February gardening: Ideas and inspiration
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You’ll want to stay out of flower beds until they dry out a bit -- there’s nothing worse than compacted soil. But for those plotting their next move in the garden, some suggestions:
Now is a prime time to plant winter greens -- or reds, whites, pinks and purples, as is the case with one colorful edible. Check out Lili Singer’s advice on planting chard.
Why bother with seeds? It’s one way to get more interesting plants, and it’s easier than you might think. Robert Smaus offers tips on the best way to raise seedlings.
If a desert garden sounds smart but you’re worried about how your children and pets might live with it, read our feature on cactus without spines or needles.
We could spend hours debating the place (or lack thereof) of lawn in L.A., but for those of you who have decided to keep your turf, at least know there are good reasons not to spread manure as fertilizer, as so many gardeners and professional gardening crews do this time of year.
Finally, what would winter be without camellias? Read our feature story, and for some growing advice, click to the jump.
Camellia tips from horticulturist Lili Singer, originally published with her feature story:
Camellias are not fussy. A spot with decent drainage and mildly acid conditions usually makes them happy. With regular irrigation and light feeding for the first few years, they toughen and need less attention. At planting, nurseryman Tom Nuccio suggests a 50-50 backfill of native soil and planter mix or compost. He also recommends three cottonseed meal feedings each year, at eight-week intervals starting in spring. ‘Easter, Fourth of July, Labor Day,’ he adds, citing a customer’s mnemonic. In nature, camellias grow in the light shade of pines and other tall trees, their roots cozy in a duff of fallen needles and leaves. Cultivated plants appreciate similar surroundings and a deep layer of organic mulch, kept safely away from the trunks. To learn more, consult ‘The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Camellias’ (Timber Press, 1998) by Stirling Macoboy, with more than 1,000 entries.
-- Craig Nakano
Photos, from top: A camellia called Bella Rosa and another called Snow Drop, both from Nuccio Nurseries. Credits: Los Angeles Times.
