MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î April-May 2007 1

GARDENING ON THE E DG E
Newsletter of the Monterey Bay Master Gardeners
Number 123 -- April/May 2007

Lily White Christina Kriedt, MG06

You might be unfamiliar with many of the twenty-one native Norte County, California where the climate and soil are
lilies found on the Calflora database; ten are listed as rare and uniquely suited to the fussy never-dormant lilies. It helps that
two are endangered, including Lilium pardalimum ssp. pitkiense the growers are willing to dedicate themselves to the
and L. occidentale. However, you’re probably very familiar with demanding culture of their crop. It takes two to three years of
an intoxicating Japanese import, Lilium longiflorum, or spring’s intensive handling (each bulb is harvested three times, sorted
ubiquitous snowy-white Easter lily. Americans have been in three times, cleaned three times and replanted in a new field
love with Easter lilies for generations. three times) to grow a bulb to Commercial Grade when it can
finally be shipped to a com-
In the 1880’s, almost all of the L. mercial greenhouse, potted,
longiflorum were grown in tended and forced to bloom
Bermuda where they bloom during a very specific period of
naturally in the spring. Mrs. T. time so that we can enjoy its
Sargent is credited with loveliness on the first Sunday
bringing bulbs to Philadelphia after the full moon that occurs
and convincing a greenhouse on or after the vernal equinox,
grower to force them to bloom unless the full moon falls on a
in springtime despite their Sunday, which will push it to
penchant for blooming in the following Sunday—aka:
summer at that latitude. At the Easter. That means a different
turn of the century, after the week each year!
Bermuda crop was destroyed by
a virus, the Japanese cornered There are some things to
the market which they then remember when you bring one
dominated until World War of these beauties into your
II—no more exports to home. Most importantly, Lilium
America. Not to worry! Luckily, longiflorum is highly toxic to
way back in 1919 a WWI cats; it can cause kidney failure
soldier, Louis Houghton, if ingested. If you find your cat
brought a suitcase full of bulbs nibbling on the leaves, call a vet
home to Oregon and shared them with his friends, who shared immediately. As far as I can tell, you probably shouldn’t eat it
them with their friends. Because of the abrupt deficiency of either. That having been said, you can now remove the
Japanese bulbs twenty-two years later, their Easter lilies decorative foil wrapper to avoid drowning the lily in standing
became ‘White Gold,’ and many of those intrepid Oregon water. Cut off the yellow anthers before they begin to shed
horticultural-hobbyists jumped into production; by 1945 there their pollen; not only does this prolong the life of the flower,
were about 1,200 growers from Vancouver, Canada to Long but prevents the pollen staining clothing and surfaces.
Beach, California. Remove spent flowers. Avoid over-watering, as in: wait until
the soil surface feels dry and then water thoroughly, preferably
Today 95% of all the bulbs are grown on nine or ten farms in a in the sink. They prefer moderately cool temperatures: 60oto
narrow coastal region from Curry County, Oregon to Del 65o F., slightly cooler at night. Avoid drafts and (continued next page)

Lily White
Confessions: Spring Back San Francisco Flower Show
A Morning at the Arboretum Beach Garden Project
La Mirada Project
Book Review:
Sunset Western Garden Book Al’s Corner: Container Soils
What’s Blooming in Your Garden?
Arbor Day
2 April-May 2007 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

exposure to heat or dry air. The good news is that your lily
will be quite happy sitting in a window with bright, indirect Lilies in their field
sunlight. This is beginning to sound like the care and feeding
of every houseplant I own.
But lilies will not thrive indoors for long and, unlike many of
my tropical houseplants, you can actually plant your lily
outside in a sunny location (roots in the shade under mulch
or a groundcover such as violas or primroses) with very good
drainage in soil rich with organic matter. Set the bulb 3
inches below the surface; mulch with another 3 inches of
compost; water it immediately and thoroughly. Fertilize
every month to six weeks. When it begins to turn brown
later in the season, cut it back. New growth will emerge. It
might bloom late this summer; otherwise, you’ll probably be
rewarded with stunning white fabulously fragrant flowers
next June or July.
Thanks to some national promotional efforts, Easter lilies are
When buying a lily, look for a plant with flowers in various
showing up at other times of the year: Rosie O'Donnell and stages of bloom including unopened buds. The rich green foliage
Martha Stewart have used L. longifolium on the sets of their should be dense and extend all the way down the stem to the soil
television shows. But, never fear, the growers in Oregon and line indicating a healthy root system. A well-proportioned plant
California will produce at least another thirteen million is about twice the height of the pot. You should also check the
bulbs this year and next, ad infinitum, so there will be no for signs of yellowing (improper culture), insects, or disease.
shortage of lovely bulbs for your house and your garden and
your TV show. Î

