Garden Report – May 2012
Agave parryi grows in a rosette pattern and will grow in the ground as large as 2½ feet in diameter. It requires full sun and is hardy to roughly -5 degrees Fahrenheit, though there are reports of specimens surviving temperatures at -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Parryi is evergreen and when mature produce a tall stalk with bright yellow blooms. They then die after blooming, as all leaf and root resources are put into the stalk, flowers, and seeds. Propagation is best by pups.
This variety works very well in firescape and low water garden as well as containers. Like many succulents, it’s color and shape often compliment contemporary architecture.
Container Plants: Container Gardening
Start a container herb garden. Plant chives, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon, and thyme. Sow seeds of arugula, chervil, cilantro, and dill… Or, plant a yucca.
What’s Blooming Now: Anigozanthos ‘Red Cross’
Anigozanthos is a small genus of Australian plants in the Bloodwort family Haemodoraceae. The 11 species and several subspecies are commonly known as kangaroo paw and catspaw depending on the shape of their flowers. A further species, previously identified as Anigozanthos fuliginosus and commonly known as the Black Kangaroo Paw, has been transferred to its own monotypic genus and is now known as Macropidia fuliginosa.
Photo Credits: Charles Swegles
What’s Bugging You? Pests in gardens and landscapes
Keeping a healthy and pest free garden requires constant vigilance. Attract good bugs like hoverflies, lacewings, and ladybugs, by planting asters, chamomile, coreopsis, coriander, cosmos, dandelion, penstemons, purple mallow poppy, scabiosa, tansy and yarrow. Any one of these garden plants will attract the beneficial insects your garden needs to stay pest free. Attract beneficial bugs to keep insect pests under control. University of California’s official guidelines for managing pests with environmentally sound methods. More…
Weather Report from Weather Underground: wunderground.com
Stay informed with an assortment of weather reporting options but the grandmother of weather reports is NOAA.
Water Conservation: Hydretain
Hydretain is a revolutionary new chemistry designed to reduce the watering requirements of plants and turf. Its patented blend of liquid humectant and hygroscopic compounds attract free water molecules from the air within the soul matrix and efficiently transfers them into the roots of plants. This simple mechanism results in healthy, vigorous, drought resistant turf, trees, shrubs, ornamental plants and agriculture.
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
