The trifoliate leaves of the asparagus pea

The asparagus pea is a decorative and unusual vegetable you don’t often see. For some reason very few people seem to be growing it in their edible gardens.  Why is a mystery to me. The asparagus pea is also called the winged pea because the seed pods sport wing-like ridges that run the length of the roughly two to three-inch long edible pods on four sides. The Latin name, Tetragonolobus purpurea, refers to these four-lobed seed pods and the deep scarlet, pea-type flowers produced by the plant.

Asparagus peas rarely reach more than 10 inches tall and can spread two feet wide. Thought to originally have been native to northern Africa and naturalized all over the Mediterranean region, they like plenty of sun and thrive remarkably well under hot, dry sun or warm humid conditions. They also accept soils less rich than most vegetables.

These pods are the perfect size to pick.

One of the most decorative vegetables with its brilliant colored little flowers, the asparagus pea shows off well in flower gardens as well as decorating vegetable gardens. Crop the pods as they develop. Serve them steamed, boiled, fried, stir-fried and used in just about any recipe that calls for beans or peas. They have a faint asparagus flavor. Mature peas have been used as a coffee substitute and the cheerful, red flowers are edible, too.

The deep red flowers of the asparagus or winged pea

Since asparagus peas aren’t all that well known, you are not likely to find them as started plants. But you can buy seeds. They germinate easily. They do best with a long growth season. In low or no frost areas they can be planted in the autumn and will grow very slowly over the winter. They can also be planted in the early spring. Being in the legume (pea) family, their roots will help enrich your soil with nitrogen. Crop them while they are small – less than two inches – while they are tender. Pods that grow too large and tough can still offer seeds to be used like any other dried pea or bean.

Decorative, tasty and nutritious, the asparagus pea is a fun addition to the edible garden and deserves to be grown more often. You will also find these unusual vegetables referred to as ‘winged peas’ or listed as Lotus tetragonolobus.

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A pondless waterfall can be built in any style. This one is made of rocks to look natural.

In the heat of the summer, there is nothing as refreshing as the sound of splashing water. In many places, however, water is at a premium and likely to be even more scarce in the future. So how can a water feature bring beauty and freshness into the garden in a responsible manner? Consider the pondless waterfall. are wonderful fun, but they are expensive to install and require a fair investment of time and money to maintain. All too often, ponds lose their appeal after the first couple of years and become eyesores of neglect, or worse, health hazards where they are abandoned. So if you don’t want a pond, or simply aren’t sure, try starting with a pondless waterfall. It’s water efficient and lower maintenance.

Okay, what IS a pond-less waterfall? The idea of a pond-less waterfall is to create something between a fountain and a pond. Structurally, it can take any form you’d like to imagine. The basic concept is that water is moved from a storage space, through a pipe and out into the air to splash back into the storage space and be recirculated again. This is the same basic concept in all water features. The difference here is that the ‘storage space’ is not a basin like you would find in a fountain, nor is it a larger body of open water like a pond. By covering the ‘storage receptacle, there is no open water visible (hence: “pond-LESS waterfall”). There are a number of advantages to building a water feature like this. First of all, you will not have to deal with mosquitoes laying their eggs in open water. You also do not have to buy or care for fish. Additionally, you do not have to use chemicals in the water to avoid build up of algae or pests. And depending on how you build this feature, you can create a water feature that is low on water usage and evaporation. You can still plant bog plants if you’d like to have a break from drought-tolerant gardening or you can design your waterfall for minimum maintenance and avoid any organic decor.

To build a pond-less waterfall, you only need to understand the basic concept. An underwater pump needs to be submersed in a container of water. The water will be pumped out an outlet pipe attached to the pump. You can guide that pipe however you wish. When the water spills out the other end of the pipe, it needs to go back into the container again. This is how any fountain or pond works. In a pond or fountain, the water splashes directly back into open water, often cascading down multiple tiers before returning for recycling. If you eliminate the surface of the water, you eliminate many of the maintenance issues discussed above. You can cover the surface with stones, gravel rock or many other materials so the water filters down below into the area where the pump is housed. The pump will need a special permeable house or box that allows the pump to remain submerged under returning water, yet keeps the stones or other material covering the surface of the container away from the pump. A cage with an easy access top – for servicing or changing out the pump – would work well.

