- Author: Georgia Luiz
Ever since I moved to California, I've been privy to a late winter treat that I've never had before. Amidst the cast away debris of winter, some plants perform so beautifully, that they are sorely missed later on even when everything else is in full bloom.
In my garden, the green lush fragrant rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) explodes in periwinkle flowers. The happy wanderer (Hardenbergia violacea) vine blooms profusely with tiny sweet pea shaped lavender flowers. Even the lilac bushes put on a show stopping magenta array to sniff at. There's shy little piles of violets and primroses, cyclamen, and some budding roses, who are probably just confused.
They're just what I need to get motivated after hibernation.
- Author: Cheryl A Potts
I absolutely love having a winter vegetable garden--wonderfully easy to grow greens such a great variety of lettuces, kale, cabbage, and broccoli. I and my new puppy, Katie, go out early each morning and pick fresh veggies for my husband's green smoothie, as well as clipped leaves for his take-to-work salad. I greet the day, she attacks the borecole (kale) with delightful vigor, and my husband eats very well.
I start my plants from seed inside the garage in the fall under a grow light using small pots. These same seeds could be started indoors under a window that gets bright sun most of the day. When the plants are 4-5 inches tall, I begin to harden them off (leaving them outside for several hours each day for about a week, enabling them to adjust to the outdoors). Then out into my raised beds they go. As the plants are young and fresh, I make sure I use snail bait*, as I am not willing to share.
One of the primary benefits I have always touted is the absents of needing to water a winter garden. We can actually go away in our RV and not worry about the soil drying out and the garden dying--UNTIL THIS YEAR! Oh my, where is winter? I just does not seem fair. Mother Nature does not play by the rules. She makes them up as she goes along. Therefore, Katie and I now need to spend time watering instead of chasing balls and we have had to postpone her first RV trip. Additionally I must remember to cover the raised beds at night when temperatures are predicted to drop below freezing. Old sheets work well for this task.
The weather report seems to never change, and I have found myself cringing when I hear someone talk about what a beautiful day it is today-- again. Winter! Please get here before spring.
*note: use the snail bait with Iron Phosphate as the active ingredient as it is safe around pets and children. Baits with Metaldehyde are very poisonous and should be avoided!
- Author: Janet Snyder
So, I'm waiting. The holidays have passed, my decorations have been put away, and the Rose Parade has floated into memory. This is usually the time that I begin cleaning up my pruners and preparing to prune my roses. How can I think of pruning when yesterday's high temperature was just shy of 70 degrees?
I enjoy the holidays, and when I'm putting away all the decorations, I've got the idea in the back of my head that I can start to think about spring. By now, we've usually been wearing warm coats all day, watching the rains fall on our sleeping gardens, and spent many days shrouded under thick, dark, grey cloud cover. This season, not so much. Except for a few chilly nights on the town, my warm coats have collected dust in the closet. My kids go outside and play during the day in their t-shirts and flip flops! Can it really be January, when it feels more like October or March outside?
Back to my roses- I have 25 rose bushes in my garden. I love roses, a love passed on to me by my mom, who also loves roses. My ‘Iceberg’ rose (Rosa ‘Iceberg’) falling over in a windstorm is what started me on my path to becoming a Master Gardener. I look at it and my head tells me it is time to prune it, regardless of the beautiful blooms it is still producing. My heart tells me to wait, give it a few more days; maybe we'll plunge in to a real winter soon. In the meantime, I'll go outside and just enjoy the extended display of my beautiful roses.
- Author: Edward Walbolt
One of my favorite seasons of the year is getting near. Early spring is the time for colorful bulbs to emerge from hibernation and announce that spring has sprung. That always seems to rejuvenate and motivate the inner gardener in me. I have been anxious to see the first signs of growth in the form of green shoots and bracts gently emerging on my ornamentals and trees. My mom and I typically place a friendly wager on what the date will be when one of us will see the first blossoms emerge around town. The down side of all of the new growth is the yellowish-green powder coating car wind shields and streets, generally creating havoc for Solano County allergy sufferers. This year we have had an unusually sunny winter and our rain totals are well below the averages for our region. All the sun we have had is certain to develop the blossoms earlier than normal this year and I am excited that I might get to work in my garden earlier in the year than I am accustomed to. The sun has been shining for the past month and my springtime mentality is starting to get geared up. I have to remind myself that we are still a couple of months away from our traditional spring season and we could very well experience several more frosts between now and that time. Something about the sun shining makes me almost willing to risk planting some of my favorites 2 months ahead of schedule. I have thought better of it so far but if the sun continues to shine in February I’m not certain how long I can remain patient before I get outside and get my hands dirty.
- Author: Trisha Rose
Such a peculiar winter, although the calendar says it's winter alot of
color remains in my garden. The Limonium perezii, aka statice or sea
lavender continues to push out new color spikes which will dry
beautifully for indoor arrangements. The various Tropaeolum spp., aka
nasturtiums are blooming wildly. They seed so vigorously I have given
dozens of seeds to many of my neighbors this year. I never tire of
their sunny yellow and orange . A ruby red Chrysanthemum carinatum,
or summer chrysanthemum is re-blooming after a short break during the
fall. My favorite bush rose with an antique apricot bloom continues as
long as I remember to deadhead the spent flowers. A late summer
cosmos started from seed brings cheer to my front seating area. This
Cosmos sulphureous, a yellow dwarf, was sprinkled over the soil in
late July and finally popped it's blooms in October. Additionally the
coreopsis, calendula, canna, and yarrow are still putting on a show.
With so little rain I have continued to hand water about once a week.
The color from my garden has been so welcome during our many overcast
days, but I think it's time for a rest. Best wishes to all.