Gardening on the Edge Newsletter, April-May 2007 ~ Monterey Bay Master Gardeners

8/9/2019 Gardening on the Edge Newsletter, April-May 2007 ~ Monterey Bay Master Gardeners

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MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î April-May 2007

G A R D E N I N G O N T H E E D G E Newsletter of the Monterey Bay Master Gardeners

Number 123 -- April/May 2007

Lily WhiteConfessions: Spring Back

A Morning at the Arboretum

Book Review:Sunset Western Garden Book

Arbor Day

San Francisco Flower ShowBeach Garden Project

La Mirada Project Al’s Corner: Container Soils

What’s Blooming in Your Garden?

You might be unfamiliar with many of the twenty-one nativelilies found on the Calflora database; ten are listed as rare and two are endangered, including Lilium pardalimum ssp. pitkiense and L. occidentale. However, you’re probably very familiar withan intoxicating Japanese import, Lilium longiflorum, or spring’subiquitous snowy-white Easter lily. Americans have been inlove with Easter lilies for generations.

In the 1880’s, almost all of the L.

longiflorum were grown inBermuda where they bloomnaturally in the spring. Mrs. T.Sargent is credited withbringing bulbs to Philadelphiaand convincing a greenhousegrower to force them to bloomin springtime despite theirpenchant for blooming insummer at that latitude. At theturn of the century, after theBermuda crop was destroyed bya virus, the Japanese cornered the market which they thendominated until World WarII—no more exports toAmerica. Not to worry! Luckily,way back in 1919 a WWIsoldier, Louis Houghton,brought a suitcase full of bulbshome to Oregon and shared them with his friends, who shared them with their friends. Because of the abrupt deficiency of Japanese bulbs twenty-two years later, their Easter lilies

became ‘White Gold,’ and many of those intrepid Oregonhorticultural-hobbyists jumped into production; by 1945 there

were about 1,200 growers from Vancouver, Canada to LongBeach, California.

Today 95% of all the bulbs are grown on nine or ten farms in anarrow coastal region from Curry County, Oregon to Del

Norte County, California where the climate and soil uniquely suited to the fussy never-dormant lilies. It helps the growers are willing to dedicate themselves to demanding culture of their crop. It takes two to three yearintensive handling (each bulb is harvested three times, sorthree times, cleaned three times and replanted in a new fthree times) to grow a bulb to Commercial Grade when it

finally be shipped to a cmercial greenhouse, pottended and forced to blduring a very specific periotime so that we can enjoyloveliness on the first Sunafter the full moon that occon or after the vernal equinunless the full moon falls oSunday, which will push ithe following Sunday—Easter. That means a diffeweek each year!

There are some things

remember when you bring of these beauties into yhome. Most importantly, Lilongiflorum is highly toxiccats; it can cause kidney faiif ingested. If you find yournibbling on the leaves, call

immediately. As far as I can tell, you probably shouldn’t eaeither. That having been said, you can now remove decorative foil wrapper to avoid drowning the lily in standwater. Cut off the yellow anthers before they begin to stheir pollen; not only does this prolong the life of the flow

but prevents the pollen staining clothing and surfaRemove spent flowers. Avoid over- atering, as in: wait uthe soil surface feels dry and then water thoroughly, preferin the sink. They prefer moderately cool temperatures: 665o F., slightly cooler at night. Avoid drafts and (continued nex

Lily White Christina Kriedt, MG



April-May 2007 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDEN2

exposure to heat or dry air. The good news is that your lilywill be quite happy sitting in a window with bright, indirectsunlight. This is beginning to sound like the care and feedingof every houseplant I own.

But lilies will not thrive indoors for long and, unlike many of my tropical houseplants, you can actually plant your lilyoutside in a sunny location (roots in the shade under mulch

or a groundcover such as violas or primroses) with very good drainage in soil rich with organic matter. Set the bulb 3inches below the surface; mulch with another 3 inches of compost; water it immediately and thoroughly. Fertilizeevery month to six weeks. When it begins to turn brownlater in the season, cut it back. New growth will emerge. Itmight bloom late this summer; otherwise, you’ll probably berewarded with stunning white fabulously fragrant flowersnext June or July.

