How to Care for Spring Bulbs After Blooming

Spring bulbs I always plant behind flowers that grow higher in the spring, so one doesn't see the yellowed leaves.  After flowering bulbous flowers such as hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips in the garden do not look very attractive.  Therefore, to simply cut them off would be a pity, because then they will not bloom next year.

Do Not Cut Off Leaves
Rule number one for early bloomers is: Cut off only the flowers and the stem, but not the leaves.  Instead, let them dry out slowly.  Only in this way can the bulb gather strength for flowering the following year. This is because the foliage leaves provide vital energy for the bulb until they wither.  The plant needs to prepare for the next growing season and to survive during the dormant period. 

Dig Up Flower Bulbs and Store them in a Dry Place.
Important: Flower bulbs must be stored in a dry and air-permeable place, such as a paper bag, or they will rot.  Once the leaves have dried up, there are two options.  The easiest is to dig up the bulbs.  Then they must be freed from the foliage, cleaned, and dried.  This works well, for example, in a net, which is hung in a dry place.  Important: Keep only healthy bulbs.  Sort out all others and dispose of them in the trash, not in the compost, because from there plant diseases can spread throughout the garden.

After drying, bulbs should be stored in a cool, dark, and dry place, such as a paper bag or basket.  A cardboard box in which the onions are sorted layer by layer, each separated by a layer of newspaper, is also good.  Tip: Label the bag or box so that you know later which bulbs it is. In the fall, the bulbs can be put back in the ground.

Fertilizing Spring Bulbs
If you have planted bulbs of snowdrops, daffodils, or tulips in the garden, every year you can watch how the flowers quickly sprout and form flowers.  However, the blooming will decrease over the years.  This is because the plants extract nutrients from the soil.  To keep the plants as long as possible, the bulbous plants need fertilizer.

Use Universal Fertilizer or Horn Meal
As soon as the stems protrude about ten centimeters from the ground, the plants should be supported with a universal or complex fertilizer.  Fertilizers in liquid or solid form are suitable for this purpose, provided the dosage instructions are followed.  It is also helpful to carefully work horn meal or fine horn shavings into the soil between the tender shoots, which are usually in groups.  This organic fertilizer is decomposed by microorganisms and tiny creatures.  The process takes weeks and so gradually the fertilizer reaches the bulb flowers and strengthens them.  Beautiful flowers next spring will show up.

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One of the Best Things for Your Garden: Used Coffee Grounds

 

Used coffee grounds – leftover from using a coffee maker – contain a substantial amount of nitrogen, as well as potassium and phosphorus.  Coffee grounds are an ideal fertilizer in the garden and also improve depleted potting soil and compost. The all-rounder can also help against slugs.

At one point I drove every week to Starbucks with two pales to let them fill with coffee grounds,  My car smelled wonderfully for days and so did my garden.  I sprinkled thick layers over the soil and racked it in a bit.  Weeks later I enjoyed fantastic soil, no weeds, and beautiful flowers.

Coffee grounds can be used in the garden primarily as a fertilizer because it contains lots of valuable ingredients such as potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus, tannic acid, and antioxidants.  These are nutrients that can also be found in commercial fertilizer products.

Allow drying before use.  The basic requirement for use is that it is always well cooled and dry, as moist coffee grounds mold easily.  To do this, place the coffee grounds in an open, wide container and allow them to air dry.

Fertilize with coffee grounds

Coffee grounds have a low pH value and are therefore particularly suitable for fertilizing plants that require acidic garden soil.  Ornamental plants include, for example, hydrangeas, rhododendrons, and camellias.  Coffee grounds fertilizer is also suitable for crops such as cucumber, tomato, zucchini or blueberries, and strawberries.

The nitrogen contained in coffee grounds ensures strong leaf growth, and phosphorus stimulates flower formation and fruit ripening. Potassium is important for cell structure and plant stability. Only young seedlings do not tolerate caffeine well. To fertilize, simply work the coffee grounds into the soil, such as with a rake.

Use in irrigation water.

Coffee grounds neutralize calcareous irrigation water.  If the soil is very alkaline and the water contains lime, a spoonful or two of coffee grounds in the water can work wonders.  It neutralizes the pH and fertilizes the soil at the same time.  Coffee grounds, on the other hand, are not good for watering houseplants, as they can cause mold to form over time. 

