Tag Archives: Spring

A classic perennial wallflower selection with profuse clusters of fragrant, mauve flowers over an exceptionally long season; nearly year-round in warm coastal areas. Shrubby, upright form is perfect for mixed borders, cottage and butterfly gardens. Colorful, easy to grow and drought tolerant once established.

Its gold and orange flowers bloom from spring until the first light fall frost. Grow it for its sunny beauty in containers, borders, or parking strips. Then save some blooms for fresh or dried floral arrangements; dried petals can be used in baking or teas. Calendula gets its common name, Pot Marigold, becuase the flower resembles a marigold, and is …

Tufted Cal poppy is native to California and Oregon. It is 10″ by 12″ wide, ferny foliage, fragrant yellow blooms, loves sun. Like its famous cousin, the orange California poppy, it self-seeds easily.   First planted in my Sunnyvale garden: Winter 2014

Helichrysum argyrophyllum, the Golden Guinea Everlasting Daisy, makes a great groundcover in open sunny spots and is perfect for sunny rock-gardens. This South African native has small silver/grey leaves and from late summer into autumn it is covered with masses of bright yellow everlasting daisies. This is a tough plant that will survive heat, drought and even frost. We purchased …

Viburnums are one of the most versatile genus of shrubs. They have pretty foliage and growth habits. They also have pretty, and sometimes even fragrant, flowers. The fruits are appealing to birds and other wildlife. Viburnums are a genus of more than 150 evergreen, semi-evergreen and deciduous woody plants from the Adoxaceae family. They are native primarily to Northern temperate …

Pinkhead knotweed plants (Polygonum capitatum orPersicaria capitata) are considered excellent low-growing groundcover by some gardeners. They are also called invasive pests by others. If you read up on pink knotweed information, you’ll find that the plant is banned in England and considered invasive in California. This is because of its tendency to spread where it wasn’t invited. In our Sunnyvale garden …

Cold-hardy and resilient, kale is an easy member of the cabbage family to grow. You can set out plants quite early in spring as long as you protect the young plants from severe cold winds with a cover. They will grow steadily for months until the weather gets too warm. You’ll get a second chance to plant kale in the …

Bibb type lettuces are known for their ‘buttery’ taste and velvety texture, and small loosely formed heads. Relative to most other lettuce types, Bibbs are slightly more tolerant of heat. Even so, they are best planted early or late in the season in spring, away from the intense summer sun. They may be started indoors several weeks prior to the …

Pulgas Ridge is a small park, part of the Mid-Peninsula Open Space District, off of I-280 near Edgewood Road, just north of Edgewood County Park. There are about 6 miles of trails in the park with some great climbs and descents with amazing peninsula views. Most trails are single-track with a few paved road sections. The weather is usually mild. …

English Daisies have long been popular for spring bedding, particularly in mild winter regions. Plants are biennial, usually lasting through one season, but self-seeding to provide future generations. This strain flowers well even in the first year, with little double button flowers of bright rose pink. Removing faded flowers regularly will keep plants blooming well into the summer. Often used …