Thanks to some national promotional efforts, Easter lilies areshowing up at other times of the year: Rosie O'Donnell and Martha Stewart have used L. longifolium on the sets of their

television shows. But, never fear, the growers in Oregon and California will produce at least another thirteen millionbulbs this year and next, ad infinitum, so there will be noshortage of lovely bulbs for your house and your garden and your TV show.Î

When buying a lily, look for a plant with flowers in variostages of bloom including unopened buds. The rich green foliashould be dense and extend all the way down the stem to the sline indicating a healthy root system. A well-proportioned plais about twice the height of the pot. You should also check tfor signs of yellowing (improper culture), insects, or disease.

Lilies in their field

What is it about spring? You wake up one morning in lateFebruary (spring comes early here) and you know your life

has changed. You can smell it, feel it under your skin and seeit under your fingernails. Brown pelicans are winging backfrom Mexico and defrosted monarchs are en route to Canada.Buds swell, pale leaves unfurl. Spring is sprung. The grass is ris.’Mark Twain said perfectly, “It's spring fever.... You don't quiteknow what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes yourheart ache, you want it so!” I wonder where the flowers is.

Right on cue, my own little piece of California awakens withforgotten bulbs, mysterious rosettes, donations from transientbirds and assorted anonymous new growth stretchinginsistently through the mulch. I used to promise myself everyfall that I’d install markers by the plants that I knew would retreat into the earth. And every single year I have failed to doso. I realize now that I ‘forgot’ to identify their hiding placesbecause it is so wonderful to be surprised. (The effect isimproved by a poor memory.)

I moved into the house on Eastside Santa Cruz about threeyears ago in the ‘heat’ of summer. Two very irregularly shaped purple raised beds dominated the backyard, and I believed them to be barren, but for the most stunted Alstroemerias I’d ever seen (a miniature variety?) and a couple of severelydrought-stressed strawberry plants. Even the few weeds,mostly the omnipresent Oxalis corniculata, were embarrassing.

I decided to forego any soil disturbance and just add watewhatever was trying to grow there, not so much out of a

gardening know-how as gardening laziness.To my amazement and satisfaction, a few weeks of waterencouraged unexpected vegetation to emerge, tentativelyfirst: Dahlias, Linaria purpurea, ginger, Dianthus, Achillea, m Alstroemerias, Coreopsis, sweet alyssum, Babiana…. They limpalong for a time until I finally began to up the ante wcompost and mulch and hack away at the weeds. I also begto add a goofy assortment of plants (gifts and rescues). one could ever accuse me of being a landscape designer.

Those beds are a work in progress and I may never get thto the place where the words ‘flourishing’ and ‘Christin

raised beds’ can be used in the same sentence. The soil wand still is, far from perfect and it is my theory that the rowmajestic redwoods that grace the back fence is interfering:tenacious shallow roots of my beautiful giants are tappwater and nutrients from the ornamentals only a few metaway. Are the beds suffering from dreaded Redwood RIntrusion?

Oh, who cares? I can’t worry about that now. It’s spring. garden is celebrating it’s annual rebirth and I want celebrate with it. As the renowned propagator of wit, RoWilliams, once proclaimed, “Spring is nature's way of sayi‘Let's party!’ ”Î

Confessions of a Reluctant Gardener:Spring Back — Christina Kriedt, MG06




A Morning at the Arboretum — Christina Kriedt, MG06 Tammy Tahara and Alicia Molina brought us to the UCSCArboretum for our March Quarterly Meeting where RonArruda led us on a tour of New Zealand, Australia and SouthAfrica under misty skies. (We reacquainted ourselves withCalifornia natives too.) There is no shortage of fascinatingplants among the countless genera in their collection,including : Banksia, Protea, Leptospermum, Grevillea andLeucadendron, all members of the Proteaceae family.

It is a very satisfying setting for a restful stroll. Rabbits, quailand, if you’re lucky - or unlucky - cougars. Bring a camera.

Leucadendrons

Banksia

Bouquet of plants from down under.They make excellent dried

arrangements also. Photo by Cheri Callis

The rabbits are fairly comfortablearound human visitors.

Look closely and prepare to be astonished. All photos by Christina Kriedt, except where noted.

One of many lovely Arboretum plantings

Protea. Photo by Tom Karwin

buds...




I have recommended the Sunset WesternGarden Book several times as an essentialresource for home gardeners in theMonterey Bay area (and in several Western

states). When a new edition of this well-worn reference book appears, as it did thispast week, it's worth noticing.

This is the eighth edition of this publication,the last version published in 2001. The firstedition appeared in 1954, replacing theSunset Flower Garden Book (1947). (Youguessed it: I have a historical collection of Sunset garden books, for reasons that arenot entirely clear. I'm still missing the fifthedition, which was published in the 1980s.)

