The Spring-Summer Transition: Spring Garden Tasks

Mother Nature's Backyard at the Spring-Summer Transition

 

Gardens
featuring California native plants have distinct seasons.  Spring is the time of new growth and
wildflowers; we like to call it the ‘Growth Season’.  It’s a lovely time, one we look forward to
each year.  But like all good things, the
Growth Season is ephemeral.   To learn more about the seasons in California
gardens see: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2014/09/seasons-in-southern-california-garden.html.

Sometime
in May (the timing depends on the weather and where you live in S. California),
the garden begins to transition from spring to summer. You can see it happening
before your very eyes.  Spring wildflowers
finish their blooming – or are completely done – and the cool season grasses turn
golden brown.  The days are longer and
warmer, with a hint of the summer to come. 
This is the spring-summer transition.

The
spring-summer transition is one of two busy times in the California native
garden.  The other is late fall (we’ll
talk about that in October). These are clean-up, tidy-up and preparation times.  The tasks are not unpleasant, and you can do
them over a period of several weeks (from May to June).  Once complete, your garden will look lovely;
you’ll be ready to enjoy the outdoor celebrations of summer.

The
main tasks of the spring-summer transition include watering, weeding/pest
management, seed and foliage harvesting, tidying (including pruning) and
checking, fixing and replenishing mulch and other hardscape.  We discuss each of these separately below.

 

Trickle watering bucket makes selective watering easy.

 

Watering

If
your garden is young (two years old or less), now is the time to seriously begin
a summer watering program.  The longer
days, higher temperatures and wind can dry out a garden in a hurry.  So check the soil – dig down 3-4 inches – and
water if it’s dry.

When
watering, choose a cool, overcast day. 
Review the 14-day weather forecast; if a cool, cloudy period is
projected, that’s the time to water.

Even
established gardens often include a new plant or two.  These will need a little summer water, even
if the rest of the garden is drought tolerant. The easiest way to water
individual plants is with a trickle watering bucket (for instructions on how to
make and use one see: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2015/07/surviving-drought.html).   Alternatively you can water with a hose set
to a trickle.  Either way, you can water
deeply, but selectively.

 

Oleander aphids and their predators on Milkweed.

 

Weeding and Pest Management

If
you have a young garden, you may be ready to give up at this point.  Moist soils and warm weather provide perfect
conditions for a number of pesky weeds. 
Take heart: pull weeds before they go to seed and prevent a bigger
problem next spring.  Weeding does become less of an issue as trees
and shrubs shade out some of the sun-lovers. 
That and weeding really pay off in the future – so get out and weed in
the pleasant days of May!

If
weeds are popping up in the cracks, wait for a sunny day and spritz them with
vinegar.  It may take several treatments,
but this old-time remedy really does
work.  Best of all, it’s cheap and safe.

In
general, pests are less of a problem in water-wise native gardens.  There are several reasons for this: 1)
natives are less susceptible to their usual pests; 2) drier garden conditions
deter some pests (slugs, snails and others); 3) native plants attract natural pest-eaters
like birds and carnivorous (otherwise known as beneficial) insects. 

That
being said, the fresh new foliage may be attracting aphids, thrips and other
chewing and sucking insects.  Get out in
the garden and look for them.   Look also for the beneficial insects: the
ladybugs, robber flies, lacewings and others of Mother Nature’s pest control
squad.

Ladybug larvae look like monsters - but they eat a whole

 lot of aphids

 

Learn
what the beneficials look like: the Ladybug larvae (which eat the aphids) look
like little monsters (see above) but they are true garden heros.   If you see adult Ladybugs on a plant, look
for the larvae.  The adults are laying
eggs, and the larvae are likely present in sizes ranging from minute to
larger-than-adult.   Be thankful that you’ve
got these voracious eaters in your garden!

If
pests are overtaking a plant, then take action. 
As a first step, try blasting aphids and thips off with a stream of
water.  If that doesn’t work, use a mild
insecticide – Safer’s Insecticidal Soap or a few drops of mild dish washing
detergent in a liter of water.  Native
plant gardens rarely require anything stronger.



Removing plants of the annual Succulent lupine

 (Lupinus succulentis)

 

Seed and Foliage Harvesting

Late
spring is important for seed collecting/spreading.  After the spring-blooming plants finish
flowering, they produce seeds.  If you want
your wildflowers to return year after year, you need to either let the plants
reseed naturally or collect the dry seeds and store them.   Learn more about managing annual wildflowers
at: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2015/04/sustainable-gardening-managing-annual.html.

