- Author: Jutta Thoerner
- Editor: Noni Todd
How can I integrate edible flowers into my garden?
Ellen, Paso Robles
By Jutta Thoerner Master Gardener
The easiest way to enjoy edible flowers is to inventory the existing plants in your landscape. Here are examples of plants, whose flowers can be consumed, that you might have around your home: day-lilies, tuberous begonias, bee balm, calendula, marigold, chrysanthemums, English daisy, honeysuckle, lilacs, nasturtiums, pinks, safflower, scented geraniums, violas, pansies, and violets. If you grow herbs, all their flowers can be eaten, including lavender, borage, and sages. In your vegetable patch or orchard, you might find any of these flowers: apple blossoms, arugula, broccoli, chives, society garlic, citrus blooms, pineapple guava, radishes, strawberries, and squash blossoms. So the next time your radishes flower or your broccoli bolts, snip their blooms and use in salads or stir fries.
All roses are edible and their pedals have been used for centuries in infusions or oils. It is important to remember that not all flowers can be consumed, a lesson that children need to learn early on to prevent accidents with poisonous plants. If you can’t identify a plant, contact the helpline in any of the MG offices or bring it to a trusted nursery. Be mindful not to consume any plants that have been sprayed with fertilizers or pesticides, including insecticides and herbicides. If you visit a friend’s garden, inquire about their practices first before reaching for a flower.
Many of the plants mentioned will fit into the existing landscape with ease. They can be started from seed, planted as a bulb or you can buy transplants for a quick start. Annuals are fast growing and many like calendulas, violets and nasturtiums have few pest problems and require no extra fertilizer. Perennials need space to grow and, once established, are content with water, weeding and dead-heading flowers. As with all plants, knowledge of your soil, weather, water needs and a keen eye for pests, disease, nutrient problems is helpful to best enjoy your edible flowers.
- Author: Lee Oliphant
- Editor: Noni Todd
Savor the Garden in June
By Lee Oliphant Master Gardener
Q. My garden looks great this time of year. I’d like to keep it that way. Any suggestions? Linda Dunn, Cambria
A. This is the month of year that gardeners should relax in the garden and enjoy the fruits of their labors. Spring planting is complete; flowers are in bloom. Use edible flowers in your favorite dishes for flavor and color. Common edible garden flowers include arugula, borage, calendula, carnation, chives, chrysanthemum, gladiolus, fuchsia, gardenia, lavender, lilac, society garlic, nasturtium, marigold, pansy, thyme, and violet.
In early June, we’re approaching the longest day of the year when supplemental watering is essential if the weather is warm. Adjust your automatic watering system as needed. Be careful to avoid overwatering, but keep the soil moist a few inches below the surface. Hanging baskets need a consistent water supply as well.
Have bearded iris “lost their bloom”? Feed and deadhead to encourage more blooms. In coastal zones, you can divide bearded irises once flowering is finished. Wait until fall to divide Pacific Coast Irises.
Deadhead roses to keep them blooming. Avoid splashing water on leaves to prevent rust, downy mildew and blackspot. A sharp spray of water is a good way to reduce aphids, but be sure to do this early in the day to allow the foliage to dry completely with the heat of the midday sun.
Plant annuals before the intense summer sun arrives. Dianthus, lobelia, marigold, petunia, and verbena can provide color through summer and fall under the right conditions.
Plant lettuce seeds every few weeks in cooler zones to “keep it coming”! It’s not too late to plant beans, cucumbers, snow peas, and green beans from seeds. Remember to pinch back herbs, especially basil, to keep them full and prevent them from going to seed.
Many common garden plants need feeding at regular intervals during the growing season. However, avoid feeding mature Mediterranean and native plants at rest; they’re not able to absorb nutrients when they are not actively growing.
Savor the fresh taste and intense colors of late spring and early summer. Enjoy your garden in its prime.
