All posts by Jan Nelson

I am a landscape designer and consultant in the Santa Cruz mountains in California. I write a weekly gardening column for the Press Banner newspaper. I am also a Calif. Advanced Certified Nursery Professional and managed The Plantworks Nursery in Ben Lomond, Ca. for 20 years.
Design trends

What’s New in the Garden in 2024

The flower buds, petals, young shoots and tubers of daylily are edible.

Gardening trends come & go. Who doesn’t love to read garden magazines with all those beautiful photographs during the winter and dream about your garden’s potential. Ditto for all the gardening blogs on the internet that are written by some very talented people who seem to have more free time than most of us. Here are some of the trends for 2024. You might already have incorporated some into your garden so pat yourself on the back and read on.

Like last year, enhancing your garden with edibles is again at the top of the list although now it’s got a fancy new name – Edimentals. Coined by writer Stephen Barstow of Norway edimentals are plants that are both edible and ornamental, therefore serving more than one function in the garden.

My friend Joy has foraged in her garden for years. You never know what’s going to be in one of her salads or soups. She would know that Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans) is not only a fantastic fall-blooming perennial, but its scarlet flowers are great in salads, herbed cheeses and dressings.

Here are more reasons to add edimentals into your garden. Edimental plants are easy to care for. Perennials, shrubs and trees have fruiting times throughout the year rather than all at once. Their deeper roots make them hardier than annuals and better able to deal with drought or the occasional pest infestation. And when sprinkled throughout the entire garden, edimentals are a great way to draw kids out of the house and into the garden, encouraging them to forage while they wander. The flowers and tubers of both Dahlias and daylillies are examples of edimentals.

Another trend for 2024 isn’t really new. Naturalistic gardens consist mainly of native plants with drifts of flowers and grasses that look like a prairie that appears to have naturally re-seeded itself but in reality plants are carefully placed and chosen. The focus of a naturalistic garden is on a diversity of plants that blend with the surrounding nature and welcomes wildlife and pollinators. It’s neither manicured nor neglected. Sounds easy, doesn’t it?
Rethink that lawn this spring for a truly stunning yard.

Rain gardens are again trending. Around here it’s always a good idea to preserve runoff. Slow it, spread it, sink it should be our motto: catch the water, hold it on-site and get it back into the ground and out of storm drains. Roof and driveway pollutants from rain runoff are filtered by plant roots in a rain garden. Plants chosen for rain gardens need to handle the feast or famine amounts of water. Many native plants, grasses and sedges with their long, deep root structures.

The 4th trend for 2024 is learning to love bugs. While I can see that a few aphids, spider mites and whiteflies are not going to keep me up at night as long as the infestation isn’t too bad, I’m not sure about slugs and snails. The Royal Horticultural Society recently declassified slugs and snails as pests. The skunk and raccoon who frequent my garden will be happy to learn this. Me? Not so much.

Another trend is adapting and growing with a changing climate that is becoming hotter/colder, wetter, drier. Here are a few things you can do:
Choose the right plants that are more heat, cold, drought and pest resistant. Adjust your watering practices. Shift planting and harvesting dates and be prepared for extreme weather with row covers to protect from unexpected frost, shade cloth for excessive heat and materials for wind breaks.

Personally I embrace the smaller garden. You can create an instant meditation garden that encourages you to stop and sit for a couple minutes by placing a small bench where you can view something interesting in your garden. Small gardens are not only compact, they are easier to care for. Containers on the patio or deck allow you to grow plants for food as well as for the birds and the bees. There are more new dwarf vegetable, herb and flower varieties being introduced every year.

It’s always a good idea to remove overgrown shrubs and replace them with water smart, easy-to-care-for plants that will stay the right size in a smaller space. There are new compact and dwarf versions of old plants that have been garden favorites for a very long time. The reason they have endured is because they are reliable. Good reason to look again at some old favorites.


Everything old is new again.