Confessions of a Reluctant Gardener:

Spring Back — Christina Kriedt, MG06
What is it about spring? You wake up one morning in late
February (spring comes early here) and you know your life
has changed. You can smell it, feel it under your skin and see
it under your fingernails. Brown pelicans are winging back
from Mexico and defrosted monarchs are en route to Canada.
Buds swell, pale leaves unfurl. Spring is sprung. The grass is ris.’
Mark Twain said perfectly, “It's spring fever.... You don't quite
know what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes your
heart ache, you want it so!” I wonder where the flowers is.
Right on cue, my own little piece of California awakens with
forgotten bulbs, mysterious rosettes, donations from transient
birds and assorted anonymous new growth stretching
insistently through the mulch. I used to promise myself every
fall that I’d install markers by the plants that I knew would
retreat into the earth. And every single year I have failed to do
so. I realize now that I ‘forgot’ to identify their hiding places
because it is so wonderful to be surprised. (The effect is
improved by a poor memory.)
I moved into the house on Eastside Santa Cruz about three
years ago in the ‘heat’ of summer. Two very irregularly shaped
purple raised beds dominated the backyard, and I believed
them to be barren, but for the most stunted Alstroemerias I’d
ever seen (a miniature variety?) and a couple of severely
drought-stressed strawberry plants. Even the few weeds,
mostly the omnipresent Oxalis corniculata, were embarrassing.
I decided to forego any soil disturbance and just add water to
whatever was trying to grow there, not so much out of any
gardening know-how as gardening laziness.
To my amazement and satisfaction, a few weeks of watering
encouraged unexpected vegetation to emerge, tentatively at
first: Dahlias, Linaria purpurea, ginger, Dianthus, Achillea, more
Alstroemerias, Coreopsis, sweet alyssum, Babiana…. They limped
along for a time until I finally began to up the ante with
compost and mulch and hack away at the weeds. I also began
to add a goofy assortment of plants (gifts and rescues). No
one could ever accuse me of being a landscape designer.
Those beds are a work in progress and I may never get them
to the place where the words ‘flourishing’ and ‘Christina’s
raised beds’ can be used in the same sentence. The soil was,
and still is, far from perfect and it is my theory that the row of
majestic redwoods that grace the back fence is interfering: the
tenacious shallow roots of my beautiful giants are tapping
water and nutrients from the ornamentals only a few meters
away. Are the beds suffering from dreaded Redwood Root
Intrusion?
Oh, who cares? I can’t worry about that now. It’s spring. My
garden is celebrating it’s annual rebirth and I want to
celebrate with it. As the renowned propagator of wit, Robin
Williams, once proclaimed, “Spring is nature's way of saying,
‘Let's party!’ ” Î
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î April-May 2007 3

A Morning at the Arboretum —Christina Kriedt, MG06

Tammy Tahara and Alicia Molina brought us to the UCSC
Arboretum for our March Quarterly Meeting where Ron
Arruda led us on a tour of New Zealand, Australia and South
Africa under misty skies. (We reacquainted ourselves with
California natives too.) There is no shortage of fascinating
plants among the countless genera in their collection,
including : Banksia, Protea, Leptospermum, Grevillea and
Leucadendron, all members of the Proteaceae family.
It is a very satisfying setting for a restful stroll. Rabbits, quail
and, if you’re lucky - or unlucky - cougars. Bring a camera.

The rabbits are fairly comfortable

around human visitors.

Look closely and prepare to be astonished.

All photos by Christina Kriedt, except where noted.

Protea. Photo by Tom Karwin

Banksia

Bouquet of plants from down under.

