Ideas for gardeners to revel in the long days and cool nights
Agapanthus, aka lily of the Nile, is a popular summer flowering plant around Sacramento. Most varieties have periwinkle or blue flowers, but some bloom white. Kathy Morrison
Ah, summer is here! The solstice arrived in California at 1:51 p.m. today.
Sacramento gets to enjoy 14 hours and 51 minutes of daylight today; that amount will slowly drop as the summer progresses. By the time the fall equinox arrives Sept. 22, we'll be down to about 12 hours of daylight.
Here's a completely arbitrary bucket list for gardeners to glean some special moments from the next three months.
1. Go out to your garden after sunrise -- but no later than 9 a.m. -- and just stand there, watching. Avoid the temptation to deadhead or water or pick or weed right now. Give yourself a full 5 minutes (or more) of just observing. Listen to the bees already at work and the mockingbird singing overhead. A hummingbird may happen by, or maybe a dragonfly. This is nature and you're part of it -- how wonderful! Do this at least once a week until fall.
2. Pick something you're growing and eat it right there in the garden. (No fruit or vegetables? Well, nasturtiums, marigolds, and mint and basil flowers are among common edibles.)
3. Plant sunflowers if you haven't already. If you have some, plant more, if only for the birds and squirrels.
4. Choose seeds for a cool-weather garden early, while there is still a good selection. This seed-starting period always creeps up on gardeners -- for most crops, it begins in August. Decide to grow something you've never tried before. For me last year it was bok choy.
5. Designate one spot for a "moon garden." Choose white-flowering plants, ones with silvery foliage and/or some with fragrant night flowers. Make sure the one plant or several will be lit by the moon, not blocked by fences or side of the residence. Shasta daisies, candytuft, sweet alyssum, calla lilies and impatiens are among white flowers easily found. Common yarrow and chaparral yucca are California natives with white blooms. Silver foliage plants include lamb's ears, dusty miller and Russian sage, while fragrant plants that would work include nicotiana, evening primrose and star jasmine.
6. Visit a public garden or neighborhood park you've never been to. Make notes on the plants. Which ones work together? Any summer-dormant natives? Are there a lot of birds? Which plants are the bees drawn to?
7. When a heat spike is expected, bring a bit of the outdoors inside: Early in the morning, cut a selection of flowers (especially roses), small branches, vines and the like that will probably get blown out or crisped later in the day. Put them in a vase or other arrangement to see while indoors. You grew it, now enjoy it!
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Garden Checklist for week of Dec. 8
Make the most of dry weather while we have it this week. Rain is returning.
* Rake leaves away from storm drains and gutters. Recycle those leaves as mulch or add to compost.
* It’s not too late to plant something. Seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.
* Trees and shrubs can be planted now, especially bare-root varieties such as fruit trees or rose bushes. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from winter rains.
* Plant bare-root berries, kiwifruit, grapes, artichokes, horseradish and rhubarb.
* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.
* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.
* Brighten the holidays with winter bloomers such as poinsettias, amaryllis, calendulas, Iceland poppies, pansies and primroses.
* Keep poinsettias in a sunny, warm location; bring them inside at night or if there’s rain.
* Plant garlic and onions.
* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while they’re dormant.
* Clean and sharpen garden tools before storing for the winter.
* Mulch, water and cover tender plants to protect them during threat of frost. Succulent plants are at particular risk if temperatures drop below freezing. Make sure to remove coverings during the day.
* Rake and remove dead leaves and stems from dormant perennials.