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Poppy Mallow Close Up. Pretty, eh?
Some drought tolerant plants, like Firecracker Penstemon (penstemon eatonii), aren’t just drought tolerant, they are drought loving. They do worse if watered too much. Water is not their friend. It can rot and kill them.
In the other category, drought tolerant plants like Poppy Mallow (callirhoe involucrata) are able to survive conditions of very little water. However, given plenty of water, they are off to the races. My experience suggests that when they are well-hydrated, they figure it is a good time to bloom and reproduce. High Country Gardens describes Poppy Mallow as a “gentle spreader.” After our unusual weather (lots and lots of rain) of the past few weeks, my gentle spreader seems to have become an aggressive spreader! It is so beautiful right now that I guess I don’t mind. However, I worry that it will soon begin to look yellow and crispyish (as it did mid summer last summer). If the summer brings an end to the blossoms and a beginning to yellow foliage spread everywhere, I won’t be feeling quite as pleased. I’ll keep you posted.
Poppy Mallow spreading under the Russian Sage along my back fence
Zucchini Joy or I never promised you a rose garden
This was supposed to be a rose garden. It did have roses when we moved in, but they were sick and old and had to go. I had planned to put more roses in, and I planted “Royal Velvet” English lavender in preparation for this, envisioning a lovely vista from the picture window that looks out on this bed from our kitchen.
BUT
Our yard has lots of beds and lots of ornamental plants. What of edibles? In the past couple of years, Pdad felt reluctant to put food rather than flowers on display. But last year’s ornamental kale and jack-be-little pumpkins helped him come around. Food can be beautiful and fun and — delicious. Much as I loved the little pumpkins, this year I wanted a true food crop. So I planted my first ever zucchini. And today I discovered my first zucchini! I don’t know which I’m looking forward to more–Pdad’s grilled zucchini or my zucchini nut bread. Either way, I’m excited.
Given our zucchini plant’s fun foliar issues (is that powdery mildew?), it may not rank as our most beautiful specimen (the blossoms are gorgeous–although they have violated my anti-yellow proscriptions), but today at least, it’s near the top for “most satisfying.”
An older woman I didn’t recognize rang my doorbell today. She asked me to tell her the name of the tall purple flowers in my stop sign bed (answer: “May Night” Salvia). I’ve had a few polite friends express interest before, but never a stranger. How exciting! She made my day. Perhaps I should pay this one forward. I’ve noticed yards of strangers with beautiful plants and wanted so badly to know what the plants were. Why not stop and ask?
Four search queries (among others) that led people to my blog, Tuesday, May 26:
what is eating my strawberries
what is eating my strawberries?
what is eating my strawberrys
what’s eating my strawberries
Bird bitten berry
Trial: Well, I don’t know what is eating your strawberries, but I will update you about mine. I tried the diluted bleach treatment recommended by my county extension office. It damaged the glossy green foliage a bit as you can see in the photos below. I should admit that I wasn’t completely careful about getting an exactly 5% solution as I might have been, and the bleach solution I used might have been as high as 10 or 12% bleach. Also, I allowed my children to squirt the plants, and they were not careful about aiming for the stems (where most of the aphids were hiding).
Bleach damaged foliage
More bleach damaged foliage
Result: The black aphids did not completely disappear, but the infestation’s quick spread was effectively arrested. I think a lot of aphids died, and it gave my plants a little breathing room to work on ripening those berries. Today I chose to apply another treatment (9 or 10 days after the original) because it appeared that the black aphid population was beginning to climb again. While I wouldn’t characterize the diluted bleach solution as magical or amazing, it seemed effective enough to try again in the future. Also, when one of my children popped a ripe berry into her mouth before washing it, I felt very glad that I had not just sprayed those berries with an industrial pesticide.
Unfortunately, we now have a new threat to our strawberries. It appears the birds are pecking our ripe berries! I can’t think of any remedy for this except to pick the berries earlier than we’d like to. Bad birds!
Background
When we moved to this house, our yard was such a mess that we had to start over. With the exception of several rose bushes, a snowball bush, the arborvitae, and an apricot tree, it’s all new.
How things looked when we moved in
Pdad and I were both completely ignorant about landscaping and plant selection. The only thing we knew for sure was that we needed expert help. We hired a consultant to come talk to us. That experience underlined the fact that we didn’t even know what we didn’t know. Well, several classes, and three additional consultations with different horticulturalist and landscape design experts later, we knew a lot more. We had some expert suggestions and sketches of what we should do.
However, I had meanwhile become obsessed with plant selection. In informing myself of what I didn’t know, I had fortunately and unfortunately developed strong preferences. Although definitely still a novice, I couldn’t but help but question every suggestion we were given. Ultimately I realized that what I really wanted was to plan which plants we would get and where we would put them myself. I didn’t want to follow someone else’s plan regardless of whether it was well or carefully done.
