In the Garden with Pat Rubin

Bee garden writer Pat Rubin writes about everything that grows, from flowers and trees to vegetables and lawns. Pat volunteered for several years as a Placer County Master Gardener and has written about gardening for many national and regional publications. In addition to gardening, she spends time raising and showing miniature horses and miniature donkeys.

In the Garden will include news, events, advice and other gardening tidbits. Pat will also answer reader questions.

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« December 2007 | In the Garden front page | February 2008 »

January 30, 2008

A Hebe fan, after all

I’ve never been a Hebe fan. I always dismissed them as squat little shrubs with purple or blue flowers that big box stores sell to every new homeowner in the county. People would grow them against the house in hard soil, and they always looked a bit pathetic.

Apparently, I’d never seen them grown well. That is, until yesterday.

I went to take photographs in the Ruth Risdon Storer Garden at the UC Davis Arboretum, and a dazzling display of purple caught my eye. Brilliant spikes of purple flowers. Dark purple foliage. A graceful plant growing harmoniously with its neighbors.

It looked like a Hebe. Yikes, it IS a Hebe.

According to the Sunset Western Garden Book, they’re native to New Zealand and closely related to Veronica. Prune them after the bloom, and if they get leggy, you can cut them back severerly and they’ll resprout and be neat and bushy again.

I may just try one in my garden someday.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 01:48 PM | Comments

January 29, 2008

Wait to fertilize

Q: With all this wonderful rain, is it a good time to put out fertilizers? I am mainly thinking about my azaleas, roses, shrubs. I think I'm just itching to do something, my green thumb is going into withdrawal!! Please advise.

A: This time of year is the most agonizing time for a gardener. It feels like winter is never going to end and spring is just around the corner, all at the same time.

I'm going through gardening withdrawal, too. In fact, I'm paying so much attention to the few houseplants I have that I'm sure I'm overwatering them. They'll be glad when I'm working outside!

While there are things you can be doing in the garden, fertilizing isn't one of them. The soil is too cold now, so most plants, including roses and azaleas, aren’t actively growing. Wait until the soil warms up to at least 50 degrees, and that’s usually late Februay.

You can, however, fertilize things like calendulas, pansies, snapdragons, and other flowers that are actively growing now. There's plenty of pruning to be done. There are paths to renew, beds to mulch, compost to turn, weeds to pull...the list goes on and on.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 01:33 PM | Comments

January 28, 2008

Still a number, not a name

Fred "Farmer Fred" Hoffman writes: Your latest blog reminded me that I still don't have a name for this test rose, planted in 1994, number 91R303, according to the International Test Garden Society.

It really is an outstanding hybrid tea rose, featuring pinkish flowers with white streaks, and a massive stem system. It has turned into one of the focal points as you go into the backyard.

Anyway, be prepared to live with that test rose as a number, not a name.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 01:58 PM | Comments

January 25, 2008

Yearly trek to SF for gardening

Tomorrow I’ll be in San Francisco to attend a Horticulture Magazine day-long symposium. It’s an annual event, and the magazine invites speakers from around the world. Without fail, I learn about new plants, glean new ideas and meet lots of wonderful people at this symposium each year. It makes for a wonderful, inspirational and educational day.

And what a treat to be in a crowd of dedicated over-the-top gardeners! If the weather is nice, it’s fun to walk through the nearby botanical garden (formerly called Strybing Arboretum).

I’m sure I’ll be writing about some of those experiences in the Home & Garden section of The Bee as well as on this blog site in the days and weeks to come.

Talk to you again next week.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 10:40 AM | Comments

Oleander toxins

Q: I’m replacing a 20-year-old oleander with a lemon tree. I’ve heard oleanders are toxic. Will this affect the lemons?
Ednajo Hegseth, Sacramento

A: Oleanders are tough, drought tolerant plants that grow, even thrive, along freeways as well as in yards. And you’re right, they’re poisonous. In fact, all parts of the plant are toxic if ingested, and even inhaling the smoke from burning them can be harmful.