 

Annual wildflower plants (spent) used as mulch.

 

You
may need to tidy the garden before all of the seedpods have opened.  Here’s a trick we use: harvest entire annual wildflower
plants (or trim seed pods from perennials), cut them up if needed, and use them
as mulch.   You may need to tramp the mulch down a bit for
a tidier appearance; and you only want to use this mulch in areas where you
want new plants to grow.   This method
works quite well for reseeding, and has the additional advantage of creating no-cost
summer mulch.

 



Coyote mint (Monardella villosa) ready for harvest.

If
you use flavorful leaves for tea or seasonings, this is also a good time to
collect the leaves of native mints, Salvias (sages), California sagebrush,
California goldenrod and others.   The Salvias produce two set of leaves; if you
want to use the larger ‘wet season leaves’, collect them before they begin to
dry up.  For tips on how to preserve the
leaves and flavors for use all year see: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2016/04/california-gourmet-making-flavored.html.
  You can also use the dried leaves for
potpourri and other crafts: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2013/11/garden-crafts-making-potpourri-from.html

 

Many native plants benefit from a little tidying this

 time of year.

 

Tidying up (including a little
pruning)

The
spring-summer transition is one of two times a year (the other is late fall)
when the garden can look a bit unkempt.  
A bit of tidying can make your garden safer and healthier, in addition
to looking better.  So get out your
gloves and pruners to do a little plant maintenance.

We’ve
discussed collecting seed from spring annuals above.  We like to leave the annuals until most of
the seeds have ripened.  At that point
it’s easy to pull up the dry plants and use them as mulch.  

If
possible, we also leave the seed pods and fruits on trees, shrubs and
perennials, either until they are ready to collect or they drive us crazy –
whichever comes first.  Seed and
fruit-eating garden birds depend on our gardens, particularly in times of
drought.  So hold back until most of the
edibles are gone, then prune as appropriate.  
For more tips on pruning native plants see: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2012/11/pruning-common-native-plants.html.

Look
over your trees and shrubs.  Are there
broken branches?   Areas with disease?
Crossing branches that are rubbing, causing damage?   These problems should be remedied any time
you see them.  But the spring-summer
transition is a good time to give your trees and shrubs a thorough review.

Pruning shrubs that have over-grown the sidewalk.

Garden of Dreams Discovery Garden, CSU Dominguez Hills

 

Some
perennials may have grown exuberantly in spring, extending out over paths and
walkways.  Now is a good time to prune
these back as well.  Just give them a light
pruning for human safety.  We like to
feather the edges of shrubs along walkways, rather than hedge-pruning to a
straight edge.  But whatever works with
your garden’s style is fine.

Some
shrubs and perennials are growing vigorously with the warm weather.  If you want to create a bushier plant, tip
prune branches during times of late spring growth.    Catalina
snapdragon (Gambelia speciosa),
Lemonadeberry (Rhus integrifolia),
the herbaceous mints (Mentha, Clinopodeum,
Stachys) and California fuschia (Epilobium canum) all respond well to
this treatment.

 

New mulch makes the garden look fresh & tidy.

Garden of Dreams Discovery Garden, CSU Dominguez Hills.

 

Checking, Fixing and
Replenishing Mulch and other Hardscape

Late
spring is also a good time to do routine hardscape maintenance.  If using irrigation (of any type), now’s the
time to be sure that everything is in working order.  Replace broken or non-functional elements;
test timers to see if they are functioning properly.   You’ll
soon need your irrigation system in good working order.

Late
spring is also a good time to reassess your garden watering
system/strategy.  As native plants become
established, they may need less water. 
Perhaps it’s time to replace your drip or conventional irrigation system
with something less intensive.  At the
very least, move drip irrigation or soaker hoses to accommodate the growing
root system of maturing plants. 

 

Gravel mulch would benefit from a good raking to

 remove dried plant material.

 

This is also a good time to see if mulch needs replenishing.  Organic mulches break down over the winter;
you may need to add some new mulch atop the old.  New mulch also gives the garden a tidy appearance.  Even inorganic (gravel; rock) mulches may
need occasional replenishment.  At the
very least, rake the inorganic mulch and remove spent organic matter to give a
neater look for summer.

