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Mary, Mary, How Does Your Garden Grow? by Mary Crowell
Weren’t those rains in Feb. something? Seems all I did over the President’s long weekend was watch my garden slurp up those gentle rains. It really helped our water table and maybe the dreaded “D” word will be long forgotten. While I had all that time to think, a question came to mind, “What are the best things you have learned from your garden?” Two things comes to mind right away, patience and serenity. March is such a fabulous time to sit in the garden and contemplate. Time to really look at each flower emerging from the winter sleep, ready to perk up our life and make us smile. It is in spring when the garden is at its peak, the time when one can get absorbed in the sights and smells of the greenery and flowers to come. It is also the time to reflect and watch the birds and butterflies as you weed.
MARCH 18-22 will be the fantastic and possibly the last SF Flower and Garden Show, as this year the venue will be in our backyard at the San Mateo Fairgrounds, not the Cow Palace as in the past. The theme this year is “Sustainable Spaces, Beautiful Places. “ According to the web site, “There will be 4 acres of inspiring flower gardens, free seminars for all gardening levels, and shopping at 300 exhibits all strictly related to San Francisco & California gardening, outdoor living and gardeners.” Anyone interested in any aspect of gardening shouldn’t miss this spectacular event. California Garden Clubs, CGCI, will be represented in the Fiesta Hall this year, look for one or two of my floral designs, they will be on pedestals this year. Check out the schedule at http://www.gardenshow.com.
March in your garden is a time of activity, it is not hard to resist getting out on those sunny and balmy days, paperwork goes by the wayside in our house even though tax time is approaching fast. Hopefully you have already applied acid fertilizer for those citrus trees, camellias and azaleas along with an all-purpose one for the rest of the garden. If you planted the fall bulbs, you should be getting an array of color right about now, my daffodils, hyacinths and grape hyacinths were up in Feb.! Now you may safely prune those plants that badly needed a haircut last month. Keep those trees healthy by raking the leaves and pulling any grass beneath them as the grass takes away the nutrients. Some hardy perennials to consider might be campanulas, penstemon, phlox, mimulus, hellebores, delphiniums, salvias, and geraniums, especially the scented ones. I love to plant the summer bulbs in Mar to get the blooms of glads, watsonias, agapanthus, anemones, cannas, begonias, ranunculus and dahlias (tubers). When you read gardening books such as Sunset Western Gardening Book find your appropriate zone. Put out snail bait such as Sluggo as we seem to be overrun with them right abou t now or you can make the midnight run with the flashlight or put out beer in small lids to drown those lushes! To get rid of aphids on roses, dig in systemic rose care products around the base every 6 weeks and get rid of the ants!!
Container plants seem to be my personal favorites, I have over 1000, but will pare down this year to a more manageable number. I find it fun to find odd artifacts that can be made into interesting dish gardens, by creating drainage. This year the Peninsula Succulent Club is making dish gardens for the CGCI convention luncheon out of old jello molds. Containers can provide colorful impact for the garden, a small balcony or patio and are portable. Staging containers around your garden is a way to spotlight them to best advantage and are an easy way to have an instant vegetable garden using a trellis to grow beans or peas. I am going to plant this month with a 5 year old, Seth, who lives in the front house, scarlet runner beans and English peas from seed. Using containers on your front porch is a great welcoming feature.
Perennials have long lasting appeal even when they are no longer in bloom as many have interesting structure and seed heads. Try some of the following that provide structure: Phlomis, Veronicastum, Thalictrum, Eryngium, Filipendula, Salvia, Limonium. Plants that provide interesting seed heads: Aster, Monarda, Sanguisorba, Rudbeckia, Solidago, Persicaria, Sedum telephium, Echinacea, Helenium, Kirengeshoma.
You may ask me questions at
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, write to me c/o the San Mateo Garden Center News, 605 Parkside Way San Mateo, 94403.
Mary, John and >^..^< >^..^<>^..^< in San Mateo, CA
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