However, mixed with water in a 1:1 ratio, cold coffee can be used once a week to water house and balcony plants.  Especially Cyclamen, Philodendron, Christmas Cacti, Azalea, and Orchids.

The benefit of using coffee grounds as a fertilizer is that it adds organic material to the soil, which improves drainage, water retention, and aeration in the soil. The used coffee grounds will also help microorganisms beneficial to plant growth thrive as well as attract earthworms.

Coffee grounds improve compost and potting soil.

Coffee grounds also find a good use on compost.  It accelerates decomposition, enriches the soil with nutrients, and provides food for earthworms.  To prevent mold from forming, sprinkle the coffee grounds on the surface, and put the filter in separately.

Depleted potting soil can also be improved with coffee grounds and then reused.  To do this, mix the old soil with compost in equal parts and fold in the coffee grounds in small amounts.  However, if there is too much coffee in the soil, mold can easily form.

Coffee grounds can protect against slugs

Snails do not like caffeine.  Coffee grounds are therefore suitable as a barrier layer that can simply be scattered around the vegetable patch.  However, this does not apply to all species.  Depending on which species of snail threatens the lettuce, it is definitely worth a try.

Many people feel that coffee grounds lower the pH (or raise the acid level) of soil, which is good for acid-loving plants.  This is only true for unwashed coffee grounds though.  Fresh coffee grounds are acidic. Used coffee grounds are neutral.  If you rinse your used coffee grounds, they will have a near-neutral pH of 6.5 and will not affect the acid levels of the soil.  To use coffee grounds as fertilizer, work the coffee grounds into the soil around your plants.  Leftover diluted coffee works well like this too.

Protection against pests and critters

Both coffee grounds and brew can be used against aphids.  Fortunately, coffee grounds and brews are suitable for almost all plants and plant species.  You can use it not only to combat aphids, but also other species or pests.  Potted plants and plants in flower beds are suitable. In addition to plants in the garden or on the terrace or balcony, indoor plants can also be treated with it.

It is a natural household remedy that does not release any harmful substances into the home!

Treatment is possible all year round for indoor plants and outdoors in dry weather.  You should always let the coffee grounds dry before using them on the soil.  If you add it to the plant soil when it is wet, this can cause the soil to become moldy.  You can spray the coffee grounds on the leaves, the shoots, and the leaf axils of the plant.  The plant may then be dripping wet, but not much of the brew should get onto the soil.

If you do not have coffee in the house, you can also use black tea.  This also contains caffeine.  You can make a brew from two bags of black tea and one liter of water.  You can also spread the contents of the tea bags on the soil of the plant.

Coffee grounds accumulate regularly but usually end up in the trash.  

What a pity!  Don't be one of these ignorant gardeners!

Read more:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/ingredients/coffee-grounds-gardening.htm

https://www.homesandgardens.com/advice/are-coffee-grounds-good-for-plants

https://balconygardenweb.com/houseplants-that-love-coffee-grounds-for-plant-growth/

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Steps to Easy, Automated Garden Watering

 

The best time to water the garden in the summer is in the morning between four and six o'clock. At this time the soil is well cooled down after the night and the water hardly evaporates. But who wants to get up so early every day?

The remedy is an automatic garden watering system that allows sprinklers and sprayers to turn themselves on and off.  Thanks to smart technology, it can even detect whether rain is expected in the next few hours.  If so, the water tap will of course remain turned off.

From what garden size is an irrigation system worthwhile?

An irrigation system can make sense from 600 square ft of garden area. The larger the garden and the lawn area are and the more beds, hedges, and useful plants are on it, the more recommendable an automatic solution is.

Otherwise, you would have to stand in the garden for hours to water it sufficiently.  Well, maybe no one but me : )  I find watering the soil one of the most relaxing gardening pleasures. However, I am laying the hose down, pointing it in the direction where most water is needed. This way I don't need to 'stand'.  The following principle applies: It is better to water less frequently, but more abundantly.  Then the water also reaches deep-lying roots.

How do you install an irrigation system? 

First of all, garden owners need to be clear about which plants they want to water and in which places.  Not every plant needs the same amount of moisture.  Plants in shade might require less than some of those planted in sunny areas.  But as always: read the labels or search the Internet or gardening books!  The key is to have a watering schedule.  You can often create that online on the irrigation manufacturers' websites.  But garden professionals can also help.