Late
spring is a fine time to critically evaluate your paths and walkways.  Are they safe? Functional?  In the right place?    Would additional paths make it easier for
you to access the garden?   Now is a good time to make changes or
repairs – before the heat of summer begins.

Inspect
walls, fences, patios, sheds and other hardscape.  Make needed repairs.

 

Mother Nature's Backyard is ready for summer!

 

While
the spring-summer transition involves some work, the results are so dramatic that
you can’t help but appreciate them.  So
get out in the garden, put in a little extra time now, and enjoy the results
all summer long.

 

 

We
welcome your comments (below).  You can
also send your questions to: mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com

 

 

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Plant of the Month (May): Wooly bluecurls – Trichostema lanatum

Wooly bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum) - Mother Nature's Garden of Health

 

Many garden plants are surprising us
these days, despite the drought and blustery winds.  Even some of the ‘gamble’ plants – species we
planted despite their questionable suitability – are doing remarkably well.  One such plant is the Wooly bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum, pronounced tri-KOS-te-ma la-NAY-tum),
which is looking lovely in Mother Nature’s Garden of Health.

Wooly bluecurls belongs to the Mint
family (Lamiaceae), along with the
sages (Salvia species), the
Pitchersages (Lepechinia species),
the Woodmints (Stachys species) and
other mints (Mentha; Monardella; Clinopodium/Satureja).
Most Trichostemas are aromatic and
have distinctive blue or purple flowers. Trichostema
 is limited to N. America; and of the 18
species, 11 occur in California, most of them annual wildflowers.

Several Trichostemas grow in Los Angeles County. The annual Trichostema lanceolatum (Vinegar weed)
has been recorded from the Santa Monica Mountains, Catalina Island and the
Palos Verdes peninsula.   Trichostema
austromontanum (also an annual) grows in the San Gabriel Mountains.  The perennial (sub-shrub) Parish's bluecurls
(Trichostema parishii), similar in
appearance to Wooly bluecurls, can still be seen in the San Gabriels. 

 

Wooly bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum) in natural setting.

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont CA.

 

 

Wooly bluecurls ranges from the Santa
Lucia and Gabilan ranges of Monterey and San Benito Counties, to northern Baja
California, Mexico, in the south.  In Los
Angeles County, it grows on Santa Catalina Island and in the Santa Monica and
San Gabriel mountain ranges.  It was
formerly common on dry slopes below about 3000-4500' in coastal scrub and
chaparral communities.  Some very good Trichostema habitat has been lost to
human expansion.  There is evidence that
this species once grew at lower elevations – places now covered by cities and
suburbs.

The first recorded (written) sighting
of Trichostema lanatum was by the
Spanish explorer Fray Juan Crespi, in 1769. [1] The type specimen was collected
by David Douglas, a noted plant collector in the western U.S.  And the species was named and described in
1835 by George Bentham (1800-1884), eminent English taxonomist and long-time
president of the Linnaean Society of London. [2] Trichostema lanatum was introduced into the horticultural trade by
Theodore Payne.

 

Young Wooly bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum)

 

Wooly bluecurls is an evergreen,
perennial sub-shrub, growing 3-5 ft. (1-1.5 m.) tall and 4-6 ft. wide.  The plants resemble the Mediterranean herb
Rosemary.  In fact, the common names for Trichostema lanatum include Romero
(Spanish name for Rosemary), California rosemary and American wild rosemary.

When young (above), plants have
several, fairly upright stems, and an overall vase-like form. The younger
branches are a dark purple-red, providing a lovely contrast with the foliage.  As a plant matures, it adds upright stems and
becomes more branched; mature plants look more like mature native Salvias, with
a mounded form.  As plants age, the
woody, older parts of the branches lose their foliage, exposing the flaky,
gray-brown bark of mature stems.  

Wooly bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum) - maturing plant

 

To our eyes, Wooly bluecurls is a
lovely plant at all ages.  Unfortunately,
it often grows quickly for about 3-5 years, then expires in local gardens.   We’ll discuss the reasons why – and things
you can do to insure a healthy life – below. 
But know that a mature Trichostema
is a welcome sight – a rustic old-timer that adds character and a
Mediterranean flair to any garden.

The new spring foliage is bright
green; it darkens to a medium to dark green by summer.  The leaves are narrow – even linear – 1 ½ to
3 inches (3.5 to 7.5 cm.) long and about ¼ inch
wide.  Leaves are shiny above and
hairy-white below; and the leaf margins curl under.  This becomes more pronounced in summer/fall –
an adaptation to the dry season. 

