gardening on the edge newsletter, october-november 2007 ~ monterey bay master gardeners

8/9/2019 Gardening on the Edge Newsletter, October-November 2007 ~ Monterey Bay Master Gardeners

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MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS October - November 2007

Natives Ask Little, Give a Lot

Epoll Waterwise GardeningWhats Blooming in Your Garden?

School Garden Reports

Water Independence

Successful Tour!Book Review: A Fresh Vision of CA Native PlanConfessions: The D Word

Als Corner: Rural WaterworksEtcetera

GARDENING ON THE EDGEN E W S L E T T E R O F T H E M O N T E R E Y B A Y M A S T E R G A R D E N E R S

Number 126 October / November 2007

Natives Ask Little, Give a LotChristina Kriedt, MG06California natives are survivors. Some can tolerate pro-longed drought, punishing sun and infertile soil; many

actually thrive on those extremes. Take, for example,Fremontodendron . It likes to be dry. If you water it during thesummer months, itll likely be dead within a few short years.

Named for John C. Fremont, explorer and surveyor for theUS Army, evergreen Fremontodendron is found in the wild inextremely rocky areas, even in rock crevices, where the soilis gritty and rainfall is very low. The USDA recommendsthat the gardener buy small seedlings and plant them in thefall in a pile of roadfill with no clay (mostly gravel and rockand very little soil). Plant the seedlings in mounds in fullsun. Plant in shallow holes and make sure that no soil coversthe top of the ball of soil that contains the seedlings. Coverthe soil with gravel and rock, then water. Keep the moundmoist until new growth is several inches long (not over 4inches), then stop watering. Water at the edge of the mound

making sure that the water doesn't get within fifteen inchof the trunk of the plant. (http://plants.usda.gov/plantguid

pdf/cs_frca6.pdf)

Fremontodendron has a serious water allergy. It also likes to fertilizednever. (Remember where its ancestors came fromOnce it appears to be getting established, leave it alone. NTLC for this or many of the other extremely hardy natishrubs like Ceanothus, Heteromeles arbutifolia, Philadelphlewesii, Artemisia californica, Atriplex lentiformis ssp. breweand Rhus integrifolia. Look to their natural environments help you determine which plants should thrive in yoparticular garden.

As for the uncomplaining flannel bush, it will reward you fyour painstaking neglect with exuberant masses of goldyellow flowers from late spring throughout our dry summ

Fremontodendron californicum , California flannel bush UCSC Arboretum, June 2007


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October - November 2007 MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDEN2

complied by Sharon Ettinger, MG00

edited by Kathleen Sonntag, MG06Epoll The Waterwise Garden n August, an Epoll was conducted among the MBMG

membership to find out how members are using less water intheir gardens. Here are the responses we received about waterconservation and native plants used in gardens. The questions

were:What do you do to conserve water in your garden?Which native plant combinations have you found to workbest?

Cynthia Jordan, MG94 I have not removed any plantsbecause of their water consumption properties but when aplant has "spent" itself and is ready to be replaced, I amreplacing with succulents. The nurseryman named Joe Biondowho spoke at the Smart Gardening Faire about the succulentshe propagates had some very unique plants and I have usedmany of them to replace aged-out plants.

have been surprised by the drought tolerance of Japanesemaple trees. I have about 20, small and large, some in pots andsome in the ground. I have been able to go weeks, even in hotspells, and not water them. Since they come in a huge varietyof sizes and colors, they are fun to "decorate" with in thegarden. In the winter when they drop their leaves they becomesculpture.

Lastly, as an experiment, when the notice from Santa CruzCity Water Dept arrived in April describing the waterrestriction rules, I put my garden on a water diet to test howdry I could let plants get without harming and/or killing them.

just recently watered the garden with a hand-held hose so Iwouldn't be tempted to over-water with sprinklers. It wasalmost 3 weeks since the last watering even with the heatwave we just had. I walk in the garden almost daily so I get toknow the look of the leaves and use them as my wateringgauge. It wasn't until Saturday that, all of a sudden, there wasa definite droop in the plants and that was ALL plants...Salvias, roses, Daturas, sunflowers, hydrangeas, etc. that wasmy "sign" limp leaves. I hand watered and within severalhours the leaves were back to normal.

Darby Kremers, MG97 Sadly, I have had to start

sacrificing some plants... For example, I had a few grape vinesgrowing and was waiting eagerly for the grapes to mature.Apparently some other creature was also watching thematurity process and beat me to them! So I decided to turn offthose little emitters....and save my meager water supply for theornamentals.

Sharon Tyler, MG04 Living in Gilroy, we have a drierclimate than most other MBMGs. Landscaping with nativesand drought resistant plants is a must. We do not have anyawn.

have tried using rock rose to cover some slopes. Their brief

lowers are a great reward.

For soil erosion prevention on hillsides, I have tried the dwmanzanitas for ground cover. They seem to take forever to established, but finally spread to cover a good-sized areparticularly like their tiny white bell-shaped flowers,

small dark glossy leaves. Occasionally, there is sounexplained dieback, but for the most part, this a reliaplant.

Some Ceanothus seem to thrive on the neglect and poor sooffer. The beautiful blue flowers provide a mass of coloranything, these are too vigorous I have to prune severelykeep them in check.

