Geraniums, Camellias And Leafy Greens: What To Do In The Garden This Week

1. Winter is great for watching geraniums. Large baskets of flowering geraniums hang from signposts on Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks. In fact, the flower we call geranium is a relative of its pelargonium. True geraniums have white, pink, blue, or purple flowers, while pelargoniums have white, pink, orange, purple, lilac, lavender, purple, or red flowers, but never blue. The most common pelargonium is known as the zonal pelargonium (Pelargonium x hortorum). They are erect plants with lobed leaves, sometimes with multiple patterns, and always with such a characteristic smell that they are sometimes called fish geraniums. Ranch ivy (Pelargonium peltatum) is easy to spot because of its hanging growth habit. Martha Washington (Pelargonium x domesticum) has flowers in many attractive colors, including salmon, creamy pink, and lavender purple, as well as sharply serrated leaves. And here we come to the fragrant geranium (Pelargonium spp.), which can be one hundred or more species. Its pale pink or white flowers are named for the many flavors its leaves impart when crushed or crushed, including mint, lemon, cocoa, nutmeg, apple, ginger, apricot, rose essence, and cinnamon. The chemical compounds that produce this flavor also provide a remarkable degree of drought tolerance. All geraniums are easily propagated by four to six inch cuttings.

2. Camellias are the stars of the greenhouse, but they suffer from some diseases that can affect their ability to bloom. Camellia disease is common and is usually caused by over-watering, poor air circulation, or heavy soil. Air sprays that retain water on the surface of leaves, stems, buds and flowers promote fungal growth. Bud rot caused by the fungus Sclerotinia shows up as brown spots on the petals. If infected petals fall to the ground, the fungal spores do not become active until the following year, when they damage the flowers again. To deal with this rot, remove diseased flowers from plants before they fall. Alternatively, a fungicide applied to the soil before flowering will prevent fungal spores from germinating. The most unpleasant phenomenon in some camellias is not the result of a disease, but the result of a physiological disorder. Known as bud drop, this is the loss of unopened or only partially open buds. Various conditions, some at opposite ends of the cultural spectrum, have been associated with germination: dry soil, too wet soil, freezing winter temperatures, too warm winter temperatures, and insufficient light. Shoot drop is less likely if camellias are well pruned.

3. The Blue Moon bird feeder is available from Gardener's Supply Company (gardeners.com) . The hollow donut-shaped feeder is nine inches in diameter and is made of shiny "very thick plasticine." It has three canary seed cups and holes in the bottom to allow rain to pass through the feeder. A 6-foot food hanging support is included.

4. Any leafy green can be grown all winter, and mesclun is a mixed lettuce of many varieties. Originally grown in Provence, France, mescloun originally consisted of chervil, chicory, lettuce, and arugula. However, many different mesclun blends exist today, and they may also contain one or more of: chard, cabbage, mustard, dandelion, radicchio, and sorrel. Mesclane can be harvested continuously by cutting off the top growth with scissors. You can find packs of six different Mesclun seed mixes at burpee.com.

5. The earth is described as the body of a garden. When we are sick and need to feed ourselves, we cannot feed ourselves, not even the soil in the garden. One way to improve soil health is mulching. A layer of straw 3 to 4 inches thick inhibits the growth of winter weeds and inhibits the growth of pathogens in the garden. Most plant diseases are fungal, and many are spread by fungal spores through rain or watering, or even by spraying the leaves with a hose. Straw, for its part, absorbs rain or irrigation water and prevents splashing. Reducing the frequency of watering is the main benefit of the lawn. To paraphrase the Old Farmer's Almanac: “Weekly watering the garden becomes a chore. If you live in an area of the country that doesn’t get much rain or drought, straw mulch is gold!” 2 x 2 x 4 foot hay is available at most pet stores for about $20. be aware that gardening with hay bales has become popular, especially for vegetables. You can germinate the seeds directly in the bale or grow your own starter vegetables.

Send questions, comments and photos to joshua@perfectplants.com.