A New Yard to Tend With Neglected Roses May 17, 2009

It’s been a month living in our new property. While settling into the condo, unpacking boxes, and trying to get too much stuff into not-enough cupboards, I study the yard at different times of the day. Buying a place that has been neglected for well over a year, trimming overgrown plants was the first task — and it made the biggest improvement. It helped to see what we actually had. Thankfully, it wasn’t as bad as it looked.

Fortunately for this pitiful gardener, we have 20 thriving floribunda rose bushes lining the driveway. Here in southern California, these white roses are found everywhere, having gained popularity over the past two decades. They are hardy, thank goodness, for ours had been woefully neglected. I don’t know how they survived with so little water. They don’t have those nasty, hooky thorns to deal with, which made trimming less painful. I definitely recommend them, if you want a fairly care-free rose. Now that ours have been pruned back to attractive shapes rather than being a mass of waving wild, loopy canes, our driveway looks cheerful.

Most roses demand a lot of care. But this iceberg variety is a good choice for someone who doesn’t want to fuss over plants requiring frequent attention, yet produces flowers nearly year-round.

Roses are thirsty plants, so these are benefiting from automatic sprinklers gently aimed at the base of the plants. Roses don’t like to get their leaves wet, so avoid spraying them from the top. Otherwise, you’ll get rust and disease, which covered these plants. But here’s what you do about that — just pull off any spotted or brown leaves. However, don’t let them scatter on the ground.Throw them in the trash. I also clipped off all the spent blooms so the plants wouldn’t expend energy holding on to them; plus this tidied up the scraggly look.

I applied a dose of rose food, which won’t need to be done again until mid-summer.

Next I had to get rid of the aphids. You gotta do this, as big numbers of these guys will damage your buds. Look for these green bugs at the base of your buds — they really blend in. Not being a fan of hard-core chemicals, I was tempted to use ladybugs. I released a batch of them in my garden in Washington, but they immediately flew over to the neighbors. So, I’m trying a supposedly eco-friendly spray. It’s taken awhile to inspect the bushes and spray each week, but I think I’m on top of the problem now and don’t expect to find many during this weekend’s inspection.

This labor has already paid off. Water, food, and a good haircut works wonders for roses just as it does for people! While the plants looked rather bedraggled at first, in a month they are now covered in blossoms!

Moving! April 23, 2009

Not my favorite activity, but it’s occupied my time for the past month. After unpacking boxes and hanging pictures, I’ve begun analyzing the overgrown flowerbeds and nondescript back patio.

Basically I’m watching the sun patterns, ripping out weeds, and looking at the sprinkler patterns. Living in LA, we are in the midst of a three year drought — our farmers aren’t going to get water for their crops, it’s that serious. Looking at what’s happening with our own watering situation in a new garden is critical. We discovered big dry areas, sprinkler heads watering the driveway and little else, and overgrown plants blocking others. Next we’ll tackle the plants planted next to each other that shouldn’t be — drought tolerant shrubs overpowering shade-loving azaleas.

It’s definitely another opportunity to put into practice the knowledge packed into our little book, “The Pitiful Gardener’s Handbook!”

Forget the Seed Catalogs February 23, 2009

Each year the seed catalogs start jamming up the mailbox. The weather’s bleak, the yards are barren, the catalogs are blooming with color. Great marketing. And oh, how delectable. But what a no-no for the pitiful gardener about to order a wheelbarrow of temptation. Chances are, you don’t know the plants, you won’t get them into the right place, and you’ll order too much!

Now you may actually have a spot in mind that looked rather ratty last year, and you’re thinking seeds are going to do it for you. You’d really do better buying large plants so you get exactly what you need. But since you’re contemplating this problem area (and we’re really proud of you, by the way), maybe plants aren’t the way to go. Perhaps a more permanent solution is needed — a terrace, patio, pathway. While daydreaming over the catalogs, also try visualizing a trouble-free area that will only require a one-time effort from you. Putting in an attractive hardscape — whether it’s cement, brick, paving stones — is not only a time-saver, but a stress-reducer and money-saver as well!

Winter Pruning February 21, 2009

We don’t usually think about pruning in the winter, but if you are lucky to have a warming trend, you might consider it. This isn’t for your big trees or evergreens, but for some spring and summer-flowering shrubs.  It really amounts to thinning to make the bush better, rather than lopping branches off. It’s easier to check the bare shrub in the winter to see if it’s overgrown, tangled, has weak or dead branches. Take out those branches judiciously, rather than whacking the poor thing off the top.

Read Another Blog By the Same Author February 9, 2009

While gardening is a hobby for Tracy, her passion is art and creativity. She’s been a long-time advocate for art education. If that’s a topic that also interests you, she carries on about it over at www.teachcreativity.blogspot.com. Please read it and take action on the various needs she highlights there.

If gardening is where you express your creativity, then we’re glad you catch our occasional musings here.  We’ll definitely have more to write about once gardening weather resumes for the country come spring!

