For dispersion of their seed, colorful berries rely on birds. Therefore, many ripen and are most colorful as many birds migrate during autumn. Birds consume the berries but do not digest their seed. Instead, as they migrate, they disperse the viable seed. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement. Birds eat all they want. Seed benefits from thorough dispersion.

As they ripen, autumn and winter berries develop bright colors that attract birds. Most are bright red. Some are bright orange. A few are bright yellow. They are substantial enough to satisfy the birds that eat them. Yet, they are compact enough for such birds to eat them whole. Some are impressively abundant, at least until any birds that they feed find them.

Colorful berries are literally for the birds.

That can be a dilemma for home gardening. Many garden enthusiasts grow autumn and winter berries for the color. Many grow them to attract birds, though. More grow them both for their color and to attract birds. The latter is least disappointing. Typically, such berries ripen to display their color faster than birds can eat all of them. Every season is different.

Unfortunately, there are not many options for colorful autumn and winter berries. Some of the species that produce the most colorful fruit are unfortunately thorny. Firethorn notably produces the most abundant, most colorful and most familiar berries. It is horridly thorny, though. So is English hawthorn, which is deciduous and defoliates to expose its red fruit.

Toyon and various cotoneasters are thornless alternatives for colorful berries. Toyon is a native species that grows rather large. Although cotoneasters are not as prolific, cultivars stay proportionate to home gardens. Hollies are dioecious, so female specimens need a male nearby for pollination. Because males are rare, females produce only a few berries.

Highlight: Firethorn

Nothing is lost in translation. The botanical name of Pyracantha coccinea literally means “Firethorn red”. Firethorn is its common name. It produces bright red berries on wickedly thorny stems. Some old-fashioned cultivars produce bright orange berries. Cultivars that produce bright yellow berries are now rare. Fruit ripens for migrating birds about autumn.

The thorns of firethorn are difficult to work with. However, they make a hedge of firethorn impenetrable. Frequent shearing deprives hedges of their natural form and some of their fruit. Selective pruning is tedious and likely painful, but retains more berries. Pyracantha needs sunny exposure, but is otherwise quite undemanding. It is susceptible to fireblight.

The most popular cultivars of firethorn can grow taller than eight feet. Taller cultivars that can grow twice as tall are uncommon. Sprawling types initially stay quite low, but without adequate pruning, form thickets. These same sprawling types are conducive to espaliers on fences and walls. Because pyracantha is difficult to work with, it should not be left to get unruly.

Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com.

The post Berries For Autumn And Winter appeared first on Canyon News.

Of course, for most species, bark does not change much throughout the year. It becomes more prominent now merely because defoliation increases its exposure. In fact, some of the most distinctive bark belongs to evergreen species. Some belongs to flowering trees, fruiting trees or arboriform shrubbery. The sources are as variable as the characteristics.

European white birch is likely the most familiar tree with white bark. Jacquemontii birch is even whiter. California sycamore is a massive tree with mottled light gray and tan bark. Crape myrtle, which is more proportionate to home gardens, is more mottled. Some elms exhibit elegant tan trunks and limbs. European beech trunks develop metallic gray color.

Evergreen trees can also contribute.

Melaleucas are evergreen trees with distinctively shaggy trunks. Eucalyptus are likewise evergreen, but generally with pale and smooth trunks. Lemon gum is particularly tall and elegant. However, red ironbark eucalyptus has dark and notably rough trunks and limbs. ‘Marina’ madrone develops smooth trunks and limbs with brown and cinnamon red color.

Coral bark Japanese maple and osier dogwood display colorful bark differently. Theirs is on small twigs rather than trunks and main limbs. Color actually develops in response to autumn chill and defoliation. Coral bark Japanese maple develops, pinkish orange color. Osier dogwood is more brownish red, although some cultivars are orangish or yellowish.

Trees that exhibit distinctive bark are subject to the same constraints as all other trees. In other words, they must be appropriate to their particular landscapes. California sycamore for example, is much too large for compact urban gardens. Osier dogwood can grow as a thicket without intensive maintenance. Any new tree or shrubbery should be sustainable.

Highlight: European White Birch

European white birch, Betula pendula, is a team player. It usually inhabits landscapes in groups rather than singly. Some trees have two, three or more trunks. After all, its primary allure is its strikingly white trunks. Because its foliar canopies are not overly broad, a few can fit into limited space. It is an informal and relaxed tree with nicely pendulous growth.

Mature European white birches are not much more than fifty feet tall here. They can grow taller where winters are cooler. Their slender trunks are mostly less than a foot and a half wide. They generally lean with prevailing winds and away from shade. Their smooth and white bark develops rough and black furrows with age. Their little leaves are deciduous.

European white birch appreciates regular irrigation, so should perform well within lawns. It produces only moderate shade. ‘Laciniata’ has intricately lobed foliage and a narrower form. ‘Youngii’ is so pendulous that it needs staking to stand upright. It cannot grow very tall. ‘Purpurea’ has bronzed foliage and somewhat tan trunks but has become very rare. European white birch might self sow.

Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com.

The post Bark Up The Right Tree appeared first on Canyon News.

Dormant pruning of deciduous fruit trees is, incidentally, not the same as winterization. It happens later in winter, after the subjects have been dormant for a while longer. Besides, after proper dormant pruning last year, they should not need winterization now. However, if subjects are defoliated, they should not mind early pruning. They are already dormant.

Ironically, the trees that are more likely to require winterization are evergreen. Deciduous species perform almost all of their own winterization naturally. They defoliate to eliminate  most of their resistance to wintry winds. In other words, they become more aerodynamic. Defoliation also eliminates most of the surface area to accumulate heavy water from rain.

Defoliation is a natural winterization technique.

Evergreen species are generally more resilient to wind than foliated deciduous species. However, as deciduous species defoliate, evergreen species can not. Evergreen foliage therefore becomes less aerodynamic and more vulnerable to wind. Also, it absorbs more heavy rainwater. The added weight of rainwater causes limbs to sag and perhaps break.