They make excellent dried
arrangements also.
Photo by Cheri Callis

One of many lovely Arboretum plantings

Leucadendrons

buds...
4 April-May 2007 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

Book Review: Sunset Garden Book

Updated Resource for Gardeners—Thomas Karwin, MG99
I have recommended the Sunset Western
Garden Book several times as an essential
resource for home gardeners in the
Monterey Bay area (and in several Western
states). When a new edition of this well-
worn reference book appears, as it did this
past week, it's worth noticing.
This is the eighth edition of this publication,
the last version published in 2001. The first
edition appeared in 1954, replacing the
Sunset Flower Garden Book (1947). (You
guessed it: I have a historical collection of
Sunset garden books, for reasons that are
not entirely clear. I'm still missing the fifth
edition, which was published in the 1980s.)
Sunset describes the new book as
"thoroughly updated and fresh-looking,"
with "a new easy-to-read design, more plant
photography, larger illustrations" and 500
new plant descriptions.
I compared the seventh and eighth edition
entries for the dahlia and other popular
genera and found very little change in most
cases:
• Dahlia. This section is basically
unchanged. I did spot the addition of a
factoid: "Some forms have brownish purple
leaves: a well-known example is 'Bishop of
Llandaff.'" That's good to know. The eighth
edition also omits a useful summary of
cultivation techniques and instead provides
a short list of dahlias for cutting.
• Iris. A few of the iris photos were
updated, but the text is unchanged.
• Rhododendron. The cultivation
information is unchanged, but the lengthy
lists of hybrid "rhodies" and azaleas have
been updated with additions and deletions.
• Rose. The cultivation information has
been lightly edited and rewritten, with the
same headings; the plant descriptions have
been substantially updated and reorganized.
The section on "The West's Climate Zones"
is unchanged (no effect yet from global
The avid gardener will want to have the
warming, apparently), but includes new
eighth edition of the Sunset Western
photos depicting the zones.
Garden Book to be up to date, but certainly
A scan of the "Plant Selection Guide" could manage quite well with the seventh
revealed only a few additions and edition. Î
subtractions and some reorganization. This
continues to be one of the very useful
sections of this reference book. The gardener
uses this section to identify plants for
specific uses and then learns about the plant
in the following section, the Western Plant
Encyclopedia, which is the core of the book.
The section "A Practical Guide to
Gardening" has been substantially updated
in the images and sidebars although many of
the images are the same as in the seventh
edition. The main text appears to have been
only lightly edited and rewritten.
The back of the book also includes several
useful sections: "Demystifying Scientific
Plant Names," "Pronunciation Guide" and First Edition--1954
"Glossary of Gardening Terms." The seventh
edition's section on "Public and Historic
Gardens" is not included in the eighth
edition.
I was taken aback initially by the omission
of the "Index of Scientific and Common
Names," which is an essential tool for
finding plants in the seventh edition's
alphabetical listing of plants. Then I
discovered that the eighth edition merges
common names into the alphabetical listing.
I will have to get used to that approach, but
it should work fine.
The eighth edition also has a new feature,
"gardening tips from respected plant experts
throughout the West," which seems more
appropriate for a popular gardening Seventh Edition--2001
magazine than a serious reference book.
The new book is a handsome product, and
reasonably priced at $39.95 in hard cover
and $34.95 for the paperback version. It is
readily available at lower prices:
Amazon.com offers the hard cover version
for $26.37, with free shipping, and the
paperback version for $23.07. I'm told that it
is available in paperback at Costco for
$23.80, including sales tax.
Eighth Edition--2007
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î April-May 2007
Arbor Day—Christina Kriedt, MG06
On my list of things to do before I die is ‘plant a grove of trees.’
I have never given much thought to what kind of tree,
although I am quite fond of redwoods, Chinese evergreen
elms, oak of any species, and big old banyans. I really love our
naturalized Eucalyptus trees, something I cannot admit to my
fellow graduates from the horticulture department of Merritt
College, as the entire genus is considered by many of them to
be comprised solely of weeds. But there are many lovely and
useful trees, and if you join the Arbor Day Foundation you will
receive ten of them, like flowering dogwoods or American
redbuds, free of charge.1
Arbor Day was founded in Nebraska by J. Sterling Morton
who was originally from Michigan where trees were
abundant. He and other transplanted people started the effort
to make their new state greener to provide wood for building
houses and for use as home-heating fuel. The first Arbor Day
was proclaimed on Wednesday, the 10th day of April, 1872,
offering rewards to the county that “shall plant properly in
Nebraska the greatest number of trees." Over a million were
planted! Arbor Day is now celebrated all over the world from
