Bear at Home

OK, let me clarify. I am not suggesting you pick Mrs. Brown’s prized begonias. What I am suggesting is that you take a look around the neighborhood to get ideas as to what works where. It is likely that you and your neighbor’s share similar soil conditions and weather patterns. Your plants will likely thrive if you take note where things are placed in your neighbor’s yard.

I had a bougainvillea that was just miserable. It was because I had placed it where I wanted it instead of where Mother Nature intended. Don’t fight Mother Nature, she always wins. My neighbors on the other hand had vibrant lush bougainvilleas. So, I placed my plant in the same western exposure as the happy plant next door. All of a sudden it was happy, go figure.

Take a walk around your neighborhood. Notice which plants are thriving, where there are placed, when do they get sun, etc. Then consider similar placement in your yard.

Happy Gardening!

If you don’t have a lot of space or don’t live on the ground level, don’t despair – a lush garden can still be had.  It just may need to be in the form of a potted garden.

When planting in pots make sure there is plenty of drainage.  In the ground, there is plenty of drainage.  In a pot, you risk your plants sitting in water which will cause root to suffocate or rot.  Make sure there are several drainage holes in the bottom of the pot, and place a layer of small pebbles or rock at the bottom of the container to further facilitate drainage.

Plants in containers need more frequent watering than garden plants. Containers in full sun on a stone, brick or concrete patio can be like little ovens, thus they will require frequent watering.  I have found that as long as the containers are not sitting in standing water, you can water every other day.

When I first started gardening, the New Englander in me demanded order.  OK, I was a little uptight – neat, orderly rows with very little variation. YAWN!  I have since moved to California and gotten a little less stringent – I love to mix textures.  I have agaves next to roses.  Jades next to dwarf lemon trees.  It’s a mish mosh, but it makes me happy.  And isn’t that the point.  Your garden shouldn’t be a chore; it should be your oasis from the craziness called life.  Have fun, mix it up a bit.

I have also worked in a few herbs, a cherry tomato plant and even eggplant – while not exactly a Victory Garden – it is pretty cool to make pesto from basil grown on the back porch!

Or the really cool thing about a potted garden – when you get the urge to move things around, you don’t have to dig up the yard!

Happy Gardening!

Recently, all the fires raging all around California have left a layer of dust on our plants.  Which reminds us, we all need baths including our plants.

Remember that your plants breathe through their leaves. With so much smoke in the air (and, of course, no rain for months) your garden might need a good washing.  Even if you don’t live in the area, look at your house plants – are the leaves covered in dust?  They good use a bath.  Gently, wipe the leave with a wet towel to remove the grime.

And when watering the garden, it is best done in the morning.  This gives the plants a chance to drink before the water evaporates in the middady heat.  Watering late at night isn’t usually a good idea since the water will take longer to evaporate, risking diseases from excess moisture.

Happy Gardening! 

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