By Penny Pawl, U. C. Master Gardener of Napa County
Winter is a perfect time to start planning the pollinator garden you will create in the spring. Start by deciding just where you would like to put the garden. Some people have taken out the center of their lawn and created a space for a garden for pollinators.
Pollinators are extremely important to the global ecosystem. Without them, many people would starve because food plants would not get pollinated. You can help by making an area in your garden hospitable to them.
Last fall, I picked out an area in my garden and decided to line it with hardware cloth because gophers had started to pull down my precious milkweeds. I dug up those milkweeds, then a helper laid wire over the soil and used building blocks to hold the wire in place. Over the winter, my helper added various soils and compost to create an area where the plants would grow. Soil was added to the openings in the building blocks.
Meanwhile, I was researching the plants that bees, birds and butterflies love. These plants have to be full of nectar as some pollinators need nectar for daily food and others need it to store in their nests.
I especially wanted to add nectars that would attract bumblebees. I have always had bumblebees in summer, but for some unknown reason, they disappeared the previous July. This year, I found the queen feeding on purple salvia in October. The queen is much bigger than the workers and usually stays in the nest while the workers gather nectar.
My next step was to start buying seeds of the plants I wanted. As soon as the weather warmed a bit, I started the seedlings in my hothouse. I had learned that marigolds, zinnias and salvias were pollinator favorites. For me, there is nothing more enjoyable than settling down on a long winter night with a stack of seed catalogs. Our bees, butterflies and birds evolved with California native plants, so that's what I chose.
Once you determine where you want your pollinator garden you can start to prepare the area for planting. Add a mixture of compost and soil. Let these two elements mix over winter, giving ground worms and small insects a chance to start working. Ground worms sift the soil through their gut and make tunnels for water to move through.
I found that bumblebees especially love ‘Hot Lips' salvia from Mexico. They drill a hole in the back of the flower to get directly to the nectar. Honeybees also visit my garden because there are hives nearby and some of them nap for the night in the flowers.
Native bees are small and often nest in the ground or in holes in trees and other wood. They visit my garden often for nectar.
Monarch butterflies need native milkweed to raise new generations so I grow two or three different native milkweeds in my pollinator bed. Some milkweeds come back from the roots, so you plant once and they continue to produce.
Sunflowers are always a good choice. I experimented with a Mexican sunflower with small flowers using seeds I bought online. Birds and squirrels are especially fond of sunflowers so plant a variety. I added more flowering plants to the mix, and as the flowers formed seeds, I plucked them and saved the seed.
Before I planted anything, I had a one gallon-per-hour drip line laid in the bed. Once plants got established, I watered once a week. Native plants don't require a lot of water, so that schedule was sufficient. For fertilizer, I used sifted worm compost which has all the trace elements plants need.
Above all, make your pollinator garden your own creation, with plants that you love and that they will, too. The pollinators will be grateful.
Next workshop: “Citrus: Preserve It, Serve It” on Thursday, January 16, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the University of California Cooperative Extension, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. Presented by UC Master Food Preservers. For more details and online registration call 707-253-4221 or visit http://napamg.ucanr.edu.
The UC Master Gardeners of Napa County 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.
Flowers in the spring make me happy. When my grandmother was alive, she often had cut flowers from her garden on the piano, arranged in a vase that belonged to my great-grandmother. I have wanted to recreate the serenity of that picture in my mind. So when I get seed magazines early in February, I dutifully look over the vegetables and herbs that make up the majority of my garden, but it's the flower varieties that are my true delight.
The dictionary defines an ornamental as a plant grown for its beauty rather than for use. But ornamental flowers do have an important use. They attract pollinators. Ornamental plants and flowers, especially native plants, have evolved over time with the pollinators that visit them as they transfer pollen from one flower to another. And, of course, the pollinators get energizing nectar at the same time.
So while my husband may consider my ornamental plants an indulgence, I justify my effort to help them grow and succeed since they serve a critical purpose. I even tuck the occasional ornamental plant among my edibles.
