Carob Trees and Vegetable Gardens
Walking under a carob tree the other evening, I smelled a strong scent of chlorine bleach. This unusual fragrance is emitted by carob flowers when the nights turn cool. In the San Fernando Val...
Tag Archives: fall garden
Late Bloomers
It’s the end of a brutal summer and you would think that every plant would be all bloomed out or unable to flower, even if now is its usual time to do so. But that thought would be incor...
Beautyberry
Plants are full of surprises. In fact, the more closely you observe plants, the more often you are surprised. Perhaps it involves training the eye to see, as opposed to only glimpse or scan. You may ...
Vines that adhere to walls
Q. I would like a vine that will adhere to walls, stand sun and stay green all year. Ideas? -Fred Merrill, Beverly Glen A.There are vines that meet your requirements except that they ar...
How to Prune — or not to Prune — a Citrus Tree
Q: We have an orange tree that looks more like a bush. How do you prune the bottom branches without damaging the tree? – Leon Callahan, Northridge A: Pruning bottom branches on fruit tre...
Bulbs are worth the wait
Planting bulbs is not for everyone, especially those in need of immediate gratification. You may have to wait six months to see flowers from the bulbs you plant in October. Some people don’t pl...
Why October is the best month for planting
If you have delayed planting because of the hot weather, delay no more. October is the best time of the year to plant a Valley garden. Daylight hours are increasingly scarce so that even a hot...
Everyone should have a ribbon bush
Everyone should have a ribbon bush. The ribbon bush (Hypoestes aristata) grows into a 3-foot sphere that is completely covered with mauve flowers during the months of October and November. It ...
October is the Time to Plant
We are in the golden days of the fall planting season. Now is the time to plant groundcover and every other flowering perennial, shrub, tree and bulb. For the next six weeks, root growth proce...
Orange you glad autumn is here?
Note: Ken Roberts took accompanying photo of cape honeysuckle with hummingbird The heat of this past summer may have finally given way to cooler autumn days, yet two plants continue to make a determ...
