Rudbeckia & Gallardia

I find that this time of year many gardens start to look a bit sad. Once we get a few weeks of sustained heat here on the Central Coast, many annuals start to wither. Once the heat starts to push them to increased seed production, you better be deadheading on a regular basis if you want to keep them going. If, however, you’ve been busy with family, vacation, or life in general and haven’t been spending as much time in the garden as you did in early spring, you may want to make a few additions to your flower patch to freshen it up and get ready to head into fall.
A few of my favorite flowers this time of year are rudbeckia, and gallardia. Their happy daisy- like flowers and bold colors scream summer to me. In fact, the golden yellow hues of the flowers seem to mimic the summer sun. The most traditional of all rudbeckias, the Black-Eyed-Susan is said to have likely derived its name from an 18th century poem entitled “The Black Eyed Susan.” Growing wild through most of the United States, it is the state flower of Maryland. And although in some areas, it is considered almost a weed because it is so abundant, here it seems to behave itself nicely and can become a very hardworking member of your flower border. The common gallardia, also known as “Blanket Flower” can be found in many wildflower mixes as well.
Both rudbeckias and gallardias prefer a sunny spot in the garden. Although they are not particularly fussy about soil, good drainage will prevent them from rotting out during our rare wet winters. Although they can be started from seed, they can give your garden a quick pick me up when planted in a larger size. During their first growing season, they prefer regular watering, but will become fairly drought tolerant once established. Not particularly needy when it comes to fertilizer, the best practice is simply a side dressing of some good compost. Because of their fuzzy leaves, rudbeckias and gallardias are deer resistant once the foliage has matured (new growth may be nibbled by deer). And as with most wildflowers, they not only attract butterflies, but a wide variety of bees including some native bees.

As with most strong yellows and oranges, these flowers seem to need equally bold partners in the garden or to be paired with complimentary colors of blue and purple. Some plants that can hold their own next to fiery flowers are Zinnias (reds, yellows & oranges), marigolds, and portulaca. In the blue purple ranges, try mixing them with blue & red penstemon, Russian & Santa Barbara sage, lavender and even agapanthus.
Although they don’t make particularly good cut flowers, their presence in the garden can certainly improve anyone’s mood.

Will there be corn?

My corn now stands about 5 feet tall and the tassel at the top has begun to open up fully. The sticky silk dangles from the emerging ears below. It seems to be doing what it should be doing. Yet, I worry. Will the corn actually pollinate on its own? I heard from so many people last year whose corn never seemed to pollinate. They planted enough of it, in rows a distance from each other. It was growing well and everything seemed fine. Yet at the end of the season, they produced only corn stalks. So last night I did some online research to see if there was anything I could do to help this wind pollinated crop along. And sure enough, man has not only found a way to meddle with Mother Nature, but he's video taped it. If you are concerned about your corn or if you are just curious about the process, the following video shows exactly how do pollinate-it-yourself.

Babiana in Blue

I recently found this adorable little surprise in my garden poking up from between some wild marjoram. As always with most bulbs, I had completely forgotten planting them and am always a little shocked when they appear. Having to battle gophers and clay soil that stays extremely wet in the winter, I assume that most bulbs won't be back. In the case of this little beauty I was even more surprised because these were throw away plants from a local nursery. Having finished blooming in their tiny little pots, they were destined for the landfill. I figured at the very least, I could give them a proper burial in my yard.
So when the bloom of the Babiana stricta greeted me the other morning, I smiled. You certainly can't beat that gorgeous blue color. A native of the African sub Sahara, these bulbs grow and bloom after the winter rains after which they prefer a bit of dryness in their dormancy. Luckily for me, I guessed correctly and planted them in a more drought tolerant section of my garden. Nicknamed the Baboon Flower, because baboons find the small corms quite tasty, they are normally planted in the fall in warm winter climates or early spring where winters are colder. If their summer dormancy requirements can be met in the ground, the plants can be left in to grow and naturalize (this particular plant has doubled in size since last year). In areas where winter ground freezes, they should be lifted after the foliage has died off and kept in a cool, dry location until the proper planting time.

In addition to this vibrant blue color, Babianas also come in white, lavender and a blue-white bicolor.

To Bee or Not To Be

In February of 2008, Haagen-Dazs launched a campaign to bring awareness to the plight of the honeybee. Complete with an absolutely adorable website,viral video and a donation program, the company helped spread the word about the problem with Colony Collapse Disorder or CCD. CCD is when (for reasons we haven't completely determined) honeybees abandon their hives leaving only immature workers and the queen. The hive eventually dies out and it is assumed that the workers that leave do so as well. First appearing in the United States, the problem has spread to Europe and Great Britain. In 2007 a beekeeper in the UK noted that 44 of his 70 hives had suffered from CCD.

But why is CCD so worrisome? Because of the critical role the bees play in pollinating our agricultural crops. Albert Eistein once predicted that if the honeybees died out, man would follow within 4 years. Forget the Armageddon that has the planet covered in ice or bursting into flames. Our demise may come quietly with the silencing of the buzzing bee.

