A Gardener's Notebook » Education

Photos: Engaging Nature Design Garden at Southern California Spring Garden Show

Douglas E. Welch — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:28:12 +0000

Click for larger images

Garden designed and created by:

Sarah’s Gardens
Sarah’s Garden 714.916.3106

Garden Pros Landscape & Construction 714.387.4753
714-397-4753 or 714-387-4753

See the complete set of photos from the Southern California Spring Garden Show.

Photos: Engaging Nature Design Garden at Southern California Spring Garden Show is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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Propagating Azaleas using Layering

Douglas E. Welch — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:09:53 +0000

My wife was doing some cleanup in the front azalea beds this morning and pruned a few branches so she could get the leaf litter underneath. When I happened upon her trimmings this afternoon I noticed that I just might be able to get some new plants from these trimmings.

I don’t prune these azaleas that often so they often get quite dense and have a lot of leaf litter beneath them from the other trees in the yard. This lends itself to excellent conditions for a natural propagation behavior called layering¹. This occurs in certain plants when stems lie upon the damp ground. A this point roots will begin to form. Eventually this can lead to an entirely separate plant if the stem breaks of the original plant dies.

As you might imagine, we can use this behavior to our advantage. In my case, I checked eat stem that my wife had trimmed and found at least 4 separate areas showing layering. I trimmed each stem just below the new roots and then potted these up in one 1 gallon pot. Ideally you would want the roots to be more established, but there seemed to be enough roots to, at least, give it a try. I will keep these watered and wait to see if more roots develop. If so, I have some bare areas of the garden where these plants would be a nice addition.

I’ll keep you informed on my progress. I will also continue looking for more, stronger examples of layering to show you in the future.

Air Layering

Of course, when you know that a plant has the natural propensity to layer, you can actually help it along using a process called Air Layering. In this method, you select a stem on the plant you wish to layer. You then scrape the bark of the stem creating a wound. This wound is then wrapped in sphagnum moss or potting soil which is then wrapped in plastic and tied at each end. This moist environment should trigger the natural layering and in a few months you should be able to cut the newly rooted stem from the main plant and use it as you wish.

Layering in the ground

You need not use the potting soil and plastic wrap, though Another method involves simply burying a stem in the nearby soil and staking it so it cannot pull itself out. Eventually, this stem will root and can be detached from the parent plant.

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Layering

Resources

Propagating Azaleas using Layering is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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Video: Garden Tip – Seed leaves vs. true leaves

Douglas E. Welch — Thu, 10 May 2012 21:15:16 +0000

In this tip, Douglas shows the difference between seed leaves and true leaves on his seedlings. Standard advice is to thin or re-pot your seedlings once they develop their first set of true leaves.

Can’t see the video above? Watch “Garden Tip – Seed leaves vs. true leaves” on YouTube.

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Subscribe to the A Gardener’s Notebook podcast using iTunes

Video: Garden Tip – Seed leaves vs. true leaves is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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Elsewhere: Gardening Tips for Beginners and Reminders for Veterans – Saturday6

Douglas E. Welch — Tue, 08 May 2012 20:49:33 +0000

My fellow Saturday6 blogger,”Meems”, has some great advice and reminders for gardeners new and old on the Troy-Bilt web site today. — Douglas

Gardening Tips for Beginners and Reminders for Veterans

By Cynthia “Meems” Glover, http://www.hoeandshovel.com/

Being a gardener has countless benefits. Sowing a tiny seed into the earth, watering it with faith that a sprout will shoot out of the ground, and then nurturing that plant with the care it needs until it matures is nothing short of adventurous. Successful gardening endeavors make our hearts swell with satisfaction and urge us forward to the next effort.

As a teacher of patience, diligence, commitment and resolve, a garden will hand out these valuable virtues to the gardener as they are earned. Celebrate the victories and learn from the upsets. Every disappointment becomes a lesson in personal growth; each success a humble reminder of what we’ve learned and where we began.

Read the entire article

Elsewhere: Gardening Tips for Beginners and Reminders for Veterans – Saturday6 is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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Video: What Douglas Dug – Show 001 – Podcast

Douglas E. Welch — Sun, 06 May 2012 04:54:37 +0000

This episode of “What Douglas Dug” is the first in a series of shows where I highlight some of my most recently shared gardening items to my Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest accounts. When I share something I don’t often get much of a chance to tell you WHY I found something interesting or useful, so I am taking this opportunity to show some items to you along with a bit of commentary.

Please let me know what items you find most useful in your garden.

If you don’t see the YouTube video above, please view the What Douglas Dug – Show 001 directly on the AGN web site or YouTube.

Video: What Douglas Dug – Show 001 – Podcast is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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Event: : Descanso Gardens: Did they survive last year’s windstorm?

Douglas E. Welch — Sat, 05 May 2012 14:53:30 +0000

California Native Plant Society

Los Angeles/Santa Monica Mountains Chapter

TUESDAY EVENING PROGRAMS

May 8 · 7:30 – 9:30pm

Descanso Gardens:
Did they survive last year’s windstorm?

