Are you ready to convert your thirsty lawn to a beautiful array of low water plants? Have you had your fill of the “crazy quilt” approach to planting? Do you wonder why some gardens seem perfect in their space? Would you like to create a garden that makes a personal statement?  

Eve Werner's Planting Design Basics can help. This and three subsequent Real Dirt articles will summarize the PowerPoint Presentation she created for the Butte County Master Gardeners Spring 2017 Workshop Series.

Werner, a landscape architect and former Master Gardener, describes the how's and why's of choosing and arranging plants, with the goal of creating cohesive, beautiful, and lower maintenance gardens.  Planting design is the art of arranging plants in a garden. There are many ways to approach it, and Werner's presentation explores four basic principles, presented in the form of four questions, that lead to a great design.

What are these four basic questions? 1: What can I give my plants; 2: What garden style do I want; 3: What plant ‘jobs' need to be filled in my yard; and, 4: Is my yard ready to plant. This article focuses on question one. Questions two through four will be covered in coming weeks.

What can I give my plants: A great design starts with understanding what you already have. Matching plants to your site conditions is an easy way to create a beautiful garden with happy plants, and reduced maintenance and water use. Perform a simple site analysis to gain a solid understanding of what you offer plants.

Begin by drawing a base map, to scale, of the site. Include the house footprint, the location of doors and windows, existing plants that you want to keep, hard scape areas such as paving and fencing, and utilities. Note the architectural style of your home. Make several copies of your base map.

Observe and record onto your base map information that you want to consider when designing your garden. First, note your yard's relationship to your home. This could include potential locations of features that you want to screen or highlight when viewed from within your house. Next, note slope and drainage issues, including areas that puddle easily or slopes that cause water run-off. Finally, consider the relationship to neighboring properties; record features such as large trees or buildings that cast shade on your yard, unattractive items that need to be screened or beautiful elements that you want to ‘borrow' for your scenery.

Next, determine cultural conditions - solar exposure, soil texture, water, and maintenance – that will affect plant growth. Knowing your cultural conditions will lead you to select appropriate plant species.

Solar exposure is the amount and angle of the sunlight. Create a solar exposure map on a copy of your base map by recording shade patterns over the course of a single summer day. Every two hours, use a different colored pencil to sketch in the approximate shape and location of shadows. Use cool colors such as blue, green, and purple in the morning, warm colors such as red and orange in the afternoon. Note the time of each recording.

Soil texture refers to the proportions of different sizes of mineral (sand, silt, and clay) and organic particles in soil. Sandy soils have a large percentage of coarser particles. These soils drain fast, lose nutrients quickly, and are easily eroded. On the other end of the soil texture spectrum, clay soils have finer particles, hold water, retain nutrients, and are easily compacted. Most soils are composed of a mix of sand, soil, and clay soils with varying amounts of organic matter. Look up online how to use the soil texture “ribbon test” to quickly estimate your soil type.

For water analysis, know your average annual rainfall, and decide how much fake rain you are willing to provide through supplemental irrigation. Choose your irrigation methods (drip, spray, soaker hose), and check if you need to replace or update any existing irrigation systems.

Maintenance means the weeding, deadheading, pruning, raking, etc. required to keep a garden looking good. All gardens require some level of maintenance but plant choice and design style greatly affect the level of maintenance. Who will be maintaining your garden? What is their level of experience? How much time will be spent maintaining your garden? Your planting design should reflect your maintenance abilities. Formal gardens with many plants that are poorly adapted will require skilled care and much more maintenance than naturalistic gardens with plants that have evolved to thrive under your cultural conditions.

Once you have created a base map and performed a site analysis you will know the growing conditions that you can offer your plants. Now, you are ready to consider the remaining three questions that will be covered in upcoming Real Dirt articles. Happy Gardening!

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu (preferred) or call (530) 538-7201.

It has been two years since the Camp Fire destroyed most of the foothill community of Paradise.  In the years since, residents have been steadily returning to reclaim their town.  As of November 1, 2020, four hundred and twenty-six homes have been rebuilt, according to the Town of Paradise building department. These range from small manufactured houses and modular dwelling units to large custom-built homes.  My husband and I have been among the pioneers in this process.

