Fall weather in Orange County, CA. November 28, 2009- finally, a little moisture in the air. Even though we’re basically spoiled rotten weatherwise in Southern California, the inevitable dryness/Santa Ana winds this time of year makes me question our sanity for living here out of choice. But now the clouds are coming in and The Man says it might rain. He’s been saying that for a couple days now…we’ll see. Either way, though, this is the season to take care of a few necessary gardening chores.
First of all, this is THE perfect time of year to plant new trees, shrubs and perennials- especially California natives. Roots will have several months to get established in relative peace. By springtime they will be strong enough to defend themselves without much babysitting.
Pruning, weeding and general clean up before Christmas is always a good thing. No need to deal with roses just yet- they are probably still blooming. But most spring/summer blooming perennials are probably way past their prime now, and are ready to be cut back. Clumping plants like Agapanthus (Lily of the Nile), African Iris and daylilies can be dug up & divided. And I can never stress this enough: a 3″ to 4″ layer of organic mulch under everything- especially newly pruned plants- is a must. Your garden/landscape will look better & neater, and more importantly, the slow decomposition of the mulch is the kind of nourishment that nature intended. There is no replacement for that. It’s well worth the cost and effort to do this twice a year, in a perfect world.
I recommend that you do as much of this work yourself if possible- it’s good for the soul, more cost-effective, good exercise, and makes for some great family time if you’re organized. But if that’s not practical, I’m available for service and more than equipped to do the job right, in one shot. I can also help you get started, if this is something that you want to do, but need some help in the beginning. Just call or email any time (well, email any time…) and we’ll get the ball rolling.
Aaron