Ornamentals thrive in the same conditions that most vegetables need. They like loamy soil, sufficient water to keep the soil from drying out, and sun for at least six hours a day. Good drainage helps—a sloped site is great—and they welcome a yearly application of compost. Some ornamentals need staking or trellising to support their growth.
So-called native ornamentals are the ones that thrive in our Mediterranean-type climate of rainy winters and dry summers. They may have originated in western Africa, Australia or around the Mediterranean Sea. They have had a long time to interact with pollinators such as bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, moths or bats. This long association creates the symbiosis that secures the continued presence of that species. The California Native Plant Society has a good selection of these native ornamental plants and flowers and conducts a plant sale twice a year in Napa.
One of my favorite native plants that blooms as early as February and continues through summer is the Ceanothus ‘Dark Star' (California wild lilac). It is an evergreen perennial shrub. This plant is extremely drought tolerant and thrives with little watering after the first year. This species can be seen on the east side of Highway 29 south of Trancas Street in Napa. The blooms are blue and blue-purple, and some varieties reach eight feet tall by eight feet wide.
Another favorite native of mine is Ribes sanguineum (red-flowering currant), which is a deciduous perennial shrub. It ranges from 5 to 12 feet tall and wide. It grows well in partial to deep shade, and it tolerates clay soil. It blooms from January to March, providing food for bees early in the year. Birds are attracted to the blue-black berries in the fall. The flowers are deep pink to red, and the leaves resemble maple leaves.
A third ornamental that I enjoy is the dahlia in its many varieties. It is a perennial grown from tuberous roots. About a month before planting dahlia tubers in spring, add a generous amount of compost to the bed. Dahlias are wonderfully diverse. Blooms may be single or double and in shapes such as pompom, ball and orchid. Height ranges from one foot to more than seven feet, with blossoms ranging from two to twelve inches across and un all colors but true blue. Dahlias prefer full sun and do best with staking or caging and moderate watering. Their strong stems can hold the flowers erect even after cutting.
Zinnias are another long-time favorite of mine. They have colorful round flowers; the “elegans” species is the most common. Zinnias may be annuals or perennials. They like full sun and need regular watering. You can grow them from seed or nursery starts, but they don't benefit from being planted too early. The plants bloom until October or the first frost. They are prone to powdery mildew if subjected to cool, foggy or damp weather. These warm-weather plants have strong stems and long-lasting blooms. Cut flowers can last up to a week.
Now, where did I put my great grandmother's vase last fall?
Workshop: The U.C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will host a workshop on “Garden Basics 2: Ornamentals & Flowers” on SATURDAY, April 22, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the University of California Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. The workshop will showcase dozens of blooming ornamentals. Tips for grouping plants with similar growing requirements, good selections for our Mediterranean climate, flowers for pollinators, growing flowers from seed, best-performing perennials for Napa County and the use of structural plants to define your garden will complete the morning discussion. In the afternoon, visit a local garden that features ornamentals. Bring a sack lunch and please wear walking shoes and clothes appropriate for outdoors.Online registration (credit card only); Mail-in registration (check only or drop off cash payment)
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.
Bringing some cheery summer color to your garden is fun and easy. Your favorite nursery, garden center or farmers' market can give you a head start with six-packs and four-inch pots of summer annuals and flowering perennials. Healthy, blooming (or almost-blooming) flowers can change the tone of a porch or deck in a moment.
Pair cool pink and warm coral impatiens with deep blue lobelia to brighten up hanging baskets or pots on shady porches. My summer favorite is a solid bed of cobalt-blue lobelia, providing a cool visual oasis on hot days.
For a different look, azure-blue fountain lobelia produces cascades of flowers on bright green foliage for window boxes and pots. The softer ‘Cambridge Blue' lobelia adds to the palette of summer blues. Bright white and deep cherry-colored lobelia offer even more shade choices for our hot Napa Valley summers.
