Wordless Wednesdays

Lingularia 

Lingularia Flowers

Red Geraniums - 'tis the season in SoCal 

If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521,  or visit my website

Wordless Wednesday

Eucalyptus sideroxylon

Heuchera 'Marmalade'

If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521, or visit my website.

Tis The Season

Holidays can be a fun time, a joyful time, and a stressful time and being a Landscape Designer in Santa Clarita, California I am not immune to the holiday rush.  There are a lot of commitments during the holidays, lots of shopping, cooking, and decorating to do so I wanted to drop you a line to remind you to stop and smell the roses.

Take a nature break, and fill a container with pretty plants that will make you smile and add cheer to your wintery days.

Spend a little time taking your four legged friends for a walk, or stroll the trails alone for a walking meditation.  Look up at the  sky, down at the ground,  watch the leaves turning and falling, enjoy your life!

The days fly by much too quickly, things change, so embrace what you have and what you are.  'Tis always the season for that!

xo,
Julie


If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521 or visit my website.

Wordless Wednesday - 12-12-12 (a window of possibilities)

Under a Eucalyptus

Plectranthus, under the pines

Jurassic Park Iris

If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521, contact me via email at julie@thegrassisalwaysgreener.net or visit my website.

Wordless Wednesday

If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521, contact me via email at julie@thegrassisalwaysgreener.net or visit my website.

What To Do In Your Southern California Garden In December

As a Landscape Designer in Santa Clarita, I want to be sure that all my clients, friends, and fellow gardeners know the things to do out in the garden in December.  I lived on the east coast for much of my life, and spent the month of December pouring over seed catalogs or enjoying the bare branches getting ready for snow.  Now I am out in the dirt (and sometimes mud) and I'd love for you to join me!  To that end, here is a list of gardening chores you  might like to take care of in your garden this month.

If it is brisk outside, you know you've earned a nice warm cup of tea, coffee, or cocoa.  Get out there and enjoy!

Click on the link to get your list!


If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521, contact me via email at julie@thegrassisalwaysgreener.net or visit my website.

Wordless Wednesday - As the year ends

For more about my designs

My Favorite Christmas Song

Yes, I'm Jewish, and yes I know this has nothing to do with gardening, landscape or gardens but I wanted to share my favorite Christmas Song of all time. The Kinks - Father Christmas.

Father Christmas

Enjoy!

If you want to know more about my designs, take a look at my website.

Wordless Wednesday - Holiday Colors -Plant Edition

Agave lophantho 'Quadricolor' & Aloe plicatilis (San Marcos Growers)

Pink Flowered Oxalis!

Sticks of Fire & Loropetalum

To learn more about me and my designs check my website

Wordless Wednesday - Some favorites

Aloe Flowers

Fremontodendron californica

Agave Moon

To learn more about me and my designs check my website

Wordless Wednesday - December Daze

What To Do In Your Southern California Garden In December

We are heading full throttle into the holiday season, and lucky Southern Californians still have gardening chores to do! Don’t complain, instead of shoveling snow, you are shoveling sunshine (and raking leaves).

Here is your monthly garden chore list for December, tack it to your fridge and plow through it or… have a cup of eggnog and leave it to next year – your choice!



1. Rake leaves – Keep those holiday decorations in view (and some of the beautiful plant we are lucky to be able to enjoy) by keeping up on those leaves. We always have some windy days this time of year, so they are going to pile up for sure! While the east coast is shoveling, we are raking and as a transplant I am thankful for that every year.



2. Plant winter blooming shrubs, perennials, and vines – Some of my favorites are Hardenbergis, Ceanothus, Clivia, Carolina Jessamine, Breath of Heavenm and Cyclamen. You can use the cyclamen as holiday décor and since they are bulbs and the weather here is mild, you’ll likely have them come back a few years in a row.



3. Water your living Christmas tree regularly – If you have a fresh cut tree you need to check it each day to make sure that it doesn’t dry out and start dropping needles. The heaters in our homes add to the drying effects and speed evaporation.

4. Start Patioscaping – It is time to update your container designs! I have pumpkins and squash adorning my harvest based planting designs, so it is time to cook them and replace them with white pumpkins, plastic icicles, and this year I’m adding strings of lights to the taller plants!