We have used spreading rosemary for ground cover in seveareas. The bees love it and it spreads to a nice clump. Tdrawbacks are that there is more unexplained dieback. N100% reliable, but another beauty. And you can cook with i

Once established, the toyon makes a nice large to tree-shrub. The birds enjoy the red berries.

I have tried establishing coffeeberry (Rhamnus california). It wnot tolerate much water or root disturbance. So far, greatest success is the one I have now, in the ground fomonths and still alive. I haven't watered it yet.

Our entire yard is on drip irrigation. This requires constmaintenance and a lot of time to keep everything wateredthe right level. Our hard water clogs the emitters and soalines. Birds peck holes in exposed water lines. Sometimes

have gushers, where an emitter has come off or soother plastic disaster requires immediate attention. For treason, we have only one small area on a timer. (Also see StWaltzers comments on drip irrigation.)

Stuart Waltzer, MG96 Catching rain water for use in garden is a sensible course in times of intermittent drouand depletion of groundwater. The rain barrel is a wacatchment system that is suited to small gardens. Rain wahas no chlorine and is better oxygenated than municwater. You can hear the sizzle when you pour fresh rain won your garden plants.

Barrels collect and store many gallons of water for the gardIn wet weather they fill up. I can turn a spigot and fill watering can with free rain water. But in the dry monwhen water is most needed the barrels can go dry. Nor barrels problem free. I have two huge rain barrels bouthrough mail order. Periodic glitches occur calling for expremedial help. I recommend that if you are thinkinginstalling rain barrels or any catchment system you seek an experienced and well-established company that will only install the system but also maintain it. Be sure to orrain barrels which are connected to and filled from regudrain pipes and do not involve drilling into rain gutters.


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This brings me to the installation and maintenance of dripsystems. Installation is a job for an experienced professional.Make sure your installers know the water requirements ofyour plants. The leads to the emitters should be long enoughso the emitters can be moved around if necessary

Maintenance of a drip system is an ongoing issue. Eithereducate yourself on maintaining a drip system or hire aprofessional and be willing to pay. Over time newly installedleads and emitters are tripped over and pulled from theirmoorings. Underground pipes suffer damage and result inexpensive leakage of water.

With patience and perseverance you can maintain your ownirrigation system. This involves turning on the water andcruising the system to see which emitters are notworking. You will have to get down on your knees and digdown to the pipes, replace leads, clean emitters, andundertake other chilly tasks. But the sense of self-sufficiencywill be enormous.

Here is a tip a friend gave me. In cold weather it is difficult toget the ends of the plastic leads and pipes into theconnectors. It often takes some applied heat to soften theplastic pipes and get them into the connectors. A hair dryerattached to a long cord and brought to the repair site willsoften up plastic in a jiffy. But be careful about using anelectrical device around water. I, however, have not tried itand cannot vouch for it.

Candice McLaren, MG01 Having a garden on the Tourthis year I can say that I have used up everyone's water quota!This garden is proof that I need to go to more drought-resistant plants. Hope everyone gets to see it 'cause it's goingto be succulents, maybe even cactus from now on!

Julie Thiebaut, MG03 As I live on a public walkway on thebeach, my garden is mostly drought resistant succulents that Ihave "guerrilla gardened" from friends and neighbors. Theypropagate like crazy and need little water or attention.Passersby often take cuttings from my plants so all is fair.

Bonnie Pond, MG00 This winter I lost a lot of plantheavy frosts. Those that survived needed to be droutolerant, as I had trouble with my well and was out of toseveral weeks this summer.

What did well in this scenario is rosemary in all forms, mSalvias, and roses what a joy. All of my Ceanothus did w

and nothing seems to bother my Leucadendrons. Buddleias aonder: No water and they still thrive. Grasses and mEuphorbias did well this summer.

Tom Karwin, MG99 I have neglected my garden summer with the result that some plants have not done wor actually expired for lack of water. At the same tnumerous native shrubs are doing fine. Examples incltoyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), Pacific ninebark (Physocacapitatus) and sugar bush (Rhus ovata). When the summer rhot and dry, the natives are reliable performers.

Sue Tarjan, MG06 My husband and I have been grow

California native plants for 20 years in the LA and Santa Careas with mixed but encouraging results. We movedBonny Doon five years ago and have planted a wide rangnative species here. Our lot is on the ridge of Ben LomMountain at about 2600 feet elevation in an area of miDouglas fir, tanbark oak, madrone, etc. In general, we hwarm, sometimes hot, almost always fog-free summers very wet winters and springs (except for this year). On

hole, we've found that Catalina Island varieties need lotprotection from deer, voles, and gophers and don't fare as wup here.

We have thriving native ferns, Canterbury bells, bleeding hestrawberries, upside down flowers, columbines, hhoneysuckles, Heucheras, roses, morning glories, redbuds, yarrobuckwheats, Carpenterias, and--last but not least and one ofand the hummingbirds' favorites several Zauschneria (Epilocanum).

Helpful hints:

Remember that just because a plant is a native to Califodoesn't mean it's native to your yard, so read up on pecology. My husband and I highly recommend readingamazingly fun and historical book called Hardy Californian

Lester Rowntree, the mother of California native phorticulture. Recently reissued, it's an absolute treasure.

Here's a great search engine for California natives at CalifoNative Plant Link Exchange: http://www.cnplx.info/query.htm

Even California native drought-tolerant plants need regdeep watering through their first summer and duprolonged dry spells during their first few years.

