The Coastal Gardener - September, 2005
The end of summer, Firescaping
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The thick fog that has wrapped the garden for well over a week has been a mixed blessing. On the one hand, the cool temperatures and moisture have reduced my watering tasks and given some of the sensitive plants a reprieve from dryness. But other plants like roses, zinnias, tomatoes and zucchini have suffered from the cold damp nights in the form of moldy petals and mildewed leaves. For them a good dose of sunshine, dry air and, in extreme cases, a spray of Neem Oil will be the cure.
September is like the beginning of a new year in the garden. Asters are in bloom, roses too. New bedding schemes of calendulas, Iceland poppies, pansies and nemesias are taking their places as tired marigolds and petunias are swept away to the compost heap. Under them, already buried in the soil, are dozens of new Cyclamineus Narcissus. These petite flowered daffodils have distinctive swept-back perianthes (the "skirt" part of the flower), making them look like shooting stars in yellow, orange, white or soft pink. Their fine grassy foliage blends with the groundcovers they are planted under and seldom looks unsightly in spring.
In September the days have changed too, being warmer, shorter and more golden. All of the ornamental grasses are in full flush of feathery flower heads of pink, gold, silver and fawn. Miscanthus 'Adagio' is amazing on a dewy morning near the pond bank; its pink flushed flowers like floppy whiskbrooms. In evening light its silken filaments are edged with the red of the setting sun against the dark water, as a fish darts up to break the surface.
But September is our month of greatest fire danger. The fog is retreating, dry, warm air builds up over the ridges and days are hot. There is no moisture left in the wild hillsides and often no dew in the morning. Any whiff of smoke is cause for great alarm.
The dedicated members of the Fire Safe Council of Monterey County called a new book to my attention. "Firescaping" by Douglas Kent from Wilderness Press of Berkeley (www.wildernesspress.com) is a new book dealing specifically with the realities of wild land and urban fire prevention in California. Every Big Sur resident should pick up a copy and study its thorough recommendations about clearing, designing and planting to create a fire safe and attractive, inviting landscape. The book helped identify areas of improvement in my own garden and insight into ways to make it safer for fire personnel (including myself) who may respond to fight a fire.
Must Have Plant of the month: Aloe arborescens, Tree
Aloe. Here in Big Sur the long candle-like red flowers of this aloe are a
common sight in winter and early spring. Long underappreciated, it has come
into the fore once again as not only being a perfect host for hummingbirds
and migrating Monarch butterflies but also for its fire resistant
attributes. Fleshy leaves, compact shape and lack of dry fuel make it an
ideal planting to protect homes from errant sparks. While it can grow to 6-
8 feet tall, occasional thinning of stems keeps it in bounds but reduces it
fuel content should a fire occur.
Enjoy! Dave Egbert
