- Author: T. Eric Nightingale
Planning a drought-tolerant garden can be a challenging endeavor. Knowing which plants to use and where to plant them is difficult as information and advice can vary significantly. However, there are a few simple things you can do to make the process easier.
The first task is to become intimately acquainted with your garden. Watch the way the sun moves and where the shade falls throughout the day. It may seem obvious that how much sun a plant receives will affect how much water it uses, but not all plants labeled for low water use will thrive in full sun.
Knowing the locations in your garden that receive shade from summer heat can greatly affect the health of your plants and the maintenance required to keep them looking attractive.
Note how wind moves through your garden. Evapotranspiration, the loss of water through plant leaves, increases significantly with high, hot or dry winds. On a cloudy yet windy day the plants in your garden could dehydrate more than you expect.
Finally, get up close and personal with your soil. Check its water retention by digging a hole about a foot deep and wide and filling it with water. Hope for the water to percolate through in about an hour, signifying good drainage.
Many drought-tolerant plants, especially succulents and cacti, will rot if soil drains too slowly. Conversely, if the soil drains too readily, it can be difficult to keep even low-water plants adequately hydrated.
All of these factors will help you form a picture of how water will be utilized in, and move through, your garden. This knowledge is a useful tool when choosing new plants.
When working on creating a drought-tolerant garden there are some preconceptions it is best to discard. When many people think of a garden, the image that comes to mind is of a classic English garden. This is understandable as modern home gardening and many of its traditions originated in Europe.
But England has a different climate than Napa, and it is not realistic to expect our gardens to look like English landscapes.The plants found in English gardens are often not good candidates for a Napa Valley garden, least of all a drought-tolerant one.
Many of the best-known annual plants are thirsty in our climate, as are many popular perennials such as hydrangeas, camellias and gardenias. Tropical plants, while visually stunning, are often troublesome as well. Even if they are not labeled as requiring a lot of water, the relatively low humidity in Napa Valley can make it difficult to keep them healthy.
Changing our expectations for our gardens does not mean lowering them. A garden can use less water and remain visually pleasing, lush and colorful. In a sunny location, shrubs such as salvia and lavender can be placed among large succulents such as aloe and agave. The contrast of soft and sharp textures is pleasing to the eye. The salvia will bloom most of the summer, while many aloe, such as Aloe capitate, bloom in the winter.
Many popular groundcover-type plants have shallow roots and need frequent watering. These can be easily replaced by a clumping or vining succulent. A favorite of mine is ice plant, Delosperma cooperi, which produces a carpet of purple-pink blooms from spring through summer.
Identifying plants that work in a drought-tolerant garden is easy after some practice. Generally speaking, plants with large, glossy leaves are a poor choice. These plants will lose a lot of water to evapotranspiration and are prone to sunburn. Plants with dusty or fuzzy-looking leaves are much more adapted to hot, dry conditions.
The roots of a plant can also tell you something about its water needs. Small, shallow roots will need more frequent watering than large, deep-burrowing ones. Never hesitate to gently remove a nursery plant from its pot and inspect the roots. They are a key indicator of plant health.
An important bit of information often missing on plant labels is the term “once established in the ground.” Succulents excepted, a potted plant will usually need more water and fertilizer than the same plant in the ground. Many drought-tolerant shrubs survive by growing broad or deep root systems. It takes at least a year for new plants to develop a useful root system, during which time they will need additional water.
Knowing these facts about your garden and the plants in them, as well as altering your perception of how a garden should look, can make an enormous difference in your relationship with it. You can minimize required maintenance and reduce your stress, leaving only the pleasure of enjoying the beautiful space you have created.
Next workshop: “Home Vineyard: Part 2” on Saturday, September 14, from 9:30 to 2:00 p.m., in Calistoga. Learn techniques to maintain your new or existing home vineyard. Workshop location will be provided after registration. For more details & online Registration go to http://napamg.ucanr.edu or call 707-253-4221.
The UC Master Gardeners are volunteers who provide UC research-based information on home gardening and answer your questions. To find out more about upcoming programs or to ask a garden question, visit the Master Gardener website (http://napamg.ucanr.edu) or call (707) 253-4221 between 9 a.m. and noon on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays.
By Penny Pawl, U. C. Master Gardener of Napa County
For the last three years I have been battling gophers in my garden. They have pulled artichoke plants down their hole and last summer took out my peppers and eggplants. A young fig tree had only a chewed-on place where its roots had been. In desperation I bought wire cages to plant in.
In my backyard the gophers have taken out every Liriope (mondo grass) and made massive tunnel systems. I stepped in one and my foot went in up to my ankle. I could see inside the tunnel. I left it open but it was closed the next morning so I know there is still a gopher moving actively under my garden.