Rain does more than cause foliage to become heavier. It also saturates soils, which can potentially compromise root stability. The timing could not be worse, since wind typically accompanies rain. This is also more of a problem for evergreen species than deciduous species. However, some storms arrive early, and some deciduous species defoliate late.

Winterization pruning is as variable as the trees that benefit from it. Large trees will likely need specialized services that only arborists can provide. Japanese maples may require only minor clipping of stems that have extended too far. Many trees require nothing at all. Ultimately, such techniques should help limbs and trees survive eventual wintry weather.

Highlight: Persimmon

It lacks the spectacular spring bloom of the other deciduous fruit trees, but compensates. Persimmon, Diospyros kaki, performs double duty with fall color. Its autumn foliar color is impressively fiery orange. Then, it defoliates to reveal plump, abundant and comparably fiery orange fruit. So, it is spectacular with both autumn foliar color and autumn fruit color.

Persimmon trees are tempting. Some cultivars can grow 20 feet tall to become small or even mid sized shade trees. However, if they do so, much of their overly abundant fruit is unreachable. Aggressive and strategic pruning limits their production with most of their fruit in reach. Although undemanding otherwise, this major dormant pruning  is important.

Persimmons are self fruitful without a pollinator. However, they supposedly provide more fruit of better quality with another cultivar. Fruit is unfortunately inedible before thoroughly ripe, but then all ripens simultaneously. That is an incentive to share with neighbors and friends. With a bit of effort, fruit is conducive to drying and freezing, although not canning. Ripe fruit is very perishable.

Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com.

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Ironically, vegetation uses much less moisture while it is so abundant. Deciduous foliage cannot perform any evapotranspiration after it defoliates. Evergreen foliage is much less vascularly active while cool. Roots cannot utilize all the moisture that autumn and winter rain provides. Soil in some areas might stay moist from now until next spring or summer.

Conversely, summery weather is innately arid and warm. That is how the Mediterranean climate here operates. Moisture is either scarce or abundant. Rain will eventually stop in spring, and then not resume until next autumn. Summer thundershowers are uncommon. Gardening could likely be easier with a bit less rain for winter, and a bit more for summer.

Rain will become more frequent through winter.

With more rain expected, irrigation needs seasonal adjustment. Such adjustments might need to be incremental, since weather changes incrementally. Manual irrigation might be either less frequent or less voluminous, or both. The same applies to automatic systems, which have a disabling ‘rain’ option. It turns irrigation off without modifying the schedule.

Besides necessitating modification of irrigation, rain can also be messy. It dislodges and accelerates the deterioration of defoliating deciduous foliage. It causes even formerly dry soil to become muddy. A bit too much rain can cause erosion. Cleaning up such mess is less pleasurable while the weather is wet and cool. Then, the weather gets messy again.

Rain cannot postpone all gardening. Spring bulbs must get into their garden soil prior to winter chill. Dormant pruning happens later in winter, prior to spring. Fortunately, though, gardening is less involved than it is during spring and summer. Maintenance of tools and sorting seed can be indoor tasks for rainy days. So is shopping online for seed, plants or garden tools.

Highlight: Freeman Maple

It combines the autumn foliar color of red maple with the lacier foliar form of silver maple. Freeman maple, Acer X freemanii, is a hybrid of the two. It occurs naturally where ranges of its parents overlap. However, most modern garden cultivars are products of intentional hybridization. Like silver maple, it does not need much chill to exhibit autumn foliar color.

Freeman maple inherits other attributes from both its parents. It combines rapid growth of silver maple with structural integrity of red maple. Although it gets bigger than red maple, it is not as imposing as silver maple. It develops high branches like silver maple but also is symmetrical like red maple. Big roots are about as complaisant as those of red maple.

Mature Freeman maple trees can grow about forty feet tall and broad. Autumn foliar color is vivid orange and red and lasts longer than that of red maple. Since Freeman maple is a hybrid, it is mostly sterile. It cannot generate an annoying abundance of seed. Nor can it naturalize in favorable climates. It is an exemplary maple for mild climates such as this.

Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com.

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The timing could not be worse. The wind and rain that cause it to be so messy are no fun to work in. Using ladders to clean gutters and roofs is more dangerous in wet conditions. Fallen leaves are messier and heavier while wet. Yet, they are not too heavy for winds to blow green waste piles about after raking. Autumn weather will get progressively worse.

Unfortunately, gutters that accumulate fallen foliage require cleaning to function properly.  Otherwise, foliar debris clogs them and their downspouts when they are most necessary. Rainwater then flows over their edges and onto the ground below. It can be more than a minor annoyance. Splattering water can cause rot within adjacent walls that it dampens.

Foundation plantings once served a purpose.

That is why old historic houses originally had ‘foundation plantings’ of dense vegetation. Some lacked gutters because gutters were very expensive. Instead, rain was allowed to flow from leaves and directly onto the ground. Dense vegetation between the dripline and the foundation contained the splattering. Almost all modern homes, though, have gutters.

Gutters may need cleaning more than once before deciduous trees defoliate completely. Evergreen trees necessitate cleaning as well, but do not shed so profusely for autumn. A few, such as redwoods and pines, are exceptionally messy. Because their mess may not coincide with autumn, cleaning it can be a bit earlier. It is easier during pleasant weather.

Cleaning gutters is a gardening task that may be best to leave for professionals. After all, it may involve climbing to unsafe heights on ladders and roofs. Installation of screen like devices over gutters can mitigate the need for future cleaning. Of course, gutters that are not below messy trees might never need cleaning. There are many variables to consider.

Highlight: Norway Maple

It is rare now, but Norway maple, Acer platanoides, was once common as a street tree. A few are prominent within neighborhoods that were developed in the 1950s and 1960s. It resembles the common London plane. In fact, its botanical name translates to ‘maple like a plane tree’. Unfortunately, though, the roots are perhaps too aggressive with pavement.

