Your Questions About Gardening

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…..

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.

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.