Australia to Yugoslavia, as well as in every U.S. state.
Ed Perry, Stanislaus County Farm Advisor, wrote, “The Arbor
Day idea quickly spread to neighboring states. Within the
next twenty years practically all the states celebrated Arbor
Day by planting trees with appropriate ceremonies. In
California, Arbor Day is sometimes celebrated on March 7,
which is also the birth date of the famous horticulturalist
Luther Burbank. Many celebrations are also held on the last
Friday in April each year, which is considered National Arbor
Day.”2 According to the City of Santa Cruz Parks and
Recreation Department, Santa Cruz “celebrates Arbor Day in
September. Although National Arbor Day is celebrated in
April [and this year California celebrated
A grove of scarce Santa
Cruz cypresses, Cupressus
abramsiana, lives at the UCSC
Arboretum. In all only five
groves totaling more than
5100 trees can be found
within about 356 acres in the
Santa Cruz Mountains. The
Bonny Doon population is
the largest and supports over
3000 trees. Monterey
cypress, Cupressus macrocarpa,
has larger cones. In the wild
the Monterey cypress is
confined to only two small
groves near Carmel and
Monterey, including the
Cypress Grove Trail at
Point Lobos. Î
5
March 7-14], Santa Cruz opts to celebrate in September since
the fall is a better time of year to plant trees.”3
The mission of the Arbor Day Foundation is simply to inspire
people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. “Through mass-
media communications, by providing low-cost trees for
planting, and by producing high-quality, easy-to-use
educational materials, we work to make tree planting and care
something in which nearly everyone can be involved. We also
create mechanisms through which the average individual can
directly support positive tree conservation and education
projects. It is our constant goal to expand a person's desire to
plant a tree into a lifelong enthusiasm for tree planting and
care, and for positive involvement in conservation issues
relating to trees.”1
Green Venture of Canada: “Greening our urban environment
with native species trees can help reduce harmful emissions
that create smog. In 50 years 1 tree can remove 60,000 pounds
of air pollution . A single row of trees can reduce street dust
by 25%. Two mature trees can produce enough oxygen for 4
people.”4 So go out and plant a tree.
You can contact the Arbor Day Foundation online: http://
www.arborday.org/shopping/memberships/memberships.cfm
or by calling 1-888-448-7337. Their spring shipments of 6-10
inch trees are made between February 1 and May 31. Fall
shipments are made between October 15 and December 10.
Membership costs $10.00 for six months or $15.00 for a year.
Either way you will get your ten trees.
A world without trees is like – nothing. Î
1 http://www.arborday.org
2 http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/filelibrary/2193/186.htm, with
permission
3 http://www.santacruzpl.org/readyref/files/a-b/arbor.shtml
4 http://www.greenventure.ca/tp.asp?ID=114
The Sequoia sempervirens
pictured left appeared as a
seedling in a pot of tuberous
begonias in 1993. The
begonias died long ago, but
the transplanted redwood
lives on. The container is 14.5”
tall and 16” wide. The soil has
been changed only once since
it was transplanted in 1997,
but a rich mulch is added
yearly. A redwood can grow
30 feet in the first 20 years, so
I think it is safe to say that
the growth of this 6-foot tree
has been severely stunted by
the confinement of its roots.
Christina Kriedt MG06 Î
6 April-May 2007 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS
San Francisco Flower Show —Kari Olsen, MG06, Author and Photographer
The 2007 San Francisco Flower and Garden Show display
garden pavilion with “Henry’s Garden” in the foreground
(Redwood Landscape, Inc.) Crystal Award. Though the
overall size of the show was trimmed down, the display
gardens continued to be fresh and innovative.
Unique among this year’s show, the “Balance on the Edge”
garden illustrates the delicate balance on the water’s edge
where people share the environment with the earth’s other
living creatures. By incorporating concepts of sustainability and
recognizing the need to protect the native ecosystem and water
quality, people along the watershed can live as part of the web
of life, while also conserving the resources and creating
beautiful garden landscapes. (College of Marin Department of
Environmental Landscaping) Crystal Award.
Noted ornamental grass guru John Greenlee’s “The
Metropolitan Meadow: Driving Towards a Solution” garden
is chock full of potential meadow grasses and companion
plants. Proclaiming the arrival of the “meadow revolution,”
this display garden educates lawn-lovers that natural lawns
and meadows are beautiful environmentally-friendly
alternatives to the conventional lawn. (Greenlee Nursery)
American Horticultural Society Environmental Award,
Garden Designers’ Award and Gold Award.
The “Martini Modern” display also includes a “sit down and
relax” garden but with a distinctly modern flair. A state-of-the-
art martini bar, outdoor kitchen, spa, built-in furniture and
outdoor fireplace complete the luxurious garden setting.
Designed by Michele Swanson, MG ’96, of Cultivate Art Design.
(Garden Design Magazine) California Landscape Contractors
Award and Gold Award.
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î April-May 2007 7