Norway maple defoliates somewhat more efficiently than London plane tree. However, in spring, it refoliates significantly later. Otherwise, it is a splendid shade tree. A few modern cultivars exhibit bronzed foliage that yellows for autumn. One exhibits variegated foliage. Another has chartreuse foliage. ‘Schwedleri’ was once the most common bronze cultivar.

Very few Norway maples are taller than forty feet within the mild climates here. They can grow significantly larger in cooler climates, such as the Pacific Northwest. Their palmate leaves are about five to nine inches wide. New trees are rarely available from nurseries, so require special ordering. Norway maple is not overly discriminating in regard to soils. It prefers regular irrigation through summer warmth.

Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com.

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Only several decades ago, firewood was much more popular than it is now. More homes that were modern for their time featured fireplaces. Other options for heating, such as gas and electricity, were relatively more expensive. Firewood was still more readily available from nearby orchards, farms or forests. Air pollution was not such a concern like it is now.

Almost no modern homes feature fireplaces now. Modern building codes in most regions disallow installation of fireplaces or wood stoves. Gas and even electric heating systems are more efficient than in the past. Many orchards and forests that provided firewood are now gone. Not many who inhabit houses with fireplaces have time to cut and split wood.

Modern heating systems certainly have their advantages.

Besides, fireplaces and wood stoves lack thermostats or any method of regulation. They also generate considerable volumes of ash and are messy to clean. Enough firewood for the season occupies significant space in a garden. Then, firewood must be brought into the fireplace or wood stove. It is no wonder that modern heating systems are so popular.

Nonetheless, firewood is not completely obsolete. It is a renewable resource that literally grows on trees. Many tree service businesses sell mixed firewood as a byproduct of their work. Ideally, they prefer to leave it where they perform their work, for whomever wants it. Woodcutters provide specific types of firewood from private forests, or perhaps orchards.

By now, firewood for this season must be seasoned, or completely dried. Otherwise, it is difficult to ignite, burns inefficiently, and produces excessive smoke. Wood that is still too fresh will be ready to burn for the next season. Although wood can eventually rot outside. Palm, cordyline and yucca trunks burn too fast without enough heat to work as firewood.

Highlight: Valley Oak

Native trees are not necessarily the best options for home gardens. Valley oak, Quercus lobata, for example, grows much too large. Old trees can grow more than a hundred feet tall. Although unpopular for new plantings, it sometimes self-sows. Also, new landscapes sometimes develop around old trees. Formerly rural trees therefore become urban trees.

Old trees are unfortunately very sensitive to disruption of their surroundings. Grading can severely damage their shallow feeder roots. Irrigation to sustain new landscapes is likely to promote rot of older and larger roots. Trees that should live for centuries can succumb to such damage within decades. Younger trees are fortunately adaptable to landscapes.

Nonetheless, young valley oaks are trees for future generations. Also, they require plenty of space. Although it may take a few centuries, trunks can eventually grow ten feet wide. As they mature, such big trees can make a big mess. The deciduous foliage can shed for weeks instead of days. The pale yellowish brown autumn foliar color is rather mundane. Without excessive irrigation, roots are remarkably complaisant.

Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com .

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A few deciduous shade trees and street trees provide the best autumn foliar color. Some are less popular with those who prefer evergreen trees. However, they are quite practical for some situations. Some are less messy than evergreen trees. They only seem messier because they defoliate so much at once. Most evergreen trees shed throughout the year.

Sweetgum, or liquidambar, probably provides the most colorful autumn foliar color. It also happens to be among the messier deciduous trees. That is because it retains its colorful foliage later into autumn and winter. While prolonged mess is a disadvantage, prolonged foliar display is an advantage. It is an unwieldy large tree, though, with aggressive roots.

There are several options for autumn foliar color.

Chinese pistache is as colorful, with dazzling yellow, orange and red autumn foliar color. It seems a bit less messy because it defoliates a bit sooner. Also, it does not produce the spiky seed capsules that sweetgum trees produce. However, its smaller leaves require a bit more effort to rake than larger leaves. Chinese pistache is a rather popular street tree.

Flowering pear, or callery pear, produces similar autumn foliar color, with deeper red. It also provides billowy white spring bloom. Crepe myrtle is a smaller tree with both vivid autumn foliar color and summer bloom. Ginkgo is a tall and slender tree with exclusively brilliant yellow color. Boston ivy is a clinging vine that is as colorful as Chinese pistache.

Not all deciduous trees produce impressive autumn foliar color. Sycamore might already be defoliating with just a bit of pale-yellow color. Valley oak does the same later. Both are quite messy as they defoliate slowly through much of autumn. However, both are notably sculptural while bare later through winter. There are other advantages to deciduousness.

Highlight: Chinese Pistache

Chinese pistache, Pistacia chinensis, does not need too much chill to begin to turn color. In some climates, it is already yellowing. With cooler weather, it will develop fiery orange and red foliar color. Not only does it color reliably with mild weather, but it actually retains its color better. It could defoliate more efficiently within frostier, windier or rainier weather.

Chinese pistache grows about thirty feet tall and broad. Old trees can eventually grow to about forty feet tall. Some old trees are female, so can produce annoyingly abundant red berries. Modern trees should be fruitless male cultivars. Pinnately compound leaves are about nine inches long, with a dozen or so leaflets. Leaflets are two or three inches long.

Because of its resiliency, Chinese pistache is among the more popular shade trees here. Established trees do not need much irrigation and can likely survive with none. Frequent irrigation can promote shallow root dispersion, which can damage pavement. Otherwise, Chinese pistache is a good street tree. It merely needs pruning for clearance over roads, sidewalks and driveways.

Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com.