Any deer-resistant native plant will still need protection wit's very small. If it has only three leaves, and a deer sampleonce or twice, it probably won't make it.

Romneya coulteri


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These are plants that have done well in Sues garden:

Pacific wax myrtle (Myrica californica)silk tassle (Garrya elliptica)flannel bush, 4 different varieties (Fremontodendron californicum,

etc.)Western pennyroyal or San Francisco coyote mint (Monardella

villosa ssp. franciscana)

hummingbird sage (Salvia spahacea)woolly blue curls (Trichosterna lanatum)monkey flower varieties (Mimulus) with habitats ranging from

chaparral to stream to Sierrabee's bliss creeping sage (Salvia x leucophylla 'Bee's Bliss')California fescue (Festuca californica)deer grass (Muhlenbergia rigens)Ceanothus 'Snow Flurry,' 'Yankee Point,' 'Julia Phelps', and

'Point Sierra.'gooseberry (Ribes sanguineum, R. speciosum, andR.

viburnifoilium) with some summer water and shade

snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus

var. laevigatus)

huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum)snowdrop bush (Styrax californicus)hazelnut (Corylus cornuta var. californica)ocean spray or cream bush (Holodiscus discolor)sumac lemonade berry (Rhus integrifolia) and sugar bush (R. ovata)manzanita (Arctostaphylos) including a Santa Cruz Mountains

variety that's been volunteering all over the place

Nancy Ruiz, MG03 I strongly recommend a new book byJudith Larner Lawry calledThe Landscaping Ideas of Jays

(University of California Press). She is a restoration gardenerwho has developed an intimate understanding of the role ofnative plants as they are connected to the wider realm ofinsect, bird and other animal life, and even their relationshipto humans. Although I am not a purist about natives, I havebeen incorporating them in my landscape because my gardenis adjacent to wild land and I have mature oak trees. I havefound that the Ribes (currant) family does well for me.Manzanita pajaroensis, Salvia clevelandii (Aromas sage), Heucheramaxima, hummingbird sage, native Iris, some buckwheats, andMimulus (monkey flowers) are some of the natives which dowell in my dry, sandy soil. Also, Leucadendrons grow very well.

Other Australians I have are Banksias andProtea, but they seto be very slow growing in comparison with the Leucadendr

One of my newer projects is to create a succulent borderthe outer fringes of the drip line of one of my oak trees. Thare a few native irises in there and a short mallow with papricot colored blossoms (which I found at Native RevNursery). This border is on top of a stone wall, so some ofsucculents andSedums are working into the rock and over edges making a nice sense of wholeness there. Some of thsucculents are natives, but I cant remember which ones

but they are definitely in the low water-use category.In my garden, regardless of drought resistant plants, I shave to water frequently in the summer months and into efall, due to the sandy soil and very warm dayttemperatures in my microclimate (between Santa Cruz Scotts Valley). Some natives which seem as if they shouldwell for me have not been successful: the native fuschMonardellas, woolly blue curls, some Salvias and even somthe Penstemons.

Alicia Molina, MG04 The chart on the following page plant list for a garden I designed and installed for a friend

Prunedale. The garden was installed in the fall to optimize rainy season. What was most interesting about this gardethat my friend was getting mixed messages from ot"professional" landscapers who indicated that fall plantwas a big mistake. Her lush garden proves otherwise. We high survival rate with the installation.

I didn't use all natives. My focus was low maintenance, lwater usage and interesting plant combinations. Most plawere 5 gallon or smaller and planted in the fall of 2005 inarea with full sun exposure. Two years later the locationthriving and completely filled in.

Many thanks to all contributors.

Ceanothus sp.

Ribes sp.


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LOW (ground to 1 FT) MID 2-4 Ft TALL 5 Ft Plus

Nepeta mussinii snow flake

White flowers, gray leavesAgapanthus Summer Gold

Blue flowers on tall stalk over a rounded clump ofstrap-like gold-edged, gray green leaves

Phormium Yellow Waves

Yellow/chartreuse variegated foliage

Nepete faasseniiPurple flowers, gray leaves

Lavendula heterophyllaDull grey green leaves with fragrant violet flowers

Salvia Mexicana LimelightOne of the most beautiful of all sages,

bearing an abundance of vivid, royal

blue flowers protruding from showy

lime green calyxes. Forms lots of

branches.

Imperata cylindrical Red BaronJapanese blood grass. Red tipped

upright ornamental grass

Euphorbia characias WulfeniiEvergreen foliage, chartreuse flowering bracts

Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paw)The species I used was a burgundy

Carex Comans Frosted Curls Rugged, undemanding perennial

with grayish green stalks, curling at

the tips

Euphorbia RudolphOlive-green leaves and bright red/burgundy bracts

Salvia rubiginosaVery showy, very rare sage with dense

spikes of blue-purple flowers

Heuchera Amesthyst MistLeaves with burgundy underside,

green on top

Correa backhousianaVelvet correa. Shrub with small rounded evergreen

leaves with drooping yellow-green flowers in winter.

Upper side of leave is dark grey-green and underside

is paler and velvety.

