William asks…
Poll: Have you planted anything in your garden yet?
Which gardening zone do you live in?
(If you live in the United States. If you don’t how does your country organize different growing regions? I have always been curious.)
If not, have you started anything inside?
GardenersCardiff answers:
Gardening zones? Organised growing regions? I have no idea what you’re on about, but then I’m not very knowledgeable about gardening. I do love being outside and am never happier than when digging a hole, but my garden just sort of ‘happens’. I chuck wildflower seeds about (to get lots of fat bumble-bees and butterflies interested), and hope for the best.
I’m guessing what you’re referring to is you have some kind of guide in the US that tells people what kinds of stuff grows best where over there? The Uk is small and doesn’t have the wide range of weather variations you get in the States. The soil varies quite a bit across the country though – clay, chalky, sandy etc, and gardening is a massive, massive national pastime, with many more people growing their own food these days.
A bloke in his 80’s lives next door and he grows all their fruit and veg every year and has done all his life, it looks amazing, really abundant – he definitely knows what he’s doing. These days he spends more time sitting in the sun under his apple trees just looking at it rather than digging it though – he mostly just directs is son and soaks up the rays. And why not.
I haven’t planted anything yet, but I noticed yesterday that my lily bulbs are just starting to come through again, and that the faithful offspring of an Aquilegia I grew in a window-box as a child is putting out tiny new green leaves which is really cheering. Hooray for Spring!
I grow tomatoes and strawberries, but like I said, my garden mostly just ‘happens’ which accounts for it being over-run with tiny, intensely flavoured wild strawberries which I encourage and transplant all over the place. I’ve got a bank plastered with them and a patio carpeted with them, so it’s nice to sit with a drink in the summer and reach down and grab a handful. They’re wonderful with icecream if you can get them before the birds do.
Hmm, you’ve got me really looking forward to the warmer weather now…..
Charles asks…
Hardy flower/plant suggestions for zone 9 garden (for the non-greenthumbed)?
I live in gardening zone 9 (whatever that means!) in the San Francisco bay area. I have made several attempts to plant flowers in my front yard, but most of them die and it’s a huge disappointment to me, not to mention my neighbors.
The only plants I have not managed to murger are: mexican sage, shasta daisies, a rosemary bush, and a geranium.
I am looking for greenery that is simple to maintain and will not die. I’m okay with having the same plant/flower everywhere as long as it looks nice and alive.
I have all the tools and some soil. My budget for flowers is about $50 or so. Any recommendations?
Thank you.
GardenersCardiff answers:
Are you watering enough? You would need to give a deep soak every 3-7 days. Deep infrequent watering is always better than a small amount each day. I’m in Sonoma County so I know about our hot, dry summers!
Well, there are a few ways to go…you can add more of the plants that you are successful with. Planting in odd numbers (like 3 of one plant, 5 of one plant, and so on), keep the look uniform.
Here are some other easy drought tolerant plants that do well here:
-Sedum (stonecrop)-these are succulent type plants and they have vary in foliage colors, plant sizes and flower colors
-Thymus (thyme)-great for using as a green ground cover where you need it
-Geranium (crane’s bill)-try Geranium ‘Russell Pritchard’ or Geranium ‘Mavis Simpson’ as they can take sun, they have pink flowers and make a taller ground cover
-ornamental grasses-lots to choose from! These make great focal points and are easy
-Erigeron karvinskianus (Santa Barbara daisy)-gets between 1-2′ in height and has loads of small white daisy flowers for a good part of the year, I love this plant
-Hebe-these are shrubs that have pretty flowers, they foliage varies depending on the type but they foliage is nice all year when the plant isn’t in flower
-Santolina (lavender cotton)-small shrubby plants that stay green or gray all year, they have small button-like flowers but the foliage is nice all year
-Teucrium chamaedrys (wall germander)-a staple for this climate, nice shiny evergreen leaves with reddish purple flowers in summer-fall
These are just a few suggestions. I don’t know where you are but go to a good local nursery (not the big box stores) and ask for advice. A good nursery will be able to help you make good plant selections. Tell them you want hardy, easy and drought tolerant plants to add to what you have. Hardy means it will last through the winter. Easy means you don’t have to do much to it. And drought tolerant means that it will tolerate minimal watering once it is established.
You can also wait for the fall sales to come and maximize your dollar. Fall planting is the best time to plant as the soils are still warm and the new plants will get their roots settled in before winter and will be ready to go ahead come spring. Also, try to get plants in smaller containers to save money too. You most likely don’t need 1 gallon plants for perennials and you can save money by getting 4″ pots. In a few weeks time they are generally the same size anyway.