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That certainly does not mean that their strict schedule is not adjustable. Most early bulbs prefer interment into their shallow graves within weeks of Halloween. However, they can wait as late as New Year’s Day. This allows for successive planting, which prolongs their ultimate bloom. Early planting promotes early bloom. Late planting promotes late bloom.

Most spring bulbs from nurseries are prechilled because winters are relatively mild here. They are therefore less reliant on significant winter chill. However, some of such bulbs in several of the milder climates may bloom only once. They lack the winter chill they need to bloom for subsequent springs. Avid garden enthusiasts compensate with refrigeration.

Sustainability is questionable.

That requires major diligence, though. Most who enjoy gardening do not want to dig and refrigerate dirty spring bulbs. Consequently, most who grow them enjoy them as annuals or disposable perennials. Unfortunately, though, spring bulbs do not bloom for very long and are not inexpensive. That is why they are not as prevalent here as in other climates.

Freesia and narcissus, including daffodil, do not need much chill. They can settle in and bloom for many years after their initial planting. Ranunculus and anemone may not need much chill either but are less likely to regenerate from year to year. Dutch iris and Dutch crocus are unpredictable. They might become reliably perennial but may not cooperate.

Tulip and hyacinth may be more disappointing, since they require significant winter chill. If they cannot experience such chill naturally from the weather, they require refrigeration. Otherwise, they bloom only once for their primary season, and only after prechilling. Yet, both are among the most popular of spring bulbs. Their blooms are simply too appealing.

Highlight: Hyacinth

Most flowers that must attract pollinators do so with either color or fragrance. Hyacinth is an exception that does both. It is as fragrant as it is colorful. Its intensely rich fragrance is supposedly comparable to that of lilac. Its floral color range includes many hues and tints of most colors but green. It blooms for very early spring along with many types of daffodils.

Dormant hyacinth bulbs go into their gardens about now but do nothing until after winter. They then bloom with several narrowly tubular florets on stoutly cylindrical trusses. Each floral stem is only about half a foot tall but stands above its narrow leaves. Foliage lasts for merely two months or so after bloom. It eventually withers with the warmth of summer.

Hyacinth craves rich soil, sunny exposure and regular irrigation after the winter rain stops. They can work nicely with cool season annuals, such as pansies or violas. They appear and bloom just before pansies and violas finish their seasons. Alternatively, hyacinth is conducive to forcing. Unfortunately, they like more winter chill than they experience here after prechilling.

Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com .

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Botanical nomenclature is not actually a language. It is a standardized system of naming botanical organisms, or plants. It is so standardized that it is the same everywhere in the world, in every language. Common names are different in different regions or in different languages. In that regard, common names can be more confusing than botanical names.

Botanical nomenclature is basically binomial, which means that it uses only two names. The first name is the general or genus name. The second name is the specific or species name. The genus name is capitalized, while the species name is not. Both are italicized. A species name is often an adjective that describes a characteristic or origin of its genus.

A cultivar is simply a ‘culti’vated ‘var’iety.

Many botanical names include a third variety or cultivar name. Such names are in single quotes, without italicization, but with capitalization. For example, Sequoia sempervirens ‘Soquel’ is ‘Soquel’ redwood. “Sequoia” is its genus name. “sempervirens” is its species name, which also describes it as evergreen. “‘Soquel'” is the particular cultivar or variety.

Botanical nomenclature is actually quite similar to automotive nomenclature. Italicization and lack of capitalization of the species names are the primary differences. For example, Buick, Chrysler and Mercury are all like genera. Electra, Imperial and Grand Marquis are all like species of these particular genera. Buick Electra is therefore like a botanic name.

Buick Electra ‘Limited’ is like a cultivar of Electra, which is more specific than species. Its family is General Motors, which is more general than genus. Botanical nomenclature has families too, although they are rarely mentioned. Sequoia sempervirens ‘Soquel’ is in the family of “Cupressaceae”. Botanical family names lack italicization but not capitalization.

Highlight: Hopbush

Its silly name is actually justifiable. The papery fruits of Hopbush, Dodonea viscosa, can be useful as a substitute for hops. Almost all hopbush are female, so produce such fruits. However, bloom and subsequent fruit production is variable. Vigorous plants are likely to produce less fruit. Also, some specimens might become male and therefore be fruitless.

Hopbush is most popular as an informal evergreen hedge. It also works well as a formal hedge. With selective pruning, it can become a small tree with shaggy bark on sculptural trunks. It develops a narrowly upright form while young but may eventually grow ten feet wide. It grows about twice as tall. Overgrown specimens are quite conducive to pruning.

Hopbush exhibits a uniformly fine foliar texture. Individual leaves are two or three inches long, but narrow. Foliar color is soft bronzy green. ‘Purpurea’ is more purplish bronze but is not quite as vigorous. Roots are very complaisant, but do not disperse well if irrigation is too generous. Established hopbush is undemanding, so does not require much water. It tolerates soil of inferior quality too.

Contact Tony Tomeo at tonytomeo.com .

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Successive planting begins early and finishes late. It entails cultivation of relatively small groups of vegetables throughout their seasons. The first groups start as soon as they are seasonable. The last groups should finish at about the end of their season. Each type of vegetable prefers particular seasons. Therefore, some begin or finish earlier than others.

Ideally, each group of each vegetable finishes production as a subsequent group begins. The expected duration of production determines the frequency of phasing. For example, if radishes produce for two weeks, each phase should be two weeks apart. Also, each of the phases should provide enough radishes for two weeks. Scheduling is very important.

Successive planting promotes continuity.

Larger vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower, likely need fewer phases. Successive planting for them may involve only one early group and one late group. Each group may remain in production for a month or longer. Individual vegetable plants within each group mature at different rates. Even when mature there is no rush to harvest them.

Cucumber and pea vines remain in production throughout their seasons. Those that start now might continue production until the middle of winter. Those that start after the middle of winter might continue production until spring warmth. Two such phases are the extent of their successive planting. (Cucumbers and peas are really fruit rather than vegetable.)