For a complete list of display garden award winners,

visit the SFGS press area at http://www.gardenshow.com/sf/press/pressreleases.asp

“Wine Re-Defined: Beyond the Half Barrel in the Garden”
demonstrates the potential for creative reuse of materials
from the California wine industry. The furniture, arbor,
lanterns, even the stepping stones are made from recycled
materials and the garden setting invites one to sit down and
relax at the end of the day. What are the stepping stones
made of? Hundreds of wine corks! Sounds strange but they
were delightful to walk on and made a unique crunchy
sound with every step. (UC Berkeley: Landscape
Architecture and Environmental Planning) Association of
Professional Landscape Designers Award and Gold Award.
A large portion of the garden titled “The Day After
Tomorrow” features a birch woodland and
naturalistic meadow of Festuca rubra ‘Molate Blue’
sprinkled with perennials, ferns, and grasses. The
plant list totals 11 plants, a striking contrast to the
nearby Greenlee demonstration meadow whose
plant list covers a full sheet of paper – on both
sides! The simple, natural appearance of this
garden stood out among the display gardens at
this year’s show. (Kathleen Shaeffer Design and L.
Livingston Landscaping) Crystal Award.

The fantastic “Under the Sea” garden draws its inspiration from the similarity between plants in the landscape and plants and animals
living in the underwater seascape. The otherworldly shapes and colors of cactus and succulents blend together to become the sea
anemones, sea grasses, kelp, sea stars, and shells we see in Monterey Bay tide pools (no surprise there – Robin Stockwell’s Succulent
Gardens provided the plants!) Sculpture and playful accessories contribute a touch of whimsy to this garden fantasy world. (Organic
Mechanics) Golden Gate Cup (Best of Show) and Gold Award.
8 April-May 2007 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS
The Beach Garden Project —Kathleen Sonntag, MG06
The Beach Garden Project is sponsored by the Monterey Bay
Dunes Coalition (California Native Plant Society, Sierra Club-
Ventana Chapter, Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society), the
Monterey Bay Natural History Association and the California
Department of Parks and Recreation. Its mission is to preserve
the coastal dunes and beaches that stretch from Monterey to
the north of the Salinas River.
Mary Wilson has been doing beach restoration with the Beach
Garden Project since 1993. Al Derrick grew plants for this
year's planting season and provided some valuable insight on
ways to have better success germinating some of the trickier
species. Diana Huang, Cathy Herbermann and Gigi Tacheny
are other MBMGs who are currently working on this project.
Mary says, “I was interested in native plants and, as a fairly
new resident of Seaside, I was also interested in ways I could
directly help to improve my local environment (Seaside State
Beach was to be one of the project areas.) I immediately agreed
to help.”
She finds being a part of this project has been extremely
satisfying. The volunteers are helping to restore the dunes to
something more like their original, pre -ice plant monoculture
state. “Thinking about environmental problems can be
depressing, but being able to physically take direct action to
help improve the situation feels good.”
The Beach Garden Project volunteers come from the
community – adults, school groups, whole families turn out to
help with planting. There are three components:
In the late summer seeds are collected. This involves going
out into the dunes to responsibly collect seeds. Seeds are
turned over to State Parks staff, who clean, sort and package
them.
In the fall, there are propagation demonstrations. Volunteers
take planting trays (which each hold 98 growing tubes), soil
and seeds to grow the plants at home or school. Here is GiGi
with a trunk full of plants ready to use for restoration.
In January and February,
when we're getting our
rain the young plants are
placed in the ground on
the dunes.
The best part is coming
back to see how the
plants are growing and
bringing the dunes back
to life. Dunes are moving
hills of sand, forever building (spring, summer) and being torn
down (fall and winter- sand erodes and washes out to sea,
forming sandbars just offshore). Native plants cooperate with
the evolution of the dunes; ice plant and shoreline
development interrupt this delicate balance. A three-year
recovery period is needed in areas like Seaside Beach where
the ice plant was sprayed and native plant seedlings were
planted. With the native plants comes the wildlife - rabbits,
mice, birds, insects, lizards and foxes. The endangered Smith’s
blue butterfly and Snowy Plovers return once their habitat is
restored. The threatened legless lizard returns once the
healthy dune environment is restored
Pictures of Smith’s blue butterfly on buckwheat at http://
montereybay.com/creagrus/smithsblue.html
More about the plants that are native to the dunes at http://
www.mtycounty.com/mbs_pgs/BchDune.html
Volunteers are welcome for any or all parts of the beach
garden project: responsible native plant seed collecting,
growing plants, and replanting the dunes. Master Gardeners
hours can be counted as either advanced training hours or
volunteer hours. If you would like to help with this project,
contact Joey Dorrell-Canepa. She will put you on her mailing
list to receive a brochure with the year's schedule and can also
put you on her e-mail contact list. Her phone number is: (831)
623-9048 and her e-mail address is: scanepa@ix.netcom.com.
Thanks to Mary and Joey for their help in providing the
photos and information for this article.
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î April-May 2007 9

