Newsletter - March 2010

Hi,

I am such a Californian. When it's pouring rain, I could care less about being in the garden, but when the bright sun shines, I'm desperate for flowers. Fortunately, I had the foresight to plant some showy winter shrubs and perennials that are giving me touches of enjoyable color. I'm especially happy with the camellias and the hellebores. I love their displays and the birds leave them alone. Such is not the case with the pyracantha. The mockingbirds and robins have completely stripped the branches of their colorful red berries. I can't really complain though as I truly enjoy the birds' loopy antics. In front the daffodils which were so beautiful two weeks ago are completely beat down from the rain, but the Sweet Pea Shrub (Polygala x dalmaisiana) is blooming with luscious deep purple blooms. The trick for having seasonal color is to plan, plant and then hope nature will provide.

Because Easter is the first weekend in April and everyone is coming here, I'm eager to refresh winter-blooming containers that are really done because of their soggy environment. My favorite spring annuals are "Fairy" primroses (Primula malacoides). These are not the commonly-planted English primroses shrieking with primary colors sitting within a nest of weedy growth. Fairy primroses are tall - 8-15 inches - tiered wands of tiny flowers in shades of pink, lavender, rosy-red and white. The foliage is roundish and a soft grey-green. These are my favorite, but I also really like the Primula obconica. This one grows one foot tall, with attractive, neat foliage, but the flowers are larger in shades of peach, pink, white and sky blue. The problem is finding them. They probably won't be available at your local "garden center".

After Easter I'll focus on adding annual summer color to the rest of the garden. Marigolds and petunias are showy and readily available, but sometimes, if I have the time to search, I want something different to bloom around the roses and lilies. This spring I'll be looking for Wishbone Flower (Torenia fournieri). As with the more prevalent summer annuals they bloom all season and into fall with sweet tubular flowers of purple and lavender with bright yellow throats. The plants are compact growing about 12 inches high and wide. I think I'll mix them with sky blue lobelia to border the lawn. In back where I have a more tropical setting, I'd like to plant Godetia (Clarkia amoena). The dominant flower colors are pink, peach and lavender, but are often striped with white and the texture is shiny just like satin. The hybrid 'Dwarf Gem' grows about ten inches tall and wide. These are pretty blooming with perennial Alstroemeria, Agapanthus, and Crocosmia. I know I'll have to go to one of our county's plant nurseries to find either of these charming annuals.

There's one more I'd like to recommend. It has the ungainly name of Painted Tongue (Salpiglossis sinuata). This one is taller and a wonderful background plant for coreopsis. The flowers are shaped like petunias, but are in unusual colors, such as maroon, red-orange, dusty purple, mauve pink, and creamy yellow often with contrasting colors in the flower veins. Each plant is very pretty and totally different.

If you have the room for an unusual vine, Vigna caracalla, or Snail Vine is a charming choice. The purple flowers are coiled like a snail's shell and the foliage is clean and soft. I love sharing this one with children. It grows easily to ten feet so is nice on a fence or arbor. Don't use this at the front entrance though because frost will kill the tops. Put it where this isn't a problem and just cut to the ground next spring to encourage new growth.

I know we're all busy planting tomatoes this month, but I hope I've given you some ideas to contribute to your neighborhood's flower show. Also, I'll be teaching three classes at the Suisun Community Center in April and would love to meet you. Have a good month.