Important questions: 
How long are the paths from the watering hole to the plants?  Where can vigorous watering be used, where is drip irrigation more sensible?  Can a central control system manage this or do you need a decentralized solution?

What information is important before making a purchase?

I need to know how strong the pump and garden water pipes are and how many liters per hour pass through.  Based on this value, it is possible to calculate how many sprinklers and valves you can connect to the line. This applies to all systems.  It doesn't matter whether the irrigation is controlled by a timer or an app.

Is it worth it to run the hoses underground? 
It's not worth it to run hoses underground in every case.  It's better to lay drip hoses or drip pipes above ground and then cover them with a big layer of mulch.  This protects them from sunlight and reduces evaporation.  However, if it does get below freezing in the winter, you will need to bury it below the frost line. To find out the depth of the frost line, you should consult your local government agency that handles building permits.

If garden owners want to avoid tripping:
Distribution lines are usually laid 20 to 40 centimeters (12-24 inches) below ground level.  Then they are not in the way.

What do you need in addition to garden hoses?

That depends on how sophisticated you want the irrigation system to be.  For the simplest option, a timer mounted between the water connection and the garden hose is all that's needed. 

The timer controls the flow through a valve.  This allows you to set when and how long to water, for example, every twelve hours for 30 minutes. Or much better: one hour every three days.

A sensor can help to target the plants more precisely.  You install it at a reference point in the garden.  It measures the soil moisture and sends corresponding signals to the control center.  After extensive rain, the water doesn't come back on until the set value is reached.  

You still might enjoy the pleasure of hand-watering the soil of your flower baskets, window flower boxes, and planters.  But not please not overhead the blooms and leaves!  And don't forget to fertilize them from time to time in spring and early summer.

Read more:

https://heartlandhoses.com/can-you-bury-a-garden-hose

https://housecaravan.com/should-you-bury-drip-irrigation-lines/

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Easy Composting the Right Way

 

Approximately 92% of household food waste still goes directly to landfills, where it anaerobically decomposes, expelling methane – a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide - into
the atmosphere.  Don't be that jerk - rather compost kitchen scraps the right way in your own garden!  It saves not only the environment but also money in your purse...

You can easily improve your flower garden with compost, top dress your lawn, feed your growing veggies, and even mulch your planting beds with compost.  Once you get your compost pile started, you will find that it's an easy way to repurpose kitchen scraps and other organic materials into something that can help your plants thrive. 

Common misconceptions of home composting are that it's too complicated, it will smell funny, and it's messy.  This may be true if you compost the wrong way, but composting the right way is actually quite simple.  Just layer organic materials, add a dash of soil and a splash of water, and wait for this mixture to turn into humus

What Goes Into the Compost:

• Fruit and vegetable scraps
• Coffee and tea grounds
• Crushed Eggshells 
• Grass and plant clippings
• Dry leaves and small dry branches
• Finely chopped wood and bark chips
• Shredded newspaper and office paper
• Straw and paper egg cartons
• Small amounts of ash from your fireplace
• Sawdust from untreated wood
• Lint from your dryer
• Hair and nail clips, dog or cat hair
• Spent soil from indoor/outdoor flower pots
• Yard trimmings and grass clippings 

Keeping a container in your kitchen, or even better a large paper grocery bag, and piling your kitchen waste onto some sheets of newspaper, wrap it and place it in this device until filled up.  If you collect it this way it doesn't small.  I practice this for years!  In summer I place the whole paper bag into a hole that I dug in my flower beds,  and then fill and top it with soil.  In winter I collect it in my garage until it is warm enough to dig again.

Start building your compost pile by mixing three parts brown with one part green materials.  If your compost pile looks too wet and smells, (which doesn't happen if you pack kitchen scraps into the paper) then add more brown items. Aerate the pile every ten-day. If you see it looks extremely brown and dry, add green items and water to make it slightly moist.

Add about 4 to 6 inches of compost to your flower beds and into your pots at the beginning of each planting season.  Or even better: compost directly into the soil instead of a (god forbid plastic) composting bin in your garden.