5. Add winter annuals for holiday décor – If you add some festive annuals to your perennial garden they will be the icing on your holiday decorating cake! Cyclamen (mentioned above) begonias, and pansies can be planted in swaths that will greet your guests as they arrive at your beautifully decorated entry!

6. Prune fall blooming shrubs & vines – Shrubs and vines that have bloomed can be trimmed back now in readiness for their next season.



7. Tis the season…for planting California natives - Continuing on through fall and winter. Timing is great because your plants will receive the winter water that comes around and they appreciate not to be planted in the hot, hot heat that we are sure to have come summer.



8. Feed flowering plants with high phosphorus fertilizer - Yes, I said it was getting cold for fertilizer utilization but if you have showy blooming plants like Plumeria which bloom June and later it is a good time to fertilize them. The phosphorus (second number on the label) is absorbed over time, so giving it six months to work on those blooms is a good idea.



9. Plant winter veggies - You can still plant leafy greens, bok choy, perennial & cool weather loving herbs (parsley, dill, & cilantro). Succession planting of the leafy greens is a great idea because you can harvest as you make salad and always have more for next week!

10. Keep your eyes open for bare root plants – You can keep an eye open for bare root plants, in California we can plant them right through February. Fruit trees, grapes, roses – keep a look out for your favorites and save money!



11. Watch for signs of frost – Read my blog post about the warning signs, pay attention to the weather and think about protecting your citrus trees by stringing some Christmas lights on them to keep the air warm around them, and they’ll be extra festive!

12. Mulch! If you didn’t throw that 3” blanket of mulch on your plants in November – now is a great time to do it. The mulch will keep them warm, discourage weeds, and help retain the winter rains.

I know it is a busy month, so I hope having this list helps you organize your garden time so you can spend some holiday time with the ones you love! Feel free to contact me if you have any other questions. If you want to see more of my designs take a look at my website.

Happy Gardening!
xo,
Julie

What's Happening in souther California - Garden Edition December 2011

As always, I want to remind you to shop local, and get the freshest produce around by heading out to the local Farmer’s Markets in Santa Clarita:



Sundays 8:00am – noon
College of The Canyons Parking Lot
Don’t forget to visit my friend Sarah from Worldwide Exotics

There is also another great Farmer’s Market:
Thursdays in Old Town Newhall from 3-7pm.

On to Garden Fun!

Sat/Sun December 3 & 4 , 2011

Placerita Canyon Nature Center Annual Craft Faire
10am – 4 pm
Make your own quality wreaths or Yule logs. A multitude of crafts are available for the kids to make. All materials are supplied. All items are reasonably priced from $2 to $16. The Gift Shop will be open and a food truck will be on site. This is the only fund-raiser of the year, and the funds help the center to care for their animals and run public programs. No credit cards please; checks and cash only. For more information, call 661.259.7721

Sunday December 11, 2011

Planting Natives at the Community Garden of Santa Clarita – Central Park Site
Please stop in 9am - ??? to help us!



Saturday December 17, 2011

Holiday Birds – Bird Walk
8-10 am
Ed Davis Park in Towsley Canyon
24255 The Old Road
Santa Clarita, California 91321
The year-end has a long tradition of bird watching and counting. Let’s celebrate our local birds on this easy hike. Beginning birders are welcome. Binoculars optional. 2 hours. Meet at Towsley Canyon’s front parking lot. Free programs, parking $7 inside park. Contact (310) 858-7272 x131 or Park link: http://lamountains.com/parks.asp?parkid=10

Friday December 23, 2011

Get The Kids Out of the House Nature Walk
8 am – 10 am
Pico Canyon’s Front Entry – opposite historic Mentryville
We have just the right plan to get the kids and visiting family out of the house so you can wrap presents. Send them to the park for a couple of hours of fresh air and cool nature stuff. 2 hours. The program is free, parking $7 inside park. Contact (310) 858-7272 x131 or try the Park link Sponsored by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and presented by the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority.

Monday December 26, 2011

Green Thumb Christmas Clearance Sale
Pick up some amazing deals on the beautiful ornaments and décor that might not have been swooped up during the holidays.




Descanso Gardens:
I had a wonderful time this week at Descanso visiting with friends and taking in the sites. There were still some chrysanthemums, the fall colors were amazing and the camellias are starting to bloom! They also have a few holiday events, that you might want to take in.

