Maintiaining Flowers In The Summer Fog Belt
In the California Fog Belt, like most shrubs, princess flower or glory bush, as Brazilian Tibouchina semi-decandra grandiflora is sometimes called, must be pruned, and now is the time to do it. Since in the Fog Belt this bush is almost always in flower, pruning it can be a heart-breaking job. Take yourself firmly in hand and work the pruning shears hard, for the shrub must really be cut far back. Take out branches which cross, and for superb summer results, be ruthless about removing outer branches bearing the lovely buds and large purple flowers.
Unless your garden is well stocked with self-sown annuals, sow seed now of summer-flowering kinds such as cosmos, anchusa, marigold and Coltness hybrid dahlia, which may be used as a low-growing annual.
Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys
Do something now about that garden in the shade you will enjoy next summer. Take a tip from the Coast redwood flora. There decaying stumps and old roots are thick with moss from which spring the self-sown seedlings of redwood flora. You may not be able to duplicate the exact planting, for not all Coast redwood plants will stand the drier air of the Big Valley, but the memory of these wild spots in summer green may be of help to you in arranging your planting.
Remember that root competition usually runs hand in hand with shade; on this account, rich humus and summer moisture must be given. If possible, have your shady garden under a tall tree, so that there will be filtered shade and shafts of sunlight at the outer edges and dense shade near the trunk.
The francoas (maiden’s wreath) from Chile have the unusual combination of handsome basal foliage and tall good-looking white flower spires. There is a pale pink variety, but I have not been able to find it in the nurseries. Hostas, helleborus species, Japanese anemones, columbines and thalictrums are among the plants suited to the Big Valley shade garden.
Pacific Northwest
Because of differences in latitude, distance from the ocean and soils (sandy soil is warm and dries out quickly; heavy soil is cold and unworkable when wet), it is not possible to give definite over-all planting dates. In most of the Northwest, however, this is the month for sowing seeds- of hardy vegetables such as turnips, peas, broad beans, radishes, spinach and all the toles. Washington’s Birthday is the popular date for sowing sweet pea seed and seed of hardy annuals. If your deciduous shrubs and trees are not in, finish up that work as soon as possible, for this is the month when growth speeds up. Get all the soil conditioning and transplanting done which weather and soil will permit. for busy spring days will soon be here.
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