Choose healthy young plants that are not root-bound and still have some unopened blossoms. With good potting soil, an occasional feeding with diluted fish and kelp emulsion, daily watering and regular deadheading or pinching, lobelia and impatiens will provide color until autumn frost.
Consider colorful but flowerless foliage for shady spots. Light-colored coleus, in all its riotous combinations, grows larger leaves in lightly shaded areas. Leaf color ranges from pink and cerise to salmon and chartreuse. Plant a single coleus in a pot for living art, a whole bed in one dramatic leaf color combination, or a chaotic yet harmonious mix of many varieties.
This year I am experimenting with climbing vines. Climbing Black-eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata) has blossoms like regular bushy Black-eyed Susan but grows five to six feet, quickly covering fence posts and pillars. With fuzzy green leaves and bright yellow-orange daisy-like blooms and big black centers, these vines will, I hope, climb up and cover my front-porch pillars. We are dragging the rocking chairs onto the porch and waiting for the show. Another plus: the blossoms are attractive to butterflies and other pollinators.
Another old-fashioned vine I am planting for the first time is cardinal climber (Ipomoea x multifida). This prolific vine can grow up to 20 feet in one season, completely covering a fence or trellis with five-fingered green leaves and deep-throated cardinal-red flowers. My expectation is that cardinal climber will cover a plain fence and tempt our pollinator friends.
In large or small plantings, white, lavender or pink alyssum will soften and blend areas of color while its sweet honey scent attracts bees and other pollinators. Pair velvety deep-purple petunias with knee-high yellow, orange and red butterfly cosmos for a cheerful porch view or walk.
Carnations, Sweet William and the old-fashioned plants known as pinks, all members of the Dianthus family, can be transplanted now for fragrant cut flowers later. You can also sow or transplant sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) this month. They range from knee high to as tall as an elephant's eye, so you have plenty of choice.
If you have a little space and more time, sow seeds of some flowers now, then again in a month or so. This staggered sowing will produce blooms from early summer until the first frost. In a sunny patch, weeded and watered, try some cheery cosmos or warm-toned marigolds (Tagetes). The ethereal blue love-in-a-mist (Nigella) is also a speedy grower; sow it successively to extend the bloom time. Enjoy the whimsical flowers, then the papery pods and flavorful seeds.
For hot, dry areas, four o'clocks (Mirabilis jalapa) are amazing. Also called marvel of Peru, four o'clocks have large, black bead seeds and bright blossoms in deep pink, sunny yellow, snowy white and carnival stripes. These two- to three-foot plants can survive in the cracks between concrete if they get off to a strong start with spring rains or an attentive hose. Four o'clocks hit their stride in the late afternoon and evening, when their distinctive fragrance wafts through the garden.
Zinnias (Zinnia elegans) win for splashy summer color and endless color choices. Tiny ‘Thumbelina' zinnias in soft pink, yellow and orange are perfect for small pots and pathway borders. Consider ‘Moulin Rouge', a selection of three different tall reds; the popular chartreuse-green ‘Envy';' or the mixed circus colors of ‘Cut and Come Again'. And here's the wonderful thing about zinnias and so many summer flowers: the more blossoms you cut, the more they will grow.
Workshops: U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will conduct a workshop on “Home Composting” at American Canyon Senior Center, 2185 Elliott Drive, on Wednesday, May 18, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Learn the basics of backyard composting and how to turn your yard waste and kitchen scraps into a rich soil amendment or mulch. Learn about tools, techniques and bin types. Register online at www.cityofnapa.org/compost. Or pick up a registration form at the Master Gardeners' office (address below). No phone registration. Directions will be sent when your registration is complete.
U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will conduct a workshop on “Growing Ornamentals and Flowers” on Saturday, May 21, from 10 a.m. to noon, at Mid-City Nursery, 3635 Broadway, American Canyon. Learn about the maintenance and care of ornamentals. Master Gardeners will discuss hydrozoning, how to plant for seasonal color year round, and how to encourage pollinators in your garden. 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.