In the Garden: Preparing for a Spectacular Spring Bloom
The sun is shining and the birds are singing! Even though much of the country is still blanketed under snow and ice (brrrrr!), we’re pretty lucky here in USDA zone 10 to be able to garden year-round (not that we’re gloating or anything).
Each year, Annie completely replants our demonstration gardens to keep things fresh and exciting. It’s dramatic to see everything ripped out and a new garden taking shape from scratch, but new designs and combinations provide inspiration for both us and our visitors!
Back in November, she turned over the soil, took out the spent annuals and cut the perennials down to the ground. She ditched the ugly plants, the unruly plants and anything that didn’t fit with the new planting scheme taking shape in her head. This made room for lots of new babies. The goal – and challenge! – is to have everything bloom at the same time for our Big, FAB Spring Party on April 9 and 10.
November is also when she planted biennials like Digitalis and some varieties of Verbascums and Campanulas, along with perennials like Alonsoa meridionalis, Delphiniums and Nicotiana alata ‘Lime Green'. Of course, all of these plants can go in the ground right now for May or June bloom!
At Annie’s former Richmond nursery, she was still planting a few perennials, as well as slower-growing annuals like Orlaya grandiflora, Agrostemma githago, Omphalodes linifolia and Cynoglossum amabile. It was also a good time to put in foliage plants like Heucheras, Rumex and grasses. The nursery had planted a few Sweet Peas in November and planned another sowing for a succession of frilly, fragrant blooms from April to June—longer with deadheading.
Very soon, the faster blooming annuals like Poppies and California native “Baby Blue Eyes” and Eschscholzias (Cal Poppies) will go in the ground – but remember – we’re shooting for early April bloom. So you can definitely plant them right now or anytime really until the end of March or beginning or April for later bloom.
Don’t forget to protect young plants from slugs and snails. The former nursery used an iron-phosphate snail-and-slug bait. If using a bait or other pesticide, choose a product labeled for the plant, site, and pest, and follow all label directions and precautions. Snails can quickly reduce young plants to stubs in the ground.
Even though the goal is to have everything bloom-at-the-same-time, sometimes the weather doesn’t get the memo. A cold and rainy Winter will slow everything down, while sunny weather in December and January can result in a massive bloom-a-thon in March. So we aim for the middle and hope for the best. And it usually works out pretty well!