Designs for pondless waterfalls are limited only by your imagination. You can create any structure you want to match your home or garden. If you fall in love with a piece of garden décor, such as a sculpture, you can incorporate that sculpture as if it were a part of a fountain. People, animals and objects can be used as a focal point with water splashing over rocks behind, cascading at the sculpture’s feet, or even becoming incorporated with the action of the sculpture if the positioning allows. The trick is to hide the pipe so it can’t be seen. The water can pour out wherever you direct the pipe opening. A common and tasteful version of a pondless waterfall can be seen in bubbling pots that spill their water into gravel covered receptacles. The fun of using these pots is that you can find all colors and styles of pots so you can easily find something to underscore your favorite look.

You can use unusual materials to create pondless waterfalls. Rock and bubbling pots may be popular, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative. Watering cans, hollow chunks of bamboo, anything that you can conduct a line of water through can spill water back into the receptacle. You probably would do better not to choose items with material that can rot or rust badly, but plastic, glass, stainless steel, PVC, and treated wood are all examples of materials that should work fine. You can use less resilient material to surround the water flow as well. That way you could use, say, a wagon wheel or a piece of furniture as a setting in which a more water-friendly material can conduct water though. You could use an old computer monitor housing for an unusual focal point, or send water around a dollhouse, or maybe run an electric train set over real waterfalls. You can go small or large, abstract or realistic. You can underscore a theme, like a lion’s head waterfall in a Tuscan garden or a fabricated cement tree with water flowing from all the branches for a fantasy garden. Not only can you create any type of water feature, but you can cover the receptacle with materials other than stone. Picture the fantasy tree splashing branches of water onto a bed of tumbled glass with the pump hidden safely beneath for a pondless waterfall. Or maybe you might want colored rocks for the Lion’s head. Consider using brightly colored small tiles spaced sufficiently for the water to run down between in a Mexican styled garden. You might even do away with the “fall” of the water fall and simply install a spray that blossoms from the material covering the tub beneath. In short, just about any effect can be created using a pondless waterfall. You might have an artist design something special for you or you might want to play around with your own creative skills. You can bring in a contractor for larger constructions or play with your own smaller versions. Whatever you want to design and build, you can create it with a pondless waterfall.

Originally posted 2011-05-15 07:26:50. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Prominent centers accentuate the white petals

The Matilija poppy is the common name for a very showy California native, Romneya coulteri.

Matilija poppy threesome

When happy, this plant can spread to huge stands by underground runners.

The tall while flowers contrast well in clear blue skies

Romneyas can form huge stands

Give it lots of sun, excellent drainage on poor soils and plenty of room to grow.

Most plants grow to about six feet tall and can spread widely.

Flowering in spring, the flowers are easily four inches in diameter.

The Matilija poppy has a soft, green-colored foliage with a bluish hue.

It can be fussy about where it wants to grow and is intolerant of root disturbance.

The Matilija poppy has white petals like soft crepe paper.

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Spring garden preparation

Once the frosts are gone you want to get your soil ready for planting by digging in amendments.  Vegetable gardens are heavy feeders so rich soil is important.  If you’ve prepared your vegetable plots with lots of organic matter, you are ready to start planting vegetables. Stay away from manure for root vegetables as it causes them to fork. Some of the most tender vegetables like cucumbers and beans may be a risk for even the mildest frosts, but you can take the chance if you’d like. Most of the cool-weather crops like lettuce, broccoli and cabbage are likely to bolt (send up long flowering shoots and become bitter) as soon as it becomes hot so they can be planted the earliest . Peas also will be likely to succumb to mildew as soon as weather turns hot. If you live in a mild winter climate, these crops are ideally planted in the autumn to grow as winter crops.  They will handle a light brush or two of frosty nights, but won’t do well if it really gets hot.  But tomatoes, peppers of all varieties, eggplants and squashes should be ready to take off as soon as they are planted in spring warmth in any area. While you are preparing for spring, you might want to add a raised vegetable garden to make maintenance easier and discourage damage by pests and pets.

The hillsides are blazing with wildflowers in spring.  Check out the wildflower page in this blog to help you with identification.) Mustard, Lupins (yes, those are what cause the fields of purple you notice along the sides of the road) and plants native to your own area herald the springtime warmth and lengthening daylight.