It works like this: decide a spot where you want to plant in a couple of weeks.  Dig a hole at least one foot deep and wide.  Throw a couple of dry branches (ca. 8 inches long) into the hole, then add your collected compost items to fill it half, add a thin layer of garden soil or composted manure (chicken, cow, or sheep), then fill the hole with more compost, and on top again a layer of soil.  Add some water to moisten it and use a thin metal stick to aerate the 'compost bin'.   Should you have lots o squirrels or raccoons in your area, place a flat stone or a flower planter on top for the first two weeks to deter them from digging.  Within three or four weeks you can plant in this compost-improved soil.

Sources:

https://www.bhg.com/gardening/how-to-garden/no-dig-gardening/

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/advice/a23945/start-composting/

https://www.gardenary.com/blog/the-basics-of-composting-in-your-own-backyard

https://www.bhg.com/gardening/yard/compost/how-to-compost/

https://facty.com/network/how-to/how-to-compost-at-home

https://www.bhg.com/gardening/yard/compost/9-common-composting-mistakes-you-may-be-making/

https://gardensbybarby.ca/

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Creating Habitat for Pollinators

 

Seed and plant specialist Barbara Schaefer explains in her blog how to make a habitat for pollinators - using the example of the sweat bee:

"In early spring, insects are still in diapause (a state akin to hibernation). They are triggered to wake up when the weather warms and/or the day-length increases. Cutting down dead plant stems too early in the spring will disturb them before they have a chance to emerge."

Prevailing knowledge said it was a sign of good gardening to have a tidy garden, providing fewer places for unwanted pests to overwinter.  Turns out that I was dead wrong."  

"So, back to the fall … if I knew then what I know now, I would have done more than just leave the leaf litter and the stalks. I would have added a variety of over-wintering habitats for insects, such as decomposing logs and random rock piles".

"My gardens are not only for my enjoyment and satisfaction but also home to insects that pollinate my plants and whose larvae feed nestlings of songbirds. As a steward of the land, I have a large role to play in my small part of the world". 

I have learned that some butterflies overwinter as adults. They nestle into rock fissures, under tree bark, or in leaf litter until the days grow longer again and spring arrives. Other butterflies overwinter in a chrysalis, either found hanging from dead plant stems or tucked into the soil or leaf litter. And still, other butterfly species spend the winter as a caterpillar rolled into a fallen leaf or inside the seed pod of a host plant.

Predatory insects may also spend the winter ‘sleeping’ in my garden as either adults, eggs, or pupae. They are one of the best reasons not to clean up the garden in the fall because they help control pests. If I want to have a balanced population of predatory insects, I must provide diverse winter habitat.

Some insect-eating birds have not flown south for the winter. They are quite good at gleaning ‘hibernating’ insects off dead plant stems and branches, and out of leaf litter (when it’s not buried in heavy snow). Not cleaning up the garden means there will be more protein-rich insects available to them during the coldest part of the year. The more insect-nurturing habitat I have, the greater the bird population will be. Further, seed-eating birds will appreciate the seeds and berries they can find on intact perennial, annual, and shrub stems.

Read her eye-opening blog post here: 
https://gardensbybarby.ca/gardening-for-pollinators/

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Chamisa: the Perfect Flowering Shrub for Xeriscaping

 

Years ago, driving through Utah's Canyonland and desert, I saw this attractive, yellow-blooming plant for the first time. Later I spotted it in Arizona, Colorado, and even in Alberta, Canada, and Northern Mexico.

Chamisa or Rabbitbrush is a 2-5 ft., deciduous shrub with aromatic, blue-green, feathery foliage and dense clusters of bright-yellow, fuzzy flowers.  When grown in well-drained soil it takes on a soft, mounded form.  Wiry, white stems and dry seedheads create winter interest.  Rabbitbrush is fast-growing, reaching maturity in 2 to 4 years, and has a lifespan of 5 to 20 years.  Hardiness zones are:
5 to 11 - from Canada to Northern Mexico in dry areas.

Plant in full sun, clay-alkaline or sandy, well-draining soil.  

Once established, you don't need to water in the future.

Propagation
Propagate by seed or hardwood cuttings in late winter. Seeds viability is often low. Direct seeding is not recommended and since seedlings are easily transplanted, it is best to sow seeds on greenhouse flats. Seeds may benefit from a period of moist chilling.

Animals Food
It can be an important browse species for mule deer and pronghorn during fall and winter. It also provides cover for mammals and small nesting birds.  Rabbits do not prefer eating rabbitbrush, so perhaps the name refers to the animal’s use of rabbit brush for cover.