Phormium Amazing Red

Color of leaves stay reddish-brown alyear round with a fine dark red-brown

margin

Festuca amethystine SuperbaIntense blue-silver clumping grass

Phormium Maori ChiefBronze, pink and red striped leaves

Rhamnus alternus variegataVariegated cream-white horizontal

striped leaves. Five textured, evergreeshrub. This is a stand-alone specimen!

Salvia sinaloensis blue sageNeon blue small flowers and

burgundy tinged foliage.

Abelia ConfettiDazzling evergreen shrub with glossy leaves edged in

white/rosy pink, generously blooming. Pale pink

flowers

Coleonema Breath of HeavenEvergreen foliage, pink blossoms

Festuca idahoensisNative bunch grass, finely textured

blue to gray-green leaves

Cordyline terminalisLong slender leaves, burgundy to red color

Festuca cinerea Elijah BlueBluest of all blue fescues. Cute and

compact with deep blue tufts yearround.

Miscanthus Morning LightSilver variegated foliage deciduous

Brachysema praemorsum Bronze

ButterflyAlmost perfectly prostrate pea-shrub

with bronze-to purplish green leaves.

Dull red beak-shaped blossoms

Perovskia Blue Spire - Russian Sage Scented grey fuzzy foliage, woody perennial with

lavender-blue spikes

Crassula schmidtiiProstrate grey-green succullent

Helictotrichon sempervirens (Blue Oat Grass)Cool season, clump-forming grass with steel-blue

foliage

Suggested plant list for a low maintenance, low water use garden -- Alicia Molina, MG04Plants listed by sizePrimary color palette: burgundy, chartreuse, blues, greys, silversSecondary color palette: greens, very light pink/purple (used sparingly), whites/creams, bronze


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Abelia grandiflora

Abutilon spp.Alyogyne huegeliiAnemone hybridaAntirrhinum majusAsterspp.Begonia sp. and hybridsBrugmansia spp.Camelia spp. and hybridsChrysanthemum spp.Convolvulus spp.

Cosmos spp.

Cuphea hyssopifoliaDahlia hybridsErigeron karvinskianusFragaria chiloensisFuchsia hybridaGaura lindheimeriGrevillea rosmarinifoliaHeliotropium arborescensHemerocallis spp.Hydrangea spp.

Impatiens spp. and hybrids

Ipomoea spp.Jasminum polyanthumLavatera assurgentifloraLavendula spp.Lorapetalum chinenseOcimum hybridOenothera spp.Passiflora spp.Pelargonium spp.Penstemon spp.

Perovskia atriplicifoliaRosa spp. and hybrRosemarinus officinaliSalvia leucanthaSolanum lycopersicumSutera cordataTagetes spp.Trachelospermum

jasminoidesTropaeolum majusVerbena bonariensis

Whats Blooming in Your Garden in October & November?The following is exerpted from the Whats Bloomin database which is based on observations made by Monterey Bay MaGardeners in Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. The entire database is online at http://www.montereybaymastergardeners.org. Please send your data to Annette Longuevan at [email protected]. California natives are bold. (Therenative Rosa, Oenothera, andPenstemon species in California.)

School Garden ReportsAnzar High School Organic Garden

Maryanne McCor mick MG04

The garden had several caretakers over the summer and Iwanted to give special thanks to Paula Anthony and Bobbieand Richard Walstrom (as well as Barbara Schilling andscattered students) for keeping it going. There are manytomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, various squash,cabbages, berries and flowers. We do have a water leakageproblem to deal with that kept one section of beds from being

truly productive, but in all, produce abounds.We have a great group of students working this term - I justmet them today and some have experience, some do not, butthey are all enthusiastic.

We have continuing projects on the slate for this term. Weare continuing to finish the ornamental/herb bed and maintainthe orchard and replant the veggie beds once the harvest is in.Pretty much the same thing as you all are doing at home, I'msure.

I want to invite interested MG's to think about teaching atopic to students this fall. In the past, we have had peopletake a class period (1 1/2 hours or so) to teach about irrigation,compost, roses, IPM, pruning, viticulture, propagation andother interesting topics. I'm sure everyone is qualified toteach some topic and I'm around for support, as well. It's agreat way to get to interact with students in a meaningfulway.

Please give me an email or call (238-1908) if you're interested.Classes are Tues. and Thurs 8:25 a.m. For those of youunfamiliar with the school it is in San Juan Bautista right offHwy. 101. (not nearly as far away as it sounds - takes me 1/2 hr.from Pacific Grove).

Harden Middle School Garden Chris Carrier, MG06 Half of the garden at Harden Middle School in Salinaplanted with native or drought tolerant plants. The gardein its second year. All the natives received a year of TLC toestablished and then were watered perhaps once a week. Tsummer they got watered far less than a once a week. I shoalso mention that the soil is awful mainly clay and sandbut two of the native plants survived the past two monwith little or no care (lupine and buckwheat died).

The genuine thrivers were coyote brush, chaparral mallflannel bush, black salvia, California sage, coffeeberry, ano

spreading Salvia, Ceanothus (except Emerald Carpehaven't planted that one yet), red Salvia, numerous flowincluding yarrows and poppies, and a variety of grasses. the succulents did well (jade, burro's tale, and some looking aloe-kind of things). We have a ground cover withcommon name of John Creech (maybe a Sedum) which is ncoming back from the roots after the summer with little ca

Overall we have had excellent success with native/droutolerant plants. The garden has filled out well and provided

ith color throughout the year (poppies every single day year).