So here’s why Pdad is so great:
When I ultimately decided to set the experts’ counsel aside in favor of carrying out my own plans for our yard, Pdad gave me his blessing. a) This was brave. He knew what a novice I was. b) This was brave. We’d paid good money for valuable opinions and were tossing them aside. c) This was brave. He knew I was planning a design burdened under constraints he didn’t understand and/or agree with. For example, none of the local professionals we spoke with was particulary knowledgeable about or interested in waterwise gardening. By contrast, I insisted that all of our landscape plants be waterwise. This was not important to Pdad, and it was a constraint that made things a lot harder (waterwise irrigation anyone?). But he allowed me to carry out my vision. Another example of this was when I decreed that we would have no yellow flowers of any kind. Pdad saw no reason to ban yellow flowers from our premises (“Why is it we’re not doing yellow, again?). I attempted to explain how it was like poetry: by operating under artificial constraints (such as using a limited number of syllables or only certain colors in the palette) we would birth beauty through discipline. Pdad rolled his eyes at me. (I deserved it!) But then he cheerfully worked with me to accomplish my vision of a purple, and pink, and red, and blue, but never yellow, yard.
Outcome
This Spring I have felt smitten by our plants every time I walk outside. I feel stunned every time I walk out the door that the Nepeta (Catmint) can look that beautiful, that the May Night Salvia pairs with it so perfectly, or that the crimson creeping thyme has become so vigorous and spread so far. Please don’t misinterpret–I don’t make this observation so that you will know what a showpiece our yard is. In retrospect, I can see that I have made some significant mistakes. I was a novice after all. So, even though the Nepeta is ravishly beautiful, I look at the garage window next to it, and realize that the spot called for something much taller –probably a bush or small tree. Eventually, I think we will be digging that gorgeous Nepeta up and planting something else–probably a purple leaf sandcherry like the experts recommended! Also, I marvel at our Red Valerian (Jupiter’s Beard), but then notice that the Rose Glow Barberry behind it is the wrong backdrop for it. The valerian’s blossoms disappear against the barberry’s red foliage. And what of the Compact Pineleaf Penstemon, the Zauschneria Arizonica, and the blanketflowers? All big failures in our yard. But Pdad seldom talks about the failures (until I bring them up). Mostly, he notices the things that look nice.
So, because Pdad helped me carry out my vision, we have wasted a lot of money and will have many additional hours of work ahead of us. But I love our yard despite all the mistakes. And I so appreciate Pdad for allowing me to play artist on such a large scale. The canvas has been expensive and the mistakes are obvious, but I don’t regret doing it myself.* This yard is mine. And I am surprised to learn that if our yard is an unfinished novel, I am eager to continue to revise and delete and add. What fun, what excitement, what suspense! I look forward to the writing of it and I am glad that Pdad will be writing it with me.
* Let me be clear: The only part of the landscaping we did ourselves was the plant selection and installation. We have had a whole lot of earthmovers, sod installers, arborists, sprinkler layers, etc. to help us in the past few years. Bless them! And bless especially the man who suggested digging out our backyard rather than filling it in. Genius! Professionals can be very worthwhile.
So, as recommended by Jim F., I went to the county extension office. I took samples of my buggy strawberry and some green and yellow mottled rose leaves.
I was impressed. They had a corner with toys for the kids and I got to see the assistant horticulturalist right away. The fee for the service was $1 for each plant, and when I discovered that I didn’t have $2 in cash, they said that I could owe them. Anyway–
STRAWBERRIES: As widely suggested, my strawberries are suffering from a nasty bout with black aphids, which are not to be confused with the green aphids currently having their meal on the rose bushes. Fortunately, while the diagnosis was no surprise, the cure prescribed was more original. I could use pesticides OR I could spray my strawberries with a diluted bleach solution. He recommended trying 5% and then upping it to 10% if necessary. I like having a plan.
ROSES: My diagnostician sought out a 2nd opinion from the head horticulturalist on this one (and it was still just an IOU $1). Unfortunately, he confirmed what I suspected: Rose Mosaic Virus. Recommended treatment: removal. As in, removal of the whole bush. I have at least three affected bushes. Boo-hoo. I am tempted to just keep removing all the branches affected by mosaic. There aren’t many right now, because I have done several radical branchectomies in the past. But apparently, once any branch shows symptoms, the entire bush is infected (which means shorter stems, fewer roses and less vigor) whether the symptoms are obvious on the other branches or not. Fortunately, it sounds like I am not risking my other roses if I choose not to remove the infected ones.
ALL IN ALL: I was very impressed with the extension service, and they will be seeing me again. (Probably as soon as the strawberry root weevils start eating the peonies). The depth of my ignorance has no bottom; the number of my questions is limitless!
We’re pretty excited about our strawberries. We planted them last year and dutifully plucked off all the blooms, dreaming of harvests to come. This year we are anxiously awaiting our first crop and things have been looking good.
But lo–while admiring my lovely, thriving, healthy plants, I noticed something that suggests maybe they are not so healthy!
See the little black ovals on the stem? Those are bugs. That part I figured out. Now–what are they and what should I do about them?