Healing Plant
Native tribes in the South-West made tea by steeping the leaves.  It seems to have worked for curing stomach disorders at several pueblos.  This tea was also used as a gargle for colds and as a bath for fever patients.  Ground dry leaves mixed with cornmeal were used in treating wounds.

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Plants of Baja California Sur - Part 2

 

Palo Verde Tree

Myrtillo Cactus

Also known as Bilberry Cactus, Cactus Myrtle, or Blue Candle, this is a large shrubby cactus that can grow up to 5 meters high.  The fruit is edible and sold for consumption in Mexico.  The bilberry cactus is fast growing.  It’s a type of desert cactus, which requires little watering.  During the summer months, you can water them once every two weeks and allow the soil to dry before watering again.  In winter, you can water it as rarely as once a month.

Myrtilla Cactus

Barrel Cactus
As seen in the resort gardens at Tango Azul this cactus is native to the Sonoran Desert.  It can grow to an impressive 6 ft. (1.3 m) in height and measure 2 ft. (60 cm) in diameter.  Although the most common types grow between 3 and 4 ft. (0.9 – 1.2 m).  The olive-green skin of the barrel cactus is covered in yellow hooked spines that grow on the ribs.  This cactus species is drought-resistant and gets moisture from occasional rain that takes place.  The barrel cactus flowers in the middle of June and these blooms are a delightful yellow or reddish-orange color.

Barrel Cactus

Ferocactus Pringlei
Common name: Mexican Fire Barrel - brings year-round visual interest with bold red spines and a striking green body.  It is virtually disease-free and deer resistant.  Water regularly during the growing season, and suspend irrigation in winter.   Allow the soil to fully dry out in between waterings, and do not leave in standing moisture.  Plant in average, well-drained, gritty soil.  Full sun is required unless the site is very hot, then provide partial shade.  Propagate by offsets or seeds collected from over-ripe fruits. The cactus possesses sharp spines, be very careful when handling it, and do not place it near walkways.

Mexican Fire Barrel

Dracaena trifasciata - or Snake Plant

This well-known house plant thrives in the garden at the Tango Azul Resort La Ventana, Baja California Sur. 

Known for its spiky, sword-shaped leaves, Dracaena trifasciata has also been called Mother-in-La's Tongue, Saint George's sword, Devil'sTongue.  But most popular is also the name Snake Plant.  The leaves boast an attractive array of colors, ranging from light to dark green and yellow.  Its real power is the oxygen it produces at night which makes it attractive as an indoor plant too.

Snake Plant

Hibiscus 

They are among the showiest plants in southern gardens.  The many species offer an astonishing range of flower colors and numerous blooms over a long season.  Colors range from white through pink to dark red, from yellow and apricot to orange.  Individual flowers usually last only a day or two, but the plant blooms continuously in spring and fall.

The trumpet-shaped Hibiscus blooms are typically 3 to 8 inches in diameter with dramatic protruding stamens.  Native to Asia, tropical hibiscus plants produce flowers constantly, but each blossom only lasts one day.  The shrub is fast-growing and can add up to 24 inches per year, eventually reaching heights of up 15 feet when grown under ideal conditions.  Plant in full sun, or partial shade. Regular feeding with a diluted fish emulsion fertilizer will keep it blooming vigorously.

Hibiscus

Bougainvillea

This colorful attractive plant is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees belonging to the four o'clock family, Nyctaginaceae.  Bougainvillea vines are fast growers and have stiff stems with thorns covered in heart-shaped leaves.  Their vines can grow up to 40 feet tall with support.  Low-growing, shrubby varieties only get a few feet tall and can be grown in containers.

Bougainvillea blooms come in purple, red, orange, white, pink, and yellow. But those blooms actually aren't blooms at all.  The paper-like structures are a modified leaf called a bract that hides bougainvillea's true flowers: small, trumpet-shaped blooms of white and yellow.

Bougainvillea will grow best when given enough space to spread out and should be planted in an area that will allow them more than 6 hours of sunlight every day.  They like gritty, loose soil.  For the best bloom, trim all branches back to 20 feet or less.  Bougainvillea blooms on new growth, so you can prune after each bloom cycle.

Bougainvillea roots are thin and can be easily damaged during transplanting. Water after planting and then weekly until the plant is established. Once it's established (which generally takes one to two years), stop watering it except in times of extreme drought.  Bougainvillea likes it dry.

