My Garden Diary

Today, fed the dwarf citrus, gardenia, and with ammonium sulfate, iron sulfate, and zinc sulfate. I also gave ammonium sulfate and iron sulfate to the star jasmine, which just finished a bloom cycle.

Did some trimming, grooming, and other puttering around the back yard in anticipation of a garden party we're having this coming Sunday for our daughter Heather and her family. We hope that weather forecasts for temperatures in the high 90s and low 100s on Sunday prove exaggerated.

Fed the roses in back with a commercial rose food containing systemic insecticide. In back, this granular fertilizer sifts through the leaf mulch and ground cover. In front, I will have to dig it into the soil so that birds won't see it and think it's gravel for their digestion. But the drip irrigation system ran early this morning, leaving the soil in front too wet for digging.

Sifted compost. I stopped after I had a third of a barrel full, which is more than I would use in a year. Next to the compost pile is a pile of dry leaves that I never water or stir. I took some of those leaves and added them to the compost pile, sprinkled some high-nitrogen fertilizer (50-0-0 urea) on top of the compost pile, and watered it. I need to be careful when using the dry leaves since that pile — left by the grading contractor who repaired My Hill — also includes a lot of dirt and branches that I don't want in the compost.

Cut back the spider chrysanthemum (C. morifolium) on the patio. This will make the plant more bushy. In southern California, 4 July is generally the last day to cut or pinch 'mums.

The cheddar pinks (Dianthus gratianopolitanus) in the circular bed had put on a nice show of flowers. To encourage reblooming, I fed them with generic lawn food.

The sage plant (Salvia officinalis) that I potted earlier this year (16 Apr) died. Yesterday, I bought a new one — 'Icterina', a variegated variety — and potted it. The nursery said that the old one died from too much water. But I don't have a good place to put the pot where the garden sprinklers won't reach it. I added more sand to the potting mix to improve drainage, along with bit of sulfur to combat molds and other fungi.

When I bought the sage, I also bough some more wax-leaf begonias to plant along the brick walkway in front (19 Apr) and two Shasta daisies. The begonias almost reach the jog in the walkway, which is my goal by the end of next week. The new Shasta daisies (Chrysanthemum maximum 'Esther Reed', with double flowers) should grow taller than the ones I already have. The existing Shasta daisies grow so low that they are generally hidden behind other flowers.

Trimmed the penstemon away from growing over the circular brick patio in back. While I cut away many flowers still at their peak, many remain. More should be blooming by the end of next week, when we are having a garden party.

Trimmed the edge of the rose bed along the circular brick patio and along the walkway that separates it from the circular bed. I also trimmed the back lawn from the sprinkler heads in it. With water restrictions looming because of the prolonged drought, I need to make sure that all sprinklers work effectively.

Some years ago, we received a Cymbidium orchid in bloom. While it continues to send out new leaf shoots, it never bloomed again. At a local orchid show this past Saturday, I was told it needs more sun. So I moved it from the large table on our main patio to a small table on the circular brick patio where the east and rose beds meet. While it won't get full-day sun there, it will get more than it was getting against the north side of our house.

Dividing the east and rose beds are some stepping stones leading from the circular brick patio to the slough wall at the base of My Hill, to where the sprinkler valves for irrigating My Hill are located. The pink clover, coreopsis, and penstemon in that area had grown over the stepping stones, hiding them and making unsure footing for reaching the sprinkler valves. Today, I trimmed those plants away from the stepping stones.

Some varmint stole the ripe loquats right off the tree! I suspect squirrels or birds since I don't think the branches could hold the weight of a raccoon. Fortunately, I did get to eat a few; they were quite tasty. With the fruit all gone, I finished pruning the tree (24-25 May). Except for one branch where the tip broke off, all my cuts were thinning cuts. Keeping mostly lower branches and removing higher ones, I opened the center of the tree. I hope this method of pruning yields more fruit next spring. I will be sure to set my squirrel trap and hang shiny CDs from the tree before the fruit ripens.