Saturday & Sunday December 10 & 11 is a big day:
Breakfast with Santa at the Gardens 9:30 – 11
Holiday Boutique 10am – 4 pm
And on Saturday the 10th – there is also wreath making at 10 am and 2 pm

Here is the link to their calendar

Oh, and YES! I did get to see the vertical garden - check out one of my photos.



LA Arboretum

The gardens are ablaze with fall color, and there are still a few programs to take advantage of this month.



Saturday December 3, 2011 –
10am – 12pm – Arboretum Adventures – The Cactus Garden
12pm – 4pm – Organic Fruit & Vegetable Gardening

For more about the upcoming events – check out this link

I hope that you have a fun month – there are sill a lot of gardening events to attend, and don’t forget to use your imagination to create some unique gardening gifts for your friends and family!

For more about my designs, please visit my website

Wordless Wednesdays - Holidaze in Santa Clarita, Ca

Spine Tingling Cactus Against The Sky

Mexican Sage

Cotoneaster

For more about my designs: thegrassisalwaysgreener

Wordless Wednesday & Bloom Day - Santa Clarita

Lomandra & Euphorbia

Pansies w/Armeria

Aloe

For more about my designs: thegrassisalwaysgreener

What To Do In Your Southern California Garden in December

We are so lucky to have gardening chores to do all year round, it may seem like a crazy time to be out working in the garden but think of it as an opportunity to work off that Thanksgiving Turkey and make room for your December Holiday latkes, roast beef, goose, and of course all the sweets!



I think one of the biggest chores at hand right now is … raking leaves! Believe it or not New York and Boston, we don’t shovel in December and January we RAKE!

If you have a living Christmas tree don’t forget to water it on a regular basis, it’s been pretty cold the last few weeks heaters are on and they will rapidly evaporate the water in your tree stand.

Peruse you seed catalogs and get excited about spring plants, if you order now you get the best selection!



You can also plant bulbs for both winter and spring blooming bulbs. Visit my favorite websites McClure & Zimmerman Bulbs, Brent and Becky’s Bulbs for ideas.

Remember to stop feeding your dormant houseplants. If you have blooming plants, you can continue with their feeding. Keep your eyes open for my upcoming Scene In SCV post on taking care of Holiday plants. I’ll make sure you know when it’s available.



If you haven’t planted those winter annuals (sounds like an oxymoron) now is a great time. By adding annuals to your perennial garden you can save on Holiday decorating. Cyclamen, pansies, begonias and many more can be used is swaths to greet the guests at your next holiday soiree’.

You can start shopping for bare root plants, however you’ll find a bigger selection in January when the Christmas décor is gone. However, keep your eyes out because you might just find an unusual or hard to find new rose, shrub, vine or fruit tree.



If your cacti and succulents have finished blooming and are a bit root bound you can repot them now. Keep those pots near protection, you never know when we’ll get another cold snap like last week. I have a few sad looking echeverias right now.

Keep your eyes peeled for frost warnings, you may have to protect your citrus (with frost cloth or Christmas lights) re-read my post on frost again soon.



You can plant more winter blooming perennials and vines such as clivia, ceanothus, Carolina Jessamine, Hardenbergia, Breath of Heaven, and Cyclamen (good Christmas décor!)

If your fall blooming shrubs or vines are done blooming, it is a great time to prune them.



You can still get your cool season vegetables seedlings in – take a look at my Winter Vegetable Gardening Post for ideas.

This may sound unorthodox, but it is a good time to use a super bloom time organic fertilizer on your Plumerias and other later blooming plants. The phosphorus takes up to six months to take effect, so if you fertilize now you will be timing it just right. It is also probably the last time in the year that you’ll want to fertilize most anything (you can continue to fertilize your winter veggis) – the soil is getting a bit too cold for your plants to utilize the nutrients.



If you are in Santa Clarita take a trip to Central Park on Bouquet Canyon and take a look at the site of the Community Gardens of Santa Clarita! We just had a ground-breaking ceremony and there are planting beds out there for you to look at. Get inspired and think about signing up for the plot. We have both 10x10’ and 10x20’ available – send me an email and I’ll get you an application as well as a copy of the garden rules.

For more about my designs: thegrassisalwaysgreener