Design trends

The Pantone 2024 Color of the Year

The Pantone Color of the Year for 2024 is… drumroll, please… Peach Fuzz. I like it. It’s a light, delicate shade that sits between pink and orange. I rarely get a request for orange flowers to be included in a garden so peach is a good compromise.

This year’s color is an easy one to include in the garden. Many of our favorite plants have peach colored blooms and it combines well with cornflower blue flowers. Softer shades of yellow and apricot also blend well with peach and add a wonderful feeling of warmth to the garden.

The UCSC Arboretum and Botanic Garden grows many kinds of leucospermum or Pincushion protea. One of my favorites is a lovely peach shade. I’m not sure of the name but it’s a beauty. David Austin offers several English shrub roses in shades of peach while Week’s roses offers the floribunda ‘Jump for Joy’ in a peachy shade. Several aloe varieties also come in peach toned flowers.

Warm colors tend to be more stimulating, dynamic and noticeable from afar than cool hues which are more calming and understated. Warm colors advance visually, cool ones recede. So to make a small garden appear larger use cool blues and lavenders in the back with just a touch of scarlet, orange or yellow up close for contrast. Do the opposite to make a large space more intimate – position warm colors at the back, cool colors in front.

Garden colors aren’t static either. They vary with time of day, the season, the weather and the distance from which we view them. Also color perception varies among people and not all people with normal vision see color the same way. Since color and light are inseparable, white, yellow and pastels seem more vivid in low light. In overcast or fog, soft colors like pink, creamy yellow, pale blue and lavender come alive. As night approaches and the earth is bathed in blues and violets, those colors are the first to fade from view.

So don’t forget white, cream and silver flowers and foliage to brighten up the night garden. White combines nicely with both warm and cool colors so it’s easy to place. It’s an effective peacemaker between colors that would clash if placed side by side. In shady gardens, plants like white bleeding heart, wavy cream-edged hosta, white browallia, white hydrangea, lamium and white calla lily pop at night. Gardens in more sun can plant Holly’s White penstemon, silvery bush morning glory, dichondra Silver Falls, fragrant Iceberg roses, white sweet alyssum and Whirling Butterflies gaura.

Have fun with color. don’t be afraid to try new combinations. I often hear people say “I like all the colors except orange”. Orange naturally combines with blue as these ‘sunset’ colors are opposite each other on the color wheel. Think how nice bright orange California poppies look with blue marguerites or peach Iceland poppies with blue violas.

Foliage is a rich source or garden color. You can find plants with yellow, red, purple, blue or gray foliage as well as shades of green with variegated, marbled or streaked leaves.

Plants grow and gardens change over time. Realize that you’re embarking on a journey that may take many years. Don’t be afraid to play with color even if you don’t get it right the first time. Just learn from your mistakes and make adjustments. And have fun getting there.

Design trends

Thoughts for the New Year from The Mountain Gardener

I don’t know about you but it seemed to me that 2023 was a challenge for the plants in my little garden. Between the atmospheric rivers and the cold nights in late spring I barely got my herbs started in June. Then the weather got hot and poof just when everything was growing great the first frost came early. But we gardeners are eternal optimists. So I’m looking forward to 2024.

Friends of mine give me a calendar each year showcasing the birds and wildlife they have seen on their many travels. Last year my calendar featured Mongolian eagle hunters and Shamans as well as the wild camels and horses that live in this unique region. Each month is a treat as I turn the pages of my favorite calendar. Now with each day getting a longer a new gardening year is upon us. These are some of my thoughts for the New Year.

I was able to visit some beautiful places in Oregon this year. There’s no better way to recharge your creative batteries than to see an inspiring landscape. Even a walk around your neighborhood can give you ideas for your own garden. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a huge boulder and wished I could magically transport it to my own yard.

The visit to Filoli Garden in the spring was breathtaking as always. I always look to see the beneficial insects at work. When I design a garden I now include even more pollen producing flowering plants to attract beneficials. This way I keep the good guys around longer to deal with the bad bugs and aid in pollination. Knowing what the good insects look like is important in helping me identify a problem that may be getting out of control.

