With the mild winter were having, Poison Oak, Toxicodendron diversilobum, is leafing out earlier than usual. Clumps of tan stems with bright garnet leaflets of three are breaking their buds or it may take the form of a vine climbing into the canopy of a tree. It's common in Northern California up to about 5,000 Ft, and other parts of the West from Mexico to British Columbia. Later in the spring, small pale flowers and berries will be present. In our area, Poison Oak can turn red as early as July and begin to drop its leaves in late summer. The berries have a waxy white appearance when mature. An excellent cultural control is a herd of goats! Applications of herbicide are effective. Do not burn any trimmings or debris.

Poison Oak rash can be contracted year-around; the active compound is Urushiol. Dead, dormant plants, pets or soiled clothing can give you the rash. If you suspect you have been exposed, apply Tecnu or equivalent ASAP. An alternative is to apply isopropyl alcohol liberally with a cotton ball then rinse off with cool water before applying soap and water. Best remedy I know is to stay out of it. Good luck!

As much as we feel guilty about enjoying the warmth and sunshine, it has felt so good to get out into the yard and garden.  This time of year there are so many things to do. Some of them are things I probably should have done over the winter, like sharpen my loppers and hand pruners. Others are the usual getting ready for spring tasks like cutting back perennials,pulling up spent winter annuals, starting seeds indoors, fertilizing, perusing the stores and seeing which transplants I will put out after March 15.  All the usual spring tasks.    

This year I have some unusual spring garden chores to do that I haven't had to do in the past.  I have to cut back my nasturtiums in my side yard that grow alongside my house but are now encroaching on the walkway.  Sure I have to do this fairly regularly in summer, but never before at the start of spring. Usually the winter freezes decimate the plant and it comes back from self-sown seeds, but this year the vine looks gorgeous. It just didn't get cold enough, for long enough, to hurt the plant. 

The other task that was a first, was pruning back the Hebe shrubs that are planted under the bay window at the front of the house.  Now the pruning itself wasn't a first, but the pattern of the pruning sure was. My husband and I had to prune out a two foot by two foot area to allow the plumbers access to a water valve and line so they could replace the main water line bringing water from the street to our house. It had developed a leak over the last week or so, or at least that's when we noticed it. Our front lawn is quite sodden right now.  Of course this is just the thing that you want to have happen in the middle of a drought.                                                                                                                                                 

Happily the leak was repaired today. The resultant huge gap in the hedge is pretty darned ugly. It is nice to be able to reach the faucet and valves without getting scratched up by branches. Maybe I can find another slightly smaller variety of Hebe to fill in the gap or maybe I will choose something else entirely. It is kind of exciting to have a space open up when you have an established landscape and a very small lot.

Well it's now 72 days until our garden party. It's been a good incentive to get out there and pull weeds, mulch and fill in some bare spots with new plants, be it succulents or perennials. I am still surprised at how prolific Euphorbia characias is, I find seedlings everywhere. At least weekly, or each time I go out on inspection, I find more little stems lurking under Lantana, Echium, or in the midst of a prickly rose bush. They have the best chance of short term survival amongst a rose since I usually don't have the right gear handy to tackle the thorns, so they escape until the next time I am armed appropriately. Problem is, I do like this cultivar IN ITS SPACE, just not everywhere! I finally put in some Coleonema pulchrum 'Sunset Gold' with small light pink flowers and chartreuse leaves, this cultivar only grows to 2' so perfect below my front window.  Also put in Gaura, a drought tolerant long living perennial, with a wispy look, told to try and trim the spent flowers though to limit self sowing.  

Happy to have this journey continue in this glorious weather.

The newly purchased galvanized container that sits along my side yard fence outperformed itself for yet another season. In addition to last year's abundance of summer vegetables, I'm now enjoying winter vegetables. As you'll notice from the photos, I'm harvesting Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris) and bok choy (Cruciferae Brassica chinensis), and soon will be picking snow peas (Pisum salivum). Frankly, I can't ask for more in such a compact space. 

This galvanized stock tank works for me. Available in a variety of shapes and sizes, this container sits at just the right height for tending vegetables and means less back-breaking work and fewer insects. 

If you've never tried growing bok choy, give this member of the chard family a try. With its tasty, tender leaves and stalks, the charm of this cole crop lies in its versatility. The entire plant is edible, whether mature or immature. Simply snip off a few stems from each plant, chop up both the leaves and stems, then add to a stir fry or omelet. Within days new stalks will sprout on the old plant. Last fall I ordered two six-packs of bok choy from Vacaville's Pacific Hardware and look forward to a harvest through March.