Wednesday, December 9, 2009

West Sacramento: Drought Tolerant Landscaping

I recently gave a talk on drought tolerant landscaping for the City of West Sacramento and they filmed it! It’s available on their website:

Caring for Plants During the Cold Months

It’s cold!!

Quite quickly we went from mild fall temperatures to snow as low as Loomis! My roses are still blooming and have many new buds on them. But, the time has come to make adjustments to the irrigation clock and to cutback the roses.


What I have noticed is that once an irrigation timer is installed on a job site, there is a belief that the client will no longer have to worry about water issues... though this is not the case. In Sacramento our temperatures range from extreme highs to lows. Having 20 degrees days in early December and then reaching 112 degrees in the summer, it’s important to regulate landscape water.


When I know that we will be getting rain, I turn my irrigation system off. If it’s cold but not raining, I keep the water on a regular schedule - even if it’s just for 5 minutes a day. This is especially important when we get freezing temperatures. The plants MUST have water during a frost, or else they will die. The water keeps the roots supple and prevents them from drying out. It may take a sticky note on the door to remind you to adjust your clock, do whatever you need. It’s a terrible waste of water to have the irrigation system running during the rain!



Speaking of plant care during freezing temperatures: There are a few plants that will need protecting during heavy frosts. Most of our citrus here in Sacramento will do fine, although if the temperatures stay at freezing during the day, for many days at a time, I would recommend putting sheets over the trees and some plants. Do not use plastic! Water collects on the plastic and freezes. Use sheets or purchase special landscape cloth that is made specifically for frost, sold at nursery centers. Bird of Paradise, Banana trees and Cannas (which will turn brown and look dead in the winter with severe cold - it can be cut to the ground, and in the spring it will be back) will need either covering or little christmas lights woven around them. I find the christmas lights are easier (and it sort of fits for the time of year). I normally do not have Bougainvillea as part of my plant palette, but if you have it, wind christmas lights through it and cover it with a sheet to keep it warm. I have a Brugmansia (Angel Trumpet) that I love, and I currently have christmas lights around it and it’s is doing fine.

Time to Prune!

December and January are the months to prune roses. If you are unsure about the process, there are many workshops that demonstrate how to do it. Check the calendar in the Garden section of the Sacramento Bee, and also check with local nurseries like Capital Nursery and Windmill Nursery... they may have classes as well.


I heavily prune my climbing roses. They are vigorous growers, and if you don’t prune them hard, in the spring they will grow too heavy for their supports (with all of their buds and blossoms).


Crape Myrtles require major pruning as well, and they will produce better blooms in the summer after a good winter prune. This is one of the few non-fruiting trees that need pruning. For your fruiting trees, UC Davis has a wonderful website, the California Backyard Orchard that has information and classes on just about every type of fruit you can grow - and how to prune them! It’s worth browsing. Again - in a time of economic fluctuations growing fruit and vegetables makes sense; plus it’s fun and gratifying.

Sacramento Magazine will be Featuring one of my landscapes!


One of my garden’s will be featured in the February, 2010 issue Sacramento Magazine! In July of 2006 Charlie and Valerie Sumner hired me to design their backyard. They wanted an outdoor fireplace and cooking area. The result was a breathtaking outdoor room, really, an extension of their home. After three and half years the garden has filled in beautifully. Their new landscape no longer has a lawn, it’s colorful all year round and requires very little maintenance. I am so excited to be able to share their yard in such a public way!

A Dog that makes a wonderful pet...requiring NO care


I was recently up in Apple Hill buying apples when I came across the artist Mary Ellen Garcia. She creates animals and people out of stone! I loved this little dog who weighs a lot more than a real dog of it’s size. Garcia can create almost anything in stone for the garden. I will be featuring her work at the Home and Landscape Expo in January, on the 29th, 30th & 31st. (I will have more information on the show next month.) If you are interested in a whimsical piece for your garden, you can contact her at: (530) 644-2474.