvias: Sages for Every Garden,author Betsy Clebsch says “Salvia is derived from the latin word salvare, "to heal." For centuries, it has been used medicinally. Commonly known as sage, it occurs in all forms, from perennial bushes to annual culinary herbs.

Salvia has only one request -- well drained soil. The perennial varieties spread rapidly underground, and can fill an entire garden bed if left unchecked. But its easy to tug them up and transplant to another area, or give to other gardens.

The pitcher shaped flowers are absolutely guaranteed to bring hummingbirds into your garden.

Salvia is related to mint, and its foliage has an herbal, spicy scent. One variety in particular, Salvia clevelandii (Musk sage) is common along the California coast, and will waft its clean sweet/salty perfume across an entire garden. Dried, the branches are a great potpourri. One varietal in particular, S. clevelandii 'Winifred Gilman' (pictured above) is particularly sweet scented, and its flowers are a deep indigo blue.

Here are some of my favorites (in addition to the foresaid Clevelandii:)

S. chiapensis : (Chiapas sage, from the Mexican rain forest) Magenta pink flowers, takes shade, flowers all year long. This also grows well in pots, and I always keep one next to my patio sliding doors, to watch the hummingbirds feed from it throughout the day.

S. pratensis : (Meadow sage) A low growing, deep purple flowered sage. Perennial, though it dies back in winter. Super border plant.

S. apiana : (Bee sage) A highly fragrant, slightly sprawling salvia with silver fuzzy leaves and a white flower. Dried, it is an exellent incense and is the traditional 'smudging' sage.

S. greggii : (Autumn sage) Thriving in warmer climates, this salvia, which comes in a full range of color, creates solid waves of long blooming color in the garden. Lightly fragrant, it is especially attractive to hummingbirds.

S. elegans : (Pineapple sage) Grown best as an annual, this sage combines an unusual chartreuse/bright red color combination with leaves that smell just like pineapple. If you don't want to commit to a perennial, this fast growing salvia is perfect for attracting hummingbirds in summer.

S. Waverly : (Waverly sage) A half-hardy shrub to five feet tall with pale lavender and cream flowers all year round. Cut back hard in fall, it will grow back to full size within a couple of months. With full, dark green foliage, this plant is a great space filler in a cottage or coastal garden.

S. leucantha : (Mexican Bush sage) If you want a swathe of bright purple in your garden, this salvia can't be topped. It flowers all through summer and fall, with long, velvety branches of blossom. Another hummingbird favorite For a smaller garden, the 'Santa Barbara' dwarf variety is best.

S.guarantica : (Big Blue sage) : A garden superstar! at six to eight feet with deeply saturated indigo flowers. It looks great when underplanted with billowy plants such as Artemesia, Yarrow, or the chartreuse S. elegans

And for you fans of Food Porn, you simply cannot forego culinary sage, S. officinalis . Think of me fondly when you're eating lightly toasted sage leaves tossed on buttered Portabella mushroom ravioli.

GLIMPSES INTO MAGIC

2008-10-29T02:59:00.000-07:00

Gardens allow us glimpses of magic.

As in, May I Present! The garden equivalent of a rabbit from a hat, or, "I don't remember planting that." An eight foot sunflower in the herb bed, one year. A forest of Queen Anne's lace in the rose garden, another. Always a surprise!

or...BEST OF ALL....delightful glimpses into the world of other creatures. Some are obvious, like watching the blue jays shove peanuts under your roof shingles, or Gulf Frittilary butterflies playing tag through the passionflower vine.

But the truly magical ones happen when you focus on the most minute of worlds.

One of the best bits of magic, to me, occurred when I was sitting one afternoon next to the Iceberg rose hedge. The blossoms are lovely in a mass, but individually, there's nothing particularly arresting about a spent iceberg flower. That is, unless you are a teeny, teeny wasp.

A bit of sunlight sparked his wing and it caught my eye as he hovered over the center of the rose. Suddenly, I could see through his eyes -- not boring limp petals, but rather a vast ampitheatre of rich golden pollen and nectar!

He hovered another second, perhaps ruling out the presence of danger (praying mantis? housefly?)and then delicately landed into the center of the rose.

I held very still to watch him move from one miniscule stamen to the other, taking his fill of nourishment. What a treasure this was to him!

I was reminded, yet again, of how a garden supports life in ways we don't even imagine. For that infitesimal speck of life, my tattered rosebush was all he needed to keep flying through the vast world of Wasp, to perform his chores. When he moved to the next flower, he pollinated it. A rose hip formed, which fed the mockingbird (or became a nutritious toy for my parrot.)

This is magic.

Joining the party here every Thursday.

If A Bird Can Do It So Can I, or Picking Up Worms

2008-10-22T14:18:00.000-07:00

I knew that I had become a Real Gardener when I held a worm without shrieking like a girl and flinging her into the bushes.

Worms don't have a lot of obvious clout, at least compared to lions, gorillas, mankind... so Mother Nature gave them one the best escape devices, ever. SQUIRMING. For those of you who have never picked up a worm, well, let me say that having as squishy little tube start writhing and twisting just feels so GROSS! I mean, those suckers are muscular, and for 52 years (not counting years 1 to 5) it evoked instant finger revulsion and shameful involuntary vocalizations.

(I'm sure that any fisherman reading this blog --perhaps unlikely, but you never know) is snorting into their bait box at this, but as I presume fishermen like to say, "bite me.")

So, okay, back to the Worm Breakthrough. It was a mercy mission. I was digging, and you gardeners all know what happens then -- you uncover a lot of halved worms, but sometimes there's a nice fat one that's still alive and is freaking out at being exposed. I used to scoop them over with the trowel and throw dirt on them, but one day I really wanted to move that gorgeous fattie into a worm deficient bed, and she kept flinging herself off the trowel. So I sucked it up and reached down and gently squeezed her between my fingers. She ERUPTED into a twisting frenzy and I shrieked like a girl and flung her into the bushes.

This waste of worm really offended my frugal gardener's sensibility, so when the next survivor appeared, I was ready. I picked it up, it squirmed, and I was ok. BREAKTHROUGH! I was so pleased with my new talent that I would call my husband (Mr. Squeamish) over to show off. HA! I can pick up worms!

Now that I can hold worms, I show off around clients whenever I can. I love it when they squeal and say "ooh, how can you do that!" and I think it makes me seem more professional to them, somehow.