Garden Report – February 2013
Note: After some welcomed wet weather, oxalis has been showing off its brillant yellow blooms as well as Bird of Paradise and ornamental pear trees. The good news is that spring is about a month away.
What is Blooming Now: Narcissus
Narcissus is a genus of mainly hardy, mostly spring-flowering, bulbous perennials in the Amaryllis family, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. Various common names including daffodil, narcissus, and jonquil are used to describe all or some of the genus. They are native to meadows and woods in Europe, North Africa and West Asia, with a center of distribution in the Western Mediterranean. The number of distinct species varies widely depending on how they are classified, with the disparity due to similarity between species and hybridization between species. The number of defined species ranges from 26 to more than 60, depending on the authority. Species and hybrids are widely used in gardens and landscapes.
Bonus: I purchase my bulbs in bulk from Bill the Bulb Barron. If you are interested in a bulk purchase, please contact him at billthebulbbaron@aol.com, www.billthebulbbaron.com; (831) 236-8397, William R.P. Welch, 1031 Cayuga Street. Santa Cruz. CA 95062.
Tree of the Month: Pyrus calleryana, Callery pear
The Callery pear is the Santa Barbara street tree on East Guetierrez Street between Milpas Street and Salinas Street. That is Sycamore Canyon, Eucalyptus Hill, and Montecito Peak in the background.
In much of North America, cultivars of P. calleryana are so widely planted as ornamental trees that they have become a ubiquity in many urban and suburban communities. It is tolerant of a variety of soil types, drainage levels, and soil acidity. Its crown shape varies from ovate to elliptical. The symmetry of several cultivars lends to their use in somewhat formal settings, such as city streets, shopping centers, office parks, and industrial parks. Its dense clusters of white blossoms are conspicuous in early spring along the boulevards of many eastern United States towns. At the latitude of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the trees often remain green until mid-November, and in warm autumns, the colors are often a brilliant end to the fall color season, although in a cold year they may get frozen off before coloring. In the South, Callery pears tend to be among the more reliable coloring trees.
Several cultivars of Callery pear are offered commercially, including ‘Aristocrat’, ‘Autumn Blaze’, ‘Bradford’ (the commonly planted Bradford pear), ‘Capital’, ‘Cleveland Select’, ‘New Bradford’, ‘Redspire’, and ‘Whitehouse’.
Containers: Begonia and greens
Begonias paired with a container can be a very pleasing addition to the landscape or patio. With around 1,500 species, Begonia is the sixth largest angiosperm genus. The species are terrestrial (sometimes epiphytic) herbs or undershrubs, and occur in subtropical and tropical moist climates, in South and Central America, Africa, and southern Asia. Terrestrial species in the wild are commonly upright stemmed, rhizomatous, or tuberous. The plants are monoecious, with unisexual male and female flowers occurring separately on the same plant; the male contains numerous stamens, and the female has a large inferior ovary and two to four branched or twisted stigmas. In most species, the fruit is a winged capsule containing numerous minute seeds, although baccate fruits are also known. The leaves, which are often large and variously marked or variegated, are usually asymmetric (unequal-sided).
What is Buggin You?: Scale on the Meyer lemon tree
Yes, we are battling scale on one of the lemon trees so we packed up and drove to Yosemite to enjoy the view and bracing winter air. It was cold and beautiful…
At the End of the Day: Go for a Walk on the Beach
Summerland Beach at low tide during one of those beautiful Santa Barbara sunsets with the dogs in the lead.
Santa Barbara Weather Report by NOAA – 7 Day Forecast:
This site, NOAA.gov, is a top priority for accurate weather reports and forecasts. Tune in a get up to date to adjust your irrigation system.
Waste Watchers: Recycle Kitchen Compost Bins and Systems Containment is the answer to dealing with what can be a smelly, buggy mess when you save food scraps in your kitchen for your compost project. Take a look at some options available at: |