Fed the dwarf citrus with a commercial citrus food plus a dash of zinc sulfate.

Also fed the gardenia with the same citrus food and a large dash of zinc sulfate. Despite repeated feedings with acidic fertilizers, however, the gardenia still shows some signs of chlorosis. This could be a result of the soil not being sufficiently acidic, from not enough iron, or from the soil not draining well. Thus, I mixed some gypsum, soil sulfur, iron sulfate, and Epsom salts and spread it around the gardenia. I had some of this mix left over and gave it to the tea tree, which is okay right now but becomes chlorotic very easily.

Climbed partway up My Hill and fed the 'Black Monukka' grape, which I did not feed when I fed the rest of My Hill (18 Mar) because it had not yet sprouted. Nasturtiums are now coming up all along the lower half of My Hill.

Trimmed some of the Podocarpus in front so that no one will accidentally walk into a low branch and so that branches don't interfere with the overhead garage door.

Climbed My Hill to tie the main shoots on the 'Perlette' and 'Flame' grapes to the twine hanging from the overhead support wire on which the vines will be trained. I removed all the other shoots to encourage the main shoot to grow longer, to reach the support wire.

The foxglove (Digitalis purpurea 'Camelot Lavender') is infested with spider mites. I fed it with a commercial plant food that contains a systemic insecticide.

Trimmed the edge of the walkway along the teardrop bed on the side towards the east bed. I don't mind the Cuphea hyssopifolia and pink clover growing out over the walkway as long as they are above shoe level. I don't want to be walking on those plants. I also trimmed lower shoots of the tea tree away from the walkway on all sides so that I don't have to push them away as I walk by.

Pruned the loquat tree little bit more. Then, I decided not to do any more pruning until all the fruit is ripe and has been picked. Then I can finish the pruning in one session.

Took cuttings of the lavender in front. When they root, I will use them to replace the sea pinks that our tortoise has eaten to the bare soil (7 May).

When I pruned the loquat (Eriobotrya japonica 'Macbeth') last year (15 May 08 and 5 Jun 08), I made many heading cuts. While the tree put out much new growth, there are only about a dozen fruits. I must have removed too much fruiting wood. Today, I started pruning again. This time, I will make only thinning cuts.

Planted four more wax-leaf begonias along the brick walkway in front (19 Apr). My wife is already thrilled with the effect even though it's not yet complete.

Trimmed the pink clover (Persicaria capitata) in front away from the shrub bed under the living room window. I also trimmed the dwarf English ivy (Hedera helix 'Hahn's') on the mailbox.

Another plant that appears to have survived the grading of My Hill is Aristea ecklonii, an iris relative with blue flowers. There had been three clumps of these, two at the west end of the rose bed and one at the north end of the west bed. These spread rather quickly from their roots and can also reseed if spent flowers are not promptly removed. I decided against having them replanted, but it seems they are now coming up all over the rose bed and in parts of the west bed. Since the foliage resembles large freesias, I'll wait until they bloom to confirm their identity. Then, I'll use an herbicide on them since I discovered that it's nearly impossible to dig them out of the ground.

Planted some more wax-leaf begonias in front along the brick walkway (19 Apr).

Finished trimming the edges of the walkways that surround the back lawn. I also trimmed the grass away from several plants that are growing within the lawn.

Bought some more wax-leaf begonias, four to extend the planting in front along the brick walkway and one to replace a plant that seemed to be dying in the raised bed around the tangelo in back. The sprinklers ran early this morning, and it was too wet to dig in front. When I removed the plant from the concrete block framing the raised bed in back, I discovered a bunch of new shoots below the soil. I still replaced the plant. But I potted up the old one; if it survives and thrives, I'll use it in front. My goal is that I will have planted enough begonias in front by the end of June (when our daughter visits from Canada) to border the walkway at least to where it jogs, halfway to the public sidewalk (19 Apr).

