Newsletter - December 2009

Hi,

If you're like me, you've been spending the last few days cleaning up from the North Wind (capital letters because of its strength). The wind and very cold temperatures are typical of a drought cycle. I would not advise planting anything tender before spring, as it may not survive the winter. The last severe frost we had was twenty years ago - December '89 and January '90 - and I lost many orchids, but people installing new gardens lost nearly everything. Even citrus and eucalyptus were affected, so use caution unless the plant is zoned for temperatures to 18 degrees. Most deciduous plants will get through this without any problems.

Haven't the deciduous trees been gorgeous this year? This is also a response to the cold weather. Some years are so warm, that my Japanese maple never turns any color but brown. This year however, it is yellow, red, gold and orange as are my neighbors' crape myrtles and ornamental pears. The wind was hard on the pear trees though, as I saw several trees of this variety down over the weekend. If you're looking for trees with fall color, Chinese Pistache and Chinese Tallow will never disappoint, but you must buy them during their change as the colors vary. You may end up with a tree that just turns yellow and brown. Other dependable trees that will always do as the tag predicts are American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar), Flowering Cherry and the Maidenhair Tree (Gingko).

If you're looking for winter garden color, begin with the east and north facing beds. If you can handle some height, you can't beat camellias for spectacular winter bloom. My two favorite species are Camellia japonica and Camellia sasanqua. The Camellia sasanqua varieties bloom between October and December. The leaves are smaller and the branches more relaxed than C. japonica. The flowers also tend to be smaller and single-petal, but are of gorgeous colors that contrast beautifully with the foliage. These plants work well against trellises and trained flat. The Camellia japonica usually blooms between December and March. The plant is sturdy and upright with medium-sized leaves and medium to large blossoms. The flowers will be either single, or multi- petal and there are many flower forms and named varieties to choose. One thing you should know about camellias is that they thrive on neglect and will do poorly with over-nurturing. It is important though to pick up dead flowers as they fall, or your plant will end up with blight next year that will prevent the flowers from opening.

Another perennial color source for the shade is Bergenia crassifolia. This is a short, 18" high, ground covering plant with leaves that look like beaver tails. Around February, it sends up pink spike flowers. This is also easy to care for if you don't mind its propensity to spread. If that's a concern, keep it in a container. For shady fragrance, let me recommend Winter Daphne (Daphne odora). Also blooming around February, the flowers are small and an un-showy pale pink. They are intensely fragrant though -- reminiscent of Citrus blossoms -- and anyone walking by will comment. Give it a four foot by four foot space and plant it high for good drainage.

For winter display in the sunnier south and west facing beds, consider using plants with berries or interesting trunks. A lovely small tree that is very showy right now is the Strawberry Tree (Arbutus spp.) Not only is this evergreen species covered with fruits ranging in color from yellow, to orange, to red, but the tiny, pink bell flowers are ready to open too. I love this one, but don't place it anywhere that fruit drop is a nuisance. Berries are plentiful and brilliant on varieties of Firethorn (Pyracantha) and Toyon (Herteromeles). As its name implies, the firethorn has sharp thorns and is often used as a privacy barrier. The Toyon is a California native with large red berries and is very drought tolerant. Both of these species need at six to eight feet of garden space and will attract robins, mockingbirds and blue jays.

My nomination for plant with the most interesting trunk is the Harry Lauder's Walking Stick, or Contorted Filbert (Corylus avellana 'Contorta'). This deciduous, dwarf tree grows to approximately eight feet by eight and during the warm months and serves as an attractive, but plain green garden shrub. It is during the cold weather when the leaves have dropped that the real drama of the species is exposed. Twisted and curled branches and twigs swirl within the confines of its growth. Then in the spring, long catkins emerge and decorate the spiraling growth before the leaves arrive to cloak its beauty until the following winter. This plant may be more difficult to locate, but is definitely worth the hunt.

One of the best flowering winter shrubs is Euryops pectinatus. The lacy, evergreen foliage may be either green, or silver depending on variety, but this time of year, the plant is covered with masses of cheerful yellow daisies. The silver shrub is a bit more rangy, so if you're using this around the house, look for Euryops p. 'Green and Gold' which is more compact. Give it full sun, a four foot by four foot space and cut it back in April for spectacular color next year. This looks especially nice with Purple Cranesbill (Geranium sanguinea), another evergreen shrub that only grows 18" high. It is covered with purple blossoms that are lovely with yellow Euryops daisies.

I hope these plants help to brighten your winter garden. All of them will withstand the cold this year and for many years to come. Happy Holidays.