La Mirada Project —Kathleen Sonntag, MG06

Master Gardeners, Gigi Tacheny and Carl Voss have been
helping tend the La Mirada Monterey Museum of Art rose and
rhododendron gardens since 2001. This is one of the oldest
gardens in the Monterey area, located on approximately 1.5
acres surrounding the original adobe and house addition on
Via Mirada opposite El Estero lake. In 1999, Master Gardener
Jo Irmas of Carmel became involved in the garden because a
faithful garden worker was moving out of state and Jo saw the
need for the experience that the Master Gardeners could bring
to help maintain this wonderful community asset. You will
see Gigi and Carl there on Thursdays with three other
volunteers (not MBMGs) between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. They
maintain and improve the garden, enjoy lunch together while
providing a beautiful garden for visitors to the museum to
enjoy. If you have never been to La Mirada Museum of Art, it
is worth a visit and the gardens are a “must see.”
http://www.montereyart.org/ La Mirada Adobe in the 1890s.
Photos , below and center right, by Carl Voss
10
Al’s Corner: Container Soils and Water Movement— Al Derrick, MG95
Container gardening is growing in popularity and a look at
soils designed for long-term container plantings, I think is
appropriate. The organic structural element in containers
begins breaking down from the moment it is included in the
mix. This is the element, which will hold water, and
nutrients that feeds the plants. Peat moss is often the major
organic filling this role, and it is effective, but it does have
some shortcomings. Perlite, lava rock, sand, pumice,
vermiculite, baked clay (Turface) also play a minor role in
the nutrient and water retention. Of these elements of
container soil mixes peat moss has the shortest life
expectancy. As organics break down the particle size is
reduced, affecting the capillary attraction, increasing the
amount of soil saturation.
Water movement through container soil is dependent on
gravity and resisted by capillary attraction of the soil
particles. The smaller the particle size the more surface area
and the more capillary attraction. Every gardener
understands that clay holds more water and drains slower
than sand. The major reason is the difference in the particle
size, and the resulting difference in capillary attraction. In
containers there is always a bottom where the soil stops,
unlike in the garden. With this in mind it is apparent there
will be a level in all containers where the forces of gravity
will be equaled by the resistance of capillary attraction. At
this level drainage will stop and from here to bottom of the
pot the soil will remain saturated. This water can only be
evaporated or used by the plant. The roots of the plant need
air to take up the water and do not want to grow into this
saturated level.
It is apparent that the size of the soil particles, controlling
the capillary attraction is also controlling the level of soil
saturation. The size of the container, diameter or height will
make no difference. Lets pretend this saturated soil is six
inches deep and the container is ten inches deep. It is easy to
see we have only four inches of soil with good aeration for
April-May 2007 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS
our plants to use. If however the container was twenty
inches deep, with the same soil our saturated soil remains six
inches leaving fourteen inches for our plants roots to use. If
we decide we do not want to use that much soil and fill the
lower ten inches of the container with rocks or packing
peanuts, we will be back to four inches of useable soil if we
are using the same soil mix. Drainage will not be improved.
The amount of saturated soil can be reduced if we use a soil
mix made up of larger particle size with less capillary
attraction for the water. An additional benefit is longer
container soil life or less frequent need to repot with new
soil. Remember it is gradual reduction of particle size of the
organic component, which we refer to as the “breaking down
of the mix” that causes us to repot. As you can see the
breaking down is really increasing the amount of saturated,
unusable soil. If we replace the peat moss with ground fir or
pine bark the soil life can be extended and the amount of
saturated soil reduced.. The frequency of watering will be
increased to compensate for the faster more complete water-
air exchange of the soil, which we will usually refer to as
improved drainage. Î
Provide the right environment and these trees will
grow well in containers:
Acer spp., maples, especially Acer Japonica, Japanese and
Acer circinatum, vine
Betula spp., birch
Camellia sasanqua
Citrus spp.: orange, lime, grapefruit, dwarf Meyer and
Eureka lemons, dwarf kumquat, dwarf
Cotinus coggygria, smoke tree
Ginkgo
Ilex spp., holly
Juniperus spp., juniper
Koelreuteria paniculata, goldenrain tree
Lagerstroemia indica, crape myrtle
Magnolias of all kinds
Malus spp., dwarf apples
Picea glauca 'Conica,'dwarf Alberta spruce
Pinus aristata, bristlecone pine
Pinus spp., pine
Prunus spp., genetic dwarf nectarine or peach
Prunus spp., spring-flowering cherries
Psidium spp., guava: pineapple, Chilean or
strawberry
Robinia spp., locust
Salix spp., willow
Taxus baccata, common yew
Trachycarpus fortunei, windmill palm, pictured
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î
What’s Blooming in Your Garden in April and May?
The following is exerpted from the What’s Bloomin’ database which is based on observations made by Monterey Bay Master
Gardeners in Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. The entire database is online at http://www..montereybaymaster
gardeners.org. Please continue to send your data to Annette Longuevan at bloomingepoll@gmail.com. A form is on the website.
April
Abutilon spp.
Aechmea spp. & hybrids
Alstroemeria hybrids
Aquilegia spp.
Camelia spp. & hybrids
Ceanothus spp. & hybrids
Centrantus ruber
Chrysanthemum spp.
Clematis spp.
Clivia miniata
Crocosmia crocosmiiflora
Cuphea hyssopifolia
Cyclamen spp.
