May, the Quick-Grow Month

I love May in the garden. The plants are vibrantly alive with flowers and the beginnings of fruit. Lovely scents permeate the air and loud colors demand appreciation. May also brings a slight turn of season for I have removed the majority of my early spring flowers: the pansies, violas, nasturtiums, and early wildflowers. The sweet peas have been removed to prevent the spread of mold to the vegetables. Their scent is replaced by white jasmine, that unmistakable May fragrance. We have been fortunate to have more sunny days than "May Gray" days and I hope that means "June Gloom" will not send too many overcast days our way. The garden is off to a great start and we will whether the clouds (if needed) with mildew spray and field trips to the Eastern (and sunnier) part of the county.

Butterfly Garden with Yarrow and Sage

Large tomatoes were planted 4/1, the smaller ones on 5/6. Staggering ensures fruit through the season.

Testing my green thumb with Japanese eggplant

Peppers in supports, lettuce, and cucumbers

Wildflower bed making way for future pepper patch

Patio flower bed with jasmine, lemon verbena, kangaroo paw, lavender, and purple hibiscus

Alternate view of patio

Pomegranate blooms

Artichokes are coming in!

Artichoke patch under the pomegranate tree

Sugar pie pumpkins grown from seed

The site of the future pumpkin patch

My first Hot Coco Rose

 

16th Annual Clairemont Garden Tour 2012

The Clairemont Garden Tour is back and better than ever! I saw the reemergence of wonderful, do-it-yourself gems and some amazing show-stoppers! The diverse central San Diego garden tour, which encompasses the area east of Interstate 5, south of Interstate 52, and west of Interstate 805, had a lovely range of 14 gardens that showcased multiple themes including an Tuscan Terrace, a Southwest Tropical front yard, an extensive canyon property with chickens, a model train front yard, a terraced butterfly garden, and a combination Tropical Rain forest/ floral garden. Included in many of the gardens were terraced hillsides tailored to the topography of the area, drought tolerant xeriscaping and native plants, certified wildlife gardens that provide food, water, cover and shelter to animals, and fruit trees incorporated into the landscaping. Vegetable garden plots were smaller this year, with a lot more focus on the flowers. But oh, the flowers: Hydrangea, lilies, roses, epiphyllum, protea, grevillea, multiple kinds of butterfly bush, and so many more! Some gardens were nascent developments, just beginning to put their roots down. Other gardens have been established for up to 20 years. Many thanks to the exhibitors, Clairemont Town Council, volunteers and sponsors who made this event possible!

Avanti Tuscan Terrace in Bay Ho

This certified wildlife habitat had water, plants to provide food, cover and shelter for animals.

A perfect spot to read on a hot summer day

Grape vines make a living roof

Terracing follows the lay of the land

Cole Canyon View Garden in Northwestern Clairemont

View from patio, fruit trees line perimeter of garden

Stairs through the terraced garden beds connect the lower level to the patio.

Drought tolerant succulents look lush, not sparse.

Chicken coop!

Terraced garden beds maximize cultivated space

Sunglow Butterfly Terrace in Northeastern Clairemont

A waterfall with pool creates relaxing garden soundtrack.

Butterfly nectar flowers - Butterflies were released earlier that day!

Another view of waterfall and pool.

Butterfly garden terracing provides food an shelter for winged friends.

 Burgener Rain Forest Garden in Bay Park

Walkways lead through the garden like secret passages

Second level walkway leading to greenhouse on top of home

What could be around this turn?

Light and shadow display amazing textures

To view more pictures of the 2012 Clairemont Garden Tour, please click here to see my entire photo album of the event.

Dreaming in the Color of Roses

Hubby and I are now proud members of the San Diego Rose Society and last Sunday we were treated to a tour of some of the most beautiful private rose gardens in San Diego County. We have determined that we must make some mandatory additions to our seven going on six rose bushes: Fourth of July, Fame, Memorial Day and Rock N Roll. I also must find a Koko Loco and a replacement for my Ketchup and Mustard - it sadly does not look to be surviving the transplant process. I have a lot of catching up to do before I can deem my garden in the same class as these loveliest of lovelies! Also, a reminder that this year's Clairemont Garden Tour will be held Saturday, May 5, starting at 10 AM. For more information or to purchase tickets, please go to Clairemont On-line. Now, on with the roses!

Ruth Tiffany Rose garden:

Fourth of July - must have!!

Whole wall of Roses in partial sun

Rock N Roll - must have!!

Linda Clark Rose Garden

Koko  Loco - must have!!

Dick and Sue Streeper Rose Garden

Fourth of July and Day Breaker

More Rock N Roll

Hot Cocoa - just planted one in February

In Like a Lion . . .

Mother of Pearl Rose

Time to end this blog hiatus! April has been so very busy with Passover and Easter celebrations, huge deadlines at work, and a bout with a nasty strain of head cold. To top it off, the early spring-time weather has truly followed the old adage, "in like a lion." We usually end our rainy season in March and have increasingly warmer days April into May. Not so this year! We've had late season rain and thunderstorms from mid March through late April. 

The late season showers delayed my anticipated tomato seedling planting time, pushing planting until the first weekend in April. The tomatoes are none the worse for wear; I babied them by placing them outside for the day and in for the night for a week, then hardened them up by leaving them outside the following week. We planted April 1st, no joking!

Step 1: Place the tomatoes. I placed 6 plants in 2 rows of 3 in a large bed. I opted to increase density this year, but I left plenty of space for basil and marigolds to be interspersed between the tomatoes.

Step 2: Dig a hole with a spade 1-2 inches deeper than the seedling container. Add 1 crushed, clean egg shell to hole for added calcium for tomato. Tomatoes love their calcium!

Step 3: Gently remove the seedling from the container. First, squeeze the pot to loosen the soil, then gently grasp the stem and pull. Do no force! If the seedling does not budge, continue to loosen soil around the pot and try again.

Stem 4: Place seedling in hole about 1 -2 inches deeper than it was in its pot. Maintain the integrity of the root ball if possible. Remove bottom leaves from plant if they are dragging in the dirt. Press the soil firmly around the plant for support.

Step 5: Cage the seedling. Don't wait until later - do it now! Center the cage around the plant and press down hard. Be careful not to snag the stem or leaves. Water the seedling with a watering can on a hose on low. Label the seedling using the plant tag; I use string to tie it to the top of the cage for easy reference.

My roses are coming into full bloom and I am able to cut roses for bouquets every week. I am able to enjoy the gentle scent of my Double Delights when I walk into my family room. I have been fighting orange rust on my roses. I had an angry moment and removed every last leaf from one of my Mother of Pearls. A word of warning: Don't prune angry, it can have bad results. I kept cursing my sixteen going on thirty neighbor for reinfecting my plants. I did not have the stones to ask if I could prune his roses back in February and now I am reaping the reward of his overgrown monstrosities spewing their diseases downwind to mine. Perhaps the San Diego Rose Society can help me with a solution to get me through this season.

Left to right: My Mother of Pearl and Double Delight roses before my pruning spree.

Yay! My California Poppies are in bloom - Love!