November Thanks!!

Just participated in the Desert Aids Walk on this glorious Hallowe'en day- how fabulous is our weather!?! We strolled through the old "Movie Colony", winding around charming streets, and gawking at the beautiful estates discretely hidden by tall ficus hedges. I'm always amazed at the variety of plants that we can grow here, considering the extreme temperatures. Like October, November is a great month to tend to your landscape. Still plenty of time to plant annual color, vegetables, bulbs, and perennials. For permanent or perennial plants, planting them now gives them at least six months to get established before the heat (oh nooooo!) of summer. Overseed your Bermuda lawns now with the winter ryegrass. Let's talk Nasturtiums! November is the best month to plant these enthusiastic bloomers. Originally from South America, these colorful flowers will come back yearly. Simply toss them on a north-facing hillside, or poke them in some pots- and stand back! Remember to adjust your irrigation- depending on the plant material. Usually once a day is plenty now, especially if your overseeded lawns are in. First frosts are possible by mid-month. Bring tender pots close to house and have an old sheet to throw over sensitive shrubs. Hopefully we all can take a moment, breathe deeply, and spend some quiet time in our own "happy space", and be grateful. Garden on!!

Rocktober!!

Ah....what's that strange feeling? Is that fresh air?? October is the gift humans, plants and gritters receive after enduring The Summer. There are always mixed reviews regarding how dreadful the heat was. I never get used to it, even after 16 or so summers working outside. (whining and complaining always help) Every summer, I'm bummed by the damage on plant material caused by the heat, sun scorch, and humidity. It's time to prune, feed, and nuture our green friends. October is the busiest gardening time of the year. It's a perfect time to plant permanent additions to your landscape, as well as all the diverse annual color. So, clean out all the summer flowers (vincas can be cut back and treated as a perennial, but are slightly wimpy in cold weather), remove all old summer veggies, switch bermuda lawns to rye, and hose off all your plants to discourage aphids and whiteflies. (insect pests multiply when the temp. drops...also use insecticidal soap on leaves) Remove dead palm fronds and fertilize roses early in the month for the last time. Enjoy this spectacular month...we are so lucky to live in this beautiful desert! Garden on!!