Daphne odora
Dymondia margaretae
Erigeron karvinskianus
Eschscholzia californica
Festuca californica
Fremontadendron spp. &
hybrids
Fuchsia hybrida
Geranium spp.
Hebe spp. & hybrids
Iris - bearded hybrids
Iris X hollanica cultivars
Iris - Pacific Coast hybrids
Jasminum polyanthum
Lavatera assurgentiflora
Lavendula spp.
Leptospermum scoparium
Lunaria annua
April-May 2007 11
May Heuchera spp. &hybrids
Malus spp. &hybrids Abutilon spp. Impatiens spp. & hybrids
Melaleuca alternifolia Aechmea spp. & hybrids Iris - bearded hybrids
Muscari spp. Aloe vera Iris - Pacific Coast hybrids
Myosotis spp. Allium schoenoprasum Jasminum polyanthum
Narcissus spp. &hybrids Alstroemeria hybrids Kniphofia uvaria
Oxalis spp. Aquilegia spp. Lamium maculatum
Passiflora spp. Borago officinalis Lavatera assurgentiflora
Pyrus communis Brassica alboglabra Lavendula spp.
Pelargonium spp. Brugmansia spp. Limonium spp.
Pieris japonica Calendula officinalis Malus domestica
Primula spp. Callistemon spp. Melaleuca alternifolia
Prunus, subgenus Cerasus Camelia spp. and hybrids Mimulus spp.
Prunus domestica Centrantus ruber Myosotis spp.
Prunus tomentosa Choisya ternata Paeonia suffruticosa
Psoralea pinnata Chrysanthemum spp. Pyrus communis
Ranunculus asiaticus Citrus X limon Pelargonium spp.
Rhododendron spp. &hybrids Citrus spp. Petunia hybrida
Rhododendron spp. &hybrids Clematis spp. Primula spp.
Ribes spp. Cuphea hyssopifolia Rhododendron spp. & hybrids
Rosa spp. and hybrids Cyclamen spp. Rosa spp. and hybrids
Rosemarinus officinalis Cymbidium hybrids Salvia leucantha
Salvia leucantha Dietes iridioides (D. vegeta) Senecio hybridus
Senecio hybridus Digitalis spp. Strelitzia reginae
Spiraea prunifolia Dymondia margaretae Sutera cordata
Sutera cordata Echium fastuosum (E. candicans) Thysanotis spp.
Tropaeolum majus Erigeron karvinskianus Tropaeolum majus
Tulipa spp. & hybrids Eschscholzia californica Tulipa spp. & hybrids
Vaccinium spp. Fragaria chiloensis Vaccinium spp.
Westringia fruticosa Freesia hybrids Viola spp.
Wisteria spp. Fuchsia hybrida Wisteria spp.
Zantedeschia aethiopica Geranium spp. Zantedeschia aethiopica
This year I have some new duds. The
netting suit from Cabelas, which fits
over even winter jackets, has given
me great peace of mind after being
Mark your
bitten twice this year by ticks. The
suit also covers the head.
calendar for the
The Harley helmet (my husband's) is
to soften the blows of the red
shouldered hawks - once they finish
their nest, and until the chicks fledge,
the parents will attack if we are
within 200 feet of their tree. I was
whacked twice last year - just think
of where those talons have been.
Leora Worthington, MG03
http://www.cabelas.com/
12
Etcetera: Relevant Internet Miscellany—Christina Kriedt, MG06
The White Flowering Cherry, Prunus yedoensis, aka Yoshino Cherry is
extraordinarily beautiful in Spring when it’s covered with white
blossoms that resemble cotton candy. It makes an excellent street
tree eventually reaching 40 ft.
http://www.greenwoodnursery.com/page.cfm/7626 Î
Most container gardens are going to require daily watering in hot
weather. Even so, there will be times when your potted plants are
going to be baking in the sun. Give your container a fighting chance
by using drought-tolerant plants that can handle the intensified heat
and dry soil of a container garden.
http://gardening.about.com/od/gardendesign/tp/ContainerGarden.htm Î
The Easter lily cultivar most commonly grown for U.S. markets is the
"Nellie White." It is named for a lily grower’s wife and has large,
white, fragrant trumpet-shaped flowers. Î
When a tick is found embedded in the skin, use a fine pointed
tweezers at the point of attachment, and grasp the tick head firmly.
Remember to wear latex gloves. Using slow, steady, firm traction,
pull the tick straight out from the skin. It is critical NOT to squeeze
the tick body at any time -- this can inject more potential pathogens
in to you (or your pet). Cleanse the skin with mild soap and water.
If a small part of the tick breaks off, you can try to remove it as you
would a splinter, but it is probably best to leave it alone. The piece
will 'eject' it in time. Place the tick in a jar of alcohol, noting the
Leucadendron, Australian native Protea, Australian native
G A R D E N I N G ON T H E ED G E
Newsletter of the Monterey Bay Master Gardeners
Editor
Assistant Editors
Design/Layout
Circulation
Contributors:
Al Derrick
Tom Karwin
Kathleen Sonntag
Christina Kriedt
Kari Olsen
April-May 2007 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS
date, in case of future illness. Tick identification and location of tick
infestation will be important.
http://vetmedicine.about.com/c/ht/00/07/How_Remove
_Tick0962935143.htm Î
You can buy the 1954 first edition of Sunset Western Garden Book on
eBay for about $15.00; softcover, spiralbound. Î
The sooner a tree can stand alone, the sooner it will become strong.
Remove support and anchor stakes soon after the tree can stand on
its own, usually by the end of the first growing season.
http://cetulare.ucdavis.edu/mg/Tree%20Planting%20Tips.pdf Î
The Cow Palace was originally known as the California State
Livestock Pavilion; it has been the home of the annual Grand
National Rodeo, Horse & Stock Show since 1941 except for a break
during WWII when it was used for processing soldiers for the
Pacific Theater. It is officially the 1-A District Agricultural
Association, a state agency of the California Department of Food and
Agriculture's Division of Fairs and Expositions. Î
The publisher of "Sunset" magazine offers self-guiding walking tours
of its Menlo Park gardens which contain more than 300 varieties of
trees, shrubs, vines, annuals and perennials. Open 9:00-4:30, M-F.
http://www.sunset.com/sunset/general/article/0,20633,784093,00.html
80 Willow Rd, Menlo Park, CA 94025, (650) 321-3600 Î
Fremontodendron, flannel bush,
California native
Kathleen Sonntag
Sharon Ettinger and Christina Kriedt
Christina Kriedt
Jan Olafsson
Hotline: 831-763-8007
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î April-May 2007 13