- Author: Steve McDermott
- Editor: Noni Todd
Managing Animal Pests in Your Garden
By Steve McDermott Master Gardener
In San Luis Obispo County, our suburban homes rub up against the wilder, normal habitats of our native animal neighbors. Sometimes we interrupt their natural patterns of survival, and often times add attractive alternatives to their food choices. Colorful flowers, nubile sprouts, and fresh fruit often become more attractive to native creatures than their normal faire of wild grasses and scarce foliage. But for the home gardener, the animals may be considered wildlife “pests” that damage pretty plants, edible fruits and tasty vegetables.
How to manage this inherent conflict is challenging, but not impossible. Here are a few tips for the backyard gardener.
Most wild animals feed at night or in the early morning and late evening, so they are not easily seen. This is especially true of large animals such as deer, raccoons, opossums, and rabbits. The most general advice that can be given about controlling these prowlers is to provide barriers. The largest and most pastoral looking animal, a deer, requires the most effort to block from your garden. Physical barriers, such as 8-foot fences are required to keep them out of large gardens. Tall, wire-mesh fencing may be used around smaller areas and trees. Besides physical barriers, there are odor repellants available on the market, although some have limited effects. Check with your local nursery about deer resistant plants such as Digitalis, Euphoria, Narcissus, Tulipa, Nepeta, and ornamental grasses. Roses and other thorny plants are not resistant to deer.
Rabbits, skunks, opossums and raccoons are also pests in local gardens. They, too, need barriers. Those that climb need tall fences with 11/2 foot unsupported wire above fencepost tops so the animals fall off. A large dog will generally be a helpful deterrent, as will odor repellents. Random lighting and sprinkler systems will confuse them and cause them to look for easier places to forage. In all cases, garbage should be carefully stowed away in a container with a tight fitting lid so as to not provide an attractive dining area. Overgrown vines and ground covers should be trimmed since they are favorite habitats.
- Author: Noni Todd
The San Luis Obispo County Master Gardeners are having their first Spring Plant Sale. So come and join us in the Garden Of The Seven Sisters for the afternoon on Saturday June 22 from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm. See you there!
Click link below for flyer!
Plant Sale Flyer
- Author: Christina Muller
- Editor: Noni Todd
First steps in setting up an irrigation system
By Christina Muller UC Master Gardener
What should I know before setting up an irrigation system for my garden? Katie in SLO
Living as we do in a Mediterranean climate, water is a valuable resource and for some people it may be the largest annual expenditure in the garden. It makes sense to conserve and apply water as judiciously as possible. A well-planned irrigation system can accomplish this.
It is important to first study the site. Consider your soil type since water will infiltrate at varying rates. For instance, sandy soils hold less water than clay and need more frequent irrigation. Know which plants are drought tolerant as they may be able to survive on seasonal rains, thus requiring no additional irrigation. Take into account the root depth of plants; annuals may not need to be watered as deeply as those with longer roots. Steep sites may benefit from terracing to slow water enough that it soaks into the soil instead of running downhill. Finally, know that sun, shade, temperature, humidity, and wind impact the amount of water that plants require.
A common concern for gardeners is how to effectively irrigate their lawns. A well-designed sprinkler system will water evenly without overspray onto sidewalks or driveways. The “Lawn Watering Guide for California” is a free UC publication athttp://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8044.pdf . Gardeners can use this to determine the output of their sprinklers and learn the suggested frequency and duration to water each month of the year.
Another helpful resource is the San Luis Obispo County Water-Wise Landscaping site athttp://www.slowaterwiselandscaping.com/Garden-Resources/ . In addition to information on irrigation systems, gardeners can learn more about water conservation by mulching and grouping plants with similar needs.
To learn more about setting up a system and to see a demonstration with various irrigation components, attend the Advice to Grow By seminar at the Garden of the Seven Sisters, 2156 Sierra Way, San Luis Obispo, on Saturday, May 18 from 10 am to noon.