Wooly bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum): spring foliage

Wooly bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum): close-up of

 spring foliage

 

Wooly bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum): summer

 

The most notable aspect of the foliage is its
aroma.  It is truly a fragrance of Old
California; a bit of pine, a hint of lavender, a fresh sweet scent that is
unique to Wooly bluecurls.   Like many other aromatic plants, Trichostema lanatum has a long history
of culinary and medicinal use.

Wooly bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum): mature plant in bloom

Wooly bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum): flowering stalk

 

The flowers of this plant are nothing short of
spectacular!  They grow along spike-like inflorescences at
the end of branches and in axils along the stems.  The flowering stalks provide striking
vertical interest in a late spring garden. 
Mature plants can produce 50 or more purple spikes, beginning in
April-May in the lowlands – into summer at higher elevations.   The flowers are long-lived and make
wonderful cut flowers.  The spikes and
flowers are covered with short, wooly hairs – hence the common name Wooly
bluecurls.  The flowering stalks are soft
to the touch, an aspect that enchants children of all ages.

The flowers themselves are marvels of Mother
Nature’s engineering.  The petals are
usually a bright royal blue, but range from white or pink to dark purple.  Some cultivars (see below) have unique floral
colors.   As seen in the photo below, the
entire flower is covered in short hairs, which may be white, pink or purple.

 

Wooly bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum): close-up of flowers

The
calyx (fused sepals) of a typical flower is magenta, which contrasts nicely with
the blue-purple of the petals.  Like many
hummingbird flowers – and the mints in general - the petals are fused to form a
slender tube. Nectar at the bottom of the tube is accessible only to
long-tongued pollinators like hummingbirds, large bees and the long-tongued
larger butterflies. 

The
five petals are modified into two lips, the upper being deeply lobed (see
photo).  The sexual parts are exserted
(extend out beyond the floral tube) in dramatic fashion, making the flowers
quite showy and distinctive.  This is yet
another adaptation to hummingbird pollination: the pollen adheres to the heads
and backs of nectaring hummingbirds. Pollen is transferred from flower to
flower as a by-product of hummingbird feeding.

The
seeds (four wrinkled nutlets per flower) are contained in a dry capsule.  Trichostema
lanatum is ‘fire-follower’;
seeds require stimulus from chemicals in the smoke of burning Coastal Sage Scrub
or Chaparral to germinate. If you want to grow it from seed, you’ll need to smoke-treat
the seeds.  Some propagators spread twigs
of chaparral shrubs over prepared seed flats, burn the twigs, then water and
plant the seeds.  An easier method is to
purchase smoke-infused filter paper (sometimes called ‘liquid smoke’) which is
available on-line; the filter paper is soaked in water, which is then used to
soak the seeds prior to planting. 

You
can also try using commercial ‘liquid smoke’ or ‘hickory seasoning’ (the stuff
used to give meats a hickory-smoked flavor), which is available in grocery
stores.  Look for a simple, natural
concoction that lists only smoke and water as ingredients.  Hudson Seeds recommends ‘Wrights’ brand; they
dilute the liquid as a 1:9 dilution (1 part ‘liquid smoke’: 9 parts
water).  Seeds can then be soaked in the
liquid overnight or the solution used to water the seeds in (right after
planting). [4]

 

Wooly bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum) in garden.

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont CA

 

In
most gardens, Wooly bluecurls does best in full sun.  If you have a hot, inland location, you might
have more success with light shade.  Plants
like a well-drained soil with a low nutrient content.  So don’t amend your soil with compost before
planting – and resist the urge to fertilize this plant.  This is an easy species to kill with
kindness!

The
other tricky management aspect involves water – or the lack thereof.  Trichostema
lanatum takes about 2 years to establish (at least in our garden).  It needs occasional summer water during those
first few years.  Thereafter it really
needs to be summer dry.  Plant it with
other plants that need little/no summer water: Toyon, Fremontia, the local bush
Salvias (Black, Purple and White Sage), California sagebrush, California
buckwheat and the penstemons.   Standing water, particularly in the warm
season (late spring through fall), will kill this plant.  Even a very wet winter can do it in!

If you have clay soil, try placing Wooly bluecurls atop
a low berm to improve drainage.   You might also place it in an area that naturally
dries out quickly; perhaps along a pathway, next to a large rock or in an area
with excellent air circulation.   Then
resist the urge to water in summer.  Don’t
worry: this is a born survivor that can take a long dry period, as long as it
gets adequate winter water.  Wooly
bluecurls needs at least 15 inches of water per year, so supplement winter/spring
rains in a droughty winter.