We have received many plants from Return of the Native wish them to be recognized. The plants from Rana CrWholesale Nursery beyond Carmel Valley Village wperhaps the healthiest for our situation. We also got plafrom Elkhorn Native Plant Nursery that did well. Bothwholesalers rather than retailers and, though pleasant knowledgeable, aren't readily accessible to the public.

Neither the cold snap last winter nor neglect during a summer has seriously damaged our garden. We don't ourselves as a show place for native plants, but the kids hanging out in the garden. It about half-civilizes a midschool (if you can somehow picture that)!


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You might remember meeting Bobby Markowitz of EarthcraftLandscape Design at the Smart Gardening Faire in June. He isone of a growing number of professionals who is spreading theword about using the rainwater that falls on your property actually, on your rooftop for use in your home and garden.

Bobby recently returned from the 13th International RainwaterCatchment Systems Conference in Sydney, Australia (the

driest inhabited continent on the planet) and is very excitedabout the future of rainwater harvesting. Australia has realwater problems. Theyre in the throes of what may go down inhistory as a catastrophic drought. Crop losses are huge; foodprices are climbing. Water management there has becomecrucial. There are water police who will slap people withfines for offenses such as filling a swimming pool without apermit, or washing your car with a hose instead of the requiredbucket. Repeat offenders will have their water flow turneddown from 10.5 gallons a minute to .5 just enough forcooking and drinking, but not enough for a shower.Controversial projects include building desalination plants in

Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne; and officials inBrisbane are considering making sewage water drinkable.(http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0405/p12s01-wogi.html?page=1)

Bobby said that ten years ago (just prior to the onset of thisdrought cycle) rainwater harvesting was illegal in someAustralian communities because of the possibility of uncleanrainwater mixing with and contaminating the cleanprocessed city water. Today, proper valves prevent that, and insome of those same areas where it was once illegal, rainwaterharvesting is now mandated.

People all over the world harvest rainwater and have done so

for millennia. Its absolutely possible to have plenty of water

for your garden (and even your household) by catchfiltering and storing the water that would otherwise run fyour rooftop, picking up nasty chemicals and particu(pesticides, oil from cars, you name it) en route to the Bay.

The harvesting process is simple and sensible: water falls f

the sky; the first rain is allowed to effectively clean the and gutters; subsequent precipitation is captured channeled through a series of filters into storage tanknearly any size, shape and description. One can beef upsystem by adding everything from ultraviolet purifiers to hstorage tanks built under new buildings. Bobby says thsmall 1,000 square foot roof receiving our annual average oinches of rain will deliver a whopping 15,000 gallons of wa

Bobby designs landscapes and rainwater harvesting sysfor homes and businesses and is really passionate about uthis precious resource wisely. He cautions that its not jumatter of catching rainwater; but also incorporating nat

and other regionally adapted plants into your garden plCity water, well water and harvested rainwater can be together in any combination, one supplementing the oYou can water your garden directly from the storage tankmeans of regular hand-held hoses or sophisticated ti

atering systems. And, of course, you can drink the rainwtoo, after recommended treatment such as ozone sterilizaUV or distillation. (http://www.harvesth2o.com/faq.shtml#11 )

The City of Santa Cruz obtains its water supply primfrom surface water sources. As such, the Citys water supplinked to runoff generated by rainfall. (Project Informa

Sheet, City of Santa Cruz, Integrated Water Phttp://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/wt/wten/IWPInfoSheet.pdf) Ifcity can do it, you can do it. Why not catch your own rudirectly from your roof and put it to good use in your garand house? Makes perfect sense to me. You can contact BoMarkowitz at www.earthcraftdesign.com.

Water Independence Christina Kriedt, MG06

Bobby Markowitz

Loch Lomond Reservoir -- drinking water for the City ofSanta Cruz. It was at 88% capacity in July.


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A Fresh Vision of California Native Plants Tom Karwin, MG9

he best books on California native plants typically take theorm of directories. They vary in level of detail, quality ofnformation and photographs, availability of useful appendicesnd similar features, but they are still basically alphabeticalsts of plants. These books can be useful references for thective gardener and enjoyable browsing for the would-beardener. I value my garden books in both of these ways.t may be difficult to imagine a very different and very practicalpproach to the subject, but a new book on California native

lants combines an innovative structure with solidnformation and inspirational ideas.

he creators of this book, long in development, are Glenneator and Alrie Middlebrook. The title: Designing Californiaative Gardens: The Plant Community Approach to Artful, Ecologicalardens. (Co-publishers: University of California Press andhyllis M. Faber Books, 2007)fter an initial study of the book, I can see already that it wille a treasured resource for all gardeners with an interest inalifornia native plants.

oth authors have contributed greatly to understanding and

ppreciating Californias native plants, with an emphasis onheir creative and appropriate uses in residential gardens andandscapes. Keator is a California plant specialist who has

ritten several books on the subject, including, Completearden Guide to the Native Perennials of California (Chronicleooks, 1994). Middlebrook is the founder of Middlebrookardens, a specialty landscaping design/build company

ounded in 1980 that focuses on creating sustainable gardenssing native California plants. She is also the author of annusual cookbook, Eating California.

eator defines plant communities as, repeatable assemblages

f plants that grow together because of similar adaptations to

microclimates, soils and slopes, and biotic factors. He acomments, biotic factors, which include all the interactibetween the varied organismsfungi, bacteria, animals, aplantsthat live in a given community, are complex remain poorly understood.