There will be a downside to the  lovely weather in spring, however. The pests will be enjoying it, too. Beware of coatings of aphids on the soft new growth of vegetables, roses and other plants in your garden. If you catch them early, a good squirt with the garden hose should wash off enough pests to keep numbers down. But you will have to be vigilant and keep the washing up or the pests will proliferate and you will have to resort to insecticides. Please consider starting with the gentler materials like insecticidal soaps. These are better for our health and that of the environment even if they may not be quite as efficient as some of the stronger poisons.

Keep weeds pulled while they are small and before they set next year’s seeds or compete for soil nutrients. Hand-pick snails, slugs and caterpillars. Put up rabbit or deer fencing and under-wire garden areas with hardware cloth or chicken wire to protect from gophers or moles. Try to use poisons carefully and only when necessary. Although we may not like the behaviors of all those natural critters, they do have their place in the balance of nature. The better we can live in harmony with them, the more likely it is that all of us will be able to share this beauty in safety.

Spring time is a busy time in the garden.  Preparation for things to come mixes with planting and maintenance.  If you keep up with a little bit of everything, your garden is more likely to be successful this year.  As always, preparation in spring will pay off later.

Originally posted 2009-04-30 18:48:44. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Winter gardens need less water

It’s winter in the Santa Clarita Valley and our gardens are not growing the same as in the warmer months. That means winter watering in the SCV needs to be adjusted. Automatic watering systems cut down on work and things to remember, but they may not be your friend if you just set them once without regular adjustments throughout seasonal changes. In the winter the air is more moist, temperatures lower and most plants are dormant or at least semi-dormant so they don’t use the water they need when in active growth. That means if you leave your watering system the same as it is in the spring and autumn – or worse, the summer – you are wasting lots of water, encouraging weeds and fungus infections and paying much more than you need to for your water bills.

During December, January, February and March, even if we have winds or a heat wave, water evaporation is much slower than in other months. If there is a decent rain shower that delivers at least a tenth of an inch you can plan on a minimum of five days before lawns or garden will need extra watering in most SCV areas. A good rain storm that drops an inch or more can keep some soils moist for the next seven to ten days. Just because the soil looks dry on the surface does not mean there isn’t ample moisture under the surface. Before you let your sprinkler system spatter away precious water, dig down an inch or two to see if you really need to have your irrigation on.

One other way to make watering easier and more efficient is to get a smart irrigation controller. These are more expensive than regular water system timers but will pay for themselves over time by saving water and keeping plants healthy. Smart irrigation controllers automatically adjust with the weather to deliver the amount of water your SCV garden really needs.

Originally posted 2011-02-28 07:20:07. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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The soft orange or apricot flowers of Grevillea Wakiti Sunrise grow on a low-growing shrub with handsome, deeply cut leaves.

Grevilleas show the curious characteristic of brush like flowers often seen in Australian plants.

The colorful medium sized shrub, Grevillea 'Robin Gordon', in flower

This group of woody plants offer some fascinating, colorful and  highly ornamental flowering shrubs. There are some that grow tree-like to fifteen feet in ideal conditions, many that form medium-sized bushes, and a few that hug low to the ground, making attractive ground covers. The varieties shown here are some of the most cold resistant Grevilleas, braving temperatures into the 20′s Fahrenheit.

Grevillea Lanigera 'Prostrate Form' makes a pink-flowered ground cover.

These plants come in a wide range of single or blended flower colors and leaves tend to be short and simple or flat and deeply cut.

The majority are frost shy. Like so many Australian plants, Grevilleas are drought-tolerant and do not like phosphorus in the soil.

This bright red flowered Grevillea rosemarinifolia is a wide-spreading shrub that tops out at around five feet tall. The leaves do resemble rosemary.

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Basil and Pepper and the blue ball

One of my landscape makeover jobs took me on a foray into the world of psychic phenomenon. I was hired to design the landscape of a reasonably well-know pet psychic. She had a home perched on the top of a hill and surrounded by scrub-land. The house itself was charming inside but seemed a bit busy with every space filled with book cases and nooks and crannies. As I sat with my soft-spoken client, all the nooks and crannies suddenly came to life. There was motion in the book cases, above the drapes and in the corners of the floor. The house was alive with cats of all descriptions. These were all adopted and rescued felines and the house was designed to look perfectly normal while housing a remarkable number of cats. On closer study I saw ramps that led from each piece of furniture to the next and over the top of the window curtains. Several pieces of furniture were built around litter boxes. It was ingenious, and most amazing of all is the house had no odor whatsoever. Each cat was groomed and cared for and a few of them were so friendly it was difficult to concentrate on going through my landscape questionnaire with my pet psychic client. My talented client also had dogs and she would occasionally perform with them for seminar presentations and on television.

