Louise Grabell Having fun yet? Been to the local garden centers? Planted your annuals? How about those containers? One way to add color with very little effort is to plant profuse bloomers in some colorful containers. Irrigation or daily watering will be necessary. I’ve cheated a bit in my yard by setting up some nice,…
Louise Grabell Spring is in the air! That’s right all you gardeners out—ready, set, go! By now your yards are cleaned, citrus has been fertilized, pruning is done, shears and clippers are cleaned and sharpened and plenty of Tylenol is on hand for those aching backs. Ah—the joys of gardening! It’s a good time to…
Louise Grabell Did you know that pruning your trees and shrubs is an art form? The problem around SaddleBrooke is that we don’t have too many artists! Oh, we have plenty of power hedge trimmers and they can make any shape you want out of the greenery on your estate. Lollipops, cotton balls, pineapples, umbrellas,…
Louise Grabell How does my garden grow? Well, it’s not! I am not a winter gardener. At this point in time, I need a break! However, some crops and flowers do well in winter if you are full of vim and vigor, unlike me. Lettuce and herbs like cooler temps (but not freezing). Snapdragons and…
Louise Grabell Christmas is coming and we are surrounded by the brilliant colors of Christmas plants. Interestingly, about the only true Christmas plant is the poinsettia as its colorful brachts really do appear around the holidays. Amaryllis normally blooms in early spring and grows quite nicely here in the high desert. If you grow one…
Louise Grabell It’s November already! How did that happen? Well, while you are thinking that the gardening season is over, let me tell you what you could and should be doing at this time of the year. Get your shovels ready! There is one important gardening don’t that you must remember: now is not the…
Louise Grabell Pay attention, gardeners! There’s a lot to do now: 1. Finish planting your summer annuals; 2. Fertilize your garden; 3. Fertilize your citrus around the end of May; 4. Make sure all parts of your irrigation system are working properly; 5. Change your watering cycle today so that sufficient water is reaching all…
Louise Grabell I love blue flowers. Someone once said that blue flowers mean sex. I must have a really sexy garden because of the blue irises, salvias, scabiosa, asters, etc. But one really stands out as the sexiest blue flower you ever saw: scaevola [Scaevola aemula]. This is a very hardy annual and in fact…