Monthly Archives: June 2023

Design trends

Anxiously Awaiting Summer

The calendar says summer starts next Wednesday June 21st at 7:57am. To say it’s been a strange year weather-wise would be an understatement. I, for one, put away the flannel sheets and sweaters a little too soon. But one of these days or weeks our beautiful summer weather will arrive and along with it other problems to deal with in the garden. If your piece of paradise is being devoured or disfigured by insect pests or fungal diseases here’s what can you do about it.

I was in a nice couple’s garden the other day giving them advice on what needed to be done. Everything was growing oh so vigorously this year. They have been disappointed with their roses thinking the early pruning was to blame for the poor showing. Actually their roses have a very bad rose slug infestation.

The rose slug is actually the larvae of a wasp called a sawfly. Because they can have 6 generations per year they can do a lot of damage to your roses. Early detection is key. Start scouting for sawfly larvae in early May when they can be hand picked or washed from the leaves with a strong spray. If needed, spray the leaves with neem oil while the larvae are still small. Conventional insecticides are toxic to bees and kill the good bugs too. During the winter they pupate in the soil and removing a couple of inches will help with controlling their numbers. Even cultivating the soil at any time will break up the cocoons.

Insects are having a field day at this time of year, too. Put out wet rolled newspaper at night to collect earwigs in the morning. If you see notches on your rose leaves, it’ might be the work of leaf cutter bees. These guys are beneficial and will go away shortly. On the other hand, notches on the outside of leaves in general might be slugs or snails so be sure to put out organic bait to deal with those critters.

June is a busy time for plants. Some are just finishing up early spring flowering like rhododendrons, azaleas. camellias, lilac and wisteria. Prune off spent flowers and shape plants if needed. Other plants are just beginning to flower and would like a dose of organic fertilizer to really perform well.

Keep checking for aphids. They can suck the plant juices from tender new leaves in a short time. And they are incredibly prolific. Female aphids can produce 50 to 100 offspring. A newly born aphid becomes a producing adult without about a week and then can produce up to 5 offspring per day for up to 30 days. Yikes, that’s a lot of aphids if you don’t keep up with control. You may be able to dislodge them with a strong spray from the hose. If they persist, spray with organics like insecticidal soap, Neem or horticultural oil. As with all pesticide sprays, do this early in the morning or later when the plant is not in the sun. Be sure to test first to make sure the spray doesn’t burn new growth.

Ants can also bring aphids up into trees and shrubs such as camellias, citrus and roses. The ants feed off the honeydew secreted by aphids, scale and other plant-juice sucking insects. Ants also protect these pests from natural predators. To keep them off, wrap trunks with a 1-2 inch wide strip of masking tape and coast with a sticky barrier like Tanglefoot. Keep the barriers free of dirt and replace when necessary.

A client of mine has a photinia hedge that is not doing well. At first I suspected fireblight as this species is prone to this infections but on closer inspection I found the problem to be leaf spot. The majority of leaf spots are caused by fungi but some are caused by bacteria. Either should be treated with an organic fungicide like Serenade which is non-toxic to bees and beneficial insects, Neem oil, copper or sulfur spray to prevent and control spreading. Affected leaves should be discarded. Many plants get various leaf spots and late spring showers are perfect for them to take hold.

There are so many things that can grow wrong in the vegetable garden, too. Between fungal and bacterial problems, insects, slugs, deer, birds, rodents, rabbits- the list is endless. Keep your eyes open and don’t let a problem become a bigger one with time.

Design trends

Vines- More Than Just a Pretty Face

Vines are beautiful to look at when in bloom or fall color. Fragrant vines can scent the air when you’re sitting outside on the patio. Vines can make a quick screen from the next-door neighbor. They can help create distinct garden rooms. And best of all, many vines attract birds, bees and butterflies.

Creating an outdoor room with vines can make your yard feel cozy. They readily provide the walls to enclose a space. Views from one part of the garden may be partially open, framed by vines or blocked entirely. Shrubs can also be used to create garden rooms but vines form a thin living wall that is quickly established. Creating boundaries with vines also adds vertical design elements to an otherwise flat landscape. By adding walls and a ceiling to your garden, you’ll be able to enjoy another dimension in addition to more color and fragrance too.

Zephterine Drouhin climbing rose with clematis ‘Jackmanii’

If your trees aren’t big enough to provide shade yet, vines on a pergola or lattice work can cool a west facing patio. They can also block the wind making your garden more comfortable. Vines with large, soft leaves can soften sounds that would otherwise bounce off hard surfaces. Birds will love you for your vines. They offer shelter for many species and nectar for others.

I’m always amazed at the variety of vines my friend Richard grows up into the canopy of his many trees. From Lady Banks rose to clematis to blood-red trumpet vine to a spectacular double white pandorea vine his trees do double duty in his garden. In your own garden think about trees, shrubs and even sturdy vines as support for other vines.

For a vine with long lasting interest, try growing an orange trumpet creeper up into a tree. It blooms from midsummer to early autumn and hummingbirds love it. It can tolerate wet or dry conditions, sun or shade and is generally pest free.