The landscape of Paradise has changed. Gone are most of the stately Ponderosa pines and California black oaks. Taking their place are acres of French, Spanish, and Scotch broom; pokeweed; and other invasive plants. Lots are gradually being cleared of the invaders. Absentee property owners too have received letters advising them to clear their properties of weeds and, for the most part, people have complied. Those who have rebuilt their homes have had to reimagine the outdoor areas of their property. Lots that may once have included many shade plants underneath the pines now receive full sun. Although some plants came back after the fire, returning residents are mostly working with a blank slate.

Happily, one thing that nature has offered up to help with the process of replanting is many young ceanothus shrubs. Part of a large genus of diverse, versatile, and beautiful North American species in the buckthorn family, ceanothus is one of the most common and widespread native plants in California. These shrubs have serotinus seeds that remain on the shrub and only disperse and germinate after being exposed to the extreme heat of a wildfire. There must have been quite a few ceanothus seeds lying dormant in Paradise, waiting for the right conditions to sprout, because these shrubs can now be seen all over town.

What else can returnees plant that will do well in this changed environment?  We moved into our rebuilt home in April 2020 and have spent the past six months landscaping and replanting our yard. For those like us in Paradise and other fire-ravaged areas, there are three important characteristics to keep in mind when deciding what plants to add to a newly sunny yard.

1) the plants should be drought tolerant. California has seen a lot of drought in recent years, and that situation is not likely to change.

2) the plants need to be deer resistant. While deer are not nearly as numerous as they were before the Camp Fire, they still come through the area regularly. Unless your property is surrounded by a high fence, deer will treat your yard like a salad bar. Although deer will eat anything if they are hungry enough, some plants, such as those with strong smells or furry leaves, are less likely to be eaten.

3) it's a bonus if the plants attract pollinators to your property. After the devastated moonscape left by the Camp Fire, we all want to see LIFE in our yards, and plants that attract birds, bees, and butterflies create a beautiful garden full of life.

Plants that meet all three criteria are winners, and there are lots to choose from!

Salvias may be some of the best plants for meeting all three criteria. One that does particularly well in our climate is Salvia leucantha or Mexican bush sage. This shrub grows three to four feet tall and wide, with gray-green leaves and velvety purple flower spikes. The hummingbirds love it!  Another salvia to consider is Salvia greggii “Lipstick,” which produces a profusion of deep red flowers that the hummers also love. We are in November now and these plants are still putting on quite a show. Bees and butterflies also love this salvia. Salvia apiana (white sage) is another sage that thrives in the hot sun and needs little water. The white sage is quite pungent and can grow to four feet tall, with flower spikes up to eight feet, so it may not be to everyone's taste.

Salvias are not the only plants that meet the criteria of being drought tolerant, deer-resistant, and pollinator attracting. To fill in the spaces between salvias, try planting “Walkers Low” catmint, a low mounding shrub with light blue flowers. These plants bloom and look good for months, with very little care. If you like warm-colored flowers, add in some Euryops (African bush daisy), a shrub with yellow daisy-like flowers. These too are prodigious bloomers that add color to the landscape. Another option for color is gaillardia (blanketflower). These perennials will bloom all season long.

For groundcover, consider trailing lantana (Lantana sellowiana).  Lantana flowers come in a variety of colors and the plants are covered with masses of flowers nearly year-round. Deer don't normally eat any of these plants, bees and butterflies love them, and all are drought-tolerant once established. The weather is finally cooling down and this is the perfect time of year for Paradise residents to plant some of these sun-loving perennials in their new gardens. The cooler temperatures and soon-to-come rains will help these plants get established, and we will all be rewarded next spring as Paradise comes back to life once again.

For more plants that do well in our environment see the Butte County All-Star plant list on our website. These are plants that are suited to our climate here in Butte County, are drought tolerant, and attract beneficial wildlife. For an extensive list of deer resistant plants, see the list compiled by the UCCE Master Gardener Program of El Dorado County.

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu (preferred) or call (530) 538-7201.