I’ve tried to plant more edibles but my growing conditions thwarted me. I don’t have enough sun except for a couple hours during the hottest part of the day. Sound familiar? Edibles in the garden feed both the body and the soul. More than just vegetables and fruit trees, growing food connects us to the earth and to each other. I’m going to give those peas and chard another try.

When you grow something you are being a good steward of the land as you enrich the topsoil using sustainable organic techniques. You connect with neighbors by trading your extra pumpkins for their persimmons. Knowledge of how and what to grow can be exchanged, seeds swapped. Do your best even if you only have a few containers to grow an Early Girl tomato or some lettuce.

I always make a few New Years resolutions but I try to not be too hard on myself. Don’t get hung up on achieving everything you would like. Have I just given myself a bye if my plans don’t pan out this year? Your wish list will serve you well during the cold, wet days of winter even if you don’t get them implemented. Planning landscape changes that conserve water will benefit the environment and your budget. Ordering seeds for the spring garden is great therapy for winter blues and future meals.

Dreaming is more than an idle pursuit. It’s good for you and improves the quality of your life over the long haul. Don’t worry if you don’t get to everything you hoped to accomplish. It’s all in the baby steps. We gardeners are eternal optimists. Why else would be plant a tree or a seed or a garden?

And finally, learn something new every day. Whether it’s something new in the garden or elsewhere, keep learning. Enjoy the simple things. Laugh often. Life is not measured by the breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away. Everyday is a gift, that’s why we call it the present.

Happy New Year to all of my fellow gardeners from The Mountain Gardener.

Design trends

A Poem for Christmas by The Mountain Gardener

Besides deer you might share your garden with chipmunks, too.

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the garden,
The creatures were stirring, the deer got a pardon.
The hummingbird feeders were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that the Anna’s soon would be there.

The flowering cherries were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of spring glory danced in their heads.
The summer vegetables were harvested and beds put to nap,
The compost’s a brewing so next year’s a snap.

When out on the lawn there rose such a clatter,
I ran into the garden to see what was the matter.
And what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a big flock of chickadees and eight black-tailed deer.

They spoke not a word, but went straight to their work,
The chickadees devouring aphids with amazing teamwork.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the deck,
Prancing and pawing, the deer making a wreck.

A hydrangea here, an abutilon there, this garden’s a feast,
With edibles and perennials at the very least.
We love this garden, they whispered to themselves,
With any luck, they’ll think we’re the elves !

Beautiful flowers and nectar and fragrance abounds,
We’ll include this forever on one of our rounds.
The birds can sing and fly in the skies
But we have the charm with huge brown doe-eyes.

We get a bad rap, it’s not all our fault,
Most of our feeding grounds are covered with asphalt.
Just give us a sleigh and we’ll make you proud,
We’re good for more than eating roses, they vowed.

Call us Dasher and Dancer and Comet and Vixen,
Or Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen,
Then maybe you’ll forgive us for our past mistakes,
We can’t help that we eat plants, we just don’t eat steaks.

Now if you’ve been good this year, do make a wish,
And then when you see us- welcome, don’t banish.
All of us creatures will give our best shot,
To nourish your garden with nary a thought.

So everybody listen carefully on Christmas Eve,
And maybe you’ll hear and then you’ll believe.
You may even hear us exclaim as we prance out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

My thanks to Clement Clark Moore who wrote the original poem in 1822 in New York. I’d like to believe that he would enjoy my version for gardeners everywhere.

Design trends

Holiday Traditions

We all have traditions that we look forward to every year during the holidays. For some it’s the annual trip to the Christmas tree farm. For others it’s planning a holiday get together with friends and family. While decorating my tree this year I thought of Christmas past and family members who are gone but not forgotten. Who could forget my Dad’s 8mm movie camera with the bank of lights so bright you could barely see for an hour afterwards?

