Adventures both in and out of the garden.
Northern California had a slight warm up mid-Feb. Still no rain in sight. Now the temp has dipped to high 20s to low 30s at night! The plants were fooled by the warm up. Daphne is one of my all time fav’s for the scent and its ability to brighten up a shady spot when not much is in bloom.
It's been too long since I've written in my blog. So much has happened. My neighborhood, my home, my garden and temporarily my livelihood all disappeared so quickly on the night of the fire, October 8/9, 2017. My entire neighborhood disappeared. Lives were gone. Getting through the shock, horror, and all the emotions that accompany a devastating loss is very time consuming. The rebound is very slow, like walking in deep mud. But I'm determined to keep moving forward. I am actively designing. And, I have taken out every little thing that has sprouted out of the ashes to our temporary home in hopes that someday I can create a memorial garden. Appreciate your lives today, go walk in a garden or the woods. Breathe the fresh air. Enjoy your surroundings!
Karen
Whether you are tending the tiniest patio or the grandest estate, gardening is one of life's greatest pleasures.
No matter what sun or soil type, there are many beautiful Mediterranean and California native plants to add to your garden with long-lasting blooms. Plants can have interesting foliage such as green, silver, and red foliage which helps break up the monotony of only green in the garden, providing a unique twist of color. I also like playing with plants that have unique texture to them as well.
The California natives require little supplemental irrigation, once they are established. I enjoy bringing nature into my garden so using natives allows birds, butterflies and bees to utilize the plants you have provided for them.
I invite you to consult me on any type of garden you desire whether that be a formal, informal, cottage, wild, jungle, or meadow arrangement. My aim is to create a garden for those who really do want something special for their outdoor world at home.
After spring’s luscious garden color popping and growth glory, the summer garden settles in to both production and reclusive habit. Our Zone 14 (sunset) 9 (USDA) mornings trend in grey and cool, while afternoons are sunny warm, a lot of the time super hot. Temperatures do fluctuate despite expert predictions.
For those of you who are enthusiastic gardeners, you still go out in the garden doing all the chores you can maybe between heat bouts. I still garden daily regardless of the temps. I have found through the years of both drought in California and continual drought in Las Vegas, that trimming a plant back helps it live through heat and drought only because there’s less mass to keep hydrated. There are many plants that do not like trimming or can handle very little, but there are many that can handle a nice cut, trim, thin and then they almost go summer dormant but then recover nicely.
For example, If your bearded iris clumps haven’t bloomed well for a year or two, and the clump is pretty large, chances are it’s too crowded and needs to be renovated. Do you have climbing roses? The best time to perform major pruning (removing one or more canes) on a climber is right after it has finished flowering, in early summer. The strong new canes that sprout afterward will then have time to mature and produce roses the next year. I've even trimmed my California Lilacs! And so it goes. And don’t forget to mulch mulch mulch!
Note- the photo is one of my designs where the client had hot sunny southwest exposure.
Happy gardening!
I get so excited with the first sign of spring. New beginnings, the garden awakens, and new plantings emerge. When the soil is moist, its the best time to dig. Even if you may consider future plantings, dig when opportunity is ripe. It not only saves labor later, also water. I think amidst all the talk of drought, we should live in a constant state of water conservancy. Living in Las Vegas for many years made me pay attention to this precious commodity. So, winter usually being that time for prepping; spring can also be the time to consider switching out water hungry plants for more xeric options.
Happy gardening!
Whether you are tending the tiniest patio or a large swath of land, gardening is one of life's greatest pleasures, in my humble opinion.
No matter what your space, daily dose of sunlight or soil type, there are so many types of beautiful Mediterranean and California native plants can fill your garden with months of long-lasting blooms. Many also offer attractive foliage in shades of green, silver, red, bronze and blue, providing a captivating interplay of color, contrast and texture.
My designs typically include trees, shrubs and perennials that are well suited to our seasonal cycle of warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Well, let's hope it's wet this winter for the poor thirsty California soil.
The drought tolerant plants picked for an appropriate gardening zone, require a low amount of supplemental irrigation. They can be relatively pest and disease free, without heavy doses of chemicals. They are child and pet friendly. And they support wildlife -- especially birds and butterflies. It's wonderful to see the wildlife flock to a new garden where there was little or none before..
Whether you desire a formal arrangement, wild, Mediterranean meadow, an informal, cottage-style garden, a quaint, garden spot, a soothing view of greenery, or you prefer the open light spattering of plants, I will design an inviting outdoor living space that's just right for you.