According to the International Oleander Society, the plants contain a toxin called cardenolide glycosides. “The toxin is mostly contained in the sap which is clear to slightly milky colored, and sticky. When ingested in certain quantities, this toxin can cause harm - and possibly death. The extremely bitter and nauseating taste of the sap (much like a rotten lemon) causes a mechanical reflex in the stomach which rejects and expels the vile substance,” says the International Oleander Society’s website. Wikipedia also has some useful and interesting information about oleanders.

Try to remove all parts of the plant: branches, leaves, debris, and roots. Wear gloves when handling the plant, and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

The good news is these toxins do not somehow become part of the soil, and plants do not “take up” toxins simply by growing near a poisonous plant or where one was previously planted.

Juliet Voigtlander, owner of El Dorado Nursery, suggests digging a hole twice as wide as the container and the depth of the root ball” for your new lemon tree. “Wide and shallow holes are best, and amend with compost. Be sure the tree sits above grade when planted. Citrus thrives in full sun with little water and good drainage,” she says.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 10:23 AM | Comments

January 24, 2008

A rose called #05R412

Rose #05R412 arrived in the mail yesterday.

It came unsolicited from a rose grower who hoped I’d find it - and another one in the box - interesting enough to grow and write about. I’m not really a modern rose aficionado, so my first thought was to give them away.

But I pulled out the packing slip and read the description. It described number 05R412 as a blend of “smoked lavender and rusty red-orange,” and as a “powerfully ‘flowerful’ floribunda mysteriously colored and deliriously novel.”

Yikes. That sounds amazing and stunning and interesting and desirable all at the same time. My head was spinning! I looked down at the mass of roots and thorny stems, and thought about what promise they hold, about what surprise they have in store for me. So, Rose #05R412 will be potted and put on my back deck alongside some other roses.

Next June, the company tells me, they’ll send me the actual name of rose #05R412. I’ll let you know.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 10:51 AM | Comments

January 23, 2008

Pruning the assorted orchard

Q: I purchased my first home a year ago and have been blessed with several fruit trees that produce delicious fruit. I have a white nectarine, orange, mandarin orange, Asian pear, and persimmon tree. I want to make sure they stay healthy and continue to produce the quality of fruit that they do. I have very limited gardening experience. Can you advise on the best way to care for my trees so that I have years of fruit to enjoy?
Susan Curtis, Sacramento

A: I was in a similar position many years ago. My husband and I decided we wanted an orchard, and planted about 20 trees: almond, peach, nectarine, apple, persimmon, pomegranate, plum and more. We soon learned they all have their quirks and idiosyncrasies when it comes to pruning and spraying. One bears fruit on new wood, another on old wood.

I bought a book on pruning and growing fruit and nut trees. The bookstores have several of them. Ortho, Sunset and others produce excellent books on caring for a variety of fruit trees.

I’d take the book out with me to the orchard each January. As I stood in front of the peach tree I’d turn to that section and read about pruning and spraying peach trees. Next came the almond, the pear, the plum, and so on. After a few years I knew each tree’s needs. And I learned to tell the various fruit trees by their bark as well as theirl eaves and growth habit. I learned about the different methods of pruning: open vase, modified central leader and more.
And each tree was pruned according to its needs.

Years later, my almond, apricot, peach, cherry and fig still produce copious amounts of fruit, provide shade for my miniature horses and are beautiful to look at.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 12:12 PM | Comments

January 22, 2008

Frost versus tropical hibiscus

Q: For several years, I've planted tropical hibiscus in pots around our swimming pool. At first, I tried to over-winter them, but had little success, so I started pulling them up and buying new ones each year. Last summer the ones I picked turned out great. They were full of blooms all summer. I kept them and am going to try to get them to come back. In the past when I tried this, they were very slow to leaf out and bloomed very late. Any suggestions on how to encourage them to bloom earlier?
Gary Schackner, Rocklin

A: The key point to remember is that these plants are tropical, and a long way from home. Even though our winters are mild compared to much of the rest of the country, your hibiscus will need some protection and coddling in our climate.

I’d take a two-prong approach.

First, I’d take cuttings late fall or early summer, and keep the new young plants in pots in a protected area. That way if you do lose the potted plants, you'll have new ones in reserve. Cuttings should be four to six inches long. Use branch tips that are mature, but neither soft nor hard and woody. Insert cuttings in a coarse potting soil,and keep them moist. They should root in six or eight weeks.