Soapy water? (Will my strawberries taste like dish detergent?)
Diatomaceous earth? (Will it be effective?)
Chemical big guns? (Will we all die early and painful deaths?)
Most of my traffic is not from search engines. But Google Analytics shows that I have had 93 visits on the basis of 53 keywords. Woo-hoo! I am sure it is obvious that I am still a little overeager about the whole blogging thing-(despite my inconsistent posting habits)—vague daydreams of thousands of subscribers and all that (thank you, you loyal 19, my inaugural readers). I am sure all blogging empires begin with a small subscriber base and a tiny trickle of search engine visitors (or maybe not).
Anyway, today I want to pretend to be like one of the grand bloggers, like Rocks in My Dryer, by responding to the searches that have landed random strangers on my blog. So here it is: my first edition of Google questions and answers (answers not guaranteed):
GARDENING
1. When to prune garlic?
I don’t know. I haven’t grown it. But I would think it would be like growing onions. Why do you need to prune it anyway?
2. My gaura plant looks dead.
Mine too. I’ve been meaning to do a post just on this. I’m beginning to suspect that my pink gaura (appleblossom grass) were not as cold hardy as I’d hoped.
3. Mint varieties for sale.
Limitless.
4. Mint that tolerates full sun
Don’t they all? Or most of them? Mint is a sunlover. You shouldn’t have any problems.
5. Is Catmint and Hummingbird Mint the same?
No. Catmint is Nepeta and Hummingbird Mint is a type of Agastache. They are related, because they are both members of the Lamiaceae (mint) family, which is why they both have fragrant leaves. My catmint is the “Walker’s Low” cultivar. It is shorter than the hummingbird mint (Agastache) and it gets going in the spring while the hummingbird mint is still asleep–it blooms in late summer. Catmint is a gorgeous purpley blue, where the hummingbird mint is dark hot pink. I have seen Walker’s Low Catmint recommended as a companion plant for agastache (of which Hummingbird Mint is one type).
6. Ava Hummingbird mint seeds.
Do not exist. Ava is only available from High Country Gardens and it is cutting propagated.
MISCELLANEA
7. Who am I to be brilliant?/ Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
8. What to say to someone when they win a spelling bee
There are numerous possibilities, but I think all good answers probably start with “Congratulations!” Other ideas: You did great! What poise under pressure. You must have really studied. Did you know all of those words, or did you have to guess on some of them? How did you study? What kind of books do you like to read? You really had me on pins and needles, I could barely stand the suspense. I was rooting for you.
9. What household products can I use in my Spotbot?
There are only two I can vouch for with certainty: a) hot water (works great for almost everything) and then b) the expensive proprietary Bissell products designed for compact cleaners. c) Wait! Pdad informs me that he has had good success through spraying the carpet with Spotshot (a product not made by Bissell and not designed for use with the Spotbot) and then using the Spotbot filled with warm water on that same spot.
I would be leery of using any other chemical or cleaner, especially one that might foam up too much. I used my Spotbot on a friend’s carpet once, and she’d already sprayed something on it. The machine was soon overwhelmed by lather. I was afraid the motor would burn out and the foam made it much harder to use.
10. How much money are hummingbirds?
Wow, can you buy them? How would you keep them? A small cage seems inhumane.
11. Licorice gelato recipe
I have been searching the earth for this for the past fifteen years. My ice cream/gelato cookbook collection is in two digits and I have seen only a couple of possible recipes. Nothing like the ebony nirvana taste sensation of my memories. My pledge: Someday I will visit Austria and eat it again.
12. hp dv5t trackpad, i like pmom 
I like Pdad. A man who designs search queries just to send surprise messages via google analytics is a man indeed.
Should I feel guilty?
Purposely killing a living thing?
Being fickle?
Don’t mistake me. I am crazy about poinsettias. I love them. I suffered under the poisonous poinsettia myth for a couple of years. When I discovered the truth, and no longer needed to fear for Kate’s safety, I was thrilled to welcome them back into our home. Other than our Nativity, poinsettia plants are my favorite way to decorate for Christmas. I struggle to think of anything more festive than the poinsettia’s scarlet foliage.
But–it’s April, not December.
And my huge poinsettia plant, which was a well-spent ~$17 at Costco in December 2008, was still a bit too healthy. The problem: even if the April Fool’s joke in these parts is snow on the ground, I want to believe that Spring will come–that Spring is coming. Daffodils say that, poinsettias do not.
I don’t live in San Diego. There was no possibility of returning it to nature.
Will the daffodils scent the work of death on my hands?
Ava's Hummingbird Mint (Agastache)
The other day, I posted about my favorite plants. One of the plants I mentioned, Ava’s Hummingbird Mint (agastache), is discouragingly expensive. It is on sale this week at High Country Gardens* (the only place where you can buy it). It is still expensive, but every little bit helps!
*I am not affiliated with High Country Gardens in any way, except that: 1) I have spent too much money there and 2) I have greatly benefited from their wonderful website, their beautiful catalog, and their good advice about waterwise gardening.