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Bloom: Ideas for spring planting
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Anonymous user Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
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0 responses 0 comments Regarding recent frost.
By the time this article comes out, a sufficient amount of time will have passed to allow the weather to warm and the likelihood of more damage will pass.
By now, you should be able to trim a majority of the badly frost-burned parts of the plant material. Remove long, scraggly branches but leave main canes and larger branches alone.
Pull all remaining impatiens and begonias, and trim grasses to within 12 to 18 inches from the ground. Leave broad-leaf shrubs and perennials alone for a few more weeks to see if they may respond with signs of new growth, then trim away burned leaves.
This is a good time to mulch soil around all plant material. Place compost on top of the ground and work into the soil where you can. Remember, stay on the outside perimeter of the shrub, as the root systems of some plants, such as the azalea, extend to this area.
This would also be a good time to fertilize. Use a high phosphorus mix, such as 7-20-20, to stimulate root growth. The center number represents phosphorus levels.
As a rule, we still have a few months of cool weather ahead of us.  Also, we should be moving into our rainy season. If you need to add some color to your freshly worked beds, primroses and pansies will do nicely this time of year. They should continue blooming well past Easter.
Warmer weather
Now that you have your beds ready for spring planting, consider some of the following ideas when the weather warms.
A garden of shrubs portrays a loose, layered “country” look but adds formality, structure and enclosure. Plant pittosporum, photinia, Italian buckthorn, dodonaea, olive, coprosma, “coppershine,” and the many choices of azalea, camellia, and heuchera.
Foliage provides color, drama and excitement. These set the bones for your garden, and then you can layer other plants in big, paisley-like swaths.
Lawns are still much in demand as they help to complete outdoor rooms that are fully furnished with built-in fireplaces and kitchens. Greenbelt areas can be created with ground covers that require little or no mowing.
Water features, especially fountains, are more desirable than ever. Tuck them into the flower bed around a sitting area. The soft sound of splashing water is quite relaxing and invites one to linger awhile if you have provided a well-placed garden bench or several comfortable chairs.
Don’t forget to include trees, both large for shade and small (possibly weeping) for color and interest. The trend toward colored foliage, especially lime, seems here to stay. Daring color combinations keep finding their way into our daily lives, and are quite pleasing when used in the garden.
Remember to personalize your outdoor space with appropriately-placed ornamentation and plenty of pots.
Also, sheared balls and cones of myrtle, pittosporum, boxwood, and lavender tucked in and around loose foliage adds interest and personality to your landscape.
These can be planted or simply set into flower beds in pots. Remember to run a drip line into a container if its plants are not well watered by the sprinkler system.
Add interest to a long or unattractive wall by covering it with espaliered plant material. Metal trellises can be custom made, or use a variety of predesigned shapes made from wood or metal.
One of the prettiest fruits to espalier is fig. Other choices include quince, pineapple guava, kumquat, pomegranate, and of course the classics — apples and pears, which are best for formal geometric shapes.
Whichever shape you choose, trained as a freestanding fence or enlivening a bare wall, an espalier is valued as an architectural tool in the garden.
All you need to get started is a good plan!

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