The authors primary contribution in this book invodefining California native plants in terms of several plcommunities, reflecting the states diverse habitats and microclimates that exist within many residential propertWhen we refer to California native plants as undifferentiated group, we miss the important differences texist among these plant communities.

In this book, the authors write about twelve of Californplant communities, focusing on those that are best suitedcreating beautiful gardens. In an opening chapter, Keaprovides an overview of these twelve plant communities, a

describes two transects across the state: one across cenCalifornia, and one across southern California. characterizes the geography of each transect and lists representative plants. The overall effect is a vivid report on rich variation that exists within the state.

Then, Middlebrook introduces Plant Community-baGarden Design, in which she relates an understanding of plant communities that exist within a target property withdesign goals of creating a place that combines beauty meaning for the owners. Addressing these three intertwinaspects of garden design can be challenging, but the resultdesign can have the potential for being a deeply satisfy

environment for living.

Before this insightful and balanced approach becomes ovabstract and elusive, the authors launch into twelve vexplicit and practical discussions of garden design for eachthe twelve plant communities. Each chapter opens witdescription of the respective community, and a discussionthe design for an actual garden in California. The discussincludes design notes, scope of work, appropriate plants anplanting plan. Each chapter also includes descriptions of 2035 plant species that are well suited to the particucommunity, and other related material.

The book includes very useful appendices: sources of natplants, resources (books, gardens, websites, etc.) for learnabout natives, a calendar for managing native gardensglossary and a detailed index.

At least one of these plant communities exists in every gardin California, and many gardens include two or more plcommunities, at least in small areas. This new book by Keaand Middlebrook serves as a valuable resource for designexceptional gardens that bring aesthetic and persopriorities into balance with the natural environment. Tbook belongs in the library of every serious gardener

California native plants.


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To all the 2007 Garden Tour garden owners and volunteerswho after much hesitation forged ahead and came throughwith beautiful and interesting gardens:

CONGRATULATIONS on your extraordinary achievement!

Our shaky start did not stop us once we decided the Tour wasa worthy cause. The enthusiastic garden owners took the lead,scrounged up their volunteers and made it allhappen. This effort actually took some of us away from ourcomputers and got us talking to one another over thetelephone and having fun while doing it! We were able toget things done faster by phone because we did not have towait for an email reply. Don't get me wrong, email works onmany levels, but that human voice helps us to know eachother a little more intimately and sparks interest andexcitement.

We were very fortunate to have had an extensive write up inthe Sentinel Newspaper featuring the inspired gardens ofBarbara Gordon and Claudia Bolton. I believe this articlebrought us many people from the Santa Cruz area. We did nothave a very good response from Monterey County, however.

I chitchatted with many people who had visited at least fof the six gardens and were very impressed with ranggarden styles, from the wide variety of plants at the HomeGarden (thank you, Mary Edmond) to the lovely selectionplants in containers in Pat Davis's petite p

garden. Visitors especially loved the pigs, chickens, duand the pot belly pig at Ann Weekss garden and her mdifferent planting areas and varieties of plants. Many peomentioned to me how much they liked the sweet espalieapple tree in Candice McLaren's garden.

The Arts and Crafts were well received, but the selection not as expansive as in the past due to some personal businGrace Nakamura had to attend to. Also, the inability to haplant sale because of brown apple moth restrictions certaaffected our sales total.

I do not have a figure as yet, but whatever we make from

event will be put to good use helping to develop and promschool gardens. What a worthwhile endeavor!

Thank you,Gloria Thomas, Coordinator, Masters Garden Tour 2007

Successful Tour! Gloria Thomas, MG06

clockwise fromtop left:

VancouveriaDasylirionAtriplex

Agapanthus


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Confessions of a Reluctant Gardener: The D WordChristina Kriedt, MG0

The word drought makes me very uncomfortable. It makesmy skin itch and I develop a sudden uncontrollable thirst.Drought. Its a cyclically permanent feature of life in California

ut youd never know it walking around my neighborhood:biquitous water-guzzling lawns, timed irrigations systemshat over-run in rivers down the gutters, garden hoses with nohut-off nozzles, and so on. The experts say that droughtsxceeding three years duration are relatively rare in California.

Whew! The bad news is that there is physical evidence that inhe western United States, there have been two epic drought

periodsone lasting more than two centuries prior to A.D. 1112,nd the other lasting more than 140 years prior to 1350. And inhe 1500s there was sustained drought throughout much ofhe continental U.S., lasting as long as 50 years according toree-ring records. More than one civilization has suffered orven vanished from the effects of long-term drought.*

Of course, what we on the Central Coast consider a droughtwould be a very wet year in the Mohave Desert where theydeal with 2.23 to 2.5 inches a year.** So the definition ofdrought in the Glossary of Meteorology (1959) is a period ofbnormally dry weather sufficiently prolonged for the lack of

water to cause serious hydrologic imbalance in the affectedrea.

Our most recent drought was 1987-92. Maybe you recall thatne, but I missed it; dont remember it at all.

