Gardening Chores

Why are peonies so charming? Is it because of their large traditional blossoms that take you back to an idyllic past? Or because they are great for bouquets? Their lush and large foliage? Their delicate colors in shades of white, pink, coral or burgundy? Whichever the reason, if you want a really abundant floral display this year, they need some tender loving care as soon as ...

I’m staring at my seed box right now and it’s a mess. (I mean, it’s always a mess. But this time of year it’s a PARTICULAR mess.) There are envelopes with my handwriting that I can barely read — “zinnia? maybe?” and “definitely not marigold, bought at the swap” — and a few packets I ordered back in January that I completely forgot about until my husband pointed them out yeste...

A sunny garden is easy to fill with lush leaves and colorful blooms; a water-starved one a bit less, especially in late summer! And let’s be honest – many of us gardeners keep going back to Crape Myrtle… It gives that famous summer bloom, yes; but in California conditions, it can be thirsty, a bit messy with that peeling bark, and sometimes it just sits there, tired, when the...

Every spring we find ourselves doing the same thing. We pull the dahlia tubers out of storage wait until the soil feels warm enough to plant water them in and then spend half the summer staring at big green leaves that refuse to bloom.

Meanwhile down the street there are gardens that already look amazing by mid July bursting with huge flowers strong stems and color...

Butterflies and bees and other pollinators are “waking up” right now, in spring, and it’s time to give them a hand. How? Sow native wildflowers in your garden in April, to feed them when they most need it.

“Why native,” you may ask? Pollinators don’t always like “foreign food”; they prefer local flowers, which they recognize easily. Let’s also remember that nectar o...