The Coastal Gardener - June, 2004
Deadheads in the garden
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June is the month of the dead heads. No, I don't mean the van driving, patchouli soaked, Jerry Garcia worshiping types that populate every turn out along the highway this month (not that there is anything particularly bad about that). I mean the faded petal, seed filled type that populate every bush and perennial in the garden. For which you may be compelled to hire the former to help with the latter.
So what's the hurry and concern about deadheading? It's rather a matter of birds and bees. Flowers are produced to attract pollinators so that the plant's pollen may be commingled to produce seeds. Then the blossom fades as it senses its duty is done. Frustrating this essential function will keep the blooms coming. With roses, cut faded blooms to the first full leaf of five leaflets, with other plants simply to the nearest stem joint. Tired petunias can be cut back this month to mere stumps to encourage full flowered plants in August, faded cosmos can be pruned back to a basic framework of stems to stimulate new growth. Dead heading also tidies the plants in anticipation of the visit of about 400 of my not-so-closest friends who will descend on my garden come Hidden Gardens Tour day, June 26th.
June is also the month to look to lilacs, deutzia or spirea. The older wood that bloomed this year can be removed cleanly at the base to make room for strong new stems that will bloom next spring. Other flowering plants such as hydrangea and wisteria bloom on year old or older wood so check your Sunset Western Garden Book before trying anything drastic.
As I mentioned above, I will have many people casting a critical eye over every bed and border soon, so there is not much time left to add new flowering plants. If I choose to do so I must take precautions so that they can make a good start.
First, I will spend time choosing my new plants carefully at the nursery. I want to pick plants that are not yet in full bud so they will last until the end of the month, in fact I often pick smaller plants, shunning the temptation of blooming full-grown specimens. These flush beauties may look good at the garden center, but are so large that they will struggle to root in the this dry and windy month. Younger plants are without the burden of the full head of foliage they will gain anyways, once rooted properly in their new garden homes. I dunk each pot into a bucket of water; submerge it completely to allow all the air to bubble away. Dry root balls will be hard to keep moist in the garden and retard good root growth. Next I will fill each planting hole with water as well to ensure the surrounding soil is moist; dry soils can actually wick away moisture within the root ball. This is where a wetting agent like Water-In can come in handy, as I have mentioned many times before. Once the new plant is in the ground, I will surround it with a thick layer of mulch and irrigate the new plants every few days as needed. Steer manure (available in bags, I prefer Gardener's brand from Valley Hills or Brinton's) is excellent mulch with the added benefit of feeding the new plants gently while improving soil structure.
While you are on the way to the nursery, especially if you are driving down Partington Ridge, open you window and drink deep of the unique fragrance of the roadside herbs. One is Brickellia californica coming into bloom this month. Brickle Bush's green and yellow tassel-like flowers are not much to look at, but its rich scent is quintessential essence of chaparral in the summertime. Brickellia is very drought tolerant, easy to establish along a driveway or tucked among mimulus, lavender and astartea as it is near my orchard path. It will self-seed easily in disturbed spaces like road cuts and tractor scars. I picked out 4-inch pot size plants earlier this year from Annie's Annuals (anniesannuals.com), available at San Lorenzo Garden Center on River Street in Santa Cruz.
One last note, watch for rust on rose leafs with the up and down of the temperatures resulting from the coming and going of the fog. A dose of Rose Defense with Neem Oil as a preventative is a good idea, along with a deep watering about once a week to keep the roses strong and flushed.
Enjoy! Dave Egbert