The driest single year of California's measured hydrologicecord was 1977, according to state records. I lived in Oakland

during that 1976-78 drought when 31 counties were declareddisaster areas.*** I took water-use restrictions very seriously:no water was allowed to go down the drain in my housewithout having been used at least twice; in fact, its moreccurate to say that almost no water was allowed to go downhe drain. Cooking water was carried out to the garden to

planted containers. I kept a plastic tub in the kitchen sink forwashing vegetables and rinsing things off, then carried thatwater to the washing machine for the next load of clothes. Wewore our clothes longer too. Washing machine water was

ollected directly from the drain hose into buckets for toiletlushing; rinse cycle water was collected for the garden. And, I

hudder to think now, we used a spray foam to coat theurface of the toilet water, thus drastically reducing thenumber of necessary flushes per day. Bath water and anyeftover scraps from anywhere went out into the garden, firsto the containers, last into the soil. I chose which plants wereo die of thirst and they received no water. I really didnt lose

much but I didnt add any plants at allno vegetable garden,tc. I managed to keep all the container plantings alive, as Iecall. I actually pruned the water consumption for my familyf five down to an average of 55 gallons a day. Can youmagine? Most people in North America use 50 to 70 gallonsf water indoors each day and about the same amount

utdoors, depending on the season.****

Sharon Ettinger lived in San Diego at that time; in household they disconnected the drainpipe unthe kitchen sink to collect all the water in a big garbage placed under the pipe, which they then lugged out to garden. I like that idea. Water conservation in periodsdrought can be a full-time job.

I guess my point is that we get very complacent betwevents like droughts and earthquakes. My collection tuback in the kitchen sink and Im monitoring the water haof my guests, teaching the children in my care about hprecious our most valuable resource is. Maybe the day come when law will require that all new homes and remodmust incorporate solar panels, biological wastewtreatment, demand water heaters, green roofs, hydropower, native and/or drought-tolerant gardens and rainwharvesting systems at the very least. In the meantime,

continue to conserve and hope that it starts raining like crright after Halloween.

*http://watersupplyconditions.water.ca.gov/background.call quotes and facts in first paragraph** http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/mojave_desert.htm*** http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/sto/cadis10txt.php****h t t p : / / www.eart h eas y .co m/ l ive_wat er_s aving .h

25 Ways to Save Water at Homehttp://www.water-ed.org/ -- site offers resource materialshttp://www.laspilitas.com/ is the site of Las Pilitas Nursery

Southern CA; they offer tons of great information about naplants. Its well worth checking out.

http://newenergynews.blogspot.com/2007/03/solar-hydrog

house.html the nations first solar-hydrogen house

Super Nativ

A matureredwood catranspire up500 gallons

waterper daCondensed collected onmyriads ofneedle-likeleaves, dripsonto the forfloorcontributinl0-45% of thtrees totalwater.


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We bought six acres in Calistoga fifteen years ago and foundwe were responsible for our own waterworks. We had twowells with one operable pump and a few hundred feet ofunderground pipe of dubious condition. Electrical wiring wastrung either overhead through the trees or lay exposed on the

ground. Since we moved onto the land nine years ago I havebeen pecking away at making improvements.

hould we catch on fire the only water available was what theire truck could carry. Our wells are a hundred yards uphillrom the house. So I poured a concrete pad and installed a 2500

gallon water tank another hundred feet uphill from the wells;his provides a water supply that is available at all times and

not dependent on electricity. A fire hose connection is on theank that is filled by the well with water that contains the

highest mineral content and is least suitable for household use.This water is used for irrigation after being filtered to removemuch of its iron content, which tends to plug drip emitters.

Water from the other well is piped to the house through allnew PVC pipes that are underground along with all thelectric wiring, which is now safely in conduit.

One well supplies water to the tank, the other to the house.We needed yet another pump, a booster to pressurize thewater from the tank that feeds the sprinklers and drip system,

irrigating the landscape. After much research we foundmade for that express purpose by an Australian compan

as not happy with the cost but I am impressed withcapability. It only runs when the pressure on the outlets drit does not pressurize a full tank of water, as most prespumps do.

Just today I replaced two electric sprinkler valves that wleaking. I was alerted to the leaking by the cycling ofbooster pump. If you garden with city water, it is possiblfind system leaks by careful observation of your water mdials. As gardeners dedicated to conserving our wresources, water wasted by leaks is NOT acceptable.

In the country, if your well pump fails, it could take dayhave it replaced. I now have my waterworks so arranged during a failure, that part of the system can be bypassed asother pump takes over. Because we hand water from threfive hundred nursery plants everyday during the summer ha loss of water for a few days will mean extensive plant loAs we are also subject to power failures for up to twelve hothe water stored in the tank can be directed to the housgravity, providing water under enough pressure to operatebathroom fixtures.

Als Corner: Rural Waterworks Al Derrick, MG95

above: Davey pumptop right: water selector valvesright: water tank

California wildflower experts recommend plantingwildflower seeds beginning in October

and continuing on into January.Its always best to plant just before

the rainiest season begins.


