On the Autumnal Equinox
September 26, 1999
Copyright 1999 Douglas E. Welch
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I am writing this week's column on the on the day of the Autumnal Equinox. This is the crossing point from Summer into Autumn where the day has equal amounts of sun and darkness. I always feel a bit depressed on the equinox. From this point on the daylight hours grow shorter each day until we reach the turn-around point of the Winter Solstice in late December. The man-made change of daylight savings time creates the perception that the days are shorter still.
I had recently noticed that sundown was coming earlier and earlier. It happens so gradually that it was only when the darkness conflicts with other schedules, like bedtime for my son, Joseph, that I really began to see how it had crept up on me. Joseph used to have Mommy play time in the garden before bedtime, but now it is well dark before he has his final bottle of milk. It also makes it harder for me to find time for all the little garden jobs that need to get done. I have thought about buying a few work lights so that I could do a few things in the garden after dark.
While Fall is bulb planting time for everyone I already have a
few bulbs popping out of the ground. They appear to be the daffodils
planted by the previous owners. They have naturalized very well
and re-appear year after year without fail. These early arrivals
always happen in the flower beds that get regular water throughout
the year. We received some rain recently after a Mexican hurricane
broke up and channeled a large amount of moisture our way. Some
areas received an inch or more, but my garden remained bone dry.
Of course, I am used to the dry weather unlike those of you back
east who suffered through a long summer drought.
In comparison to the daffodils, the hibiscus hasn't realized that
Autumn is here yet. All three continue to throw off blooms with
abandon. In a few months, though, it will be time to prune them.
I have been following a recommendation from The Sunset Western Gardens Book. Each winter I prune off about 1/3 of the total plant to help
rejuvenate it. Hibiscus only flowers on new growth. Without pruning,
all the blooms would be at the far top of the plant, well above
eye level. Regular pruning brings the blooms down where people
can enjoy them and makes them a bit fuller.
I have mentioned in earlier columns the original Japanese garden theme of my garden. The previous owners had worked very hard to cultivate their own version of the well-known Japanese designs. While I knew we would be keeping the garden, I also knew that a Japanese garden would be too much work to maintain. I am not a gardener who likes to fuss over things endlessly. I garden more by benign neglect and try to include those plants that can handle that well.
In an effort to better understand the original design of my garden I have been visiting several of the excellent Japanese Gardens that exist in Los Angeles. In fact, one of the best is less than a mile from my front door. I enjoy the control and serenity of these spaces even if I wouldn't want to maintain these gardens myself. By seeing these gardens in their maintained state, though, it has given me some ideas about how to adapt what remaining Japanese features I have to better effect.
They are re-dedicating their refurbished Japanese Garden this month.
The Donald Tillman Japanese Gardens Info Photo
This one is almost walking distance from my house.
UCLA/Hannah Carter Japanese Garden
by Michael S. Yamashita (Photographer), Michael E. Yamashita (Photographer), Elizabeth Bibb
I talked about the sunburn some of my plants were experiencing. Here are 2 pictures showing the damage. One is a Japanese Maple and the other a Pittosporum.
Douglas
Douglas E. Welch is a freelance writer and comptuer consultant
based in Van Nuys, California.
He can be reached at douglas@welchwrite.com or via his web pages at www.welchwrite.com.
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