Winter

Winter in Southern California can be a wonderful time to garden as long as you pick a day that's not rainy or windy. There are always sunny, mild days during the winter months that make working outside an especially pleasant experience.
January is a great time to plant California natives and other Mediterranean plants.
Nurseries are full of bare-root fruit trees, grape vines, berries, and roses to plant now.
Remember to water plants under eaves that haven't been reached by rains.
If rain is scarce, do water natives as this is their growing season.
Cut back ragged Grasses and Salvias that weren't cut back in late Fall.
Roses are going as dormant as they go here in SoCal, and they can be pruned back by about a third now. Leaves should be cleaned up from under your rose bushes and thrown away.
Pull weeds out after rains.
Throw a few inches of new mulch all around your perennials.
Keep planting those cool-season veggies, like lettuces and greens.
It's a good time to choose and plant Camellias and Azaleas, most of which are blooming now.

Many succulents are blooming now too, and they make quite a show at places like The Huntington Gardens and The Arboretum. Don't forget to check out the Camellias at Descanso Gardens and The Huntington as well..

And it's a great time of year to go for a hike!

Fall in Los Angeles

In Southern California, Fall is full of opportunities for the gardener.

Fall is the perfect time to:


Collect seeds from your plants that have gone to seed. Sometimes this entails using a paper bag, and shaking the seed pods into it. Or placing a large sheet of paper under the plant, shaking the plant, and collecting the seeds from the paper.

Plant a Tree and shrubs and perennials. Fall is a great time to get plants established during mild weather and, hopefully, rainy days, before the often extreme heat of summer comes along and stresses them. It is not necessarily a great time to plant citrus or tropicals, especially as Fall turns to Winter and there's a significant danger of frost. But it is an absolutely great time to plant anything else. October does have it's warm, dry days, but starting in November things are usually cool and mild. I notice that plants planted in Fall may take a while to show significant growth, but by the following Spring the gardener is rewarded with a lush, happy addition to the garden. Fall is also a nice time to plant smaller plants, like 6" pots or 1 gallons, because by Spring you won't know the difference, and you will have saved a tidy sum.

Plant Winter Vegetables. Fall is the time when a lot of people figure their gardens will start to go fallow. You might have a couple tomato plants still putting out some good fruits, but things are looking raggedy, and it's probably time to fill up your green trash can and dream about Spring. Don't miss out on one of the best times to vegetable garden! I love growing during Fall and Winter. There are less pests, fewer weeds, and some of the watering is done for you! My absolute favorite thing to grow during this time is a salad mix. Arugula, lettuces, and other greens take so little care and can be grown from seed planted successively to give a long harvest. Everyone should try it, because it's easy and you only need a small space. Get a "Mesclun Mix" pack of seeds and carefully shake a small amount of seeds over a couple square feet of soil. Water by misting. They will be up and going within a week, and soon after that, you can start harvesting baby leaves. Heaven! Some other winter favorites: Swiss Chard, Carrots, Sugar Snap Peas.

Fall Flowers

It's starting to feel like Fall, and there are certain plants and flowers that always make me think of Autumn. In Southern California, the seasons are a little flat because vegetables grow, leaves fall and flowers bloom at all times of year here. But Autumn still has a distinct feel to it.

The light changes, the sun starts to angle. There's a slight chill in the air, especially by Halloween.




I love seeing the afternoon sun shining through the plumes of Miscanthus. It gives such a warm golden glow.

The Light coming through the Miscanthus reminds me of Fall, but the white-gray of the Lamb's Ear makes me think of snow!

There's nothing like sunflowers. They never fail to make me smile.

Echinacea also reminds me of Fall for some reason, despite it's being so bright and cheery.  Most things that make me think of Autumn are darker and earthier. It looks great with Rudbeckia even though pink and yellow are not always friendly companions. Maybe it's because their form is similar.

The Fall Equinox is on the evening of September 22 this year. Happy Fall!

Summer

July and August are not optimal months for planting or moving plants around, unless you want to plant a couple tropicals in the ground or create some container plantings you may have to water everyday. There are a couple other things you can do during August, but I'll save those for another post! July and August are wonderful months for dreaming about what you want to do when it cools down in October! I love to fantasize about changing things as I lie in patio because it's too hot to do anything else!

Make some notes as you walk around your property making sure everything's getting enough water:

• What areas didn't impress this Spring?
• Which plants need to be rejuvenated by being cut back hard? -- the end of summer is a great time, and in Winter, before Spring growth. Candidates for this include ornamental grasses and salvias.
• Which perennials and annuals need to be replaced?
• Do you have plenty of comfortable places to sit outside?
• Are you attracting Hummingbirds and Butterflies?
• Would you like to cut your water bill by replanting some areas?