Successive planting also prolongs the bloom of spring bulbs that will be available soon. Of course, it is only effective for the first spring after initial planting. Bulbs synchronize for any subsequent bloom if they naturalize. Successive planting is not so effective for bulbs that bloom later in summer or recurrently. Cannas bloom late regardless of planting time. When seasonable, all dahlias should start on time.

Highlight: Leek

Leek, Allium ampeloprasum, is an old fashioned but traditional cool season vegetable. It is rare among home gardens but has been in cultivation for thousands of years. It is one of the floral emblems of Wales, in conjunction with daffodil. In cooler climates, leeks may grow through summer for autumn harvest. They are only a cool season vegetable locally.

Leeks grow easily from directly sown seed but are alternatively conducive to transplant. Therefore, they can start in flats while warm season vegetables are still producing. Then, they can transition to the garden early enough to mature before frost. Later phases which grow through winter are quite tolerant of mild frost. They might even be bigger and better.

Like several cool season vegetables, leeks are in no rush for harvest. Once mature, they can linger in their gardens for weeks without deteriorating or bolting. Like related onions, they prefer somewhat rich and loose soil. Until the winter rainy season begins, they need regular watering. Thrips can be more of a problem in other regions during warm weather.

Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com .

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Conversely, summer squash produces for summer. They produce several more individual fruits that are ready for harvest before they ripen. They produce even more in response to the harvest of their juvenile fruit. Any fruit that matures for too long can get big and tough. It also diverts resources that should otherwise sustain production of fresh young squash.

Winter squash produces fewer fruit that mature through summer to ripen by autumn. Some types produce only two or three individual fruits. Fewer fruit concentrate resources, so that individual fruit are relatively large. Pumpkin, which is a famously big winter squash, may grow singly on its vines. Once ripe, some winter squash might last for months into winter.

Winter squash is actually a warm season vegetable.

Ideally, some type of squash should always be available from the garden. Winter squash becomes available as summer squash finish. Then, summer squash becomes available as stored winter squash deplete. However, winter squash is supposedly better if they cure for two weeks after harvest. Summer squash might finish a while before that can happen.

Hubbard, butternut, acorn and kabocha squash are all types of winter squash. Countless others are available. Their vines are more rampant than those of typical summer squash. Those with relatively lightweight fruit can climb trellises or shrubbery to conserve space. Although they do not bloom as much as summer squash, their yellow flowers are edible.

Winter squash develops more uniformly with occasional turning as they grow. This entails turning fruit weekly so that all sides of it get exposure sometime. By now, the palest sides should face upward. Fruit should retain its short stem when cut from its vine. It is likely to mold without it. There is no rush to harvest though, since fruit can remain as vines wither. Exposure to mild frost supposedly enhances the flavor of fruit.

Highlight: Kabocha Squash

Pumpkins are the most famous late squash. However, they are more familiar as decor than for culinary applications. For that, butternut and acorn squash are probably the most popular. Kabocha squash, though, is becoming about as readily available. Like so many squashes, it is a variety of Cucurbita maxima. It grows very well within local home gardens.

Kabocha squash vines sprawl over the ground and can reach more than eight feet long. Alternatively, vines can climb trellises. Because their fruits weigh only about two or three pounds, they need no support. Slings may become necessary if unusually vigorous fruits grow more than five pounds. Powdery mildew can be problematic with congested vines.

Kabocha squash look like small and dark green pumpkins. Some are striped with lighter green or ivory white. Their flesh is yellow or orange, around a hollow interior full of seed. They take quite a while to cure after harvest though, from one and a half to three months. After curing, they can last even longer and may even be fresh as summer squash ripens.

Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com .

The post Winter Squash Grew Last Summer appeared first on Canyon News.

Just like annual bedding plants, different vegetable plants perform to different schedules.  Some warm season vegetables begin to deteriorate as warm weather ends. Others may continue to produce until frost. Some cool season vegetables need an early start. Others can start late and grow through cool winter weather. Gardens need not transition quickly.

Besides, different phases of some types of vegetables begin and finish at different times. Although late phases of corn continue to grow, early phases are already done and gone. Although late phases of beet might begin months from now, early phases can begin now. Warm season vegetables, ideally, relinquish space as cool season vegetables require it.

Cool season vegetables are in no hurry, and most are fruitless.

Cool season vegetables grow slower than warm season vegetables. Also, more of them are true vegetables rather than fruit that contain seed. Many are distended roots, such as beet and carrot. Many are distended foliage, such as cabbage and chard. A few, such as broccoli and cauliflower, are distended floral bloom. Peas are actually fruiting structures.

All root vegetables should grow directly from seed. They are vulnerable to disfigurement if transplanted. Besides, they typically grow in significant quantities that are not practical for transplant. These include beet, carrot, radish, turnip and parsnip. Cucumber and pea, although conducive to transplanting, also perform better from seed. So do lettuce greens.

Heading lettuce, though, is more like cabbage and larger cool season vegetables. Since only a few are necessary, transplanting them as seedlings is practical. Besides, they are conducive to transplanting. Cell pack seedlings for cool season vegetables are available from nurseries now. Seed is always available. It can go directly into a garden or into cells for transplanting later, as summer becomes autumn, then winter.

Highlight: Swiss Chard

Among the cool season vegetables that are now seasonable, this one is too cool. Swiss chard, Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris var. flavescens is as ornamental as edible. Its richly deep or bronzy green foliage is a splendid backdrop for cool season annuals. The same foliage is edible, either fresh or cooked. Yet, even as a vegetable, it is nicely ornamental.

The wide petioles and leaf veins can be white, yellow, orange, pink or maroon. Although varieties with simple green petioles are more productive, they are less popular. ‘Rhubarb Chard’ and ‘Ruby Chard’ develop deep red petioles and veins. ‘Rainbow Chard’ is a mix of varieties with petioles and veins of various colors. Some have darkly bronzed foliage.