Also refrain from piling organic mulch in deep
layers around Trichostema lanatum.  A gravel mulch, no mulch at all (except
that produced by the plants), or a thin (1 inch) organic mulch are what’s
needed.  Another good idea is to tip
prune plants after blooming and seed set (late summer).  This will produce a bushier plant, and is particularly
important during the first few years.  Be
sure to tip-prune only – leave at least 6 inches of foliage per branch and
never cut back into old, bare wood.

 

 

That’s really about all the management that’s
needed.  Placement and watering are the
keys.  Other than that, Wooly bluecurls
thrives on neglect.  That being said,
this plant is a natural choice for difficult-to-water areas like
hillsides.  It does well in an herb
garden with Mediterranean herbs.  You can
use the dried flowers and foliage to make a tasty tea.  They would also make a nice addition to
home-made soaps and lotions.

 

Wooly bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum) in garden.

Madrona Marsh native plant garden, Torrance CA.

 

Of course Trichostema
lanatum is lovely planted with its natural associates like the native
Salvias, wildflowers, cool-season grasses and bulbs.    Place in front of a backdrop of evergreen
native shrubs to showcase the flowers and foliage.  Flowering plants are truly spectacular when
massed.  Be sure to cut a few flowering
stalks to use in May bouquets.   The edible flowers can also be used as a
garnish on cakes, desserts, etc.

You may be able to find several cultivars at local
native plant nurseries and on-line.  ‘Cuesta
Ridge’ has pink-purple flowers, is a bit smaller and tolerates occasional
summer water.  ‘Susanna Bixby Bryant’ Trichostema lanatum, which has white
flowers, is sometimes available from Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden’s Grow
Native Nursery.

Wooly bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum) against darker foliage.

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont CA.

 

You might also want to include Wooly bluecurls in a
medicinal plants garden.  The blooming
stalks are collected, bundled and hung upside-down to dry.  The dried flowers and leaves are stripped off
and used to make a tea for stomach upset and menstrual cramps.   A tincture made from fresh flowers/leaves can
be used as a linament for bruises (for more on making tinctures see: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2015/10/garden-of-health-making-tincture-for.html).  We've tried this tincture on some nasty bruises; it really does numb the pain and reduce swelling and bruising.  In
the past, flowers and leaves were fried in oil to make a salve for pain.  Powdered dried leaves were also inhaled as a
snuff in treating coughs.  

Limited modern scientific studies suggest that Trichostema lanatum does indeed have
anti-inflammatory effects, at least in the test-tube.  There is current interest in determining the relevant
plant chemicals, and testing these for their medicinal properties.  This is yet another example of an old
medicinal attracting current interest. 
We may someday take cold preparations inspired by wooly bluecurls.

Enchanting Wooly bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum)

 

In summary, Wooly bluecurls is a remarkably
attractive evergreen native shrub.  Its
flowers and foliage are striking, and the flowers attract some of our favorite
pollinators.  In addition, the plant has
both culinary and medicinal uses.  While Trichostema lanatum can be challenging –
and short-lived – it is well worth including in your water-wise garden.  This is truly an enchanting plant.  Once seen you’ll be hooked - believe us on
that!

 

For a
gardening information sheet see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/gardening-sheet-trichostema-lanatum

For more
pictures of this plant see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/trichostema-lanatum-web-show

For plant
information sheets on other native plants see: http://nativeplantscsudh.blogspot.com/p/gallery-of-native-plants_17.html

_________________________________

1.       https://www.ventanawild.org/news/ss01/romero.html

2.       http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/woollybluecurls.html

3.       http://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1063&context=sturesearch

4.       http://www.jlhudsonseeds.net/Germination.htm

 

 

 

 

We
welcome your comments (below).  You can
also send your questions to: mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com

 

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South Bay Water-wise Gardening Tour - May 15th

Mother Nature's Backyard will be on the 2016 South Bay Water-wise Garden Tour

 

 

 The South Bay Water-wise Gardening Tour is fast approaching (Sunday, May 15th).  This tour is a great way to get ideas for making your garden more water-wise.  See ideas in action, talk to homeowners, be inspired.



Get your tickets NOW!  For more information: http://www.southbaywaterwisegardentour.com/ 



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