Sunset describes the new book as"thoroughly updated and fresh-looking,"with "a new easy-to-read design, more plantphotography, larger illustrations" and 500new plant descriptions.

I compared the seventh and eighth editionentries for the dahlia and other populargenera and found very little change in mostcases:• Dahlia. This section is basicallyunchanged. I did spot the addition of afactoid: "Some forms have brownish purpleleaves: a well-known example is 'Bishop of Llandaff.'" That's good to know. The eighthedition also omits a useful summary of cultivation techniques and instead providesa short list of dahlias for cutting.• Iris. A few of the iris photos wereupdated, but the text is unchanged.• Rhododendron. The cultivationinformation is unchanged, but the lengthylists of hybrid "rhodies" and azaleas havebeen updated with additions and deletions.• Rose. The cultivation information has

been lightly edited and rewritten, with thesame headings; the plant descriptions havebeen substantially updated and reorganized.

The section on "The West's Climate Zones"is unchanged (no effect yet from globalwarming, apparently), but includes newphotos depicting the zones.

A scan of the "Plant Selection Guide"revealed only a few additions and subtractions and some reorganization. This

continues to be one of the very usefulsections of this reference book. The gardeneruses this section to identify plants forspecific uses and then learns about the plant

in the following section, the Western PlantEncyclopedia, which is the core of the book.

The section "A Practical Guide toGardening" has been substantially updated in the images and sidebars although many of the images are the same as in the seventhedition. The main text appears to have beenonly lightly edited and rewritten.

The back of the book also includes severaluseful sections: "Demystifying ScientificPlant Names," "Pronunciation Guide" and

"Glossary of Gardening Terms." The seventhedition's section on "Public and HistoricGardens" is not included in the eighthedition.

I was taken aback initially by the omissionof the "Index of Scientific and CommonNames," which is an essential tool forfinding plants in the seventh edition'salphabetical listing of plants. Then Idiscovered that the eighth edition mergescommon names into the alphabetical listing.

I will have to get used to that approach, butit should work fine.

The eighth edition also has a new feature,"gardening tips from respected plant expertsthroughout the West," which seems moreappropriate for a popular gardeningmagazine than a serious reference book.

The new book is a handsome product, and reasonably priced at $39.95 in hard coverand $34.95 for the paperback version. It isreadily available at lower prices:

Amazon.com offers the hard cover versionfor $26.37, with free shipping, and thepaperback version for $23.07. I'm told that itis available in paperback at Costco for$23.80, including sales tax.

The avid gardener will want to have theeighth edition of the Sunset WesternGarden Book to be up to date, but certainlycould manage quite well with the seventhedition.Î

Book Review: Sunset Garden Book Updated Resource for Gardeners— Thomas Karwin, MG99

First Edition--1954

Seventh Edition--2001

Eighth Edition --2007




Arbor Day — Christina Kriedt, MG06 On my list of things to do before I die is ‘plant a grove of trees.’I have never given much thought to what kind of tree,although I am quite fond of redwoods, Chinese evergreenelms, oak of any species, and big old banyans. I really love ournaturalized Eucalyptus trees, something I cannot admit to myfellow graduates from the horticulture department of Merritt

College, as the entire genus is considered by many of them tobe comprised solely of weeds. But there are many lovely and useful trees, and if you join the Arbor Day Foundation you willreceive ten of them, like flowering dogwoods or Americanredbuds, free of charge.1

Arbor Day was founded in Nebraska by J. Sterling Mortonwho was originally from Michigan where trees wereabundant. He and other transplanted people started the effortto make their new state greener to provide wood for buildinghouses and for use as home-heating fuel. The first Arbor Daywas proclaimed on Wednesday, the 10th day of April, 1872,

offering rewards to the county that “shall plant properly inNebraska the greatest number of trees." Over a million wereplanted! Arbor Day is now celebrated all over the world fromAustralia to Yugoslavia, as well as in every U.S. state.

