Tag Archives: Summer

This citrus relative from Australia has slender, arching stems lined with narrow, dark green 1-2 inch leaves. It will bloom nearly year-round in our Sunnyvale climate, with star-like 1 inch blossoms, rose pink in color. Sun or light shade, well drained soil, moderate watering. Plant Size: 3 feet high Landscape/Garden Uses: Foundation plantings Flowering Season: Nonseasonal Flower Color: Rose pink …

Godetia (Clarkia Amoena) is a spring blooming annual flower. It is native to western North America, from British Colombia down to California. Many people consider this easy to grow flower as a wildflower. Godetia plant grows 12″ – 30″, depending upon variety. The plant grows quickly. It blooms in the spring, in just 30 to 60 days. It produces Azalea-like …

Siberian squill, grown from a small bulb, is probably the most familiar of the scillas. The plants themselves don’t get much taller than about 6 inches, but they make up for their diminutive size by spreading out and blooming profusely. The tiny bulbs grow and multiple easily and the plants will also self-seed, making scilla a perfect choice for naturalizing.

I have not planted elephant garlic in the front yard in ten years. The plants continue to produce every year. Mostly from child bulbs on the parent. But sometimes from seeds dispersed from the flower heads. This year, I harvested about half of the garlic. Wash off the dirt. Dry for an hour or so. Cut off the foliage about …

Bush cucumbers have been bred to take up very little space with their extremely short vines — most varieties only require 2 to 3 square feet per plant. They have the same cultural requirements as vining cucumbers and ripen in about the same amount of time. Cultivars include “Bush Champion,” “Parks Bush Whopper,” “Pickle Bush,” “Pot Luck,” “Salad Bush” and …