May Gardening
Guess those April showers really do bring May flowers. Instead of
telling you to fertilize, trim and mulch .I thought I'd tell you about the flowering plants that I see thriving in our neighborhood.
Pentas come in a variety of colors. Different colors grow to
different heights. The red pentas typically grow taller than other
colors. 1 plant with proper maintenance can last for years and spread 1-2
ft.wide and 3 ft high. The red also attracts butterflies! Pentas can be seen in the landscape year round but do like to be deadheaded. Cut off spent flower heads.
Many homeowners are finding that lilies are delightful. There
are several varieties to choose from. They range in height and color. Many lilies have green foliage year round. Lilies can look like clumps of grass. I stopped a neighbor who was working in their yard and asked for some one day. Thank you!! Every time we get a significant rain these delicate little rain lilies flower. They're lovely.Society garlic smells like its name. It survives yr. round in the garden. Biannually it throws a delicate lavender flower.
Another popular lily is the Canna Lily. The foliage looks like a leafy stalk. There are red and yellow cannas, and other colors as well. There are even hybridized stalks with red color in them. Spent stalks of the Canna Lily can be removed; much like a heliconia. The cannas are more easily maintained in a landscape they don't run away from where you have planted them. Don't forget our huge, native Crinum Lily. It can be found in all green foliage with a white flower, or purple green leaves with a pinkish flower. This plant is one of the largest of the lily family, and it flowers regularly.
If you'd like to catch the entire life cycle of a butterfly, try a milkweed plant. They flower, go to seed and attract Monarchs. Not only does the butterfly like it for its' nectar it also likes it for laying eggs, their caterpillars love to eat it. If you have the room, "Firebush", is great for our state butterfly, the Zebra Longwing." Cassias' attract the all yellow, "Sulphur butterfly."
On any sunny day you can easily sight a few of our "Winged Flowers",
around.The next gardening meeting is scheduled for MAY 21st at 5:30P.M. We'll
be meeting in a new yard at 17714 Briar Patch. Go to the third
rt.(RAINTREE) in the neighborhood, go to Sugar Pine and turn left, go one block and turn Rt. Hope to see you then. Happy Gardening
Joy Schwartz