Ed Perry, Stanislaus County Farm Advisor, wrote, “The ArborDay idea quickly spread to neighboring states. Within thenext twenty years practically all the states celebrated ArborDay by planting trees with appropriate ceremonies. InCalifornia, Arbor Day is sometimes celebrated on March 7,which is also the birth date of the famous horticulturalistLuther Burbank. Many celebrations are also held on the lastFriday in April each year, which is considered National Arbor

Day.”2 According to the City of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Department, Santa Cruz “celebrates Arbor Day inSeptember. Although National Arbor Day is celebrated inApril [and this year California celebrated

March 7-14], Santa Cruz opts to celebrate in September sithe fall is a better time of year to plant trees.”3

The mission of the Arbor Day Foundation is simply to inspeople to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. “Through mmedia communications, by providing low-cost trees

planting, and by producing high-quality, easy-to-educational materials, we work to make tree planting and something in which nearly everyone can be involved. We create mechanisms through which the average individual directly support positive tree conservation and educaprojects. It is our constant goal to expand a person's desirplant a tree into a lifelong enthusiasm for tree planting care, and for positive involvement in conservation issrelating to trees.”1

Green Venture of Canada: “Greening our urban environmwith native species trees can help reduce harmful emissithat create smog. In 50 years 1 tree can remove 60,000 pou

of air pollution . A single row of trees can reduce street dby 25%. Two mature trees can produce enough oxygen fopeople.”4 So go out and plant a tree.

You can contact the Arbor Day Foundation online: httwww.arborday.org/shopping/memberships/memberships.or by calling 1-888-448-7337. Their spring shipments of 6inch trees are made between February 1 and May 31. shipments are made between October 15 and DecemberMembership costs $10.00 for six months or $15.00 for a yEither way you will get your ten trees.

A world without trees is like – nothing.Î

1 http://www.arborday.org 2 http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/filelibrary/2193/186.htm , with

permission3 http://www.santacruzpl.org/readyref/files/a-b/arbor.shtml 4 http://www.greenventure.ca/tp.asp?ID=114

The Sequoia sempervirenspictured left appeared as aseedling in a pot of tuberoubegonias in 1993. Thebegonias died long ago, butthe transplanted redwood

lives on. The container is 14tall and 16” wide. The soil hbeen changed only once sinit was transplanted in 1997,but a rich mulch is added yearly. A redwood can grow30 feet in the first 20 years, I think it is safe to say thatthe growth of this 6-foot trehas been severely stunted bthe confinement of its rootsChristina Kriedt MG06Î

A grove of scarce SantaCruz cypresses, Cupressus

abramsiana, lives at the UCSCArboretum. In all only fivegroves totaling more than

5100 trees can be found

within about 356 acres in theSanta Cruz Mountains. The

Bonny Doon population isthe largest and supports over

3000 trees. Montereycypress, Cupressus macrocarpa,has larger cones. In the wild

the Monterey cypress isconfined to only two small

groves near Carmel and Monterey, including the

Cypress Grove Trail at

Point Lobos. Î




The 2007 San Francisco Flower and Garden Show displaygarden pavilion with “Henry’s Garden” in the foreground (Redwood Landscape, Inc.) Crystal Award. Though theoverall size of the show was trimmed down, the display

gardens continued to be fresh and innovative.

San Francisco Flower Show — Kari Olsen, MG06, Author and Photographer

Unique among this year’s show, the “Balance on the Edge”garden illustrates the delicate balance on the water’s edgewhere people share the environment with the earth’s other

living creatures. By incorporating concepts of sustainability and recognizing the need to protect the native ecosystem and waterquality, people along the watershed can live as part of the web

of life, while also conserving the resources and creatingbeautiful garden landscapes. (College of Marin Department of

Environmental Landscaping) Crystal Award.

The “Martini Modern” display also includes a “sit down andrelax” garden but with a distinctly modern flair. A state-of-th

art martini bar, outdoor kitchen, spa, built-in furniture and outdoor fireplace complete the luxurious garden setting.

Designed by Michele Swanson, MG ’96, of Cultivate Art Desig(Garden Design Magazine) California Landscape Contractor

Award and Gold Award.

Noted ornamental grass guru John Greenlee’s “TheMetropolitan Meadow: Driving Towards a Solution” garden

is chock full of potential meadow grasses and companionplants. Proclaiming the arrival of the “meadow revolution,”this display garden educates lawn-lovers that natural lawns

and meadows are beautiful environmentally-friendlyalternatives to the conventional lawn. (Greenlee Nursery)

American Horticultural Society Environmental Award,Garden Designers’ Award and Gold Award.




The fantastic “Under the Sea” garden draws its inspiration from the similarity between plants in the landscape and plants and animalliving in the underwater seascape. The otherworldly shapes and colors of cactus and succulents blend together to become the sea

anemones, sea grasses, kelp, sea stars, and shells we see in Monterey Bay tide pools (no surprise there – Robin Stockwell’s SucculentGardens provided the plants!) Sculpture and playful accessories contribute a touch of whimsy to this garden fantasy world. (Orga nic

Mechanics) Golden Gate Cup (Best of Show) and Gold Award.

