Travel, Leisure & Fun for South Valley Adults
Travel, Leisure & Fun for South Valley Adults
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Think you can't have a beautiful landscape in the "new California?" Think you can wait it out and keep that fescue turf and those coastal redwoods? Are you ready for a change? If you are still reading you are probably interested, or at least worried. Those of us who have been planting low-water-use plants for years are not so worried about this drought. Of course, drought is stressful to even low-water-use plants, but these plants don't have as much trouble staying green and...
Water-saving landscapes continue as the big trend in gardens, and with good reason. In working with clients over the past several years, here are a few things my company has learned about re-creating a garden that is more water-wise: Reduce the lawn. Outdoor water use can be 60% of household water use, and most of that goes to summer watering cool-season lawns like fescue. Consider alternatives. Fast-growing, California-native ground covers include dwarf coyote bush, bees'...
A popular trend in home gardening is biodynamic growing. This style has been around in one form or another since ancient Roman times and maybe even longer in Asia. Although it is mostly applied to growing food, it can also be used in growing ornamentals, even native plants. One of the key features of this style of gardening is to feed the soil, not the plant. Taking care of the soil is one of the keys to successful gardening of all species, and plants grown in cared-for soil...
Winter, the season of fewer garden chores, is a good season for planning changes you will make in the spring. Pruning deciduous trees and shrubs for safety or to control size, finishing clean-up and adding mulch and compost to existing beds are the main tasks of winter. It is best for the plant if we delay removing frost-damaged foliage until spring, if we can tolerate the appearance. In dry winters such as this, we must also monitor our garden's water needs more closely....
Springtime in California gardens is a bounty of flowers. From fruit trees to roses to California chaparral plants and wildflowers, we enjoy an abundance of riches, even when rainfall has been sparse. Ah, the wonder and beauty of nature, whether beyond the fence or in our own backyards! Also celebrating with us are hundreds of beneficial insects, birds, reptiles and mammals that share our gardens and revel in springtime bounty. This year especially, we are all looking for new...
The biggest garden trend we are finding is the desire for removing the front lawn. Conserving water is the main reason for this garden renovation; reducing maintenance and increasing interest are two other often-cited reasons. The lawn is a garden fad that has hung on, but as more and more lawns are removed, we become better able to see what the possibilities are for the space between the road and the front door. We can envision an interesting use of that space which can be...