- Author: Bud Veliquette
In the dead of winter, what could be more inspiring than to have your own well placed Cymbidium orchid opening up before your eyes. My Cymbidium is about 8 years old, and this year’s blooms have been the most spectacular since the time of purchase.
First, a little background on this amazing orchid. My 2012 Sunset Garden Book tells me that Cymbidiums are among the cool-growing orchids, and that instead of clinging to trees in the tropics, they are terrestrial, and grow in moist humus-rich soil. And unlike their tropical cousins, they do best with temperatures of 50-55 degrees F at night, and 60-75 degrees F during the day. In fact, they need cool night-time temperatures in order to bloom. My experience shows that they do just fine with temperatures from mid 30’s to 40’s, so long as they have some frost protection.
I first noticed 3 bloom stalks appear in early November. The pot was under an Avocado tree in the back yard, where it got filtered afternoon sun. I used periodic, usually weekly waterings with diluted compost tea from my worm bed as the sole fertilizing agent. When the buds became more mature in early December, I moved the pot to a sunny corner inside the front porch, where we could watch the buds open gradually. The showy opening of the buds started about two weeks ago, in early January, and they should remain stunningly beautiful for at least another two months. And despite recent temperatures hovering around 32 degrees F at night, they have proven to be remarkably hardy, however their location on the porch provides good frost protection. Last year we were not so lucky. We lived in Sonoma County, where the winter temperatures dropped into the mid to upper 20’s F at night, which resulted in bud die-off on this same plant.
Three weeks ago, I successfully averted an infestation of aphids on the (still unopened) buds. I carefully wiped them off with a wet paper towel that had a diluted solution of dish soap. You can also use Safer insecticidal soap, which will not damage the buds. This seemed to do the trick, and they have not reappeared.
So, my salute to this hardy winter blooming gem!
- Author: Trisha Rose
Salvia leucantha also known as "velvet sage" or Mexican bush sage is an attractive and very hardy perennial. The attributes of Mexican bush sage have been recognized by the British Royal Horticultural Society with an "Award of Garden Merit". To qualify for this award a plant must meet a number of criteria. The plant must be available (a practical attribute), it must be of outstanding decorative value in the garden, it must be of good constitution, not require specialized growing conditions or care, cannot be particularly susceptible to any pest or disease, and not be susceptible to an unreasonable degree of revision. The society recommends this sage for use in cottage or informal gardens and for cut flowers (I've done this and the cuttings droop pretty quickly). It further recommends its use in gravel gardens or gardens planted in a Mediterranean dry garden.
I just like the plant myself. Any plant that can survive, even thrive in an abandoned garden such as the foreclosure next door for 3 years, get chopped to the ground by the flipper who eventually bought the property, and return late this past summer in full glory really deserves to be recognized.
The purple blooms attract wildlife summer through winter. In fact, it is still blooming today. I recently added my own specimen this past fall. It came with a few blooms which have survived the wind, heat and frosty conditions this little plant has seen in just a few months. This sage will eventually grow in a mound form about 3 foot high and wide, reaching maturity in 3 to 5 years. Mine is placed in a full-sun location but this sage will tolerate some shade. The green-grey leaves are soft with a whitish hairy underside and the inflorescence is purple with a velvet texture. Just luscious. Mexican bush sage was reclassified to the Lamiaceae family from the Labiatae family in the 1990's along with many other dry garden favorites. Enjoy this sage for it's beauty and tough constitution.
- Author: Sharon L. Rico
My husband and I live in a neighborhood where the homes were built in the 20’s and 30’s. Over the years the street has been overlaid with asphalt many times decreasing the height of the curb. This fact has allowed rainwater to flow over the low curb and into the grass islands, across the sidewalk and into the lawn. We are lucky that the house was built high. There are 3 steps up to our front door so water getting inside has never been a problem.
The second problem is when visitors park in front of our home, they drive up onto the grassy island area and smash or take out sprinkler heads. This has kept my husband busy digging up and replacing broken PVC pipe and purchasing replacement sprinkler heads.
What to do about this problem? We discussed purchasing huge boulders and placing them strategically along the islands to prevent vehicle invasion. That is a solution we have seen around town, especially on corner property or for protection around an object. It’s not particularity attractive, nor can I imagine how heavy it would be to place boulders and possibly have to move them if we changed our minds.
Our solution was to place some landscape fabric in cinder blocks, adding soil and planting succulents (Aeoniums). This inexpensive project has worked since last spring. Drivers now “see” these two barriers and park away from the disappearing curb. There have been no quick trips to the hardware store to purchase PVC or sprinkler heads. And we had the cinder blocks and landscape fabric in our garage. Propagating some succulents from our garden was a cinch and PRESTO, two barriers were born!
- Author: Patricia Brantley
Mallow is driving me crazy! We can’t get rid of the stuff! So this year (that indicates that we’ve been at this a while) we think we’re going to outsmart it. First, since the stuff just doesn’t die, frost, intense heat, dogs, and so on, we’re going to yank as much out now with our hands covered in mittens and heads in warm fleece caps with hopes that NO seeds will develop or fall into the frozen ground. Ha! Next, we’re going to cover the ground, AGAIN, where it was growing, with cardboard or old karate mats (yes, old karate mats). Third, we’re going to plant something else on the ground as a cover, or actual landscaping, anything once it’s warm enough for anything else to survive. I tell you, this stuff could grow in the Arctic or the Sahara! Arrrghh! Mallow, you are my nemesis!
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74127.html
- Author: Karen Metz
I've always loved holly especially around Christmas time. I once hand carried a holly wreath home on an airplane after a trip to Seattle. Not wanting to do that too often, I decided I would have to get a holly tree. I found I would need two trees a male and a female if I wanted berries. My local nursery kindly ordered them for me. (Note this was at least a decade ago).
These being my pre- Master Gardener days, I am not sure what variety of holly I have. I suspect it is either Ilex aquifolium, English Holly, or an English Holly cross breed. I put them promptly into containers where they languished for the next several years. I finally decided I had to do something so I transplanted them into the ground in my side yard.
Both trees perked up immediately. The male tree which got put in the shadier spot is about three feet tall. The female who ended up in the sunnier spot shot up to five feet. Over the past year or two I was able to pick some sprigs to put into arrangements, but I was afraid to cut too much and didn't have many berries.
This year the female tree has exploded with berries. I even cut enough branches to make my own small holly wreath. (I now realize why we don't use holly at the wreath workshop, you need major protection for dealing with those spines.)
I've been trying to watch the berries, but I haven't seen any birds eating them yet. One Internet source suggested that the berries needed a few freezes to soften. I am going to continue to watch and will see what happens. Robins and mockingbirds are supposed to like them.