I’d worked hard on her garden design, and my client was so pleased with the results that she offered to do a free psychic reading on one of the two Border Collie puppies I had just adopted into my home. Fascinated, I accepted the offer. Conveniently, Basil the Border Collie in question, had come with me to the job. And since I also had a couple of cats, young Basil was perfectly comfortable in the psychic’s cat-filled home.

Although I expected to be told all about Basil, the first question I got was if I knew of someone named ‘Edward’ who had passed away. That was followed with the dog psychic informing me that she knew I hadn’t intended to adopt Basil at all. She was absolutely right: when I’d arrived at the breeder’s to pick up Pepper the female Border Collie, Basil climbed up into my lap and wrapped his paws around my neck to deliver endearing kisses. I felt I had no choice but to take him, too. The dog psychic assured me I only did what I was supposed to do. The male pup was a gift for me from a deceased someone in my past who had been cruel and abusive and wanted to make amends by sending me a dog who would be loyal in the way this person had not been. I will admit, my father not only fit the bill, but always did have a soft spot for dogs – the only soft spot I ever saw in him.

The discussion then came back to ‘Edward’. She said that the person who gifted me Basil also wanted me to know that he had finally made peace with Edward – now that they both were no longer here. Aha. Now I got it. This had to be ‘Uncle Ed’, my father’s brother who we rarely visited when I was a child – the brother my father always resented because he had avoided the draft during World War II and stayed home becoming successful and wealthy while my father went off to war and always struggled to make his dental practice survive after returning from the war. It was amazing to me that this psychic should have come up with a subject that never much captured my attention as a child and held even less of a memory as an adult.

As I was leaving, the dog psychic added one more thing. “And, by the way,” she said, “Basil wants you to know he wants that blue toy back. He really misses it.” Blue toy? What blue toy? I couldn’t think of any blue toy. I was home for over an hour before my eye caught the hard plastic ball I’d taken away from Basil for his own safety while I awaited delivery of the bigger version I’d ordered from a pet catalog. And, yes, it was bright blue. Maybe dogs aren’t color blind at all.

The next time I can’t figure out what my dog needs, I won’t think twice about calling the dog psychic.

Originally posted 2011-03-29 05:33:18. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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A new garden magazine with a mission?

There was a time when I used to listen to the old people reminiscing about the “good old days”. I never thought I would become one of those people – especially since I found myself wistfully brooding in that direction decades ago when I was still quite young. As the years have passed, the loss of so many of the old values have made me even sadder. Perhaps it is because I lived for a decade in Europe where culture was a basic part of life and it wasn’t all that rare to meet people who were connected to nature and the land. It simply seemed to me that the average American was far more interested in finding fame and riches and these things were lost with previous generations.

I was a writer, an artist, a landscape designer and a fanatic gardener – none of the respected skills that were admired by an American society that raised a population on acquisitiveness, competition and materialism. It seemed people in this country seemed so much more stressed yet technology has intensified the need for immediacy, instant gratification and the drive to be perpetually focused on what they didn’t have instead of what they had. I lived in a world where people, love, kindness, nature, our planet and even God was worshiped less than the Almighty buck. Of course, not every person is the same, but everywhere you look everything is covered with advertising that shouts dissatisfaction and consumption. It’s hard not to be conditioned by this constant input.

Imagine my surprise when I just learned there is a new magazine that is steeped in the appreciation of gardens, life, creativity, art and the earth. The first issue of Greenwoman Magazine has just entered into the floundering business of print publishing. For years magazines have contained less and less helpful information as the ads blared louder and louder. Even most of the information usually encourages people to buy more or better products or services. What happened to feel-good writing? Where did the poetry go? Why did so many environmentalists feel they had to go violent or extremist just to be heard? Where did our humanity go? The magazines of a half century ago shared new discoveries, laughter, creativity and individual views. Okay. I’m still lamenting the loss of these old values.

I write gardening articles for the Internet and my most helpful, sincere and informative article earn the least. I’ve learned to make money I need to write articles that sell, sell, sell. And it’s become the mantra of the world. Economics rule. Not only in America but everywhere now. You NEED to own the best, the latest and more than the next guy or you are inferior. The only thing I’ve seen from this value system is a small percentage of our population getting obscenely rich while product and service quality loses integrity, longevity and value. And huge numbers of our population become less healthy and sustained on fast foods, anti-depressants and Viagra. Where did the joy of living go? Why is it now rare for people to express passion, unconditional kindness, basic appreciation for the little blessings of life?