Some of us celebrate Christmas, some Hanukkah, some Kwanzaa. Many of our traditional holiday customs originated from Winter Solstice celebrations. The plants associated with each are an important part of tradition and symbolism.
Here are how some of those holiday traditions got their start.

Winter solstice is the 21st of December. Solstice literally means “Sun Stands Still’ and for a few days around this time of year the sun appears to stand still in the sky. Nearly all cultures and faiths have some sort of winter solstice celebration. They have been with us for thousands of years starting at the beginning of agriculture among people who depended on the return of the sun. We have incorporated many of the plants from traditional winter solstice celebrations into our own- holly, ivy, evergreens, rosemary and mistletoe. How did this come about?

Holly remains green throughout the year when deciduous trees like the oak shed their leaves. Decorating with it throughout the home has long been believed to bring protection and good luck. Placing a ring of holly on doors originated in Ireland since holly was one of the main plants that was green and beautiful with its red berries at this time of year. Norseman and Celts planted a holly tree near their homes to ward off lightning strikes. The crooked lines of holly leaves gave rise to its association with lightning and in fact holly does conduct lighting into the ground better than most trees.

Like other evergreens, ivy symbolizes immortality and eternal life. In England it is traditionally used in kissing balls with holly and mistletoe. It has also stood for fidelity, healing and marriage. Ancient Romans thought it brought good luck and joy. It was worn as a crown or fashioned into a wreath or garland.

Evergreen trees play a role in solstice celebrations. Early Romans and Christians considered the evergreen a symbol of the continuity of life. Fir, cedar, pine boughs and wreaths were used to decorate homes. Small gifts were hung from the branches. This may have been where the Christian tradition of decorating an evergreen tree or Yule tree in December originated. Other sacred trees of the solstice are yew, birch, arborvitae and ash.

We often see rosemary plants trained into a Christmas tree shape. Rosemary is evergreen in the winter and blooms at the same time making it the perfect plant for the holidays. Traditionally rosemary was spread on floors at Christmas as people walked over the herb releasing the fragrant scent and filling the home with blessings and protection.

How did our fascination with mistletoe get started? From earliest times it has been one of the most magical, mysterious and sacred plants of Greeks, Celts, Scandinavia, England and European folklore in general.The Druids believed the mistletoe’s magical powers extended beyond fertility. It was believed to cure almost any disease and was know as the “all healer”. Sprigs fixed above doorways of homes were said to keep away lightning and other types of evil. Because the plant is parasitic and has no roots it was believed that it grew from heaven.

Kissing under the mistletoe probably came from the Greek/Roman belief that it bestowed fertility and had life-giving power. In Scandinavia it was considered a plant of peace under which enemies could declare a truce or fighting spouses could kiss and make up. However this tradition originated, it’s a good one.

The Yule log dates back to the Saxons and Celtics. Oak trees represented strength, endurance, protection and good luck. It was the most sacred tree of Europe. On the eve of the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, people would keep a huge oak log burning for 12 hours. They would toss oak twigs and acorns into the fire, shout out their hopes and resolutions for the coming New Year and sing Yuletide carols. A piece of the Yule log was saved to start the fire the following year.

It’s traditional for us to have some poinsettias in the house for the holidays but they don’t have a very long history of European tradition like other plants because pointsettia is a native of Mexico. In the 1820’s President Andrew Jackson appointed Joel Roberts Poinsett as the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. In 1828 he found a beautiful shrub with large red “flowers” growing next to a road. He took cuttings and brought them back to his greenhouse in South Carolina. Because the leaves or bracts turn bright red around Christmas time they have been used as decorations for the holidays ever since.

The colors dark gold, blue and white are the traditional colors associated with Hanukkah. Celebrate this Festival of Lights with plants that represent this color scheme. These include lilies, white roses, white mini carnations, blue statice, and light and dark blue hydrangeas.

