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My Garden Diary

May and June 2022

Copyright © 2022 by David E. Ross

Many years ago, when I first started my Web site, I created an online diary of my gardening activities and observations. However, with work and the commute from Hell, I was often so tired I had to choose between maintaining my garden and maintaining my diary. Sometimes, I did neither. In 1998, I stopped my diary and removed the pages from my Web site.

Now I am retired. I am well-rested and have plenty of time to both garden and maintain a diary. This diary is primarily for my own benefit, so that I can look back upon what I did and when. But I thought others might also be interested, so here it is.

Also see What's Blooming in My Garden Now?

Diary entries for 2004 through 2014

Entries below are in reverse order (latest at the top). Daily, I might stoop to pull a weed or use a hose to water some potted plants; however, I don't consider those significant gardening activities. Thus, you will not see daily entries. Also, I might accumulate a few entries before updating this page on the Web.

When plants have well-known common names, their scientific names are given only the first time they appear on this page (entry closest to the bottom). There, the common name is in bold or appears as a link to another Web page.

Unless a different year is given, dates refer to other entries in the same year as the entry in which they appear, including entries on prior pages for the same year.

Date and Weather	Observations and Activities
19 June Clear, sunny, and warm Temp: 54-83 Humidity: 22 Wind: 1-17 Rain — This rain-year: 11.90 Days since last: 59	Trimmed some of the star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) on the trellis that separates the west bed from the side of the house. Shoots were sticking out over the adjacent walk that runs to the front of the house. Trimmed another lavender in the circular bed that started to block the adjacent path (3 Jun). In front, the lavender in the brick panel on the far side of the driveway had many old flower spikes that were dead or dying. Rather than tediously snipping out each of them, I carefully sheared the plant, leaving live growth below each cut. I once saw this same variety of lavender that had been sheared into formal cubes with many branches bare of leaves; soon the entire plants were dead. Lavender — along with others in the salvia family — require that either an entire branch is removed or else some live growth remain below any cuts.
15 June Clear, sunny, and hot Temp: 61-92 Humidity: 34% Wind: 1-13	Fed the dwarf citrus with small amounts of nitrogen, iron, and zinc sulfates. I also fed the gardenia with more generous amounts of those. Rain — This rain-year: 11.90 Days since last: 54
12 June Clear, sunny, and hot Temp: 62-93 Humidity: 31% Wind: 1-16 Rain — This rain-year: 11.90 Days since last: 51	While removing stalks of faded flowers from the foxglove in the east bed in back, I noticed the same mealybug infestation that earlier plagued the foxglove in the west bed (17 Apr). When I later fed the roses (immediately below), I placed some of the fertilizer that contains systemic insecticide around the infested plant. Fed the roses with ammonium sulfate. I also gave very tiny pinches of that strong nitrogen fertilizer to the potted plants in back. I know I fed the roses at least once since previously noting it in this diary (10 Apr) — likely with the fertilizer I mention immediately above — but I failed to make a diary entry. Shame on me! Trimmed some of the dwarf myrtle in back that was partially blocking a sprinkler head. I also trimmed a dwarf holly (Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii Nana') that was interfering with the adjacent climbing 'Don Juan' rose in back.
5 June Clear, sunny, and warm Temp: 55-83 Humidity: 39% Wind: 4-14 Rain — This rain-year: 11.90 Days since last: 44	Groomed the potted lavender on the brick path in front. Although many bees were visiting the flowers, they ignored me. Pruned more of the dwarf Rhaphiolepis indica (8 May) in front. Trimmed the edges of the dwarf English ivy (Hedera helix 'Hahn's') growing around the liquidambar tree (L. styraciflua) to create a gap between it and the pink clover lawn in front. Trimmed some of the eugenia (Syzygium paniculatum) growing along the east edge of my front yard. They were partially blocking the sprinkler in that area, which might be why the pink clover has not spread.