Apparently, I’m not the only one who feels like this and am thrilled to see the birth of a magazine like Greenwoman Magazine. I feel so encouraged. Logically, this quality magazine that celebrates those old values in the form of real, useful garden information from experts, insights from the heart in poetry and visual communications in the form of hand-made art – should have no hope of success when so many huge, massed magazines are failing with the competition from the Internet (despite its plethora of misinformation) and the financial depredation of the recession. Instead I am encouraged. Maybe there is a new rebellion going on here. Maybe it’s the 1960s revolution for the second decade of the 2000s. Maybe the subculture this time is a counter revolution where technology is not attacked, just circumvented. Could this be a sign that there are enough of us left to want to reinvent the world with new OLD values? A world with heart? A world where technology and profit can exist but aren’t EVERYTHING? Could this be the answer to all those exported jobs – new businesses that service people and the planet making enough money while generating huge profits for the heart and soul? We do have it in us. The human being has shown some marvelous capabilities beyond greed, entitlement, and self indulgence. We can be like our gardens, integrated, interdependent societies where individuals grow supported by all the other individuals in a common community.

I have great hopes for this little magazine. Perhaps it will reinstate the success of magazines. Of quality. Of responsible caring. If there are enough of us, we can make this a better world. One magazine, one article, one plant, one poem, one picture – one person at a time. Are you a part of the revolution? This might even be fun!

You can find Greenwoman Magazine at http://greenwomanmagazine.com.

Originally posted 2011-07-25 04:33:47. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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A Southwestern theme design at the Baker Residence

Whether you have a small landscape or large one any garden can be made into something really special by designing with a theme. Themes can pull together hardscapes and plants and transform any space into your own private vacation-land or retreat.

Themes can come in colors. Using a single color or family of colors will add cohesion to a landscape. Using white flowering plants and white décor can create sparkle in a shady garden.  Bright colors can make a garden look festive and make a trip through the landscape an energizing experience. A garden with a soft blue and purple theme is likely to be restful and make for a gentle, stress-relieving landscape.

Designing after a location you love is another way to create landscaping with a theme. Ideal designs can be sculpted around English or cottage landscape designs. Western or Southwest themes can transform a bland garden into a place worthy of visiting. You can build an Asian, Japanese or Zen garden for beauty and tranquility. Or consider making your garden into a tropical paradise.

Other ways to create themes are to design your garden around a special event like a sculpture, a water garden or a natural rock or gnarled tree that already exists on your property.

Use your climate and property to blend into your theme. With care a tropical design can be created with bamboo structures, recycling water features and some of the showier drought-tolerant plants even in a hot, dry climate.  Design a theme that integrates well with your house and its surroundings. By making your theme work with the environment where you live you can not only make your garden into something special, but keep costs and maintenance as low as possible.

Originally posted 2010-04-12 16:00:43. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Let your property help celebrate the holidays.

Don’t forget to use the garden during the holidays. It’s time for the garden to payback for all the time and effort you put into it.

Use the garden to entertain. In warm-winter climates you can decorate your yard with the gleeful colors of holiday lights and invite guests for a nighttime holiday party. During the days the temperatures can be warm enough to offer a family gathering or a get-together with friends. In Southern California the forecast is for perfect days to enjoy holiday leftovers in the warm sunshine for lunch.

Put outdoor rooms, barbecues, fire pits and sport areas to work while the kids are on holiday vacation. These built-in events can offer hours of fun and relaxation even in the winter in Southern California.

Work off holiday calories by planting the last off the cool-season crops, planting California natives and digging over areas for spring garden beds. If you don’t have a special area built for fun in your backyard, now’s the time to start plans to build one so it will be ready to use next year.

Nip off décor and edibles from the herb garden and evergreens around the landscape. Break out foods you preserved from last year’s vegetable garden or fruit orchard. These can make lovely additions to holiday meals or special gifts for those who appreciate healthy, home-grown produce.

And, as I always say, remember to take a few minutes here and there to relax and re-energize in the garden. Even five minutes can melt away hours of holiday stress. Happy holidays to all!

Originally posted 2011-12-25 09:09:18. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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