Bees

Lynx spider lunching on bee

OK, well we have lots of problems with honey bees, which are dying by the million.  So far there is not a lot we can do about that, other than eschew pesticides in our gardens.   Look what we spotted in the Dalea bi-color today - a very happy lynx spider dining on an unfortunate honey bee. There are also many species of wild bees and they are very busy pollinators, valuable in the garden and small farms bordering wild lands.  We have many in our garden and they too love the Dalea, a heavy bloomer in fall, and a light bloom in spring.  It turns out that all that mulching that we do to save water is very detrimental to wild bees who live in small nests in the ground.  Apparently the bees cannot find their way to the soil.   Native bees need bare ground in which to nest.  The natural leaf litter lying under trees and shrubs is not a problem, just the thick layer of wood chips that many of us lay out to stop evaporation.

So we're down to the nub of the matter.  If we want to promote native bees we should leave the ground alone, no blowing,  mulch around the plants,  and leave some bare areas.  There is always something that comes up when we think we are doing it right.  Of course, native bees like native plants.

Pruning Salvias

Salvia Chamaedryoides

Summer finally arrived a couple of months late.  The long spring has caused a lot of growth and consequently, darn it, a lot of chopping to be done.   I have read that Salvia greggii should not be pruned or deadheaded.  However, my experience has been that, if I don't prune them after blooming, Salvia greggii becomes woody and suffers more from drought.  It is native to Mexico where there are summer thunderstorms.  Californian summers are much drier and large plants are stressed in our climate.  You can water salvias once a month, or let them dry out completely.  They almost always leaf out again in the rainy season. Salvia chamedryoides always does better if it is clipped back after spring and fall blooming.  This Salvia enjoys part shade inland, or sunshine at the beach.  Once established it is drought tolerant, but as it is also from northern Mexico a monthly soaking in summer will improve its looks.   The silver leaves and bright blue flowers make this plant irresistable.

 Late spring or early summer is the time to cut back Matijila poppies, after blooming.  I cut them back to the ground every summer or else they become leggy and unattractive.  Rain will bring them right back to life.

The first oriole

Grevillea_long_john

March 26, 2010.  I heard that familiar scritchy call and there it was, as usual, in the Grevillea.  Orioles love this plant, and Melianthus too, which is not blooming yet.

Grevillea Long John is a big rangy plant, but it can be hedged nicely with quarterly pruning.  I like mine to be natural and it is a large shrub or small tree with narrow leaves a bit like pine needles.  It blooms almost year round and is popular with hummingbirds too who always nest in it.

It's March!

The birds are rambunctiously gathering up materials for their nests. This is the time to enjoy the garden. Lets leave the pruning for later when the birds are done breeding for the year. In fire zones brush should be cut by the end of May, but there is no reason to do it earlier when the shrubs are leafing out and blooming. Oh, be sure and check the mulch.  Now is the time to get a good layer of mulch around your plants to protect their roots from the blazing sun which is coming soon.