Presenter: Rachel Young

Location: Sepulveda Garden Center, Encino

Descanso Gardens is a unique Southern California landscape distinguished by its specialized botanic collections, historical significance, and rare natural beauty. Located in a coast live oak forest, there are seven gardens dedicated to either one type of flower, such as camellias or roses, lilacs or irises, or to a theme, such as the California Garden (California native plants), Nature’s Table (edible garden) or the Japanese Garden. Rachel Young manages the California Garden, which was originally designed by Theodore Payne. She will discuss the history and current state of the California Garden and briefly touch on the windstorm and damage that occurred at Descanso. Rachel Young is the native plant horticulturist at Descanso Gardens. Her Masters Degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from UCLA is based on research in oak ecology and genetics. She began her exploration of California flora working for the National Park Service in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Sepulveda Garden Center
16633 Magnolia Blvd. Encino
Click Here for Map

Event: : Descanso Gardens: Did they survive last year’s windstorm? is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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Project: Homemade Potting soil project

Douglas E. Welch — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:23:00 +0000

I have been wanting to make my own potting soil for months now, but I have been slow to get off the mark. I have found may recipes online, but I needed to get to my local nursery to get some supplies. Today I picked up what you see below. On the left is coconut coir. This material is a more sustainable replacement for the more limited peat moss. I have found that many recipes have switched over to this.

Recipe #1 – Recipe #2 – Recipe #3 – Recipe #4

My goal is to use my own homemade compost as the main organic material and combine that with the coconut coir and some perlite. I tried using my compost alone as a potting medium, but it is very hydrophobic, which means it sheds water and resists wetting. I think by combining the materials I will end up with something that works better as a potting soil.

I am not sure yet what my ratios are going to be for my mix, but I am looking at 3 parts compost to 1 part coir and 1 part perlite. I will play around with this mix until I feel I have something that works, though, so this ratio could change greatly once I start mixing. Once i get something I like I will also show you some re-potting I need to do and maybe even use it to start some seeds.

If you have any advice on making your own potting sol using these ingredients or others, leave a comment on this post. I would love to hear about your experience. What it comes to projects like this, I am far from an expert and will take any advice you have to offer. This is all a part of A Gardener’s Notebook — trying and learning together.

Project: Homemade Potting soil project is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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Event: Los Angeles Cactus & Succulent Society 12th Annual Exhibit and Plant Sale Drought Tolerant Plant Festival

Douglas E. Welch — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:26:48 +0000

Los Angeles Cactus & Succulent Society 12th Annual Exhibit and Plant Sale Drought Tolerant Plant Festival

Saturday June 9th 9am to 5pm (Lectures start at 10:00)
Sunday June 10th 9am to 4pm (Kid’s events start at 10:30)

Learn how landscaping with drought tolerant plants can save you money and water.

Interior Educational Displays
Exterior Demonstration Gardens
Raffle
Silent Auction
Plant and Pottery Sale
Craft sales

Saturday’s Guest Speakers Include:

Lili Singer, “California Natives in the Garden” sponsored by the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants
Mike Buckner, “The Art of Staging Succulents”
Matt Maggio, ”Container Gardening with Succulents”
David L. Bassani, “Gardening with Bromeliads” sponsored by the San Fernando Valley Bromeliad Society www.sfvbromeliads.com

Sunday Kids Day

Arts and Crafts
Create Father’s Day Gifts • Pot -A -Plant
Games

Landscape exhibits that show the various types of plants that might be used in a typical drought tolerant garden and how they could be arranged – the exhibits will incorporate boulders, rocks, drift wood, and other materials.

Vendors will be selling the plants employed in the exhibits at the festival in addition to many other plants, books, pottery, top dressing, rocks

Sepulveda Garden Center
16633 Magnolia Boulevard
Encino, CA 91436

Questions? 818.749 5346 or www.lacss.com email: info@lacss-show.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION CHECK THE WEBSITE http://www.lacss.com or you can call 818 749 5346

Event: Los Angeles Cactus & Succulent Society 12th Annual Exhibit and Plant Sale Drought Tolerant Plant Festival is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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UK: A new season of Gardener’s World begins

Douglas E. Welch — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 15:23:00 +0000

For those of you in the UK, a new series of Gardener’s World, BBC’s venerable gardening series. While the online video is only viewable in the UK, US readers might find other ways of getting this content. I find that the climate of the UK is similar enough to the US and other areas that the show is useful, informative and entertaining. You can access other online blog and web content on their site.

As much as I like the show, I am also looking for additional, podcast or webcast gardening shows from the UK and other places in Europe. I love seeing how others get along in their gardeners, no matter where they might be. If you have have recommendations of on-going shows or online videos, please pass them along here in the comments so that everyone might benefit from your finds.

UK: A new season of Gardener’s World begins is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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New Sunset Western Garden Book available

Douglas E. Welch — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 21:38:37 +0000

I have written about the Sunset Western Garden Book in the past and always consider it my go-to guide for gardening info. The great news is that there is now a new edition of the book available. My own copy is a bit old now, probably from around 1996, so it might just be time to upgrade. Of course, the danger is I will go “down the rabbit hole” and spend more time reading about gardening than doing it. (LAUGH)

You can find further information on this new edition by visiting the Sunset Western Garden Book Press Room.

Via Garden Rant

New Sunset Western Garden Book available is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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