A large portion of the garden titled “The Day AfterTomorrow” features a birch woodland and

naturalistic meadow of Festuca rubra ‘Molate Blue’sprinkled with perennials, ferns, and grasses. Theplant list totals 11 plants, a striking contrast to the

nearby Greenlee demonstration meadow whoseplant list covers a full sheet of paper – on both

sides! The simple, natural appearance of thisgarden stood out among the display gardens atthis year’s show. (Kathleen Shaeffer Design and L.

Livingston Landscaping) Crystal Award.

“Wine Re-Defined: Beyond the Half Barrel in the Garden”demonstrates the potential for creative reuse of materialsfrom the California wine industry. The furniture, arbor,

lanterns, even the stepping stones are made from recycled materials and the garden setting invites one to sit down and

relax at the end of the day. What are the stepping stonesmade of? Hundreds of wine corks! Sounds strange but they

were delightful to walk on and made a unique crunchysound with every step. (UC Berkeley: Landscape

Architecture and Environmental Planning) Association of Professional Landscape Designers Award and Gold Award.

For a complete list of display garden award winners,visit the SFGS press area at http://www.gardenshow.com/sf/press/pressreleases.asp




The Beach Garden Project is sponsored by the Monterey BayDunes Coalition (California Native Plant Society, Sierra Club-Ventana Chapter, Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society), theMonterey Bay Natural History Association and the CaliforniaDepartment of Parks and Recreation. Its mission is to preserve

the coastal dunes and beaches that stretch from Monterey tothe north of the Salinas River.

Mary Wilson has been doing beach restoration with the BeachGarden Project since 1993. Al Derrick grew plants for thisyear's planting season and provided some valuable insight onways to have better success germinating some of the trickierspecies. Diana Huang, Cathy Herbermann and Gigi Tachenyare other MBMGs who are currently working on this project.Mary says, “I was interested in native plants and, as a fairlynew resident of Seaside, I was also interested in ways I could directly help to improve my local environment (Seaside StateBeach was to be one of the project areas.) I immediately agreed

to help.”

She finds being a part of this project has been extremelysatisfying. The volunteers are helping to restore the dunes tosomething more like their original, pre-ice plant monoculturestate. “Thinking about environmental problems can bedepressing, but being able to physically take direct action tohelp improve the situation feels good.”

The Beach Garden Project volunteers come from thecommunity – adults, school groups, whole families turn out tohelp with planting. There are three components:In the late summer seeds are collected. This involves goingout into the dunes to responsibly collect seeds. Seeds areturned over to State Parks staff, who clean, sort and packagethem.

In the fall, there are propagation demonstrations. Volunteerstake planting trays (which each hold 98 growing tubes), soiland seeds to grow the plants at home or school. Here is GiGiwith a trunk full of plants ready to use for restoration.

In January and Februwhen we're getting rain the young plantsplaced in the groundthe dunes.

The best part is comback to see how plants are growing bringing the dunes bto life. Dunes are mov

hills of sand, forever building (spring, summer) and being tdown (fall and winter- sand erodes and washes out to forming sandbars just offshore). Native plants cooperate wthe evolution of the dunes; ice plant and shoredevelopment interrupt this delicate balance. A three-yrecovery period is needed in areas like Seaside Beach whthe ice plant was sprayed and native plant seedlings w

planted. With the native plants comes the wildlife - rabbmice, birds, insects, lizards and foxes. The endangered Smblue butterfly and Snowy Plovers return once their habitarestored. The threatened legless lizard returns once healthy dune environment is restored

Pictures of Smith’s blue butterfly on buckwheat at htmontereybay.com/creagrus/smithsblue.html More about the plants that are native to the dunes at htwww.mtycounty.com/mbs_pgs/BchDune.html

Volunteers are welcome for any or all parts of the begarden project: responsible native plant seed collect

growing plants, and replanting the dunes. Master Gardenhours can be counted as either advanced training hoursvolunteer hours. If you would like to help with this projcontact Joey Dorrell-Canepa. She will put you on her maillist to receive a brochure with the year's schedule and can put you on her e-mail contact list. Her phone number is: (8623-9048 and her e-mail address is: [email protected]

Thanks to Mary and Joey for their help in providing photos and information for this article.