Kwanzaa is a Swahili word that means “first” and signifies the first fruits of the harvest. With ears of corn, fruit and nuts it is observed during for seven days during the last week of December and celebrates the “fruit” or accomplishments coming out of the year of labor. Each family celebrates Kwanzaa in its own way, but celebrations often include songs and dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry readying and a large traditional meal. Observed by people of all faiths it is a celebration of African roots.

Around the world, holiday celebrations have their own special meaning. So whether you Zoom with friends and distant family or celebrate in person embrace your own traditions and have a wondrous holiday. Take a moment to show your appreciation for those who make your life better.

Design trends

Making a Holiday Wreath

The call came last week reminding me of a much awaited annual holiday event. The Kelly’s wreath making party in Felton is something I look forward to each year to kick off the season.

The holiday season just wouldn’t be complete without a day spent with the Felton Christmas Wreath Makers at their annual get together at Barb’s house. Many of us regulars were anxious to get started and arrived midmorning eager to dig into the various piles of wreath making greens graciously supplied by Barb and her husband, Reg. We all shared stories and some laughs over glasses of sparkling cider or rose and french pastries.

I was first invited to the Annual Wreath Makers get together over 10 years ago but Barb has been creating wreaths with friends since about 2003. Friends and relatives come from near and far to make wreaths and enjoy some bubbly and pastries. Some will come from as far away as Folsom and Turlock.

We wreath makers had a great time. Barb told me a couple years ago that 44 wreaths were created over a few days. I made 5 on the day I was there. Another regular, Nancy, made two gorgeous wreaths and Barb made a perfect wreath for her front door. Hers are always stunners. Barbara explained that she once took a floral making class at Cabrillo. “I got hooked”, she says,”now I’m obsessed”. Some “wreathers” as we’re called, work fast putting together bundles of mixed foliage with lightening speed and attaching them to the frame with wire on paddles. Others are more meticulous grouping each bundle of various foliage with exactly the same mix. That’s pretty much it for required tools- gloves, clippers, a frame and paddle wire. A hot glue gun is a nice too for attaching accents like cones, berry clusters, driftwood, lichen, feathers, shells or flowers. Floral picks work nicely for small fruits like Meyer lemons, clementines or small pomegranates.

This year Barb and Reg collected a slightly different mix of material. “It’s different every year”, she said. During the drought years, they had to get creative as some of the greens didn’t look very good. This year they collected over 2 days – mostly on public land. They do have a source of variegated holly from a private garden up on Alba Road. Barb says she starts with a list of places and greenery they are looking for and hopes for the best.

Everyone makes a slightly different style wreath choosing greens, berries, seeds pods and hydrangea blooms or flower clusters of eucalyptus, acacia, pittosporum and Ruby Glow tea tree. Hollywood juniper, deodar cedar, red cedar, black pine, boxwood, camellia, oleander with long, slender seed pods and red flower buds, California bay, privet with berries and bottlebrush are just some of the plant material that we used this year.

Take advantage of this opportunity to prune your evergreen shrubs and conifers but don’t whack off snippets indiscriminately. Cuttings from fir, redwoods, pine, holly, mahonia, strawberry tree, toyon and cotoneaster parneyi make fine additions to your wreath or swag. To reveal the plant’s natural form, prune from the bottom up and from the inside out. Avoid ugly stubs by cutting back to the next largest branch or back to the trunk. If the plant has grown too dense, selectively remove whole branches to allow more air and sunlight to reach inside the plant. Look outside for different shades of foliage and spent flower heads. You can make a stunning wreath yourself from most anything you find around your garden. You’ll be amazed at what you can find right outside your door.

If you’re thinking of getting together with your neighbors to make wreaths or swags, start by having each bring a couple grocery bags of greens to share with other wreath makers. It helps if you can borrow a couple tables and have a few extra clippers on hand in case someone forgets theirs like I did. Each person brings their own wreath frames of wire or grape vine and some thin gauge wire on a paddle to attach the bundles to the frame. Wire coat hangers work just fine, too.

Trust me, you can’t make can’t make a bad wreath. They all turn out beautiful.