Next, come winter, I’d take every precaution to protect the mother plants.
Use anti-transpirant sprays (available at nurseries and garden centers) like Cloud Cover or Wilt-Pruf. Wind and frost can cause plants to loose moisture, which can lead to an untimely death. The sprays act like a protective coating on the leaves and reduce water loss.

There are frost blankets on the market today that let light in and you can leave on the plants without harming them. They can even be touching the foliage without damaging it during freezing weather, unlike plastic. You could also string some large-bulb Christmas lights through the plants to give them extra warmth on chilly nights. When frost is predicted, switch on the lights.

They can be slow to start in the spring, says Don Shor, owner of Redwood Barn Nursery in Davis. He recommends cutting the dead or damage growth back when new growth appears in spring, and repotting the plants at the same time. The "cross your fingers," he says.

Shor had a customer with a similar problem who used the above-mentioned precautions to save a row of tropical hibiscus, and for about $25 each winter was able to save $200 worth of plants.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 12:14 PM | Comments

January 18, 2008

Itching to get into the garden

This weekend my goal is to start cleaning up the vegetable garden. I've been eyeing it for some weeks now, making mental notes about what to cut back, what to take out.

I’m going to cut back the corn stalks that now look bedraggled, wet and limp. The datura plant that has reseeded itself in the raised beds needs to be controlled, and the old sweet pea vines ripped out. Somewhere in there onions ought to be ripening. And I absolutely need to get the garlic planted. I’ve been trying since November to get it in, and I vow this will be the weekend!

The other task on my list is to order seeds for this year’s vegetable garden. I tend to order more than I can plant, and more than I have room for, but I find it therapeutic and joyous to be looking forward to another gardening year.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 04:37 PM | Comments

January 17, 2008

The fall and rise of orchid flowers

Q: Once the orchid flowers fall off the stem, do I cut the stem off?
Pam, Vacaville

A: You don’t say what sort of orchid you have, but I’m going to assume it’s a phaelanopsis since they are blooming this time of year. They're dependable, easy to grow, and the flowering stems can last for months. I like the elegance of the flowers, and the way the stems arch gracefully.

According to Joan Coulat of Capital Nursery, cut the stem down to the first node after all the flowers have fallen off. Then run your forefinger and thumb up the stem. If you feel any swollen spots, those are likely nodes that will send up another flowering stem. If the stem is smooth, no bumps, then it is finished blooming and can be cut to soil level.

Coulat offers this tip for getting orchids to rebloom: They need some chilling, and all you need to do is put them on a cool windowsill for a couple of weeks. Continue to feed and water the plant.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 12:59 PM | Comments

January 15, 2008

Looking for a Zen garden

Q: I hope you can give me some ideas on keeping a Zen garden and living with two young dogs, Honey and Blue. I have a fountain and a pond and am interested in planting only evergreens and or conifers. I’m going to lay down stepping stones on the path they've made along the back fence.
Theresa Coleman, Sacramento

A: Mainly for meditative viewing, a Zen garden can be as small or as large as you like. It’s usually a combination of sand, stones of various sizes and plants, although some are simply compositions of rocks set in raked gravel or sand.

The most common plant choices for a Zen garden include Japanese maples, azaleas, Japanese larch, rhododendrons and conifers. There are many, many dwarf conifers on the market today that grow slowly to only a few feet tall. One of my favorites is the golden edged, dwarf Hinoki cypress. There are also Sasanqua camellias that stay low and could be kept in bounds with a bit of pruning.

You might even try a combination of perennials like heuchera, acorus, carex, hostas, hellebores, dwarf evergreen daylilies, or shrubs like daphne, sarcococca or barberry. It’s your garden, so plant what pleases you even if it’s not a “traditional” Zen garden plant.

Andrew Niemann of Windmill Nursery suggests the golden mop threaddleaf cypress, dwarf mugo pine, teddy arborvitae and the ‘Feelin’ Blue’ deodar cedar. For low growing fillers, he suggests mondo grass and liriope.

