|
|
|
|
|
 The recent rains have been great for ending our drought, but they have also fueled vegetation growth which has begun drying out due to increasing temperatures. This has "prompted the Angeles National Forest to raise its fire danger level to high this month," said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Nathan Judy.
We all have to do our part to protect our environment and homes. Start clearing dry brush and grass 100 to 200 feet from structures and plant fire resistant plants where there is any type of risk. Keep your yard hydrated.
Click Here to Read More About Fire Resistant Landscaping.
Also, don't miss all the great bargains at our nursery this year at our Annual Independence Day Sale starting July 2nd!
Mark Meahl (President Garden View Inc.)
|
 |
Arbors and Pergolas
Arbors and Pergolas are great additions to our landscapes. They have many functions but most importantly they provide a space to escape from the sun and enjoy living in our outdoor rooms. They also provide a dramatic effect and reflections on bodies of water.
|
|
|
June and July Gardening Tips
ALSTROEMERIA (left):
These beautiful plants flower off and on throughout the year. They are generally not blooming in the hottest months and the foliage can get sparse. But don't think they are dead or they are not going to come back. These plants are drought resistant meaning if you stop watering them they will generally live. But the foliage will die back but the roots and tuber of the plant will stay alive and come back when watering. This plant will bloom on an off most of the year with sufficient water and fertilizer. Garden View Crews will often use this plant in annual flower beds and supplement it with annual flowers
COLEUS (right) is a valued plant for light shade. Its colorful leaf is as prized as the flowers on many annuals. It is necessary to cut the flowers off regularly or the plant looses shape and can become unattractive. The pinching also keeps the plant compact.
WISTERIAS (left):
On established plants, this is the time of the first of three annual prunings. A good schedule for these three prunings is June, August and December. Cut any and all unwanted new growth to three buds above last years resting point. The point where the current years growth began and last years ended can be located by noticing the change in the stem/bark color. This pruning should be done to encourage flower bud development and to contain the size of the plant.
CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS (right):
Be very cautious irrigating most of our native plants during the summer. Most are adapted to a wet winters and dry summer moisture cycle. Too frequent irrigations now (especially in soils with a clay content) will most likely cause problems.
AZALEAS:
Keep azaleas well irrigated now that the weather is warming up. Azaleas are shallow rooted and will dry out quickly. Avoid cultivating or allowing other plants to grow in competition with the roots.
COLEONEMA - BREATH OF HEAVEN (left):
Trim after its main blooming season: Spring and early summer. It still will bloom sporadically through the warm months but you can keep it compact and increase the quality of blooms in the future by pruning now.
SALVIA LEUCANTHA (right):
This plant has abundant blooms for a long season. Prune sparingly now to limit plant size and renew flower stems. Limit watering now to enough to keep it alive, it may be able to survive nicely on watering only once every two weeks. Remove blossoms as soon as they fade.
HYDRANGEA (left):
Big leaf type hydrangea set their flower buds at the ends of the upright or lateral branches, during late summer to early fall. Big leaf hydrangea should be pruned as soon as the flowers have faded. Pruning hydrangea in the spring or even late fall, after the buds have been set, will remove the flower buds and any chance of getting flowers that season.
You should begin to see new growth coming in from the base of the plant. To keep the plant vigorous, selectively prune out the dead and weaker stems, both old and new. Don't prune out all the old wood, since this is what will keep flowering as the new growth matures.
Click Here to Read the Rest of This Article!
Click Here to Read/Print This Article in Spanish!
|
|
|
 Hedges 101
Hedges provide a nice green soft way of providing privacy or visually blocking unwanted views and making green fences.
There are two basic types of hedges: large shrubs that grow dense and compact, and some trees that respond well to topping (a "no no" for most trees). These trees generate new growth from below when pruned, developing a thick mass of compact vegetation.
Tree type hedges generally grow faster and taller than shrub hedges. This can be an advantage but they also need to be pruned more often, and if not topped regularly they can become sparse.
The first rule of pruning is to understand that when a plant is pruned in one spot it grows in another. By topping the hedge the plant sprouts growth below. By pruning the sides we keep it dense.
 |
 |
|
Pruned Hedge
|
Unpruned Hedge
|
|
|
|
In the Dirt
with Julie Meahl
Planning for the future is not just about finances and retirement. This last March I helped a young couple choose a tree to shade their dining room window. He was so concerned about the blazing hot sun this summer. He said they spend a lot of time in this room and wanted it to be cooler for his family...
After asking the first crucial questions of evergreen or deciduous and preferred growth height, they narrowed it down to large and evergreen. So we went along our way and I showed them several trees that would be perfect for their situation. The couple chose a Camphor tree for its beautiful green leaves and ability to blow in the wind. He was anxious to plant the tree and have it thriving by summer. Off they went with the tree and in search of their shovels. Did I mention she was six months pregnant with their first child? Now that's planning!
You will live with this tree for a long time and it is changing over time. Plan ahead for the short term and long term. A lot of customers ask for a fast growing tree that is good in the short term, but once the tree gets to the desired size it is going to need trimming more often. A deciduous tree will provide shade in the summer and light in the winter. Did you know that over the course of a year most deciduous trees lose less leaves than evergreen trees? Deciduous trees just drop all their leaves at once.
At Garden View Nursery we can help you select the right tree. Whenever you decide to come in, our experienced staff will ask the crucial questions to help you get started. It can be overwhelming because of our large selection of sizes and varieties, so let the Garden View staff and our descriptive signs help guide you down the path for a pleasant experience of choosing the right tree for you.
You can still plant a tree when it's hot, but you will need to give it extra water. Another option is to have Garden View plant it for you.
Now you're in the dirt!
(Julie Meahl is the Retail Manager and Vice President of Garden View, Inc.)
|
|
|
|
Blake's Landscape Maintenance Blog
Warning: Half Rate Gardeners Spread STDs!
There is a real nasty Shrubually Transmitted Disease going around out there called Oleander Leaf Scorch. You may have noticed it along the 210 freeway or along major roadways. Chances are if you notice a massive half dead hedge, this is probably it. It has been annihilating a plant species, which until now, has been a very reliable, drought tolerant, blooming shrub that could be put in almost anywhere. It is likely the massive widespread use that made the spread of this species specific disease possible. Like Magic Johnson taught us, when you just put it in anywhere, you're gonna catch something.
At this point the Oleander AIDS has no cure, but is not transmittable to any other type of plant species. What is happening is the spread of bacteria called Xylella fastidiosa, which typically takes 3 - 5 years to entirely kill a plant. While researchers are not certain of all manners in which the disease is transmitted, the biggest culprits appear to be insects called "sharpshooters," which spread the bacteria when feeding. At this point there is no way of reversing the effects or stopping the spread of the bacteria; nor can we control the massive population of sharpshooter insects.
At Garden View we have taken up the practice of disinfecting all of our cutting tools with a product called "Phisan 20," to ensure that we don't accelerate the spread of the disease within the communities we service. It is believed that dirty trimming tools are another leading cause of the disease's spread. We call this blade disinfection the "Keith Richards technique;" the fact that he is still standing, despite looking like death on two legs, is testimony that he must be using clean needles. Too bad your Oleanders can't afford a full blood transfusion.
(Blake Meahl is the Operations Manager for Garden View's Maintenance Division.)
|
|
|
|
If you have any suggestions on articles you would like to
see in our newsletter or suggestions for improvement please let us know.
-Tyler Meahl (Technical Manager and Special Projects
Coordinator for Garden View Inc.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
