Gardening With Tony

Mediterranean Climate Is Quite Californian

UNITED STATES—"Mediterranean" translates from Latin to "middle of land." The Mediterranean Sea is in the middle of the land of those who named it. Other regions were either unimportant or unknown to them until the Sixteenth Century. Nowadays, most people of the World are aware of many other regions. A few of such regions also enjoy a Mediterranean climate. Such...

Colorful Foliage Without Colorful Bloom

colorful foliage
UNITED STATES—Floral color gets most of the attention within home gardens through spring. It should. It is the most copious and most colorful of color. Though, it is not the only color. A few species that provide floral color, and more that do not, provide colorful foliage. Similar to Olympic Medals, this foliage can be bronze, silver or gold,...

Floral Color Communicates To Pollinators

floral color
UNITED STATES—Bloom is bountiful for spring. It is more abundant now than it will be at any other time of year. Early bloom has more time to produce more seed prior to autumn and winter. Also, it can most efficiently exploit its pollinators who are also most active in spring. The most prominent blooms appeal to such pollinators with...

Shade Tolerant Species Genuinely Shine

shade tolerant
UNITED STATES—Home gardens are getting shadier as bigger modern homes occupy smaller modern lots. Bigger homes make bigger shadows. So do their bigger fences that compensate for their minimal proximity to each other. Less space within their smaller gardens extends beyond their shade. Consequently, shade tolerant species have become more popular than ever. Also, small trees have become more popular...

Irrigation Resumes With Drier Weather

irrigation
UNITED STATES—Spring, in several regards, is like autumn in reverse, or vice versa. Bloom increases for spring but decreases for autumn. Foliage increases for spring but decreases for autumn. The two seasons are in opposition. In this chaparral climate, the rainy season that began last autumn ends now. Irrigation that became redundant then becomes necessary now. Diminishing rain is not...

Deadheading Redirects Resources For Growth

deadheading
Early spring bulbs that went into their gardens last autumn are now blooming. Some are already done. Some summer bulbs should begin to bloom as the last spring bulbs finish. A few of them might bloom as late as autumn. Ultimately, like the earliest of spring bulbs, all eventually finish. As they do, their deteriorating flowers will necessitate deadheading. Deadheading...

Force To Be Reckoned With

force
Winter flowering cherry, flowering quince, witch hazel and forsythia are finishing bloom. Later types of flowering cherry and flowering quince bloom immediately afterward. Lilac, redbud and weigela bloom only slightly later. Flowering crabapple extends the season of such flashy early bloom. It is relatively easy to force any of these for even earlier bloom. Forcing is more popular where cool...

Weeds Are Prolific And Invasive

weeds
UNITED STATES—Warming spring weather accelerates bloom and growth. Early spring bloom is now much more colorful than the best of winter bloom. Fresh foliage is already replacing defoliated deciduous foliage and faded evergreen foliage. Vegetation will soon be more active than they will be during any other time of year. Such vegetation unfortunately includes weeds. Weeds are only weeds because...

Rotation Makes Gardens Go Round

rotation
UNITED STATES—Vegetables are greedy as they grow. They crave rich soil. They exploit it and abandon it at the end of their season. Nutrient depletion can be a problem for subsequent phases of similar vegetables. In other words, vegetables of any particular family consume the same nutrients. Each phase leaves a bit less for the next. Crop rotation disrupts...

Vegetables Change With The Seasons

vegetables
UNITED STATES—Annuals are not all that change with the seasons. Vegetables do also. After all, with few exceptions, vegetable plants are also annuals, or perform as such. Most of those that are biennials are edible only during their first year. They bloom and become inedible if they survive for a second year. Most perennial vegetables are easier to replace...
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