The Beach Garden Project — Kathleen Sonntag, MG06




Master Gardeners, Gigi Tacheny and Carl Voss have beenhelping tend the La Mirada Monterey Museum of Art rose and rhododendron gardens since 2001. This is one of the oldestgardens in the Monterey area, located on approximately 1.5acres surrounding the original adobe and house addition on

Via Mirada opposite El Estero lake. In 1999, Master GardenerJo Irmas of Carmel became involved in the garden because afaithful garden worker was moving out of state and Jo saw theneed for the experience that the Master Gardeners could bringto help maintain this wonderful community asset. You willsee Gigi and Carl there on Thursdays with three othervolunteers (not MBMGs) between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Theymaintain and improve the garden, enjoy lunch together whileproviding a beautiful garden for visitors to the museum toenjoy. If you have never been to La Mirada Museum of Art, itis worth a visit and the gardens are a “must see.”http://www.montereyart.org/ Photos , below and center right, by Carl Voss

La Mirada Adobe in the 1890s.

La Mirada Project — Kathleen Sonntag, MG06




Container gardening is growing in popularity and a look atsoils designed for long-term container plantings, I think isappropriate. The organic structural element in containersbegins breaking down from the moment it is included in themix. This is the element, which will hold water, and

nutrients that feeds the plants. Peat moss is often the majororganic filling this role, and it is effective, but it does havesome shortcomings. Perlite, lava rock, sand, pumice,vermiculite, baked clay (Turface) also play a minor role inthe nutrient and water retention. Of these elements of container soil mixes peat moss has the shortest lifeexpectancy. As organics break down the particle size isreduced, affecting the capillary attraction, increasing theamount of soil saturation.

Water movement through container soil is dependent ongravity and resisted by capillary attraction of the soil

particles. The smaller the particle size the more surface areaand the more capillary attraction. Every gardenerunderstands that clay holds more water and drains slowerthan sand. The major reason is the difference in the particlesize, and the resulting difference in capillary attraction. Incontainers there is always a bottom where the soil stops,unlike in the garden. With this in mind it is apparent therewill be a level in all containers where the forces of gravitywill be equaled by the resistance of capillary attraction. Atthis level drainage will stop and from here to bottom of thepot the soil will remain saturated. This water can only beevaporated or used by the plant. The roots of the plant need

air to take up the water and do not want to grow into thissaturated level.

It is apparent that the size of the soil particles, controllingthe capillary attraction is also controlling the level of soilsaturation. The size of the container, diameter or height willmake no difference. Lets pretend this saturated soil is sixinches deep and the container is ten inches deep. It is easy tosee we have only four inches of soil with good aeration for

our plants to use. If however the container was tweninches deep, with the same soil our saturated soil remains sinches leaving fourteen inches for our plants roots to use.we decide we do not want to use that much soil and fill tlower ten inches of the container with rocks or packi

peanuts, we will be back to four inches of useable soil if ware using the same soil mix. Drainage will not be improved

The amount of saturated soil can be reduced if we use a somix made up of larger particle size with less capillaattraction for the water. An additional benefit is longcontainer soil life or less frequent need to repot with nesoil. Remember it is gradual reduction of particle size of torganic component, which we refer to as the “breaking dowof the mix” that causes us to repot. As you can see tbreaking down is really increasing the amount of saturateunusable soil. If we replace the peat moss with ground fir

pine bark the soil life can be extended and the amount saturated soil reduced.. The frequency of watering will bincreased to compensate for the faster more complete watair exchange of the soil, which we will usually refer to improved drainage.Î

Al’s Corner: Container Soils and Water Movement — Al Derrick, MG95

Acer spp., maples, especially Acer Japonica, Japanese and Acer circinatum, vine

Betula spp., birch

Camellia sasanqua Citrus spp.: orange, lime, grapefruit, dwarf Meyer and

Eureka lemons, dwarf kumquat, dwarf Cotinus coggygria, smoke tree GinkgoIlex spp., holly Juniperus spp., juniperKoelreuteria paniculata, goldenrain treeLagerstroemia indica, crape myrtle Magnolias of all kindsMalus spp., dwarf apples

Picea glauca 'Conica,'dwarf Alberta spruce Pinus aristata, bristlecone pine Pinus spp., pine Prunus spp., genetic dwarf nectarine or peach Prunus spp., spring-flowering cherries Psidium spp., guava: pineapple, Chilean or

strawberryRobinia spp., locustSalix spp., willowTaxus baccata, common yew Trachycarpus fortunei, windmill palm, pictured

Provide the right environment and these trees will

grow well in containers:




This year I have some new duds. Thenetting suit from Cabelas, which fitsover even winter jackets, has givenme great peace of mind after beingbitten twice this year by ticks. The

suit also covers the head.