Although a cool season vegetable, Swiss card performs very well for spring and autumn. It only succumbs to summer warmth. In cooler climates, it might succumb to severe frost. Since only external leaves are harvested, it retains its ornamental quality for a long time. Swiss chard like sunny exposure and rich soil. It wants water when winter rain is sparse.

Contact Tony Tomeo at tonytomeo.com .

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There is no need to hurry, though. The several different cool season annuals operate on different schedules. Only the earliest begin as small plants now, and even they can wait. Some prefer to begin later during autumn. Cyclamen and ornamental kale can even wait until winter. Only annuals that start as seed really must do so while the weather is warm.

Besides, some warm season annuals still perform too nicely for immediate replacement. Ideally, they are only beginning to deteriorate as they relinquish their space. Sometimes, some varieties are already grungy before their replacement. This facilitates their removal without guilt. However, some warm season annuals might continue to perform until frost.

Transitions may be unpleasant.

Furthermore, some annuals, both cool season and warm season, are actually perennial. They merely function as annuals because their replacement is easier than their salvage. Busy Lizzie, for example, can remain mostly dormant through winter below new pansies. As the pansies finish in spring, the older busy Lizzie can regenerate for another season.

Sweet William and various primrose are cool season annuals that are actually perennial. Both can bloom until next spring becomes too warm for them. Then, they become mostly dormant until the following autumn. Any that remained dormant through last summer can regenerate and bloom this autumn. Perhaps they take turns performing with busy Lizzie.

Pansy and viola are the most familiar and reliable of cool season annuals. Marigold and snapdragon are popular now, but only as autumn annuals. They may not perform well for winter. Wax begonias might perform almost throughout the year with grooming after frost. Stock is the most fragrant of the cool season annuals. A few short varieties are available.

Highlight: Wax Begonia

Wax begonia, Begonia X semperflorens–cultorum, exemplifies simplicity. Its floral color is white, pink or red. Its foliage is green, bronze or dark bronze. Each floral color combines with each foliar color for a total of only nine combinations. That must be enough, though. Variants of these nine simple options, including some with fluffier double bloom, are rare.

Wax begonia is most familiar as a common warm season annual. However, it is probably at least as popular as a cool season annual. Actually though, it is a short-term perennial. Except for during the coolest winter weather, established specimens may bloom all year. After minor frost damage, most regenerate efficiently. They need only minimal grooming.

Mature wax begonia should not grow any higher or wider than a foot. As bedding plants, they blend together. Individually, they develop densely ovoid form. Flowers are small but abundant. Foliage and stems are succulent, with a waxy sheen. New plants grow easily from cuttings or division. Wax begonia prefers rich medium and very consistent watering. A bit of partial shade should be no problem, but a bit too much can inhibit bloom.

Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com .

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Realistically, most flowers do not rely on pollinators for pollination. They rely exclusively on wind, so are just green or brown, and not visually prominent. These include flowers of grasses and conifers. Otherwise, small but prominently prolific white flowers are the next best option. They rely on either or both wind and pollinators for very effective pollination.

For example, firethorn bloom is very appealing to bees and other pollinators. It is also so prolific that some of its pollen disperses into the wind. Its tiny but abundant white flowers cannot avoid pollination by one means or the other. Most orchard trees, such as apricot, plum, apple and pear, use the same technique. So do viburnum, photinia and elderberry.

True Colors

This should not imply that white is a substandard color, though. After all, white flowers do attract pollinators. Several pollinators, such as nocturnal moths, prefer luminescent white flowers. More importantly, many pollinators see more than white. Several types of Insects see ultraviolet. What seems to be white to us can actually be elaborately colorful to them.

Furthermore, white needs no justification. It happens to be the best color option for some garden applications. It brightens visually dark situations and mingles well with almost all other colors. A few types of flowers, particularly those with distinctive form, excel at white. Calla, camellia, lily of the valley and various lilies are only a few of numerous examples.

Cool season annuals for autumn and winter will soon replace old warm season annuals. White busy Lizzie, petunia, cosmos, alyssum, snapdragon and zinnia are finishing soon. White pansy, viola, dianthus and wax begonia may replace them. Later in autumn, white cyclamen will become seasonal. There are always enough white flowers to choose from.

Highlight: Naked Lady

From scarcely exposed tops of seemingly dead bulbs, floral stalks unexpectedly appear. Foliage only appears after bloom finishes. This is why Amaryllis belladonna is known as naked lady. It blooms unfoliated. Various varieties of the same species bloom with about the same vivid pink color. White variants are very rare. Floral fragrance is mild but sweet.

Naked lady flowers are about two feet tall on simple brown or green stalks. Fleshy seeds that develop after bloom are viable only while fresh and plump. Foliage begins to appear by later summer and grows more with autumn rain. It resembles foliage of lily of the Nile, but is more fragile, and shrivels by late spring. Then, bulbs lay dormant through summer.

Naked lady bulbs are impressively resilient, but also quite sensitive. If possible, the best time to relocate them is supposedly between bloom and foliation. However, relocation is likely easiest during complete summer dormancy. Unfortunately, though, such relocation can interfere with subsequent bloom. Naked lady needs full sun exposure to bloom well but requires no water.

Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com  .

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Realistically, no bloom is random. Even flowers that bloom randomly throughout the year do so only because they can. Such flowers are mostly from mild climates where they can disperse seed at any time. Any pollinators that they rely on are also active throughout the year. Many randomly blooming flowers can effectively conform to more distinct seasons.

Most flowers bloom within a distinct season because it is most convenient for them. Most bloom for spring to maximize the time for their seed to develop before winter. Many of the earliest are tiny but abundant because they rely on wind for pollination. Later flowers can be bigger and more colorful to attract pollinators. Late summer flowers are no exception.

Leave the best for last.