3 June Clear, sunny, and warm Temp: 55-78 Humidity: 34% Wind: 1-13 Rain — This rain-year: 11.90 Days since last: 42	Trimmed two of the 'Goodwin Creek Grey' lavender (Lavandula lanata × dentata) in the circular bed in back. One extended half way over the adjacent path and partially blocked a sprinkler. The other was severely crowding an adjacent azalea (Rhododendron indica 'Alaska'). Trimmed some of the dwarf Burford holly in the rose bed that were blocking sprinkers. Hand watered the potted dwarf citrus and parts of the back lawn where the red fescue grass (Festuca rubra) is sparse. Water restrictions because of the severe California drought include limiting when and how long I can run my garden sprinklers. Thus, hand watering and making sure sprinklers are not blocked are both very important.
29 May Clear, sunny, and warm Temp: 52-78 Humidity: 40% Wind: 1-15 Rain — This rain-year: 11.90 Days since last: 37	Potted the rooted weeping Chinese banyan cuttings (27 May). (Yes, both have roots.) They are now in a large flower pot in a larger jardinière in the living room next to the fireplace. I will have to move the pot the next time we use the fireplace. The Phalaenopsis 'Fuller's Sunset' orchid has been growing at such an angle that it is almost horizontal. While Phalaenopsis flower stalks naturally grow horizontally and then curve even lower, the plant itself should be upright; so I repotted it. Trimmed the edges of the teardrop bed in back. One of my goals was to clear the pink clover (Persicaria capitata) and mass of seedlings from The Tree away from the Cuphea hyssopifolia. Pruned more of the dwarf Rhaphiolepis indica (8 May) in front. These shrubs have grown so dense with branches intruding into each other that I cannot tell if I finish pruning one.
27 May Clear, sunny, and warm Temp: 51-80 Humidity: 40% Wind: 1-15 Rain — This rain-year: 11.90 Days since last: 35	Fed the dwarf citrus with a small handful of a commercial 10-4-6 citrus fertilizer plus two pinches of zinc sulfate for each plant. I fed the gardenia with more generous amounts of both. The gardenia is several decades old, and a few branches had died. I removed them. I put up new cuttings of 'Illumination Flame' foxglove (Digitalis purpurea × canariensis) and dwarf Burford holly (Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii Nana') to replace the cuttings that failed to root (27 Mar). In the meantime, at least one of the cuttings of the weeping Chinese banyan (Ficus benjamina, 20 Mar) have rooted. I intend to plant it (them?) in a pot in our living room.
8 May Partially cloudy, sunny (sometimes hazy), mild Temp: 51-70 Winter chill: 218.1 Humidity: 51% Wind: 0-10	Started pruning the dwarf Rhaphiolepis indica by the front door. It should have been pruned 1 or 2 years ago. It was covering part of the brick path to the front door and interfering with a sprinkler. After pruning only one of them, I was exhuasted; and the green garden-waste trash bin was too full to accept any results from pruning another one. Rain — This rain-year: 11.90 Days since last: 16
4 May Clear, sunny, and hot Temp: 53-90 Humidity: 17% Wind: 0-14 Rain — This rain-year: 11.90 Days since last: 12	Trimmed the African daisies (Osteospermum fruticosum) and English ivy (Hedera helix) that were growing over the slough wall at the bottom of My Hill. I have been pulling seedling daisies out of the west, rose, and east beds adjacent to the wall. If any of the ivy shoots reached the ground, they would take root and be difficult to remove. Fed the dwarf citrus with small amounts of ammonium, iron, and zinc sulfates. I fed the gardenia (G. jasminoides 'Veitchii') with more generous amounts of the same. A limb on the dwarf lemon (Citrus limon 'Eureka') had a long stripe of dead bark along one side. Since it also had side branches that extended over the adjacent path, I removed it. I failed to see there was a large ripe lemon on the limb, so I will harvest an even larger lemon in a few days and juice both of them. Another limb has a similar stripe of dead bark; the exposed wood has dried and cracked. Since that limb still has vigorous growth and does not interfere with the adjacent path, I filled the crack with white glue. If the tree develops a good replacement limb, however, I will remove this limb, too — after making sure there is no ripe or ripening fruit on it. Lightly trimmed the "dwarf" myrtle (Myrtus communis 'Compacta') where it was blocking a sprinkler head on a tall riser. The word dwarf is in quotes because these shrubs grow taller than me; indeed, the blocked sprinkler is taller than me.

