Newsletter - August 2008

Hi Gardeners,

I awoke last week to a garden disaster. The 15' tall Lavender Starflower (Grewia occidentalis) shrub that grows along our back fence and gives privacy from the neighbors' windows laid down almost completely covering our back patio. Fortunately the stems are light in weight, so nothing was broken, but just the thought of dealing with the repair was daunting. On the theory that the only way to get something done is to do it, my husband and I began cutting off side shoots and shortening main stems to lighten the load enough to push the shrub back into its upright position. It actually went much faster than anticipated, so we were finished in an hour and off to our typical workday. The plant was a gift and I would have hated to loose it.

I have found many pruning chores this past month without the starflower surprise. The perennial Morning Glory vine (Ipomoea indica) has been loaded with sapphire blue blossoms, which I view from inside the house, but when I went out to that side area, I found runners headed for all parts of the garden, sidewalk and street. The pyracantha espaliers are also located on that side and needed attention, so I spent a whole afternoon pruning those plants into shape. The crab apple was surrounded with suckers - some of them three feet tall, so they had to be removed. I've been training an African boxwood (Myrsine africanus) into the shape of a T-Rex dinosaur with the help of a shaped wire form, and that needed pinching. Then the purple wallflower (Erysimum linefolium) was covered with unsightly dead stems and those had to be removed to show off the pretty silver-green foliage. With deadheading roses, dahlias and annuals, and maintaining space on my side of the fence from the neighbor's aggressive lace vine, the pruning chores added up. I'm really not complaining though as I like to prune. My bigger complaint is the size of the green waste bin. It always fills before I'm done with a project.

The rest of the garden has been pretty and fulfilling. On the roof, I've been harvesting grapes (tiny, but sweet and I'm still in a race with the raccoons to see who gets to them first), cherry tomatoes, basil and eggplant. I planted the Asian eggplant this year because I thought it pretty, but it is also quite a prolific producer. I love the fruit grilled with olive oil, salt and pepper. I'll have almonds soon as the husks are beginning to split and the strawberries continue to produce. I had no idea I would get so much from pots. All the herbs and chrysanthemums are on the roof too. The planting rule is everything up there must be edible for the grandchildren. They know they can sample at will. In the ornamental sections I've been enjoying the white mandevillea vine (Mandevillea plena). I was told it was hardier than the more popular pink varieties, and this has proven true in my garden. The gardenias have been blooming all summer and have recently been joined by the first Japanese Anemone flowers. They are pink and flat next to white double gardenia. Nice combination. I also like the intense red of tuber begonias next to the subtle coppery color of the shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeeana). It really perks up the shady area under the Japanese maple. Spell-check loves these Latin names.

If you're not on vacation this month, don't forget a monthly fertilizer application for citrus, avocados, orchids, and acid-loving plants. Continue to irrigate carefully because of the wind and our clay soils. The combination can fool you into using too much water. Check the stakes on young trees. They may need adjusting about now to pull them back upright and get them through to October when you can remove the stakes for the year. If your lawn leaves have white, ragged tops, sharpen you lawn mower blades. Check for insects and weeds. They can get out of hand when the weather is warm. Remember to use the most effective products that are the least hazardous to the environment. Always choose a label marked "Caution" over one marked "Warning". If it says "Danger", just walk on by.

Have a great month.