Different flowers have different priorities. Some of the earliest spring bloom needs time to produce seed after bloom. Several late summer flowers conversely need time to develop their blooms. Then, they produce seed relatively quickly before winter. This is why some late summer flowers are bolder but less abundant than spring flowers. They require time.

For example, sunflowers with relatively small blooms may bloom as early as late spring. However, those with bigger and bolder blooms are more familiar as late summer flowers. Such big blooms do not grow quickly, but are ready for their late pollinators, nonetheless. They compensate for their lack of abundance with spectacularly grand individual bloom.

Many late summer flowers happen to be related to sunflowers. They include coneflower, dahlia, zinnia, sneezeweed, aster, and cosmos. Dahlias with larger flowers are later than those with smaller flowers. Marigold and chrysanthemum will become more seasonable later and into autumn. Unrelated canna and various sages are blooming well about now.

Highlight: Sneezeweed

Contrary to its silly name, sneezeweed, Helenium autumnale, does not cause sneezing. Its flowers produce heavy pollen that relies more on pollinators for dispersion than wind. Its vibrant yellow, orange or red floral color attracts all sorts of bees, butterflies and such. Bloom may begin as early as the middle of summer or continue as late as early autumn.

Sneezeweed is a perennial like black eyed Susan, but with a somewhat shrubbier form. It can grow three or four feet tall without growing any wider than two or three feet. Foliage has a rather fine texture with lanceolate and somewhat serrate leaves. Individual flowers are about two or three inches wide, and delightfully abundant. They are nice cut flowers.

Sneezeweed may self-sow, but some cultivars are not true to type. For them, division is a more reliable method of propagation. ‘Pumilum Magnificum’ provides vivid yellow bloom. ‘Chippersfield Orange’ provides vivid orange and yellow flowers. ‘Kupfersprudel’ blooms with a bit more yellow than orange. ‘Bruno’ blooms with deeply rich ruddy brown flowers. ‘Butterpat’ provides rich golden bloom. Several cultivars are compact.

Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com.

The post Late Summer Flowers Bloom Now appeared first on Canyon News.

Binding with stakes promotes straight trunk growth. It is particularly practical for trees that naturally develop crooked or multiple trunks. It is a technique that is quite common within nurseries, although not home gardens. However, many trees retain binding stakes when they arrive from nurseries. For a while after planting, some continue to benefit from them.

However, binding may be more detrimental than staking if it remains for too long. Trunks that become reliant on any sort of supportive stake remain weak or limber. Also, tape that binds trunks to stakes can become constrictive as trunks grow. It is important to remove it before it begins to interfere with trunk expansion. Looser tape can be useful if necessary.

Some trees need help to grow on straight trunks.

For example, California pepper tree naturally develops a few irregular and limber trunks. To produce trees with single and straight trunks, nurserymen bind single trunks to stakes. They then prune out other trunks and low limbs until main trunks attain an optimal height. Because they are still limber, trees remain bound to their stakes while available for sale.

However, such stakes provide only support for trunks. They do nothing for stability while trees disperse roots into their new gardens. Additional staking with heftier stakes may be necessary for that. Such stakes must extend into undisturbed soil below the roots of such new trees. If possible, it is better to merely replace binding stakes with supportive stakes.

The next best option is to replace tape that binds young trunks to stakes with looser tape. This maintains the straight form of such trunks without inhibiting their growth. Supportive stakes, in addition to binding stakes, maintain their upright posture. Most trees need only supportive stakes, realistically. A few trees, especially new palms, need no stakes at all.

Highlight: Arizona Cypress

Classification of this species may be complicated. About five distinct varieties of Arizona cypress, Cupressus arizonica, occur naturally. A few may sometimes classify as distinct species. Some grow no higher than twenty feet, with stout and shrubby form. Some grow fifty feet high, with sculpturally irregular form. Botanists may not agree on their identities.

Old trees that mostly grew from seed are typically noticeably variable. Some exhibit nice bluish green foliar color. Others are more grayish green. Modern trees are mostly modern cultivars with strikingly uniform silvery blue foliar color. Some are supposedly conducive to hedging, which enhances foliar color. Although evergreen, foliage is freshest in spring.

Without hedging, Arizona cypress develops splendid natural forms. Whether sculpturally irregular or compactly shrubby, it may need only minor grooming. Its finely textured foliar debris disappears into any ground cover below. However, such foliage can have a mildly herbicidal effect on lawns. Arizona cypress trees in a row can be an effective windbreak.

Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com.

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Feral flowers are progeny of cultivated flowers. Almost all are exotic, or nonnative. Some are true to type, which means that they are indistinguishable from the originals. However, because of extensive breeding, many revert to a more genetically stable state. Some can naturalize or perpetuate without intervention. Then, they seem to behave as wildflowers.

For example, most home garden nasturtiums begin as garden varieties. They bloom with particular colors because of their breeding and selection. Their progeny, however, bloom with more natural floral color. After a few generations, they may bloom only basic orange and yellow. Such feral flowers can naturalize within riparian ecosystems like wildflowers.

Real wildflowers are native.

Because they are not native, naturalized nasturtium are technically not wildflowers. They are merely naturalized feral flowers. Although they are rarely aggressively invasive, they can interfere with natural ecology. They might compete with native species for resources and space. They can sustain organisms that are pathogens to native vegetation species.

California poppy is a genuinely native wildflower. However, a few home garden varieties developed from selection and breeding. Initially, such varieties bloom with unusual floral colors like white, lavender, pink or red. After a few generations, though, their colors revert to their more natural orange. Although wildflowers, they are also technically feral flowers.

Many of the most noxious weeds here escaped from home gardens and naturalized. For example, common pink pampas grass became popular during the Victorian Period. Now, it is quite naturalized and compromising ecosystems throughout the West Coast. Its feral flowers are appealing but perpetuate infestation. They are surely not native wildflowers. Water hyacinth and yellow flag are other examples.

