Container gardening with cacti and succulents

Container Gardening

Container gardens are arguably the most versatile way to garden. They can be tiny and set on a table top, fill in a balcony, patio, or small garden space, define the edges of permanent features in the garden, or be integrated into the overall garden design. They are ideal for specimen plants, creating spots of color or sculpting living flower arrangements. You can even grow your own vegetable garden completely in containers. Container gardens are double the fun because you can plant them any time of the year and if you need to protect them in winter, most of them are transportable. If you really want to indulge in container gardening, you can even create an entire landscape in a miniature garden.

Where soils are not fertile, like where I live in the canyon area of the chaparral, containers can be an excellent solution to poor soil. By filling the space we want to plant with a packaged soil, we can get around all that work of digging and amending. Planting in large containers can also be a way to control some  wild critter problems, especially the borrowing types like gophers. Even our pets can sometimes be a threat to carefully planted or delicate areas. The control afforded by planting in a pot, a built up, contained area or any other type of enclosed planting space can reduce some of the work and maintenance of growing plants. Of course, there are other concerns that will have to be addressed like watering smaller spaces that will dry out more easily. But a well-thought-out drip or bubbler watering system should take care of the challenge. You can even set your system on a timer so you don’t have to baby sit your watering on a daily basis.

Make your design fit your garden. Think about what kind of receptacles will fit best with the design and style of your house and landscape. Wander through the isles filled with pots, tubs, troughs and bowls at at your favorite garden center and check out all the different sizes, colors, materials and shapes.

Get creative. Recycle an old sink, wash tub, bath tub, a broken fountain or even plant a worn-out boot or hang a planted kitchen colander, or chipped tea pot. Container gardens can created with a collection of the same type of receptacles, one big container, a mixture of different soil holders all in the same material or color, or an assortment of all the above that are designed to build an attractive, overall effect.

Build your own container. Anything that could hold water can be adapted. Make sure you have holes for drainage in the bottom of your container so water doesn’t build up and rot roots. And add  a pan or tray below to catch drips if your container garden will sit above a surface that can be damaged. Add a layer of drainage material like broken pot shards or gravel to keep soil from sifting out through the holes. Some people like to use newspaper to line the bottom, but this can eventually rot away and leak. Then fill the pot with potting soil, set in and water your chosen plants. (Some people prefer to use no drainage material at the bottom of the pot. It isn’t necessary, but it does keep the soil from leaking out of the holes at the bottom.)

Choose plants that will grow well in the location where they will be planted. For sunny spots choose the many fascinating shapes of cacti and succulents (using a cactus soil mix), and for a lush winter look, plant evergreen plants. For a good design, plant at least one tall, narrow plant and one trailer that will spill down the side of the container. If you want to cheer up your container garden with a burst of color, add annual bedding flowers. They’re easy to change from season to season and can add brilliance when the longer-living perennials are not flowering. Other fun plants for container gardens are herbs or even vegetables. You can add bulbs to a mixed container garden to introduce showy flowers while some of the slower blooming plants are still developing buds.

Container gardens can be accents for the landscape. Add a container garden to decorate an outdoor table. Set containers on retaining walls or crown the tops of pilasters. Cascading plants can enliven a blank wall, cover an ugly tree stump or clothe a space with a sheer drop. Set large containers with tall plants to fill an empty floor space.

Winter container gardens can make gardening easy in cooler, wetter weather. They can accent any space or make a whole garden of their own. And they are a great way to make vegetable gardening with cool season crops like peas, cabbage, fava beans or Swiss chard easy, pest-resistant, convenient and downright ornamental. You can also add some of those annual flowers to perk up a bowl of less decorative edibles. But don’t forget that even edibles can be decorative: use the bronze fennel, red lettuce, yellow-flowering okra or the cascading asparagus pea with its bright red little flowers. Most of these are best planted from seed. Strawberries create their own decoration whether they are planted in strawberry pots or regular pots. Some even grow with decorative pink flowers before setting their delicious red fruits.

Outdoor pots also give you a chance to grow some of the plants you’d love but are too frost shy for you winter climate. You can move the pots under shelter– or even indoors — when cold threatens. Consider some of the dwarf citrus trees or the showy hibiscus for more delicate potted choices.

Whether you are a seasoned gardener or just starting out, planting in containers has a lot to offer both decoratively and practically.

Related posts:

1. Container Water Garden There is nothing more refreshing than a water garden in...
2. How to create a woodland garden design A woodland garden is easy to design if you live...
3. Pots can spice up a garden Pots come in all sizes, shapes and colors. You can...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Bark chips are commonly used as mulch in the landscape.