Also, zone 9 is what USDA zone you are in. Plants are rated to a zone so that you will know if it will tolerate your climate. A plant rates for zone 9 will thrive there but will struggle in zones 1-8. A plant rated for zone 5 will thrive there but will struggle in zones 1-4. It will most likely be okay in zones 6 and up. There are a few exceptions for plants that need a cold snap and will not be okay in a warmer zone but for the most part a plant can go up in zones but will struggle going into a lower zone.
Hope this helps! Good luck.
Richard asks…
when should i plant my spring garden in zone 7?
this crazy weather makes me wonder.
GardenersCardiff answers:
Hi, I’m in zone 7 as well, and it really depends what you’re planting.
I’m starting my tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, watermelon, other warm season crops…from seed in late January/early February. I’ll start to plant my cold season crops i.e. Lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, peas) starting March-April.
Flowers, you’ll just have to follow what it says on the packets, but most certainly after the frost free date, which is usually late March-early April.
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Ruth asks…
how can i find my hardiness zones?
GardenersCardiff answers:
Most gardening books have a map with the zones shown. You can also look in an encyclopedia under USDA zones or put USDA zones in your search engine.
Mark asks…
early spring garden?
what are the best flowers to plant in early spring that will last for a while and are really pretty
the spot i have for them is shaded and tiger lilys grew there last year so any flower that will go well with them
i also want them to have a special meaning for spring
GardenersCardiff answers:
It depends on which gardening zone you’re in. To find out:
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/category.jsp?catref=cat170008
I’m in zone 5b. The first bulbs that bloom for me are Snowdrops (Galanthus). Here are some cultivars:
http://www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com/spring/genus.php?genusid=24
Mine just started to bloom a couple days ago and will continue for a few weeks.
My father lives in zone 7 and he has daffodils blooming right now. Here are some different kinds of daffies:
http://www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com/spring/genus.php?genusid=44
There are 14 different divisions of daffies for you to explore. I like Jonquillas best for their fragrance but I have many different kinds.
Crocus also blooms very early:
http://www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com/spring/genus.php?genusid=14
Very early crocus can be planted in waves in your grassy areas or you can use different colors to make designs. They will finish blooming and start to die off then just mow the grass as usual. They’re also inexpensive.
The sites that I’ve given are all from Brent and Becky’s Bulbs. They’re a great company and have a free catalog. Spring-blooming bulbs are planted in the autumn for the next year’s bloom.
If you want to chat about gardening, e-mail me. I love to talk plants. I’ll try to help in any way that I can. Before ordering from any on-line business, please check the reviews of the company here:
http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/
There are some great companies out there and some very, very bad ones.
Sharon asks…
What should I plant in my garden? northern CA zone 111?
I would like to start two separate gardens. One I want to plant some natives flowers/herbs (not to be consumed as this is next to a dumpster) that don’t require me watering them).
The other one, more importantly, will be for consumption. Is it too late to do bell peppers? I want to plant vegetables, native flowers, edibles, etc. Please any help you can give me would be great as I have an awesome opportunity to get stuff going in our “community garden” between ours and our neighbors apartment buildings and I want to get stuff in before everyone takes up all the room. Also, if you have some good gardening links or books let me know because naturally I have a black thumb. Thanks so much!
I just checked on the national gardening associated page and it actually says zone 7-9 so obviously i have no idea what I am talking about!!
GardenersCardiff answers:
I’m in N. CA too. You should start your book collection off with the “Sunset Western Garden Book” – it’s our bible. It covers a good range of plants and is a good beginner book.
Now, know that with all gardens you will have to water them to get them started. Once they are established, you begin to taper off your watering. You also want drought tolerant plants since you don’t want to do much care once they are established.
Here are some good natives nurseries to check out:
http://www.calfloranursery.com/
http://www.mostlynatives.com/
http://www.yerbabuenanursery.com/
http://www.laspilitas.com/
Since your climate and needs are so specific, you should really consult a good nursery in your area and get your questions answered about which natives to use, when to plant them, how often to water and for how long, etc.
You will also want to ask about what veggie starts you can get this time of year for a fall garden. Be sure to note how much sun your area gets and plan accordingly.
Sorry I can’t give you absolute definite ideas but you have really specific needs. But I hope I gave you some ideas and advice to go on. 
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