Newsletter - April 2010

Hi,

April started the same way March did - cold and rainy, but it is prettier outside. I love the white callas, and red coral bells and the lilacs have been stupendous this year because of the cold winter. The ornamental cherries are gorgeous too. I can't wait to get outside and begin planting the garden for the summer show. Last year I put in zinnias. Not the tall, large ones; they always develop rust in my yard. I like the small, more delicate flowers in white, yellow and orange with the ferny foliage. They bloom and bloom and are such a nice border mixed with the blues of lobelia and borage. I know I'm a sucker for color when I fall for deep purple, or pale pink petunias and cheerful orange, yellow and maroon marigolds. Such common flowers, but they still satisfy. I want nasturtiums, bachelor buttons, nicotiana, hollyhocks and sunflowers. It's a toss-up and a fine line as to which gets more attention in my limited planting space - flowers, or vegetables. Even with two plots at the Suisun Community Garden and the many containers on my roof garden, I like to plant flowers to cut and bring home with the tomatoes, beans and squash. Color, texture and fragrance all call to me - come tend the plants.

And for those of you interested, I'll be teaching a class at the Suisun City Joe Nelson Community Center about starting a vegetable garden Monday April 12, from 6-8 pm ($15.). We'll discuss soil preparation, planting techniques, varieties good for our area, irrigation and fertilization. Maybe we'll have time to cover pests and questions about fruit production too. I know you've been hearing about all the benefits of raising your own food. After the initial planting, it really only takes a small time commitment to enjoy the harvest from your efforts. Perhaps now is a good time to participate in this wonderful hobby.

The classes will continue on the two following Mondays. On April 19th, the topic will be enhancing and caring for the home garden, both back and front. We all want to have an enjoyable, low-maintenance area to great neighbors and entertain family. Lawns need rejuvenating, trees need thinning and shaping, plants need replacing and color should be introduced to bring order and peace to your home oasis.

On the Monday, April 26th I'll discuss methods for developing shade gardens. Nothing is more important for outdoor enjoyment than having a cool, wind-protected area for relaxing and eating, so we'll talk about bringing shade in. Then, there is the problem of having so much shade, that your garden's original plantings of lawn and shrubs are no longer thriving, or may even be dead. I'll show you how these areas may be revitalized and beautiful once more. If you have the time, please join me.

As always, April is a great month for garden shows, house/garden tours and nursery visits. I'd like to recommend a trip to The Filoli Estate in Woodside, CA. It takes about one hour fifteen minutes to drive there from Suisun, and costs $15.00 for the tour, but it is truly worth the time and money. Filoli is the best example of a formal, European-style garden on the West Coast. You'll see beautiful garden room designs, special shaping techniques, pools, alleys, parterres, a wonderful knot garden, and spectacular, well-tended plants. I saw many gardens like this in Europe, but here they are rare because our parks are community owned and free to the public. This is a wonderful sentiment, but impractical when it comes to paying for staff. So go see one that is done very well and enjoy.

Have a great month planting.