Garden mulch is the use of a material over the surface of soil. Mulch creates a protective layer. It insulates roots of plants like a blanket, holds soil in place and keeps moisture from evaporating too quickly. Mulch can be organic like a layer of bark chips, compost, peat or straw that will eventually decompose back into the soil. Organic material is a good choice for poor soils as it can enrich the content and texture when it breaks down. A protective layer can also mulch surfaces with longer lasting materials like gravel, stone, decomposed granite or sand. Or it can be any other material that will allow water to permeate the layer like tumbled glass, brick, interlocking pavers or any other permeable covering. Stone and gravel drain quickly so they are good mulch for plants that are prone to rotting at the root join like cacti and many succulents. Garden mulch can not only add a layer of protection, it can offer an element of design and decoration by adding a surface texture and color to the landscape or garden bed. Mulch is growing in popularity as a sustainable, artistic and practical way to handle soil surfaces.

Related posts:

1. Basic gardening terms and definitions: Hardscape Hardscape is a term that covers the permanent features of...
2. Basic gardening terms and definitions: Deciduous Deciduous plants are those that drop their leaves – usually...
3. Basic gardening terms and definitions: Annuals Annual flowers are often mentioned in garden talk. Literally the...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Pansies are a favorite annual flower

Annual flowers are often mentioned in garden talk. Literally the term defines things that last for a year. Annual plants grow for a year or less from germination to death. Some germinate, grow, flower and set seed in a single season or less. Annuals do not die down or go into a semi-dormant rest period then continue to grow as do biennials or perennials. They race through their short lives growing quickly, often flowering profusely so they can set as many seeds as possible before they fade away. This is why trimming faded flowers before they can set seed – dead-heading – keeps them in bloom longer. Annuals are good ways to add lots of color quickly to a garden. They also make excellent fillers for empty spaces in newly planted gardens while larger-growing plants are still small.

Related posts:

1. Basic gardening terms and definitions: Deadheading or dead-heading Deadheading or dead-heading is the process of clipping off blossoms...
2. Basic gardening terms and definitions: Deciduous Deciduous plants are those that drop their leaves – usually...
3. Basic gardening terms and definitions: Rosette The term ‘rosette’ is commonly used to describe plants that...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

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

Related posts:

1. Chaparral Winter Gardening Tips The curious thing about gardening in the Southern California chaparral...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Deciduous and evergreen trees

Deciduous plants are those that drop their leaves – usually in the winter months. All plants slow growth when the days grow shorter. Evergreens retain their foliage even though they become partially dormant in less favorable weather conditions. Deciduous plants divest themselves of foliage and regrow anew after their rest period is over. There are advantages to both. Evergreens will shed a little foliage all year round, while deciduous plants lose it all at once.

Related posts:

1. Basic gardening terms and definitions: Deadheading or dead-heading Deadheading or dead-heading is the process of clipping off blossoms...
2. Gardening gifts for chaparral gardeners Whether you are looking for gifts for gardening friends and...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Wooley Blue Curls (tricostema lanatum) are colorful chaparral native plants.

There seems to be some flexibility in the application of the term ‘chaparral’ when it comes to gardening. Some definitions refer only to the small-leaved, drought-tolerant plants typical of certain climates whereas others define it as specific parts of California. Still others refer to the chaparral as a particular shared ecology and plant environment.

A biome is the term that refers to shared environmental elements. A chaparral biome would cover all the areas that have similar climates and conditions. These areas would likely support similar plants and many of those plants are likely to grow reasonably well in interchangeable geographical biomes.

The chaparral is an area with little ocean influence where there are hot, dry summers with little to no rainfall. Winters are relatively mild with few or no hard frosts and most of the rainfall. Different areas of the chaparral have varying soil compositions, but all are fast draining. Dry air, low rainfall and the daily wide temperature ranges of many of these areas make them wildfire prone. In addition to California, much of the Mediterranean, some of Australia, South America and South Africa are all part of the chaparral biome, whether they are considered ‘pure’ chaparral or not. Most often people think of the chaparral as the home of the western cowboy movie. Certainly much of the colorful history in the settlement of California did range across the chaparral areas.

We are located right in the prime area defined even in the most stringent terms as the chaparral. Whether you are a resident of Sylmar, Agua Dulce, Santa Clarita or Acton, you are right in the middle of the chaparral – as defined by even the most exacting geologists. In fact, the chaparral extends into Santa Barbara, through inland California up through Bakersville, Riverside, and Escondido, and right down through Los Angeles and throughout San DIego. There are different parts of the chaparral like the coastal chaparral, desert chaparral or the mountain chaparral. All are home to tough native plants that live with long periods of drought, wide daily temperature ranges and soil with little fertility.

Not only does the term chaparral carry the romantic, historic image of the old cowboy shows but chaparral plants are some of the toughest and durable plants for demanding environments. With the changing climates around the world, resilient, drought-tolerant plants are becoming more and more in demand in many gardens. The growing demand has encouraged plant breeders to expand the most decorative chaparral plants into extremely showy garden varieties. As a result there are more ornamental chaparral plants available for planting in demanding landscape environments.