I know many people are successful using traps to catch and kill gophers but I don't have the intestinal fortitude for that. So over the years I have resorted to other methods. On occasion I have put things down their runways to chase them away, including lighted road flares, dog manure and a hose of running water. I also chased one gopher out of his hole and used a pitchfork to end his life. But none of these actions got rid of the devils.
And what happens to all that soil they moved? I occasionally see a pile, a tell-tale sign of gopher activity, but I don't see big piles.
Their tunnels can affect plants by allowing water to flow underground and by drying out roots that reach that level.
Since gophers have decimated whole areas in my garden, I have started to research just what plants they won't eat. I also had my vegetable beds lined with hardware cloth to keep them out. That approach seems to be working but they do burrow around the beds seeking a way in.
I found a website that has gathered opinions on what plants are gopher proof (https://www.mostlynatives.com/plant-characteristics/gopher-resistant). It lists native plants that seem to be uninviting to gophers. I have also found a few non-natives that don't seem to attract them. If a plant is not to their liking, they move on.
Unlike moles, which are carnivores, gophers are vegetarians and live on many kinds of plants. Once they leave the nest, they are solitary animals and only meet to mate. Their time in their tunnels is spent building up their larder for winter. Their tunnels may be 200 feet long. My husband once dug a gopher out that had gone into a bed we were preparing. He was about three feet deep in his den. They dig deep and wide.
Most plants that don't taste good to a gopher also tend to be drought tolerant so you can kill two birds with one stone. The plants in my garden that gophers have not touched are nandina, fortnight lily, lily of the Nile, daylilies, salvias, hellebores, society garlic, monkey flower and verbascum, to name a few. I plan to use more of these in my landscape.
Recently, my gophers have been busy in a new area. They have almost completely taken out my mondo grass. When they finish, I will plant something they don't like.
I have started to use underground buzzers to drive gophers away from plants they eat. They were pulling the roots off my milkweed, so I set buzzers up on either side. The noise-making devices seemed to stop them, so I have invested in a few more to put around the yard.
Next workshop: “Cool-Season Vegetables: Now is the Time to Plan and Start” on Saturday, August 10, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., at the University of California Cooperative Extension, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. Repeated on Sunday, August 11, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in Yountville. For more details & online registration for the Napa workshop: http://napamg.ucanr.edu. Or call 707-253-4221. For the Yountville workshop, go to Online Yountville registration or telephone the Parks & Recreation Department at 707-944-8712.
The UC Master Gardeners are volunteers who provide UC research-based information on home gardening and answer your questions. To find out more about upcoming programs or to ask a garden question, visit the Master Gardener website (http://napamg.ucanr.edu) or call (707) 253-4221 between 9 a.m. and noon on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays.
By Denise Seghesio Levine, U.C. Master Gardener of Napa County
To pinch or not to pinch? That is the question. Pinching is a technique that can shape a plant; increase production of herbs, flowers and fruits; determine the size of blooms and fruit and even keep your garden blooming longer. But pinching is not the answer for every plant. So which plants should you pinch, and how?
Pinching is a form of pruning. You can do it with no other tool than your fingertips and fingernails, although if you have a lot of pinching to do, clean scissors or shears will save your manicure. By “pinching,” I mean actually removing the new tender growth at the end of a stem.
Pinch as close to leaf nodes as possible, being careful not to injure the tiny buds beneath. Each time you remove a main stem, your plant will try to grow two new stems beneath the pinch or cut. This easy technique encourages fullness and also helps keep plant size in check. It forces most plants to grow bushier and fuller rather than concentrating their energy on getting taller.
Basil, tarragon, thyme, sage, scented geraniums and marigolds respond well to pinching. Oregano and thyme do best when pinched or cut back to about half their length. Frequent pinching can keep rosemary and lavender to a manageable size during their spring growth spurt and supply you with lots of herbs for cooking. Cut back woody stems by no more than one-third.
With most herbs, the more you pinch, the more you will have. For a summer-long harvest of Genovese or Thai basil, pinch.
Inspect the base of the leaves where they connect to the stem and you will see new leaves forming in tiny pairs. Pinch right above that point and soon each pair of leaves will turn into a new branch. This practice keeps your plant producing leaves rather than going into flower and seed mode. Remember to feed your culinary herbs and keep them watered so they will work hard for you.
Many flowers benefit from pinching or cutting, rewarding you with armloads of blooms. But it's worth getting to know the few flowers that do not like this treatment because an unwelcome pinch can eliminate your entire harvest for the season. Do not pinch campanula, cockscomb, delphinium, dill, stock, larkspur and most sunflowers.
Do pinch annuals such as coleus, impatiens, salvia, most snapdragons and petunias early in the season to encourage bushing and spreading. Pinching encourages more side branches, which means more flowers and color for your garden or pots.