Feed the soil around it with compost.  A 3-inch layer of compost in the spring is plenty. If you must fertilize, use palm or hibiscus food.  Adding a bit Epsom salt is a simple way to increase the health of their blooms, and is something that you can include easily as a part of a normal routine.

Read more:

https://www.gardendesign.com/vines/bougainvillea.html

https://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/vine/bougainvillea/

https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/flowers-and-plants/flowers/bougainvillea-care

Bougainvilla

Neem Trees

Azadirachta indica, commonly known as the Neem tree or Indian lilac, is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae.  It is typically grown in tropical and semi-tropical regions.

Neem trees are attractive broad-leaved evergreens that can grow up to 30 m tall and 2.5 m in girth.  Their spreading branches form rounded crowns as much as 20 m across.  They remain in leaves except during an extreme drought, when the leaves may fall off.

The Neem leaf is used to treat leprosy, eye disorders, bloody nose, intestinal worms, stomach upset, loss of appetite, skin ulcers, diseases of the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease), fever, diabetes, gum disease (gingivitis), and liver problems.  Read more:

https://food.ndtv.com/health/benefits-and-uses-of-neem-a-herb-that-heals-1231051

Neem Tree

Lomboy Trees 

Called Blackberry or Jambolan are evergreen trees in the family myrtaceae.  The fruit of this tree is called Java plum or jamun.  Consumption of this juicy jamun, purple fruit can provide relief from many health problems and diseases.  Good quality jambolan juice is excellent for sherbet and sirup.

Seedlings grow slowly the first year, rapidly thereafter, and may reach 12 ft (3.65 m) in 2 years, and begin bearing in 8 to 10 years.  Grafted trees bear in 4 to 7 years.  No particular cultural attention seems to be required, apart from frost protection when young and control measures for insect infestations

The tree is grown as a shade tree for coffee in India. It is wind-resistant and sometimes is closely planted in rows as a windbreak. If topped regularly, such plantings form a dense, massive hedge.  Trees are set 20 ft (6 m) apart in a windbreak.  Read more:

https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/jambolan.html

Lomboy Tree

Palm Sago (Cycas revoluta)

A popular, low-growing palm that is seen in most tropical landscapes.  Leaves are dark green and glossy on stiff stems.  The leaves develop from a rosette and limbs can be pruned if a trunk from Sago Palm is desired.  Makes a nice specimen plant or can be grown in large containers on patios or balconies. This is actually a cycad, not a true palm. 

Zones 9-11. Height and Width. 4-8' H x 6-10' W.  Water regularly or more frequently in extreme heat.  Fertilize in spring and summer with a well- balanced fertilizer, specially designed for palms.  

Seeds of the sago palm are usually bright orange to red in appearance. Like many large seeds, be prepared to wait patiently, as sago palm seed germination may take several months.  To begin growing sago palm from seed, growers will need a quality pair of gloves, as the seeds do contain toxins.  Read more:

http://yourplantinfo.com/gallery/palm/sago-palm

Saw Palmetto

Known scientifically as Serenoa repens, Saw palmetto is a slow-growing, clumping, multi-trunked palm that typically grows 5 to 10 feet tall and spreads 4 to 10 feet wide.  Plant a mass of silver saw palmettos under a tree.  This native plant tolerates a range of conditions and provides wonderful textural interest beneath new or established trees. 

It has stout stems that usually crawl across the ground and produce fan-shaped fronds. While most forms have green leaves, leaf color is variable, with silver to blue-silver forms.  In the horticultural trade, forms with more silvery foliage are sometimes given names including ‘Sericea’, ‘Cinerea’, or 'Glauca’.  

Position plants away from walkways, driveways, play areas, or any place where the saw-like teeth along the stems might cause harm.  This plant provides a beautiful backdrop for mixed borders and works well as a privacy hedge or foundation planting.  Saw palmetto prefers full sun but will grow in almost any light conditions. It will benefit from regular watering at first but will be very drought-tolerant once established.

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Icy Temperatures: Can it Kill Off Nasty Bugs?

Before this 2021/2022 winter, we’ve had a few decades of warmer-than-average winter temperatures, allowing some insect populations to explode.  So contrarily, this year’s brutal winter should knock them back.  Right?