Hardscapes are the constructed features such as paths, patios and pergolas that make a landscape human-friendly.  Their permanent and relatively costly nature calls for careful planning before construction.  Here are some questions and suggestions to help in planning hardscape features for your yard:

1.  How do you want to use the space?  Today's home landscapes reflect individual lifestyles.  Features such as shaded dining areas, private nooks for relaxing, fire pits, BBQ or cooking areas, and places for outdoor games and children's play can create a space that enhances household life.  For inspiration, peruse magazines and look at websites like Houzz.com and Pinterest.

2.  Consider how many people will commonly use the different features.  This will help you determine the size needed for gathering areas like patios and pergolas.  Measuring some of the rooms in your house can help you envision what will fit into a particular space. 

3.  Study your existing yard.  Where are the sunny and shady areas? Are there areas that are a logical fit for a particular use?  Do existing rooms in your house relate to items on your wish list?  How will the new features relate to each other? Strive to create a sequence of features that relate to one another, to your existing conditions, and to rooms within your home.

4.  Once you know what you want to construct, how big it will be, and where it will go, consider materials.  Your selections will be influenced by budget, maintenance goals, intended use, and aesthetics.

In general, the more steps it takes to construct something, the more it will cost to install and the more durable it will be.  Labor costs often exceed the cost of materials.  For paving, loose materials such as decomposed granite are inexpensive and easier to install but harder to maintain.  Concrete paving is moderately expensive and requires skill to install but requires little maintenance.  Unit pavers such as brick or natural stone are very expensive and durable when installed over a concrete base.  Installing them over a flexible base such as base rock is less expensive, less durable, and requires more maintenance.

Consider how surfaces will be used and by whom when selecting materials.  Smoother surfaces are easier to maintain and are a good choice for areas used by running children or people with limited mobility.

Finally, consider aesthetics.  The materials and the shape of hardscaped areas affect the look of a landscape.  Landscapes can range from formal to natural.  Formal designs lean toward symmetry, geometric shapes, hard edges, and solid construction.  Asymmetry, curvilinear lines, irregular edges, and soft materials support a more rustic, natural feel.  For maximum cohesion, let your home's style guide your aesthetic choices.  Look for ways to repeat some of your home's architectural details and materials in your landscape.

Bring home samples of potential materials to ensure a coordinated look between new and existing features. Do the colors work well together?  Is there a balance of highly textured and less textured materials?  Do the materials fit with the intended style? 

Finally, remember that well-planned hardscape features will improve the look, feel, and function of your home landscape.

For information on permeable hardscape materials, which are particularly well-suited to our environmental conditions, see Permeable Hardscape by UC Master Gardener of Napa County.

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu (preferred) or call (530) 538-7201.

“Gardening from the Ground Up,” a recent three-part Master Gardener Workshop series, focused on gardening practices that use natural methods and systems to create healthy soils and beautiful plants grown in an environment without using chemical pesticides.  Presented by Master Gardener Cheryl Cozad, the workshops explored three basic principles of Regenerative Agriculture: 1) Minimize Disruption; 2) No Bare Soil; and 3) Diversity. (This series of workshops, along with others offered this Fall are available for viewing on the Master Gardener YouTube channel which is also linked on our webpage).

“Regenerative” and “sustainable” are current buzzwords for practices in farming and home gardening that are integrated with nature's cycles and utilize natural systems instead of chemicals and petroleum byproducts to produce nutritious food and a healthy environment. Before a review and summary of the ideas explored in Cozad's workshops, let's take a brief tour through the history of modern human food production.

Ten to twelve thousand years ago, the Agricultural Revolution was the new kid on the block. For eons prior to that, humans had lived primarily as nomadic hunters and gatherers, nourishing our bodies with seasonally available plants and animals. The sudden (in evolutionary terms) shift to staying put geographically and cultivating and storing food fundamentally changed the way many humans perceived, treated, and interacted with the ecosystems that sustained them. Living in one place throughout the year enabled an “ownership” mentality (both of land and dwellings); and humans learned to manipulate the natural world that surrounded them.

Some two hundred and fifty years ago, the Industrial Revolution further severed our connection with nature's systems and led great numbers of us away from farms and into cities. At the end of World War II, the move towards industrializing our nation's production and distribution of food accelerated. Most pertinent to this discussion is the development of products during wartime that saved lives by controlling malaria mosquitoes and lice. Once the war ended, this effective chemical pest control was leveraged to protect crop plants from other insect pests.

