- Author: Lorie Hammond
I often rambleYolo County preserves. Since being in Master Gardener training, I have become a better observer, noticing the startling seasonal changes. I have also become a better inquirer, asking questions about what I see.
My most recent query has been about the valley oak, the lead plant in our Yolo County ecosystem. Why, I wonder, do these majestic trees spread their arms so wide and have such baroque, curvy branches, when many other trees go straight up?
To answer this question, I reached out to Michael Jones, PhD, a scientist at UC Oaks. He replied: “My thoughts are that as one of the fastest growing native oak species, each branch is in a race to reach as much light as possible to maximize photosynthetic capacity. Since oaks with lots of space like to grow out, as well as up, I imagine the branches are trying to extend faster than their neighbors and as they reach something that impedes their pathway (like other branches), they redirect growth around that object…They are (also) dealing with gravity and as those long lateral and heavy branches keep extending out, we might be seeing some of the curves and curls as changes in direction to account for the effects of gravity.”
We are lucky to have many oak preserves in the Davis area. Hope to see you there!
UC Davis Arboretum and Public Gardens- This beautiful, curated garden is entered at the east through the Gateway Garden at First and D Streets or at the west at the Peter J. Shields Oak Grove, 1 Garrod Drive.
Putah Creek Reserve: This 640-acre natural riparian ecosystem borders Putah Creek south of UCD. One access point is the Fire Ring Picnic Grounds. Take Hutchison Drive to Hopkins Road, then turn south until the road dead ends at Putah Creek.
UC Oaks: https://oaks.cnr.berkeley.edu
- Author: Joy Humphrey
I planted bulbs for the first time this year. I'm not sure why I never did this before, especially since my first “Aha!” moment of plant growing came from a pot of crocus bulbs I received when I was 11. I had no faith that they would flower—I barely even knew what they were--but when they actually did, I thought in amazement, “It works!” I can still feel the thrill I experienced over that small miracle some 50 years later. But I never thought to repeat that experience when I started to garden as an adult. Perhaps that's because, having lived most of my life in Southern California, I wasn't surrounded by bulb-heavy neighborhood gardens. But last year, experiencing my first spring as a Northern Californian, I was delighted to see bulbs popping up everywhere. I must have said, “Look at those daffodils!” about one thousand times. If my husband ever rolled his eyes, I never saw it; I was looking at the daffs.
This spring it was my turn. So I ordered bulbs online, and in January, I set out to plant them in various containers around my garden. In my mind, I had about 35 bulbs. In reality, I had 127. Not sure how that happened, but I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who has lost count of what was in her online cart. I planted three cultivars of daffodils (Narcissus), hyacinths (Hyacinthus) in white and all shades of blue, grape hyacinths (Muscari), and tulips (Tulipa) in all the colors. And I planted 12 crocus.
I experienced the same thrill I had as a child when I saw the leaves of the first bulbs push through the soil. With every flower that bloomed, I thought in amazement, “It works!” As I write this, I still have a few daffodils and grape hyacinths brightening the landscape, a hyacinth here and there standing stoutly and providing me with wonderful fragrance, and the tulips are just coming into their own. My crocus bulbs, for whatever mysterious reason, have only recently pushed out their leaves and have yet to bloom. User error? Maybe. But regardless, they are giving me the gift of anticipation. The 11-year-old in me can't wait to see if it works.
- Author: Kelly Mae Heroux
We gardeners love our gardens for more than just their visual beauty. Gardening provides opportunity to engage with nature, creativity, and purpose. It connects us to the seasons, to the scheme of generation, to time. We cherish the fruits they bear, the bouquets they offer, and still so much more.
My parents have a memorial garden. It is not for fruit nor bouquet, but rather reflection and remembrance. You enter through a trellised gateway and follow a winding path of pavers to a bench at the far end. There's a big forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia) at the gate and clusters of astilbe (Astilbe chinensis) and sedum (Hylotelephium spectabile) throughout. There are also a lot of bulbs and rhizomes, some of which, with the forsythia, are the first to bloom in spring, a welcomed burst of color against the winter-worn landscape.