These plants are beginning to find homes in gardens all over the world where drought and climate change are encouraging gardeners to seek resilient plants that can also be decorative in the landscape. The chaparral biome, once seen as nothing but ‘scrub’ land, is beginning to bloom into a fine source for drought-resistant garden material.

Originally posted 2011-02-04 06:35:40. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Related posts:

1. Chaparral Winter Gardening Tips The curious thing about gardening in the Southern California chaparral...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

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

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

A lawn won't give you all this color!

As water becomes scarcer – and it will continue so long as our population continues to grow whether there is a rainfall shortage or not – it may finally be the time to reconsider the habit of one old landscape tradition: the lawn. If you think of the fact that until the turn of the last century, the lawn was virtually unknown in American gardens, you might realize how closed-minded we’ve become about our lawns. The lawn became a stylized competition with England in the beginning of the 1900’s and made perfect sense in areas of the East Coast of the United States where rainfall was plentiful, homes built on large lots of land that needed covering, and populations small enough to make no harmful ecological footprints on the land. But things have changed across the country. And dry areas have never been home to abundant green growth or heavy human populations – until now.

So, rather than battling nature, increasing water regulations and escalating water costs, here are some suggestions to convert your lawn into smart landscaping with lawn substitutes.

Start out by making sure whatever lawn you retain is useful. Use it only where it looks best and is practical for children or pets to play. Then replace the other areas with attractive, easy-to-care-for or more useful lawn alternatives.

You might want to turn your space into something more colorful by planting a water-wise garden. Gardens can be more interesting than flat lawns and can make better use of space, too. Design your garden to have paths that meander throughout so you can enjoy a fascinating walk and watch your flowers grow or the birds and butterflies enjoying your garden. Consider placing a hammock or seating area inside the garden as a private spot to read, meditate or just relax and watch nature.

Another great way to use that lawn space is to turn it into something productive. You can grow a vegetable garden that will feed your family with healthy, fresh food. And not only will food be more nutritious when fresh picked, but it will taste remarkably better. An edible garden will use more water and will require soil amendments. It will also not be all that low maintenance. But it will pay back double everything you put into it! …Not so true about a lawn.

You can also cover wider areas with more-exciting-than-lawn substitutes. There are colorful ground-cover plants that won’t need mowing and can even offer tinted foliage or cheerful flowers. Some ground-covers are considered to be ‘steppables’ which means they can take some light foot traffic. Or if you prefer, you can design a fun stepping stone pathway to meander around your planted area.

Another possibility to cover wider areas efficiently is to use non-living materials. You can find rocks, stones and gravel in many sizes, shapes and an amazing array of colors. Even decomposed granite is being quarried in a rainbow of colors. Use these non-living materials to fill spaces, draw pictures and designs or outline shapes. You can get as artistic as you’d like and make a whole conversation piece out of filling in an area of your garden. And you’ll get something that looks great while demanding practically no maintenance or water, yet will keep down the dust on windy days.

One more idea — if you really like grass — is to build yourself an ornamental grass garden. There is a wealth of different colors, sizes and textures in the grass family. You can find soft, mounding, low-growing clumps in blues, reds, oranges, grays, yellows and more in Festuca and Carix. Or you can go for the graceful wild oats or swaying Miscanthus family with members that offer colored design patterns in every leaf. Mix in a lot of drought-tolerant grasses and you will have minimal maintenance and a garden filled with interesting shapes and forms that dance gracefully in the wind.

You don’t have to give up on lawn altogether. Lawn grass can be very useful for play, sports and picnics. Keep a lawn where it earns its ‘keep’. But if you are going to have to fuss, feed and pour a lot of water into it – all for the honor of mowing and edging it – you might just as well get value back for all your effort. Landscape smart.  We don’t need to be constrained by out-dated styles. Not too many people feel wearing a bustle or a top hat is appropriate today. Perhaps we should look at our attitude toward lawns, too. It’s been a hundred years and we can choose better now. Or at least be a little choosier.

Originally posted 2011-05-02 09:17:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Related posts:

1. Lawns or Lawn Substitutes? As water becomes scarcer – and it will continue so...
2. Winter Lawn Care in Southern California Southern California is known for its dry summers. Winter months...
3. Australia native plants for Southern California landscaping As sustainability in garden design grows in popularity, gardeners and...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Related posts:

1. Gardening gifts for chaparral gardeners Whether you are looking for gifts for gardening friends and...
2. Chaparral Winter Gardening Tips The curious thing about gardening in the Southern California chaparral...
3. ‘Tis the season to be gardening, in the chaparral, the cha-par-ral (Title to be sung to the original ‘Deck the Halls’...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

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!

Related posts:

1. The November Garden To-Do List for the Southern California Chaparral As soon as all the hustle at Halloween time is...
2. Holiday Decor and the Garden                    ...
3. May Garden Tips for Southern California May and June are the best time to plant, clean...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.