Fed the Alstroemeria in the container in back. Since the potting mix drains well, nutrients easily leach away. Although they continued to flower well, the plants were beginning to yellow.

Progressed in trimming the edges of the walkways surrounding the back lawn (15 May), this time to where potted herbs sit on a walkway intersection. I also trimmed the lawn away from the heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica) and society garlic (Tulbaghia violacea) growing within the edge of the lawn.

Trimmed the edges of the walkway between the rose bed and the lawn some more (13 May). I almost reached the intersection with the walkway that borders the circular bed.

This evening, we again had artichokes from the plant growing in the back lawn. They were not as large as those seen at the local markets, but they were very tasty. I wanted to make a curry-caper sauce for them, but we were out of capers and had to settle for lemon butter.

Started trimming the edges of the walkway between the lawn and rose bed. Starting by the steps to My Hill, which separate the west and rose beds, I got about halfway to the circular bed. I also trimmed the lawn away from the pot containing a dwarf kumquat (Fortunella margarita 'Nagami'). I can see that, when I reach the area between the lawn and the circular and teardrop beds, I'll also have to trim the lawn away from the various plants growing in the lawn.

Fed the dwarf citrus and gardenia (G. jasminoides 'Veitchii') with ammonium sulfate, iron sulfate, and zinc sulfate. I also gave ammonium sulfate and iron sulfate to the Australian tea tree (Leptospermum laevigatum).

Trimmed the rest of the walkway edges between the lawn and the west bed (7 May). I also weeded the walkway. Most of the weeds are annual grasses that sprout at this time of the year; so once they are gone, they should not return until next spring.

Finished thinning the fruit on the peach tree (29 Apr). The tree is definitely declining. I expect to have it removed as soon as the last ripe peach is picked. If the stump is properly ground out, I can plant a new peach tree in the same spot.

The circular bed in back has six azaleas around the edge. Between each pair of azaleas, a sea pink (thrift, Armeria meritima) was planted. Unfortunately, Cleopatra discovered that the sea pinks are tasty, at least to a tortoise. She ate three of them down to bare soil. Last year (9 Nov 08), I took cuttings of the 'Goodwin Creek Gray' lavender (Lavandula lanata × dentata) from a plant in front. Two pots of cuttings actually took root, so I planted them in the circular bed to replace the deceased sea pinks. While the lavender will grow much larger than the sea pinks, it creates the same gray accent. If the lavender thrives, I'll take some more cuttings.

Started trimming the edges of the walkway between the back lawn and the west bed. This included weeding the walkway itself and trimming lawn away from the large flower pot containing my dwarf lemon tree.

Discovered that one of the lawn sprinklers in back is not working, which explains why the lawn on the north side of The Tree is dying. I immediately called my favorite landscape contractor. I also want him to add the drip irrigation system for my roses in front to the clock that controls the other garden sprinklers (except for the sprinklers on My Hill, which I run only once in two weeks).

Bought some Pot Toes for my potted herbs and the chrysanthemum (C. morifolium) on the patio. These are little plastic feet that lift the pots, preventing the drain holes on the bottoms from getting blocked by the surface on which the pots rest. For several of the herbs, I had to prune roots growing through the drain holes and into the decomposed granite walkway; I hope the Pot Toes will prevent this from happening again. Two of the herbs were infested with ants; that meant drenching the pots and soil underneath with malathion.

While working with the potted peppermint (Mentha piperita), I decided it was too overgrown. After taking the plant out of its pot, I cut about 2 inches of soil from the bottom of the root ball. Then I cut the remaining root ball in half vertically. One of the halves I repotted with some fresh potting mix. I took a large piece of the other half and potted it in a small plastic pot to give to a friend.

Climbed My Hill with a squeeze bottle filled with a weed killer, which I applied to three thistles. These have thorns so bad that I fear they would go right through leather gloves, so I declined to pull them out.

Planted some more wax-leaf begonias along the brick walkway in front (19 Apr).