Always pinch at a node but decide how low to pinch depending on how compact you want the plant to be. Sweet peas will branch into a much fuller plant with pinching. When you are happy with your plants' shape, stop pinching and let them grow.
Zinnias and cosmos are especially generous bloomers if pinched. Pinch early to promote branching, then “pinch” by cutting flowers. The more frequently you pick bouquets, the more flowers you will have for your tables and your friends. It is a beautiful thing.
Each time you pinch a plant, you delay its flowering. The result is a plant with more side shoots but smaller flowers. With chrysanthemums you can decide if you want a few large flowers or many smaller ones. If you prefer dinner plate-size blossoms, remove side shoots and laterals early in the season when they are green and succulent, leaving only the few stems you want to bloom.
You can stagger bloom times with some late-flowering plants like Russian sage, phlox and asters by pinching back half of the plants in your flower bed by about one third. The pinched plants will bloom later, giving you a few more weeks of summer beauty.
Remove peony blossoms when they are finished so the plant can focus energy on next year's blossoms instead of producing seed. Clip foxglove after blooming to have healthy flowers next year or forego pinching them and let them self-seed. You will probably have fewer blossoms next year but potentially more plants.
Refrain from pinching if you want blossoms and seeds for local birds and insects. As a compromise position, let the last, late blooms go to seed, or identify a few plants as your seed producers for pollinators, birds and self-seeding.
Workshop: U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will conduct a workshop on “Make Room for Salvias” on Saturday, April 21, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the University of California Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. Every gardener should be able to find a salvia just right for that little (or big) space. Salvias are long-lasting, attract butterflies and pollinators and have attractive foliage. Learn how to select and care for these versatile plants.Online registration (credit card only);Mail-in/Walk-in registration (cash or check only)
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County ( http://ucanr.edu/ucmgnapa/) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
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This year has been one of the hottest on record, and next year is likely to be even hotter. As the temperature rises, gardening can become increasingly challenging. There are a few easy things you can do to help your garden beat the heat this summer.
Typically, the first sign of a plant's heat stress is wilting. No need to panic; immediate watering usually results in a quick rebound. If the plant continues to suffer, however, you will begin to see brown areas and dropped leaves. At that point, the plant may be permanently damaged and require extra care.
Provide the stressed plant with water and shade if possible. Pay special attention to container plants, as they not only get hotter but can be more difficult to rehydrate. Very dry container soil may resist absorbing water at first. You may need to water repeatedly to rehydrate it.
Regarding in-ground plantings, your soil will partially determine how well your plants stay hydrated. Sandy soil drains quickly, whereas clay soil (common in Napa County) retains water, possibly too much for your plants.
The optimal soil type is somewhere in between, rich in humus. Amending your soil with compost or manure will help change its structure to one that is healthier for your garden.
When planning for hot weather, consider that a plant does not have to be in direct sunlight to suffer from heat. A plant may become stressed if the air or soil around it reaches extreme temperatures.
Wind can also be a problem. Despite what common sense or personal experience may tell us, wind will not help your garden stay cooler on a hot day. While a breeze may bring relief to the gardener, it draws moisture from plant leaves, increasing their rate of dehydration.
The key to preventing such problems is proper watering. Where possible, install drip irrigation. The slow, steady application of water will reduce the likelihood of water stress. Drip irrigation also encourages plants to grow deeper roots, allowing them to find water that might otherwise be inaccessible.
Most plants also benefit from mulch. A thick mulch around the plant helps keep soil cool and slows evaporation. Even container plants benefit.
I do a lot of container gardening, and I water my containers by hand. When I know the day will be hot, I prepare my plants with an extreme soaking. During extremely hot periods, I rarely worry about overwatering anything except cacti and succulents. However, that's not impossible, so check your container soil regularly.
Be aware that hard surfaces absorb heat, raising temperatures around them as the day progresses. Light-colored containers reflect sunlight, potentially increasing the amount directed at your plants. These features can be used to your advantage in shady areas or during cool seasons but can turn deadly during the summer.
I recommend treating plant labels with a skeptical eye. Many times I have planted something that the label indicated was suitable for full sun, only to watch it shrivel to a crisp in the Napa heat.
Fertilizer can dehydrate a plant, making it more vulnerable to high temperatures. Before fertilizing, be sure the plant is well hydrated and showing no signs of heat stress. I typically wait to apply fertilizer until the cool of the evening.
If you experience significant challenges in a certain part of your garden, consider using drought-tolerant, low-maintenance plants such as succulents, cacti and California natives.