The Harley helmet (my husband's) isto soften the blows of the red shouldered hawks - once they finishtheir nest, and until the chicks fledge,the parents will attack if we arewithin 200 feet of their tree. I waswhacked twice last year - just thinkof where those talons have been.

Leora Worthington, MG03http://www.cabelas.com/

What’s Blooming in Your Garden in April and May? The following is exerpted from the What’s Bloomin’ database which is based on observations made by Monterey Bay MasterGardeners in Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. The entire database is online at http://www..montereybaymastergardeners.org. Please continue to send your data to Annette Longuevan at [email protected]. A form is on the websi

April

Abutilon spp.

Aechmea spp. & hybrids Alstroemeriahybrids Aquilegia spp.Camelia spp. & hybrids Ceanothus spp. & hybrids Centrantus ruber Chrysanthemum spp.Clematis spp.Clivia miniataCrocosmia crocosmiifloraCuphea hyssopifoliaCyclamen spp.Daphne odoraDymondia margaretaeErigeron karvinskianusEschscholzia californicaFestuca californicaFremontadendron spp. &

hybridsFuchsia hybridaGeranium spp.Hebe spp. & hybrids Iris - bearded hybrids Iris X hollanica cultivars Iris - Pacific Coast hybrids

Jasminum polyanthumLavatera assurgentifloraLavendula spp.Leptospermum scopariumLunaria annua

Malus spp. &hybrids

Melaleuca alternifoliaMuscari spp.Myosotis spp.Narcissus spp. &hybrids Oxalis spp. Passiflora spp. Pyrus communis Pelargonium spp. Pieris japonica Primula spp. Prunus, subgenus Cerasus Prunus domestica Prunus tomentosa Psoralea pinnataRanunculus asiaticusRhododendron spp. &hybrids Rhododendron spp. &hybrids Ribes spp.Rosa spp. and hybrids Rosemarinus officinalisSalvia leucanthaSenecio hybridusSpiraea prunifoliaSutera cordataTropaeolum majus

Tulipa spp. & hybrids Vaccinium spp.Westringia fruticosaWisteria spp. Zantedeschia aethiopica

May

Abutilon spp.

Aechmea spp. & hybrids Aloe vera Allium schoenoprasum Alstroemeriahybrids Aquilegia spp.Borago officinalisBrassica alboglabraBrugmansiaspp.Calendula officinalisCallistemon spp.Camelia spp. and hybrids Centrantus ruber Choisya ternataChrysanthemum spp.Citrus X limonCitrus spp.Clematis spp.Cuphea hyssopifoliaCyclamen spp.Cymbidium hybrids Dietes iridioides (D. vegeta)Digitalis spp.Dymondia margaretaeEchium fastuosum (E. candicans)Erigeron karvinskianus

Eschscholzia californicaFragaria chiloensisFreesia hybrids Fuchsia hybridaGeranium spp.

Heuchera spp. &hybrids Impatiensspp. & hybrids

Iris - bearded hybrids Iris - Pacific Coast hybrids Jasminum polyanthumKniphofia uvariaLamium maculatumLavatera assurgentifloraLavendula spp.Limonium spp.Malus domesticaMelaleuca alternifoliaMimulus spp.Myosotis spp. Paeonia suffruticosa Pyrus communis Pelargonium spp. Petunia hybrida Primula spp.Rhododendron spp. & hybriRosa spp. and hybrids Salvia leucanthaSenecio hybridusStrelitzia reginaeSutera cordataThysanotis spp.Tropaeolum majus

Tulipa spp. & hybrids Vaccinium spp.Viola spp.Wisteria spp. Zantedeschia aethiopica

Mark your

calendar for the




Etcetera: Relevant Internet Miscellany — Christina Kriedt, MG06

The White Flowering Cherry, Prunus yedoensis, aka Yoshino Cherry isextraordinarily beautiful in Spring when it’s covered with whiteblossoms that resemble cotton candy. It makes an excellent streettree eventually reaching 40 ft.http://www.greenwoodnursery.com/page.cfm/7626 Î

Most container gardens are going to require daily watering in hotweather. Even so, there will be times when your potted plants aregoing to be baking in the sun. Give your container a fighting chanceby using drought-tolerant plants that can handle the intensified heatand dry soil of a container garden. http://gardening.about.com/od/gardendesign/tp/ContainerGarden.htm Î