Visit your local nursery and take a look at their selection of dwarf conifers. Don’t forget to check their bonsai selection. Remember, the simpler, the better when it comes to a Zen garden.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 10:15 AM | Comments

January 14, 2008

Readers weigh in on raccoons in the garden

From Charls Whelan, State of the Earth, Sacramento:
Raccoons forage for food - remove the food source. Grubs (food source) are difficult to control with poisons because a "perfect storm" scenario is necessary for success.
A much more effective control method is the release of beneficial nematodes - now your window is wide open because the nematode seeks out it's prey with great effectiveness. I have been using this approach for more than 20 years with a better than 90 percent success rate.

From Janet Smith, Citrus Heights:
Just read your column on racoons in which you suggest people call a professional to trap them. That was very disappointing to read. I have been feeding racoons for years. I use dog food because cat food has been said to be too fatty for them. I have always had cats but no cat of mine has ever been attacked by a racoon. They growl when they are new to the routine and are a little afraid, but after a while they just eat while I stand there and talk to them. They have been delighting our kids, neighbors, and study group youth. Sometimes a brave one will come to the patio door, stand upright, and put his paws on the window. I've touched paw to finger through the glass. But once the door is opened, they back off.
They belong here. They get hit by cars, killed by dogs, poisoned, and shot. When they are babies, they are adorable. I've seen them peacefully share the food with possums and skunks, including baby skunks, who have poor manners and are utterly lacking in fear.
There is no reason to trap racoons. Road kill keeps their population in check.

From Ilse Wurzbach, Fairfield:
I have an old almond tree in my garden which has been attacked over the years by birds, pests, and last year by the neighborhood raccoons. In 2 nights 7 raccoons plundered my precious almonds. The garden looked like a hurricane had swept through. Not a single nut remained on the tree.
I called several professional people. I ended up with the Calif. Agricultural Dept, being connected to Wild+Game and to a trapper. He brought several cat cages and used catfood as bait. Sure enough, we caught 6 raccoons, a mother and 5 teen-agers.

From Dave McKie, Gold River:
Your column revived some memories of my “turf war” with the raccoons. They liked to slice and roll back the sod, which left my lawn looking like a real battlefield.

Although I used grub killer, I also tried several commercial products that claimed the ability to repel various pests, including raccoons. My best success seemed to come from one that included garlic in its mix. But the stuff cost about $20 including tax, and so I decided to try just plain granulated garlic. It worked! Although the garlic is washed away with rain or sprinklers, I just apply it when needed. It seems to do the trick and lately I’ve not been pestered very often by the raccoons. Maybe they’re learning that they can avoid my “garlic gauntlet” if they go elsewhere. One downside is that the yard has a pungent, although relatively short lived, smell after application of the garlic. Also, I don’t put much garlic on the grass. Rather, I focus on spreading it around the periphery and on paths where I expect the raccoons would walk. Perhaps they don’t like to get it on their feet?

Posted by Pat Rubin at 10:57 AM | Comments

I've been away...and now I'm back!

I apologize for my absence this past week. Due to a death in the family, I was out of the office and not posting any items to the blog site.

But I'm back!

Posted by Pat Rubin at 10:48 AM | Comments

January 07, 2008

Winter blooming beauty

Pale yellow, bell-like, sweetly scented winter blossoms open on leafless branches in January and scent the garden around it. The waxy flowers have a maroon-red center.

A small tree or large shrub, it often has the dark brown, gnarly, knobby seed pods from last year still hanging on the limbs. Wintersweet grows slowly to about 10 feet tall and five feet wide.

It's native to China and Japan. In the garden it prefers moderate water and appreciates afternoon shade. Most of the year it's simply another green shrub in the garden, nothing special. Winter is when it turns glorious. Scent can be heavy and sweet, but it isn't cloying.

I've planted mine where I'll pass by on the way to the front door.

Don't forget to cut a branch or two for inside the house.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 12:51 PM | Comments

Reader's reblooming amaryllis

I appreciated your blog about what to do with the amaryllis after it has bloomed for Christmas.

My husband, Ernie, who has a fine green thumb, popped it into a half barrel of soil on the back deck.