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Many, many thanksto the retiring2006-2007

board membersClaudia Boulton, MG99Barbara Schilling, MG04Candice McLaren, MG01Darby Kremers, MG97Phyllis Hilton, MG00Paul McCollum, MG04

An extra special thank you toMartye Lumpkin, MG01

for serving asMBMG President

for the past two years

Congratulations to our new2007-2008

board membersMary Edmund, MG98

Tom Karwin, MG99Sheryl McEwan, MG03

Betsy Shea, MG04Gisele (Gigi) Tacheny, MG01

Bonnie Pond, MG00Cynthia Jordan, MG94Christina Kriedt, MG06Patricia Nicely, MG03Simon Stapleton, MG06

Gloria Thomas-Jones, MG06

Copyright 2007 MBMG. All rights reserved

Etcetera:RelevantInternet MiscellanyChristina Kriedt, MG06

Landscapes receive half of all urban water, and are overwatered by 30-300%.(http://www.weathertrak.com/)

Cabrillo College Horticulture Department fall lecture series: Water Use in theLandscape. 9/27 - 11/15. www.cabrillo.edu/academics/horticulture/

An organic materials exchange web site; share resources: compost, wood chipsand coffee grounds. Most are free. www.ome.sccrcd.org

Free landscape water use publications from the State of CA:http://www.owue.water.ca.gov/landscape/pubs/pubs.cfm

Less than 1% of the water available on earth is suitable for drinking.(http://www.lenntech.com/Water-Quantity-FAQ.htm)

The 10 most popular native shrubs according to Las Pilitas Nursery:Arctostaphylos sp., manzanita; Ceanothus sp., California lilac; Carpenteria californica,bush anemone; Fremontodendron californicum, flannel bush; Romney coulteri, matilijapoppy; Heteromeles arbutifolia, toyon or Christmas berry; Ribes sp., currants andgooseberries; Trichostema lanatum, woolly blue curls; Zauschneria ( Epilobium) sp.,California fuchsia. (http://www.laspilitas.com/classes/landscap.htm)

Rosa rugosa, a native of China and Japan, is reported (on many sites) to have thetastiest rose hips; any rose hip tea is very high in Vitamin C.

Prostrate Sedums are commonly planted on green roofs due to their extremedrought tolerance. Of the 14 plant choices listed on one suppliers site, 11 areSedums.

In Egypt, soil-less agriculture is used to grow plants on the roofs of buildings.No soil is placed directly on the roof itself.... Instead, plants are grown onwooden tables. Vegetables and fruit are the most popular candidates, providing

a fresh, healthy source of food that is free from chemicals.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_roof )

Editor Kathleen SonntagAssistant Editors Sharon Ettinger & Christina Kriedt

Design/Layout Christina KriedtCirculation Jan Olafsson

G A R D E N I N G O N T H E E D G E Newsletter of the Monterey Bay Master Gardeners

Hotline: 831-763-8007

CONTRIBUTORS

Al DerrickAlicia MolinaBobby Markowitz

Bonnie PondCandice McLarenChris Carrier

Christina KriedtCynthia JordanDarby Kremers

Gloria Thomas

Julie ThiebautKathleen SonntagMaryanne McCormick

Nancy RuizSharon EttingerSharon Tyler

Stuart WalzerSue TarjanTom Karwin


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SponsorsSierra Azul NurserySan Lorenzo Lumber Company

The Garden Company

FezQBokayHidden GardensThe Potting ShedWild Rose Landscape Design

http://www.sierraazul.com, 763-0939http://www.sanlorenzolumber.com/santacruz.html, 423-0223http://www.thegardenco.com/, 429-8Carmel Valley, 659-1268Salinas, 659-1268Aptos, 688-7011Aptos, 685-1626Aptos, 539-5841

Sources, Links and CreditsChristina Kriedt, MG06

Your first job is to prepare the soil. The best tool for this is your neighbor's garden tiller.If your neighbor does not own a garden tiller, suggest that he buy one.

~~Dave Barry

Photo Creditspages 1, 3, 4, 9, 10:

Christina Kriedt

page 7: Bobby Markowitz;photo of Loch Lomondfrom Wikipedia

page 11: Al Derrick

page 12: Sunflowers,Christina Kriedt

Linkspage 1: USDA, How to plant Fremontodendron, http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_frca6.pdfpage 3: California Native Plant Link Exchange, http://www.cnplx.info/query.htmlpage 7: Information about water restrictions in Australia, http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0405/p12s01-wogi.html?page=1

City of Santa Cruz, Integrated Water Plan, http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/wt/wten/IWPInfoSheet.pdfpage 10: Water in California, http://watersupplyconditions.water.ca.gov/background.cfm

Mohave Desert rainfall, http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/mojave_desert.htmCalifornia drought history, http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/sto/cadis10txt.php25 Ways to Save Water at Home, http://www.eartheasy.com/live_water_saving.htm

Additional information:Water resource materials, http://www.water-ed.org/Las Pilitas Nursery, http://www.laspilitas.com/Nations first solar-hydrogen house, http://newenergynews.blogspot.com/2007/03/solar-hydrogen-house.Growing Natives, http://www.growingnative.com/articles/gnnl1_growingtips.htmElkhorn Native Nursery, http://www.elkhornnursery.com/California wildflowers,

http://www.calacademy.org/research/botany/wildflow/CNPS list of native plant nurseries,

http://www.cnps.org/cnps/horticulture/nurseries.phpCNPS list of botanic gardens featuring native plants,http://www.cnps.org/cnps/horticulture/garden_links.php


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gardening on the edge newsletter, october-november 2007 ~ monterey bay master gardeners

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