The Easter lily cultivar most commonly grown for U.S. markets is the"Nellie White." It is named for a lily grower’s wife and has large,white, fragrant trumpet-shaped flowers.Î

When a tick is found embedded in the skin, use a fine pointed tweezers at the point of attachment, and grasp the tick head firmly.Remember to wear latex gloves. Using slow, steady, firm traction,

pull the tick straight out from the skin. It is critical NOT to squeezethe tick body at any time -- this can inject more potential pathogensin to you (or your pet). Cleanse the skin with mild soap and water.If a small part of the tick breaks off, you can try to remove it as youwould a splinter, but it is probably best to leave it alone. The piecewill 'eject' it in time. Place the tick in a jar of alcohol, noting the

date, in case of future illness. Tick identification and location ofinfestation will be important.http://vetmedicine.about.com/c/ht/00/07/How_Remove_Tick0962935143.htm Î

You can buy the 1954 first edition of Sunset Western Garden Boo

eBay for about $15.00; softcover, spiralbound.Î

The sooner a tree can stand alone, the sooner it will become strRemove support and anchor stakes soon after the tree can stanits own, usually by the end of the first growing season.http://cetulare.ucdavis.edu/mg/Tree%20Planting%20Tips.pdf Î

The Cow Palace was originally known as the California SLivestock Pavilion; it has been the home of the annual GNational Rodeo, Horse & Stock Show since 1941 except for a bduring WWII when it was used for processing soldiers forPacific Theater. It is officially the 1-A District AgricultAssociation, a state agency of the California Department of FoodAgriculture's Division of Fairs and Expositions.Î

The publisher of "Sunset" magazine offers self-guiding walking tof its Menlo Park gardens which contain more than 300 varietiestrees, shrubs, vines, annuals and perennials. Open 9:00-4:30, M-Fhttp://www.sunset.com/sunset/general/article/0,20633,784093,00.html 80 Willow Rd, Menlo Park, CA 94025, (650) 321-3600Î

G A R D E N I N G O N T H E E D G E Newsletter of the Monterey Bay Master Gardeners

Editor Kathleen Sonntag Assistant Editors Sharon Ettinger and Christina KriedtDesign/Layout Christina Kriedt

Circulation Jan Olafsson

Contributors:

Al Derrick Tom KarwinKathleen Sonntag

Christina KriedtKari Olsen Hotline: 831-763-8007

Protea,Australian native Fremontodendron , flannel bush,California native

Leucadendron, Australian native




Sources Christina Kriedt, MG06

Our SponsorsSierra Azul Nursery http://www.sierraazul.com , 763-0939 San Lorenzo Lumber Company http://www.sanlorenzolumber.com/santacruz.html, 423-0223The Garden Company http://www.thegardenco.com/ , 429-8424 FezQ Carmel Valley, 659-1268Bokay Salinas, 659-1268Hidden Gardens Aptos, 688-7011The Potting Shed Aptos, 685-1626

Wild Rose Landscape Design Aptos, 539-5841

Lily WhitePhoto from the Easter Lily Research FoundationLily, Flowers and Plants Association http://www.flowers.org.uk/Flowers/facts/k-r/lily.htm Easter Lily Research Foundation http://www.easterlily.org/index.htm Easter Lilies - Selecting, Caring For and Re-Blooming Your Easter Lily http://gardening.about.com/od/springinthegarden/a/EasterLily.htm

Then and Now: Easter Lilies, The Agriculture Quarterly , State of Oregon Dept. of Agriculture

Why Do We Use Lilies at Easter Time?

Arbor DayArbor Day Foundation online: http://www.arborday.org

http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/filelibrary/2193/186.htm, withpermissionhttp://www.santacruzpl.org/readyref/files/a-b/arbor.shtml http://www.greenventure.ca/tp.asp?ID=114

San Francisco Flower Showhttp://www.gardenshow.com/

Beach Garden Project http://montereybay.com/creagrus/smithsblue.html

http://www.mtycounty.com/mbs_pgs/BchDune.html

La Mirada

http://www.mon tereyart.org/

UCSC Arboretumhttp://www2.ucsc.edu/arboretum/

In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.

~Margaret Atwood~

Left: Ribes sanguineum , red-flowering currant. Right: Australian color in the UCSC Arboretum., Photos by Christina Kriedt, this page and previous

http://www.content.onlypunjab.com/Article/Why-Do-We-Use-Lilies-At-Easter-Time-/4200320092003323585

Documents

Gardening on the Edge Newsletter, April-May 2007 ~ Monterey Bay Master Gardeners