Invaders from the South

It is true that temperature affects the range of a species.  We know that our warming climate is allowing some insect species to migrate north — for example, deer ticks that carry Lyme Disease (which are not insects per se, but rather arachnids, but I digress). 

When temperatures drop well below -18°C though, many individual insects die. 

The colder the temperature becomes, the fewer survive.

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How Cold Does It Have To Get?

The actual temperature required to kill off insects varies across species.  The emerald ash borer, for example, can generally withstand temperatures as low as -29°C.  Any colder than that and about half of their population die-off.  At -34°C, even more, are wiped out.  The longer and colder the temperature, the more insects die.

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Read what seed- and plant specialist Barbara Schaefer researched about this winter's effect on nasty insect populations:  
https://gardensbybarby.ca/true-or-false-cold-winters-kill-bugs/

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Botanical Gardens Around San Francisco

The Bay Area is in bloom all year round.  So any time you come to San Francisco

you will be able to admire nature's best flowers and shrubs. 

Alcatraz Prison Gardens

Surprisingly beautiful gardens, grown by prisoners and staff in an unexpected setting.  You will find beautiful blooms and desert plants even around the famous Alcatraz prison gardens on an island tour.  The best weather is usually from March to June - after that it gets foggy.  

To get there, book any of the numerous Alcatraz Tours, starting at the San Francisco Harbor.

https://Alcatrazgardens.org

Golden Gate Park & Botanical Gardens

I once spent several months in the Silicon Valley and explored Sand Francisco and the Bay Area, and most of all the wonderful botanical gardens.  For days I was walking with my dog through all the parts of this huge park, larger than Central Park in New York City. The gold rush of the 1850s brought enormous wealth to San Francisco and the city's fathers wanted to show off the prosperity of their new metropolis.
A 12,000 ft Victorian glasshouse was brought over from Europe.  A sturdy structure that even survived the 1906 earthquake.  Japanese gardens, waterfalls, even a small bison herd can be found here too.  Most flowers bloom from February to June.

Among many other plants and blooms, you will be smitten by California Poppies, Tulips, Fuchsias, Dogwoods, Azaleas, and Rhododendrons in Spring.  Summer finds an abundance of Roses, Hydrangeas, and Dahlias.  Autumn colors are by Liquid Ambers, Swamp Cypress, and Gingkoes, and in Winter Camellias, Native Ceanothus (California Lilacs), Tulips, Lavender, Grevillea, Protea, Leucadendrons, and Strelitzia show their beauty.  And I am even not mentioning the various succulents and cacti that thrive here too.

https://GoldenGatePark.com

Palo Alto's Elizabeth Gamble Garden 

South of San Francisco, it is somewhat hidden, and I discovered it only when I walked my dog in the neighborhood and saw a small sign. Officially dogs are not allowed, but the two friendly gardeners who I asked, gave me permission as on this early morning no other visitors were around. 

A vine-covered gazebo and a posh cottage can be seen, as well as the mansion of Ms. Gamble that can be visited during the week. Especially the rose garden and the wisteria garden are the highlight of this botanical jewel.

https://GambleGarden.org

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Hakone Japanese Garden, Saratoga

It is recognized as one of the oldest Japanese-style residential gardens in the Western Hemisphere.  Located on a steep hill, it is not as strong 'Japanese' as some others, but more an 'English Garden Style' in a Japanese setting and with Japanese plants.  Similar to the one in Hayward on the east side of the Bay.  But the buildings, bridges, and the pond with its Koi fish are typical Japanese.

https://Hakone.com

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Ruth Bancroft Gardens

The perfect showcase for Californians to ditch their ugly lawns and go xeriscaping! I doubt if these plants ever saw a garden water hose or can, after all the palms, cacti, yuccas, agaves, and other succulents can thrive on the occasional rain or fog.  This little paradise of dry plants is located among residential areas in Walnut Creek, east of San Francisco.

Wandering through the beautifully arranged plant areas, you may want to totally change your own garden setting - if you live in the southern states.  In fact, you can purchase some of the plants, raised in this water-wise, low-maintenance' dry garden'.

https://RuthBancroftGarden.org

Find inspiration in the many gardens in and around San Francisco and the Bay Area.  Don't forget to hike through any of the 75 parks in the East Bay Regional Park District, to admire the colorful wildflowers, such as poppies, silver lupine, pacific pea, periwinkle, and larkspur - especially after a generous spring rain.

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