Garden Report – August 2012
I love gardening! – Jennifer Voss
Plant of the Month: Begonia
Begonia is the sixth largest angiosperm genus with approximatly 1500 species. Jill MacKensie of the University of Minnesota writes: “Tuberous begonias are popular for their beautiful flowers which come in a variety of colors and forms. Red, orange, yellow, white, salmon and pink blooms may be single or double; they may be plain, ruffled or toothed; their petals may have margins, crests or blotches of contrasting color. Tuberous begonias bloom throughout the summer, thriving in shady spots where few other plants with long bloom periods and showy flowers can grow. They are often used as container plants on patios and porches, in hanging baskets, and as bedding plants.”
“Tuberous begonia species are native to tropical South America and southern Africa. Most varieties available in garden centers or though catalogs are hybrids with complex parentage, but all share the same cultural requirements.”
Featured Garden: The Smith Residence
The architecture is turn of the century Spanish Revival with original landscaping consisting of old and tired ornamental plants. The Smith’s wanted their new home’s exterior to be a blend of tropical and Balinese plantation style. We used Kentia Palms, bamboo, Plectranthus and Princess Flower to give the property a lush, tropical look. To add drama, we used asian statuary and asian ceramic pottery as focal points throughout the landscape and in many of the outdoor rooms.
Container Plants: Container Gardening, Bonsai
“Bonsai” is a Japanese pronunciation of the earlier Chinese term penzai. A “bon” is a tray-like pot typically used in bonsai culture. The word bonsai is often used in English as an umbrella term for all miniature trees in containers or pots, but this article focuses on bonsai as defined in the Japanese tradition.
What’s Blooming Now: Gold Medallion Tree, Cassia leptophylla
Recommended for planting by the California Invasive Plant Council, the gold medallion tree (Cassia leptophylla) grows quickly to its mature height of 20 to 25 feet, with a 20- to 30-foot canopy. Originally from Brazil, the gold medallion tree has delicate leaves and bright yellow flowers that bloom in summer, attracting butterflies like the cloudless and orange-barred sulfur.
What’s Buggin You?: Eugenia psyllid, Syzygium paniculatum
The following is provided by the University of California Agriculture & Natural Resources: “Eugenia psyllid occurs primarily on Australian brush cherry or eugenia (Syzygium paniculatum).”
“It has also been observed on juvenile foliage of New Zealand Christmas tree (Metrosideros excelsus). Adults are mostly dark brown with a white band around the abdomen. Their tiny golden eggs are laid primarily along the edges of young leaves, causing infested leaf margins to glisten in the sun. Nymphs are yellowish with orange-red eyes.”
“Recently hatched first-instar nymphs (called crawlers) settle on new growth and each forms a feeding pit. Settled nymphs resemble a soft scale insect and appear flat when viewed from the lower leaf surface. The upper surface of infested foliage reddens and distorts above these pits. Eugenia psyllid has about three to five generations a year, depending on temperature and host plant suitability.”
Plant Trees: Santa Barbara’s Guide to Tree Planting
From the “Santa Barbara Guide to Tree Planting”: “The value of a healthy urban forest is aesthetics, improved property values, energy savings, better air and water quality, and it provides a wildlife habitat.” If you were to have visted Santa Barbara 200 years ago, you would have walked among wildflowers, chaparral, sycamore and oak trees and other indiginous plants.” These links lead to “Santa Barbara Trail Guide“, a fine publication. Buy one for yourself or a friend and go for a hike.
Weather Report from Weather Underground: wunderground.com
The recent report is an estimated 22,000 record high temperature in the US this season. There is not much more to say about this subject other than, wear sunscreen. One more thing, Reuters News Service reports an iceberg twice the size of Manhattan has sluffed of the Petermann Glacer at Greenland. The sea temperature at Bristol Bay is much colder than normal as reported by a Santa Barbara salmon fisherman with an impecable reputation who has fished that area for the past 25 years.
Invasiveness: Invasive Species
Invasive species, also called invasive exotics or simply exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions. This includes introduced species.
Garden Tips:
- Clean and sharpen your tools
- Control mosquitoes with fish delivered by Vector Control of Santa Barbara or Mosquito Dunks in small water features – available in liquid or granules.
- Start an herb and vegetable garden this month
- Always clean shears and clippers with a bleach solution to avoid spreading disease
- Lawn mowers spread grasses and weeds from lawn to lawn
- Set gopher traps and tell the ground squirrels to go home!
- Conserve water by installing a thick layer of mulch and water in the morning
- Replace your lawn with less water demanding plants
- Check landscape lighting timers to adjust for shorter daylight hours
- Snail bait by Sluggo is pet friendly and will biodegrade
Italy:
I traveled to Italy to visit the gardens, friends, and to enjoy the food. For more information about the trip, go to www.ermilasb.blogspot.com