Date and Weather

Observations and Activities

19 June

Clear, sunny, and warm

Temp: 54-83
Humidity: 22
Wind: 1-17

Rain —
This rain-year: 11.90
Days since last: 59

Trimmed some of the star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) on the trellis that separates the west bed from the side of the house. Shoots were sticking out over the adjacent walk that runs to the front of the house.

Trimmed another lavender in the circular bed that started to block the adjacent path (3 Jun).

In front, the lavender in the brick panel on the far side of the driveway had many old flower spikes that were dead or dying. Rather than tediously snipping out each of them, I carefully sheared the plant, leaving live growth below each cut. I once saw this same variety of lavender that had been sheared into formal cubes with many branches bare of leaves; soon the entire plants were dead. Lavender — along with others in the salvia family — require that either an entire branch is removed or else some live growth remain below any cuts.

15 June

Clear, sunny, and hot

Temp: 61-92
Humidity: 34%
Wind: 1-13

Fed the dwarf citrus with small amounts of nitrogen, iron, and zinc sulfates. I also fed the gardenia with more generous amounts of those.

Rain —
This rain-year: 11.90
Days since last: 54

12 June

Clear, sunny, and hot

Temp: 62-93
Humidity: 31%
Wind: 1-16

Rain —
This rain-year: 11.90
Days since last: 51

While removing stalks of faded flowers from the foxglove in the east bed in back, I noticed the same mealybug infestation that earlier plagued the foxglove in the west bed (17 Apr). When I later fed the roses (immediately below), I placed some of the fertilizer that contains systemic insecticide around the infested plant.

Fed the roses with ammonium sulfate. I also gave very tiny pinches of that strong nitrogen fertilizer to the potted plants in back. I know I fed the roses at least once since previously noting it in this diary (10 Apr) — likely with the fertilizer I mention immediately above — but I failed to make a diary entry. Shame on me!

Trimmed some of the dwarf myrtle in back that was partially blocking a sprinkler head. I also trimmed a dwarf holly (Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii Nana') that was interfering with the adjacent climbing 'Don Juan' rose in back.

5 June

Clear, sunny, and warm

Temp: 55-83
Humidity: 39%
Wind: 4-14

Rain —
This rain-year: 11.90
Days since last: 44

Groomed the potted lavender on the brick path in front. Although many bees were visiting the flowers, they ignored me.

Pruned more of the dwarf Rhaphiolepis indica (8 May) in front.

Trimmed the edges of the dwarf English ivy (Hedera helix 'Hahn's') growing around the liquidambar tree (L. styraciflua) to create a gap between it and the pink clover lawn in front.

Trimmed some of the eugenia (Syzygium paniculatum) growing along the east edge of my front yard. They were partially blocking the sprinkler in that area, which might be why the pink clover has not spread.

3 June

Clear, sunny, and warm

Temp: 55-78
Humidity: 34%
Wind: 1-13

Rain —
This rain-year: 11.90
Days since last: 42

Trimmed two of the 'Goodwin Creek Grey' lavender (Lavandula lanata × dentata) in the circular bed in back. One extended half way over the adjacent path and partially blocked a sprinkler. The other was severely crowding an adjacent azalea (Rhododendron indica 'Alaska').

Trimmed some of the dwarf Burford holly in the rose bed that were blocking sprinkers.

Hand watered the potted dwarf citrus and parts of the back lawn where the red fescue grass (Festuca rubra) is sparse.

Water restrictions because of the severe California drought include limiting when and how long I can run my garden sprinklers. Thus, hand watering and making sure sprinklers are not blocked are both very important.

29 May

Clear, sunny, and warm

Temp: 52-78
Humidity: 40%
Wind: 1-15

Rain —
This rain-year: 11.90
Days since last: 37

Potted the rooted weeping Chinese banyan cuttings (27 May). (Yes, both have roots.) They are now in a large flower pot in a larger jardinière in the living room next to the fireplace. I will have to move the pot the next time we use the fireplace.

The Phalaenopsis 'Fuller's Sunset' orchid has been growing at such an angle that it is almost horizontal. While Phalaenopsis flower stalks naturally grow horizontally and then curve even lower, the plant itself should be upright; so I repotted it.

Trimmed the edges of the teardrop bed in back. One of my goals was to clear the pink clover (Persicaria capitata) and mass of seedlings from The Tree away from the Cuphea hyssopifolia.