Don’t throw away the Poinsettia after the holidays January 8, 2009

I had a particularly large and stunning poinsettia this year. As we haven’t had a Christmas tree for a couple of years since we moved into a condo, I’ve tried to find the biggest poinsettia possible. But I could never throw it out.  Sometimes I give them to friends who have yard room. But I also nurse them along as long as possible, sometimes getting blooms the next year.

If you want to do the same, continue watering the plant lightly — just enough to keep the soil moist but not wet.  Sometimes I’ll use ice cubes.  They seem to release just enough moisture.  The goal is to keep the soil constantly moist without letting the roots sit in water.

Don’t let the plant sit under a heat vent or catch a draft from open and closing doors. Then you can put the plant outside once the nights warm to 55 degrees.

Most likely your plant will lose leaves — certainly all the red blossoms. It doesn’t mean it’s dead, just going into its dormant phase. It’s the opposite of what we expect from most plants since it blooms in the winter.

If you want to keep the plant perky and bring it into the house next Christmas, then transplant it into a bigger pot rather than the flowerbed. Don’t use your heavy garden soil that traps water.  Buy some loamy soil. Put the pot in indirect light, avoiding direct sun. When it gets hot, move it to a cooler location. Give fertilizer every few weeks.

Trim the plant in the spring to around 10 inches or so to keep it from getting too leggy in the summer. You should get some good growth around May. But stop pruning at the end of summer. Then follow the directions for getting blossoms under the October tips. Move the plant into a closet every night so it has long dark nights. Or you could cover it completely.  It’s got to have completely dark nights, but the plant also has to have plenty of sunlight during the day. You should then get red blooms for next Christmas!

What to do in December December 1, 2008

For all of you up north, I’m reluctant to admit it was in the high 70s today in L.A. The plants are still growing, and I don’t think I’ll be retiring the watering can any time soon.

However, we’re still heading into winter, such as it is. I notice it with the birds. They’re hanging around, waiting for seed in the morning. In fact, we hear them fluttering around the patio walls trying to get our attention.  We’re going through the seed faster. If you haven’t set up a feeder, do it now. Providing fresh water is crucial for birds. When we lived in Washington, we poured hot water into the bird bath to break up the ice. Here, we are in a desert without any rain, so the birds can get just as parched.

It’s time to clean up the tools, storing them inside. Remove the rust, sharpen those that need it.  The lawn mower gas should be drained. We got into the habit of taking it to the shop for blade sharpening and a tune up in the winter, rather than waiting until spring like everyone else. It not only gave the lawn mower guy some business at the dead time of the year, but we were in and out in a jiff.

If you have any fruit trees, pick off the dried up fruit. Pick up the rotting stuff from the ground, and rake up all the leaves. You do it for the same reason you clean up fallen rose leaves: it prevents the spread of disease and insects among vulnerable plants.

Then you can get ready for Christmas. BUY OUR BOOK FOR A TERRIFIC GIFT FOR YOU OR YOUR BROWN-THUMBED FRIENDS! ONLY $10.00 with FREE SHIPPING! Order today to make sure you get it on time.

November Trimming November 16, 2008

We usually think of trimming/pruning in the spring. But there’s trimming to be done now. Wherever there are some dead branches, take those out. They only attract bugs, whose job it is to hasten decomposition. But you don’t need them wintering over in an otherwise healthy plant. Why give them a headstart chomping away on the good stuff before you know it in the spring?

The temptation is to do all the trimming at once, which is easy to do when you get on a roll. But you shouldn’t cut the healthy branches now. You’ll leave an opening into the plant. You also risk freezing that exposed cut. So just cut out the dead branches and close down the garden for the winter.

November means fertilizer! November 8, 2008

That’s a surprise, isn’t it? Actually, this refers to your lawn.  In most places in the US (just not the really Deep South and deserts), fertilizing at this time of the year isn’t for making the grass grow, but to feed the roots. You should do this before your ground freezes. Ask at your local nursery for the right application for your region.

Just a reminder: in earlier posts I mentioned about caring for your Christmas cactus and keeping up on your watering during the fall. I should pay attention to my own advice!

We’ve had some fall sprinkles this month, so I got lazy about watering the mums and roses. I was horrified to find my cheerful yellow blooms wilted in the afternoon sun yesterday. Fortunately, a big dousing of water revived them.  Yikes. Unless you’re in the Pacific Northwest, your garden needs watering even with temps cooling.

A note about those Christmas cactus you might be babying — keep them watered, and out of drafts. With cooling air, drafts will alter the temps around them unevenly. The goal is to keep them within a ten degree, evenly temperate environment. Just a month to go before you hopefully get some blooms!

Have We Got a Special Holiday Gift Idea for You! November 3, 2008

Hey all you pitiful gardeners — or friends of a pitiful gardener. If you buy the book directly from us, you save nearly $8.00! We’re glad it’s offered on Amazon, but right now we’re giving free shipping, and no fees! Plus, we’ve thrown in a bit of a sale, too. So, for $10.00 you’ve got the perfect stocking stuffer for friends and family. Save a garden — buy our book!

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Not only we thank you, but your struggling garden friends will, too. 

Wrap up the book with some gardening tools. You can afford to at this price.