Today, the grape hyacinths my mom and I planted in the memorial garden are a deep, bold purple against muted brown. A poignant symbol of life's enduring cycles. When these bulbs divide, the offsets are sometimes called daughter-bulbs, echoing the timeless connection between generations. In a few days, we will place my grandmother's ashes in the garden, her memory joining its ever-growing tapestry. The gifts in the garden, like life, are seemingly endless.
- Author: Peggy Smith
Here's something for fun and to do, it can easily convince you that you truly have a green thumb. Do you have a favorite plant that's getting old and woody, does your friend or neighbor have a plant that you would dearly love to grow but can't find it anywhere? Here's a simple method to propagate a new plant.
Salvia ‘Anthony Parker' (a cross between Salvia leucantha 'Midnight' x Salvia elegans, Pineapple sage) and is an all-time favorite at Central Park Gardens in Davis which is one of the local gardens where the Yolo County Master Gardeners volunteer. (https://www.centralparkgardens.org/ ). This wonderful shrub is loved by native and domesticated bees, hummingbirds and other pollinators from July/ August, through the colder garden quiet time when there is less bloom, all the way to January/February. It was an accidental find by Frances Parker, a South Carolina garden designer. Frances rescued the young seedling from her lawn just ahead of the mower and named it for her young grandson, Anthony, who was 1 year old at the time.
Here's what we did, we were well pleased with our propagation success from Salvia 'Anthony Parker'. Here it is in its blooming glory - lasting from July to February. Last summer we placed a few soil-filled 1-gallon pots under the foliage and pinned some branches, (they need to be pliable so as not to break) to the soil surface with irrigation staples making sure a node was in contact with the soil and 'voila' ... more Salvia 'Anthony Parker' healthy, thriving plants. We kept the pots moist but not soggy. When winter pruning we also found a couple of self-propagation plants developing.
Many plants can be propagated by this layering technique. One major benefit of this method is that you do not need to cut the stem attached to the ‘mother plant' before you have a well-established new plant. The healthy plant does all the work and supports the growth until new roots and shoots develop for the new plant.
This, like many salvias, is a great addition to a waterwise pollinator garden. It thrives on benign neglect and when established will continue to bloom through the heat with watering about every two weeks. The only care it needs is to be cut back fairly heavily when the blooms finish.
- Author: Christie Mesias
The warming weather of spring heralds the sprouting of the garden. And though you may have meticulously planned your vegetable and flower garden, not everything that sprouts will be welcomed. Thus, it is helpful to be able to identify and manage some common weeds found in the home garden.
A weed known by many names (bedstraw, cleavers, Velcro plant), Catchweed (Galium aparine) is native to North America and can be found all over California. It is easily identifiable by its oblong whorled leaves and its “sticky” nature due to the hairs on the plant.Catchweed is a common weed in the home garden and can be easily controlled if hand hoed or pulled up before the plant goes to flower. However, if left to mature to flowering,Catchweed will spread seeds easily. Mulching will inhibit the emergence of seedlings, though further management will be required throughout the season.
Common Mallow (Malva parviflora), is most easily managed when still young, as the plant develops a tap root that can be difficult to pull when the soil is dry or impacted. Common mallow seedlings can be identified by its heart shaped cotyledons, or slightly ruffled and round broad leaves. The seedlings can be either pulled or hoed, while mature plants will need to be fully pulled to prevent the plant from resprouting from the taproot.
Prickly Lettuce (Lactuca serriola) will get its start in the winter months, maturing later in the summer. Throughout spring, prickly lettuce will appear as a basal rosette and can be easily pulled from the base of the plant. If left to mature, prickly lettuce will send up flower stalks and the plant develops spines along the leaves of the plant. Be sure to wear gloves to protect your hands if pulling mature plants.
Foxtails (Setaria spp.) are an especially troublesome plant for gardeners with pets. When the grass goes to seed, it produces barbed seed heads that can become lodged in your pet's nose. This typically requires veterinary assistance to remove. It's important to manage this plant early on before it can go to seed. Young plants will grow parallel to the ground and can be easily pulled up.
For further information, the University of California's Integrated Pest Management System has a helpful online tool that will walk you through the steps of weed identification and management strategies. In most cases, hand pulling or hoeing before the onset of seeds is the most effective management strategy.