Plant vines for fragrance in your garden. Evergreen clematis (clematis arrnandii) bloom with showy white fragrant flowers clusters above dark green leaves. They’re in full bloom right now. There’s one growing over a fence near where I used to live.You can smell it when you drive by. Clematis montana is another variety of clematis that’s covered with vanilla scented pink flowers in spring also. Carolina jessamine’s fragrant yellow flower clusters appear in masses from late winter into spring. Other fragrant vines include wisteria, climbing roses, jasmine and honeysuckle varieties.

Another way to double your pleasure with vines is to let the thick stems of a mature, vigorous vine such as grape, wisteria, passionflower or a large climbing rose like Lady Banks serve as a framework for a more delicate stemmed vine like clematis or Goldflame honeysuckle (lonicera heckrottii)

Or you can enjoy the classic combination of a flowering clematis like purple Jackmanii intertwined with a white Iceberg rambling rose for another great look. Other vines that are beautiful and easy to grow is our native honeysuckle, lonicera hispidula, with translucent red berries in the fall. Violet trumpet vine, white potato vine, hardenbergia and Chilean jasmine are also good choices.

Growing vines is easy if you follow a few guidelines. To encourage bush growth on young vines, pinch out the stems’ terminal buds. If you want just a few vertical stems, though, don’t pinch the ends but instead remove all but one or two long stems at the base.

Often when I’m called out to take a look at a vine that has gotten out of control the only advice I can give is to cut the entire vine to the ground in late winter or early spring and start training it all over again. You can avoid this drastic measure by pruning periodically to keep your vine in bounds. Just before new growth begins, cut out unwanted or dead growth. If you can’t tell what to remove, cut the vine’s length by half and remove the dead stems later. On vines like hardenbergia or Carolina jessamine that bloom in late winter, wait to prune until after they have finished flowering.

Many vines require only deep but infrequent waterings. They provide so much beauty for so little effort.

Design trends

The Mountain Gardener Celebrates 900 Columns

Take inspiration from this cottage in Guatemala for that shed
in your backyard.

Well, it’s come to this – my 900th column. Starting way back in October of 2005 my first column appeared in the newly combined San Lorenzo Valley Press and the Scotts Valley Banner which was re-named the Press Banner. This is how it all got started.

My father wanted me to be a writer and researcher for National Geographic, encouraging me to take writing and science classes. My interest in nature and photography was the easy part. It was the 60’s, though, and if you grew up then you know that one didn’t always do what was expected of you. I did study science at Humboldt State and Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and aced the plant taxonomy and science classes.

After I moved here, I started working at a local nursery which really wasn’t work at all. Then one day I had an idea. I typed up a sample column and marched into the editor’s office for the Press Banner. Little did I know that he had taken horticulture classes himself and so had a soft spot for my idea to write a weekly gardening column. Next thing I know he’s saying he wants 5 columns, 400 words each, excluding prepositions, on his desk by Friday and the column would be called ‘The Mountain Gardener’ and not ‘Ask Jan’ which I had suggested. I knew my father would be proud. I was a newspaper columnist.

So on this anniversary of my 900th column I want to share with you some interesting gardening lore and stories from my travels over the years.

From Doc Hencke’s wonderful arboretum-like landscape I have learned about trees. From Robby, the serial mole killer, I learned about smart irrigation and the value of strolling in your garden, beverage in hand, to identify problems early. From the collections of Ron, Marc, Pete and Ed of Santa Cruz Bonsai Kai club I discovered the world of bonsai.

A fellow landscape designer I know was born on Halloween so she celebrates this holiday in a big way. The days following are called Day of the Dead or Dia de Muertes. Families gather together to remember and honor their deceased loved one. It’s a sacred and joyous time. Day of the Dead traditions include food and flowers which is where those of us who love plants come in.

I was in Central Mexico in the highlands of Chiapas many years ago during this celebration and was able to experience this tradition and enjoy the hundreds of marigolds growing around cottages and decorating every small business and church. In the village of San Juan Chamala, marigolds grew in the dozens of greenhouses.

I’ll never forget another trip I took to Guatemala, Honduras and Utila, an island off the coast of Honduras. It was on Utila that I saw plants growing in washing machine baskets. I thought it was a clever way to re-use old appliances but wondered why there were so many old washing machines on a tiny island. A local laughed at me for asking about them and told me the baskets protect their plants from the big blue crabs that come out at night. Seems they’ll sever the stems right at ground level and drag the whole plant into their hole. Also the baskets protect the plants from iguanas who will eat anything within two feet of the ground. And you thought deer and bunnies were a problem?

More recently I have enjoyed visits to Filoli Gardens, Valley Churches United garden tour last year, Gamble Gardens and their annual garden tour as well as the fabulous gardens of my landscape designer friends.

I get emails and texts often from readers asking for advice. I’m happy to problem solve anyway I can. Text me a picture and if I can help, I will. Over the years, Lompico resident, Tom Miller, has reached out many times with gardening questions. Several years ago he posed with his collection of The Mountain Gardening columns that he cut out of the paper and saved. Sitting on his deck with all the clippings and flowering pots, it’s quite a testament to his loyalty. So Tom, are you still saving my columns now that I’m up to 900 of them or have you run out of space on your desk?

Live and learn. Hope springs eternal in gardening as it is in life. I hope you have enjoyed reading the last 900 columns as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them.