Left: Ribes sanguineum , red-flowering currant. Right: Australian color in the UCSC Arboretum.,
Photos by Christina Kriedt, this page and previous

Sources Christina Kriedt, MG06

Our Sponsors
Sierra Azul Nursery http://www.sierraazul.com, 763-0939
San Lorenzo Lumber Company http://www.sanlorenzolumber.com/santacruz.html, 423-0223
The Garden Company http://www.thegardenco.com/, 429-8424
FezQ Carmel Valley, 659-1268
Bokay Salinas, 659-1268
Hidden Gardens Aptos, 688-7011
The Potting Shed Aptos, 685-1626
Wild Rose Landscape Design Aptos, 539-5841

Lily White
Photo from the Easter Lily Research Foundation
Lily, Flowers and Plants Association http://www.flowers.org.uk/Flowers/facts/k-r/lily.htm
Easter Lily Research Foundation http://www.easterlily.org/index.htm
Easter Lilies - Selecting, Caring For and Re-Blooming Your Easter Lily http://gardening.about.com/od/springinthegarden/a/EasterLily.htm
Then and Now: Easter Lilies, The Agriculture Quarterly, State of
Oregon Dept. of Agriculture http://www.content.onlypunjab.com/Article/Why-Do-We-Use-
Why Do We Use Lilies at Easter Time? Lilies-At-Easter-Time-/4200320092003323585

Arbor Day Beach Garden Project

Arbor Day Foundation online: http://www.arborday.org http://montereybay.com/creagrus/smithsblue.html
http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/filelibrary/2193/186.htm, with http://www.mtycounty.com/mbs_pgs/BchDune.html
permission
http://www.santacruzpl.org/readyref/files/a-b/arbor.shtml La Mirada
http://www.greenventure.ca/tp.asp?ID=114 http://www.mon tereyart.org/
UCSC Arboretum
San Francisco Flower Show
http://www2.ucsc.edu/arboretum/
http://www.gardenshow.com/

In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.
~Margaret Atwood~

Copyright © 2007 MBMG. All rights reserved