At the time, these chemicals seemed like answers to farmers' and consumers' prayers. Imagine the miracle of pesticides when your crop was not destroyed by pests and consumers received blemish-free produce. The miracle of herbicides provided relief from the backbreaking labor of hoeing and weeding. Anecdotal evidence abounds of farm children running behind the truck spraying DDT, and rural residents and towns had the sheer delight of a few hours' freedom from the torment of mosquitos.

Since then we've recognized the dangers of chemical substances to our health and to our environment. The first generation of broad spectrum agricultural chemicals in use through the 1970s have been replaced by much more environmentally sensitive products that control pests selectively while preserving beneficial insects. Different classes of materials in use in agriculture are now rotated to prevent resistance and are used at rates of ounces per acre instead of pounds per acre as were the early pesticides.  We now know that cancers have been linked to many chemicals in our environment; from some used in agriculture, to moth balls protecting clothes in our closets, to fire retardants on household fabrics, and including the gasoline that fuels our cars!  Chemical use has changed significantly as our knowledge of these products has improved.  Although cancer occurrence has increased in our lifetime, our life expectancy has also increased as other diseases that shortened life have been controlled by vaccines and pharmaceutical chemicals.

So -- how do we return to a method of gardening that works to regenerate soil and create healthy and nutritious food, while minimizing the use of pesticides and protecting our environment?  Cozad's research into Regenerative Agriculture, presented in her workshops, supplies many answers.

Part One, “Minimize Disruption,” assessed the advantages of No Till gardening to support the natural interaction of plants and microbes. Billions of beneficial critters inhabit the soil micro-biome;  the bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, mites, spiders, and earthworms all work together to create a careful balance of nutrients on which plants thrive. Cozad discussed how mechanized farming tills the soil releasing carbon into the atmosphere, compared with the no till method, which actually sequesters carbon. [The no-till system has been widely adopted in Midwest agriculture as a means of reducing erosion and saving fuel when farming annual crops.  Ninety-five percent of orchards farmed in California now use a non-tillage method of orchard floor management where weeds are mowed instead.]  Here in the Northstate, CSUC's Center for Regenerative Agriculture promotes no-till methods, and no-till is used at the University Farm.  Cozad also explored the deleterious effects of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides on soil and plants.

In Part Two, “No Bare Soil,” Cozad looked at the role compost plays in keeping soil and plants healthy. Starting with two questions: “What does compost do?” and “Is all compost created equal?” she dove into the differences between and benefits of bacterial- and fungal- dominant compost; discussed the principle of keeping live roots in the soil; and offered examples of succession planting to utilize this Fall and year-round. By composting, gardeners can effectively reduce all of the following: the loss of microbial life in the soil; erosion caused by wind and water; soil compaction; and soil temperatures (critical to us, given the hot summers we experience here in Butte County).

In Part Three, “Diversity,” Cozad connected these concepts to the home gardener. Delving into research about the value of multi-species cover crops to soil and adjacent plants, Cozad offered details about what to plant when, and for what purpose. A color-coded cover crop chart prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) makes it easy to customize cover crops by noting whether they are cool or warm season plants, and divides them by type (grasses, broadleaf plants, or legumes).  The chart further categorizes them by growth cycle; plant architecture; and relative water use. Cozad also noted the many different purposes of cover crops: do you need to break up heavy soils, or add nitrogen? Perhaps you want to add organic matter to your soil or suppress weed growth. Some cover crops control erosion, others can attract beneficial pollinators or help manage plant pests. It's truly amazing what a little diversity can accomplish. 

Cozad peppered her review of the academic research and emerging body of knowledge about regenerative agricultural practices with examples of successes and failures from her own experiences. Throughout her talk, her passion for putting theory into practice in her own garden, and her sincere desire to make our world a better place for all flora and fauna, was clear. This passion was especially apparent at the end of the third workshop, where she included the intriguing concept of Quorum Sensing. This is the ability of bacteria, including those that reside in humans, to create a large enough quorum of beneficial cells, micro-biomes, systems, and environments to suppress disease. She ended her presentation with an invitation and invocation to us all: “You have become a part of the quorum to protect earth's surface.” Hear, hear! Please watch her entire series to learn how.

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu (preferred) or call (530) 538-7201.