Salvias are one of my personal favorites. I have heard them referred to as "the only truly drought-tolerate plants" (other than cacti and succulents, of course). Once established, which may take about a year, they will have deep roots that help them access extra water when needed. The family is diverse, and nurseries offer salvias with a variety of growth habits and flower colors.
Finally, don't forget about self-care. Gardening can be strenuous, and you can become dehydrated more quickly than you expect. Start garden work early in the day, and never forget to water yourself!
Free Guided Tree Walk: Meander through the park as guides talk about its history and share information on 41 different trees. Wear comfortable shoes. Water and restrooms are available. All are handicap accessible. The book Trees to Know in Napa Valley will be available for $15, cash or check only. Tours depart from Fuller Park, 560 Jefferson Street, Napa. ONLINE REGISTRATION or call 707-253-4221. Walk-ins are welcome but you will be guaranteed a complimentary map if you register at least 48 hours in advance.
Do you want to become a UC Master Gardener of Napa County? To apply, you must attend an information meeting. For meeting dates, locations and times, or to learn more about the program and volunteer commitment, visit the UC Master Gardener of Napa County website.
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County (http://ucanr.edu/ucmgnapa/) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
Is the drought over? Not by a long shot. My well is at the same level as it was this time last year, so I will continue to conserve water. How do I do that? By growing drought-tolerant, native, Mediterranean-type plants.
I have been gardening with such plants for many years. Last summer was a test of how well they would do with no summer watering. I did not water at all over the summer and lost only one plant.
I have nine swales in my garden. A swale is a shallow trench used to harvest rainwater and slowly release it into the soil. Plants tap into this reserve when water is scarce. Swales conform to the contour of the soil and have berms alongside that can be used for planting.
Several natives that have done well in my garden are sticky monkey flower (Mimulus aurantiacus), lavenders of many types, bottlebrush (Callistemon), native iris, red-hot poker (Kniphofia ), butterfly bush (Buddleja), milkweed (Asclepias) and salvias. I have intentionally created a habitat garden with lots of room and bloom for birds, butterflies and bugs. Right now, my breadseed poppies are showing their beautiful red heads. I started these with just a few seeds, and they have re-seeded widely.
Some monkey flowers have sticky leaves; others do not. These plants are native to Oregon, California and Baja California. The flowers look like little monkey faces and come in a variety of colors. Many hybrids have been developed and the flower colors are outstanding. They bloom over a long period, survived all summer in my garden without water and are up and blooming now. The plants can reach three to four feet in height and can be trimmed back.
Lavender thrives in my garden. Last year some went to seed, and wind and birds spread the seed. Now lavender in many colors is sprouting in other areas. There is even a white one, and I guess I can thank the bees for that. I have never had white lavender before.
Bottlebrush is native to Austrialia. It can take the form of a large bush or tree depending on how it is pruned. I have a couple that I keep as low bushes.
The flower of the Pacific Coast iris (Iris douglasiana) is typically blue, but hybrids have many different flower colors. I have a beautiful white one. My Iris confusa ‘Chengdu' came from a Bay Area grower; it grows well in shade without any summer water. It is one of my favorites.
Salvias are native to many parts of the world. Every time I think I have all my favorites, new ones appear. One identifying feature of sage is its square stem. Some salvias tower over me (I am petite), while others stay low. There are more than 900 species worldwide, so I don't plan on collecting all of them. I only have one acre. Sage blossoms are spectacular, and the leaves are aromatic. I love to rub my hands over the leaves and then smell the fragrance.
I have many milkweeds in my garden. They are mostly drought tolerant, and bees and bugs love them. Milkweed is the only food source for the larvae of the Monarch butterfly, and I want to encourage as many of them as I can. The Monarchs in the western U.S. evolved with native milkweed; they lay their eggs on milkweed. Most milkweeds die back in winter and come up in spring with big, bright flowers. Their milky sap make the larvae taste bad to birds, so they leave the larvae alone.
When I visited Turkey, I saw breadseed poppies (Papaver orientale) everywhere, their red heads waving in the breeze. I also saw them in some of the countries on the Dalmatian coast. The seeds from these poppies are sprinkled on baked goods.
My two large habitat garden areas are filled with native plants and take less time and water then the lawn they replaced. Gardening with natives is a great strategy for creating a water-wise yet beautiful landscape.
Workshop: Napa County Master Gardeners will hold a workshop on “Oaks and Native Plants” on Saturday, May 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at Skyline Park, 2201 Imola Avenue, Napa. Stroll Skyline Park and the Martha Walker Garden to view oaks in their native habitat. Discover what grows alongside and underneath oaks. Learn about planting under oak trees in your own garden, about caring for oaks and about Sudden Oak Death and other stresses. On-line registration (credit card only) Mail-in/Walk-in registration (cash or check only).
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County ( http://ucanr.edu/ucmgnapa/) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