Pruned more of the dwarf Rhaphiolepis indica (8 May) in front. These shrubs have grown so dense with branches intruding into each other that I cannot tell if I finish pruning one.

27 May

Clear, sunny, and warm

Temp: 51-80
Humidity: 40%
Wind: 1-15

Rain —
This rain-year: 11.90
Days since last: 35

Fed the dwarf citrus with a small handful of a commercial 10-4-6 citrus fertilizer plus two pinches of zinc sulfate for each plant. I fed the gardenia with more generous amounts of both.

The gardenia is several decades old, and a few branches had died. I removed them.

I put up new cuttings of 'Illumination Flame' foxglove (Digitalis purpurea × canariensis) and dwarf Burford holly (Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii Nana') to replace the cuttings that failed to root (27 Mar). In the meantime, at least one of the cuttings of the weeping Chinese banyan (Ficus benjamina, 20 Mar) have rooted. I intend to plant it (them?) in a pot in our living room.

8 May

Partially cloudy, sunny (sometimes hazy), mild

Temp: 51-70
Winter chill: 218.1
Humidity: 51%
Wind: 0-10

Started pruning the dwarf Rhaphiolepis indica by the front door. It should have been pruned 1 or 2 years ago. It was covering part of the brick path to the front door and interfering with a sprinkler. After pruning only one of them, I was exhuasted; and the green garden-waste trash bin was too full to accept any results from pruning another one.

Rain —
This rain-year: 11.90
Days since last: 16

4 May

Clear, sunny, and hot

Temp: 53-90
Humidity: 17%
Wind: 0-14

Rain —
This rain-year: 11.90
Days since last: 12

Trimmed the African daisies (Osteospermum fruticosum) and English ivy (Hedera helix) that were growing over the slough wall at the bottom of My Hill. I have been pulling seedling daisies out of the west, rose, and east beds adjacent to the wall. If any of the ivy shoots reached the ground, they would take root and be difficult to remove.

Fed the dwarf citrus with small amounts of ammonium, iron, and zinc sulfates. I fed the gardenia (G. jasminoides 'Veitchii') with more generous amounts of the same.

A limb on the dwarf lemon (Citrus limon 'Eureka') had a long stripe of dead bark along one side. Since it also had side branches that extended over the adjacent path, I removed it. I failed to see there was a large ripe lemon on the limb, so I will harvest an even larger lemon in a few days and juice both of them. Another limb has a similar stripe of dead bark; the exposed wood has dried and cracked. Since that limb still has vigorous growth and does not interfere with the adjacent path, I filled the crack with white glue. If the tree develops a good replacement limb, however, I will remove this limb, too — after making sure there is no ripe or ripening fruit on it.

Lightly trimmed the "dwarf" myrtle (Myrtus communis 'Compacta') where it was blocking a sprinkler head on a tall riser. The word dwarf is in quotes because these shrubs grow taller than me; indeed, the blocked sprinkler is taller than me.

Weather data are from the Cheeseboro (CHE) weather station, about 2 miles ENE of my house.

The high temperature (°F) is daytime for the indicated date; the low temperature (°F) is for the previous night.

Winter chill is the cumulative hours of temperatures at or below 45°F from 1 November through 31 March. It is reported during that period and through April.

The relative humidity is at noon. (In my garden, it is likely higher than reported, a result of regular irrigation.)

Wind speeds (mph) are average (not peak) low and high, midnight to midnight (subject to later correction for diary entries posted before the end of the day). I also indicate peak wind gusts parenthetically when they are significantly high.

Rain is in inches. Rain-year is the cumulative amount of rainfall from 1 October until 30 September of the following year (our "rain-year"). Week is the cumulative amount of measurable rainfall from noon seven days ago until noon of the indicated date. If no measurable rain fell in that period, Days since last is reported.

Characterization of the weather (e.g., Clear, sunny, and warm) is purely subjective; for example, "warm" might occur with higher temperatures than "hot" if the former occurs with lower humidity and more breezes than the latter. Also, a day that would normally be characterized as "mild" might instead be "warm" if the immediately previous days were quite cold. Finally, such characterization reflects when I was actually outside and gardening and ignores changes that occur while I am inside.

The signature line I use when writing messages about my garden includes the following:

Climate:  California Mediterranean

Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)