Highlight: Garden Phlox

Several species of Phlox are native California wildflowers. Yet, the more popular garden phlox, Phlox paniculata, is native only east of Kansas. It can self-sow where it gets water and naturalizes in the Pacific Northwest. It prefers rather rich soil and sunny exposure but is not very discriminating. A bit of partial shade might promote taller stems for cutting.

Mature garden phlox can be as tall and wide as three feet. Some modern cultivars stay a bit more compact. Dense panicles of small flowers may be as wide as six inches. Bloom is most commonly white, but may be pink, red, lavender or pastel orange. It is a splendid cut flower, with an alluringly rich fragrance. Bloom might continue for a month of summer.

Garden phlox is deciduous, so all canes die to the ground for winter. Mature colonies are then easy to propagate by division. Similarly, feral specimens that appear where they are unwanted are easy to relocate. Garden phlox can perform nicely in proportionately large pots and planters. It is uncommonly available from nurseries but grows easily from seed.

Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com .

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For almost all substantial woody plants and most large perennials, this is only temporary. Their roots disperse faster than their original soil amendment decomposes. They require no more soil amendment incorporated into their soil afterward. Such incorporation would damage their dispersing roots. This could defeat the original purpose of soil amendment.

For such substantial plants, soil amendment only provides a transition into endemic soil. Without it, roots may be tempted to continue to grow within their original potting medium. If endemic soil is less appealing to them, they might lack motivation to disperse outward. Soil amendment mixed with their endemic soil provides them the motivation they require.

Soil is the foundation of the garden.

Mulching with soil amendment over the surface of the soil is a different procedure. Since it requires no incorporation into the soil, it severs no roots below the surface. Yet, it helps retain moisture and insulates the soil. As it decomposes, mulch adds organic nutrients to the soil. For established plants, mulching is a noninvasive technique with a few benefits.

Vegetable plants and annuals enjoy soil amendment more than more substantial plants. Proportionately, they consume much more of the nutrients that the amendments provide. Yet, they do not inhabit their soil long enough to crave more than they start with. Addition of amendment during their replacement damages no roots. It provides for the next phase.

Soil amendment is available either bagged or in bulk from nurseries and garden centers. Home garden generated compost is less expensive, since it costs nothing but effort. The process of composting is involved, but it utilizes otherwise useless garden detritus. Many home gardens generate more compost than they may use. Neighbors sometimes share.

Highlight: Petunia

Most popular modern petunia are hybrids of two primary species, and a few others. They classify collectively and simply as Petunia X hybrida. Although popular as warm season annuals, some can be short term perennials. They are only uncommon as such because they get shabby through winter. Yet, with a bit of trimming, they can regenerate for spring.

Petunias are impressively diverse. Their floral color range lacks merely a few colors. Also, flowers can exhibit spots, speckles, stripes, blotches, haloes or variegation. Flowers can be quite small, or as broad as four inches. Some are mildly fragrant. Some are quite frilly with double bloom. Cascading types can sprawl three feet while most are more compact.

Petunias are perhaps the most popular warm season annual. They can bloom from spring until frost, though they can get scrawny after a month or so. Trimming of lanky stems can promote more compact growth. Deadheading might promote fuller bloom for some types. Petunias enjoy sunny exposure, regular watering and rich soil. They perform well in pots. Cascading varieties are splendid for hanging pots and high planters.

Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com .

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The sun moves from east to west as each day gets warmer. It does so more or less to the south of vertical. It is a bit farther to the south for winter than for summer. Such orientation and motion determine sun exposure within home gardens. Each side of a house, garage or fence faces one of such exposure or another. Eaves might provide shade from above.

Eastern exposure is good for plants that crave some direct sun exposure but not warmth. Azalea, rhododendron, andromeda and hydrangea prefer such exposures. They receive enough sunlight to bloom, but not so much that their foliage scorches. They enjoy partial shade before sunshine gets uncomfortably warm. Eastern exposures are sunny but cool.

North, south, east or west, which sun exposure is the best?

Northern exposure is good for plants that do not require much sun exposure. Hydrangea may be somewhat lanky within such situations. Clivia, elephant ears, philodendrons and ferns may be better options. Upper floors and eaves significantly enlarge the shadows of northern exposure. Shadows are also larger in winter while the sun is lower to the south.

Western exposure is good for plants that crave both direct sun exposure and warmth. It is the opposite of eastern exposures but is certainly no less sunny. It is merely warmer. Lily of the Nile, lavender, oleander and bougainvillea enjoy such sunny warmth. Some types of ferns and elephant ears may scorch with such exposure. Eaves delay direct exposure.

Southern exposure is good for plants that crave full sun exposure but tolerate heat. Most plants that enjoy western exposure can also enjoy southern exposure. Many vegetables, with regular watering, are more productive with such exposure. Eaves provide shade for the warmest summer weather. They provide less shade while the sun is lower for winter.

Highlight: Curve Leaf Yucca

Curve leaf yucca is one of a few species of the genus that is difficult to identify. It may be a distinct species, Yucca recurvifolia. It may be a naturally occurring variety of mound lily, Yucca gloriosa var. tristis or recurvifolia. Yet, it may be a natural hybrid of Yucca aloifolia and Yucca flaccida. To complicate all of this, its physical characteristics are inconsistent.

The evergreen leaves of curve leaf yucca are typically pliable, and curve downward. Yet, they can be quite rigid and upright. Foliar color is typically grayish green but can be olive drab. Stout but upright trunks can potentially develop but may never do so. Only their tall floral stalks that bloom for summer are consistent. Individual flowers are small and white.

Curve leaf yucca enjoys warm and sunny exposures. Occasional watering through warm weather may improve vigor but is unnecessary. Old colonies form large mounds that can slowly grow as high and wide as ten feet. With the exception of gophers, which eat roots, not much bothers curve leaf yucca. In fact, it can be very difficult to eradicate if unwanted. Pups may continue to develop from rhizomes for many years.

Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com .

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