I have been just amazed by the abundance of blooms it gets. Each year, it seems to get more prolific. I think the first year it had five and this last year, eight or more. I am so glad that I did not throw it out after Christmas.
Karen Frodahl, Wilton CA

Posted by Pat Rubin at 11:03 AM | Comments

January 04, 2008

A little help from readers, please

Do you take your love of gardening to work with you? Is your workspace overflowing with greenery? I'd love to know - and see - how you decorate your cubicle or desk with plants for a coming story. Send me an email telling me about the plants on your desk or in your cubicle. Send along a photo if you can. Send comments and pics to h&g@sacbee.com and put "cubicle plants" in the subject line.

I'm also interested in hearing from readers who grow houseplants that bloom, especially during winter. Tell me about your plants and send a pic to h&g@sacbee.com, and put "indoor plants" in the subject line.

Be sure to include your full name and the city and state where you live. And thanks for the help.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 01:19 PM | Comments

January 03, 2008

Stunning foliage; fragrant winter flowers

I’ll know instantly when the Daphne is in bloom, even though it isn’t near the path to the front door: Suddenly the air will be filled with a sweet, heady fragrance.

My favorite Daphne is D. aureomarginata. Its name means the leaves are edged in gold. It’s one of the few plants in the garden that I never need to prune. The plant makes a perfect mound that slowly gets larger until it reaches about five feet across and three or so feet high. It’s planted in a shady spot with hellebore, libertia and a flowering maple called ‘Victorian Lady.’

Daphne is a stunning shrub all year long, but really comes into its own come January when the weather turns frosty. At a time when most plants are leafless and dormant, Daphne bursts into bloom. Actually Daphne is one of many winter blooming shrubs, and many of them are fragrant.

So, every few days I take a short detour on the way to the front door to pass by the Daphne. I’ve watched patiently as the slim, pink buds form. They’re slowly getting bigger, and I’m sure any day they’ll open.

And, of course, I’ll know without looking.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 03:39 PM | Comments

January 02, 2008

Rumaging raccoons rankle three readers

Q: Raccoons periodically ravage our small front lawn in midtown, searching, I believe, for grubs. I've put out grub killer for a year now, but it does not keep the raccoons from their small digging all over the lawn. Is there any safe way to discourage the fellows from their digging?
David Blicker, Sacramento
And from Shirley Smaage of Fair Oaks: What can be done to discourage raccoons from digging in my flowerbeds? I tried orange peels but that did nothing to keep them away. I've used Critter Control and they are expensive.
And E. Bale of Folsom asks: Just put in new turf lawn and something (racoons, a skunk?) are coming in almost nightly and ripping it up . They pull back the edges like a carpet or rug , apparently looking for worms or grubs. They make a real mess and are not allowing the turf to root itself. What can I do to get rid of these critters and save my new turf?

A: Raccoons are smart, quick to adapt to almost any situation, and are great problem-solvers. They can figure out how to get into garbage cans, gardens, and more. They also love pet food and pond fish. They'll climb stairs onto decks and porches to raid pet food bowls. I've even heard of them entering houses through cat and dog doors.

I've had raccoons rummage around in the mulch on my paths night after night after night. It's very discouraging to have the paths looking nice, and then the next morning they're all stirred up. It seemed to be somewhat seasonal. I had problems mostly during the summer.

The first thing I did was to quit watering in the evening. Those moist, soft paths were perfect for grubs and earthworms -- and marauding raccoons.
So I made sure I didn't water after noon.

Make sure the lawn and flowerbeds are free of fallen fruits or nuts since that is a potential food source. If the area isn't too large, put some sort of barrier over it or around it. Can you lay pieces of lightweight fencing (like chicken wire) over the area? Is it possible to fence the area? Sometimes, if they can’t get to the food source they get discouraged and leave.

The UC Cooperative Extension has a fact sheet about raccoons (Publication # 74116). It doesn't offer any definitive solutions except for finding a way to physically keep the raccoons out of the garden, or setting out traps. Further, it cautions homeowners that raccoons can be aggressive, and to call a professional to trap them.

You can call the Sacramento County Master Gardeners at (916) 875-6913.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 10:41 AM | Comments

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