What exactly causes CCD is still being studied. In 2007, however, a limited study at Landau University found that bees will abandon their hives when an operating cell phone is placed next to the hive. German studies have also suggested that colonies near power lines show erratic behavior. With an estimate of almost 70 percent of the commercial bee population already being lost on the East Coast and about 60 percent on the West, finding a cause and solution is crucial.

It is also important to remember, however, that the European honeybee is not our only pollinator. Native bees also serve to pollinate our crops. Long before European honeybees were imported to the States, scores of native bees were completing the pollination work quite well on their own. Unlike their European counterparts, native bees tend to live solitary lives, eschewing the comforts and demands of a hive, thus making it impossible for farmers to move them from crop to crop. Native bees, however, with a little planning, can be encouraged to visits and take care of the task at hand quite nicely.

There are about 1,500 different varieties of bees in California alone. Some look similar to their European cousins, where others look more closely related to flies. Many are active earlier in spring than the typical honeybee and can pollinate more flowers because they are faster fliers. In 1996 The Forgotten Pollinators by Buchman and Nabhan, delved into the topic of alternate pollinators for plants and raised the alarm much like Carson's Silent Spring. And today, programs are emerging to help nurture a thriving native bee population throughout California.

At a community garden in San Luis Obispo, California, plot holders are participating in a native bee study lead by Dr. Gordon Frankie at UC Berkeley. By planting flowers that are attractive to bees and forgoing mulching (native bees lay their eggs in the ground and layers of mulch make it impossible for them to dig burrows), the group at Emerson Garden found a whopping 59 different species of bees visiting their plants. Far exceeding their expectations much to the delight of the participants.

Creating a garden that is friendly to native bees is not at all difficult and being one of our most beneficial insects, it should be our top priority. By planting attractive flowers, removing mulches and forgoing insecticides, you can go a long way towards increasing pollination, the production of your crops and the health of our native bee population all at the same time.

For more information please visit Guide To Bee-Friendly Gardens - The World's Star Pollinators

Here Comes the Sun

I always forget how quickly arugula seedlings come up. Much like lettuce, you merely blink and they are sprouting. I was checking my seedlings a few days after planting for water. I pulled them off their perch on top of the refrigerator (I find that I get the most warmth up there) to find these little guys frantically seeking the sun. So I took them out of their warming tray and placed them on the window to get their first peek at the world.

Arugula is one of my favorite greens. Most people will add it to a salad, where as I will make a salad entirely of arugula. Add a little oil, vinegar, salt and perhaps some crumbled feta and I'm a happy girl. I also love just picking a leaf and munching on it in my garden as I go about my chores. It's slightly bitter taste is both refreshing and addictive.

Obviously quick to start from seed and easy to grow, arugula's only drawback is it's tendency to bolt in warm weather. I find that planting it in a partial sun location can greatly slow down this process. Also planting more than one crop assures I will have arugula through most of the season to satisfy my cravings.

A Steamin' Bag Of ...

Yesterday when I went about starting some seeds, I noticed some fungi growing in a new bag of supposedly sterile seedling mix. I knew you could sterilize soil in the oven, so I did some Google research and came across several methods of sterilizing them in the microwave. Since the oven method would take about 20 minutes and the microwave method was only going to take 2.5 minutes, microwaving it was.

I followed the instruction that I found here. I piled some soil into some freezer bags and popped them in the microwave. I did read the warning on several sites about the soil creating a bad smell, but I figured, "How bad can it be?" I love the smell of damp soil so I merely opened a window. Within two minutes time of cooking, however, the kitchen was filled with a nasty odor that I'm still trying to identify. It wasn't electrical fire smell, but on the same intensity level. It wasn't burning plastic smell, but lingered just as long. It didn't smell like rotting food, but made me gag in the same way. It was a totally new smell. A totally new, awful, smell.

So be forewarned. when they say it smells, they mean it. Open plenty of doors and windows before you hit start on the microwave. And, by the way, it is supposed to smell worse when you do it in the oven. Thankfully I was pressed for time.

When A Pumpkin A Not A Pumpkin

Last night I was finally getting around to cutting and roasting some of the pumpkins leftover from Halloween in order to save the seeds. (Yes, I know that was in October. And Yes, I know it's March. I just can't kill them before their time). I was trying to determine what varieties I had, when I came across a disturbing fact. The pumpkin in canned pumpkin doesn't look anything like a pumpkin! It looks more like pumpkin's deformed cousin, the butternut squash and that's because they are related. The pumpkin in canned pumpkin is the Dickinson (C. moschata) variety. It's actually a cross between pumpkin and butternut squash. And rather than getting the beautiful traits of it's mother, the round body, glowing orange skin, it got all the traits of it's father, except for taste. Take a look below. Isn't that a spitting image of a butternut squash. Sure does taste like pumpkin though.