FRESH PICK WHAT TO PLANT THIS WEEK.

Byline: Barbara De Witt Staff Writer

AGAPANTHUS 

(Lily-of-the-Nile)

Novice gardeners who are looking for something graceful, elegant and easy for borders and flower beds this summer will love the Agapanthus. It's a hearty South African accent shrub grown from bulbs that explodes like fireworks into numerous spikes of flowers.

The plant's name combines the Greek words for ``flower'' and ``love,'' according to Pierre Gingras, author of ``Bulbs for All Seasons'' (Firefly Books; $19.95). It's easy to understand why so many San Fernando Valley gardeners are fans: Agapanthus stays green all year, can be planted in pots on the patio or in full sun, requires little water - and also readily multiplies and spreads.

GETTING STARTED: Agapanthus is actually a bulb, but many don't realize it because it's usually purchased as a mature plant in one-gallon pots in July. ``People like to wait until the flowers bloom because they want to see what color the flowers are (purple, blue or white) so they can match them if they're buying several plants,'' explains Conrad Delgado, nursery department manager of Orchard Supply & Hardware in Canoga Park. He suggests planting this month in early morning or late afternoon, avoiding the heat of the day, and spacing them about a foot apart. Plant in beds or pots in full sun or partially shaded areas.

CARE AND MAINTENANCE: The first year, you'll want to mulch and water frequently, but once the plants are established they can exist on very little water - perhaps once a week during summer's hottest times. These plants multiply, so you'll want to divide the clumps at least every six years.

Although a strong, sturdy plant, they are tasty to snails and slugs and during a heat wave may be attacked by thrips and spider mites.

Agapanthus will bloom about three times throughout the summer, but its leaves will stay green all year.

VARIETIES: They come in both tall and small sizes to fit any size of yard. The classic and most popular Lily-of-the-Nile has stems that reach as high as five feet tall, but there are also dwarf varieties, such as Peter Pan, which have foot-tall stems and are ideal for smaller yards and narrow pathways.

LANDSCAPE TIPS: The Agapanthus is dramatic and looks best when grouped with less-flamboyant blooms such as star jasmine, which is a fragrant twining vine that can be groomed into a small shrub, and iceberg roses, a pure white, floribunda type of rose that has lots of clusters of short-stemmed flowers in a small shrubby bush. If you need something even lower to complete the landscape design, consider annuals such as alyssum, which is a mounding plant with lots of white blooms.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Consult your local nursery and the ``Sunset Western Garden Book'' (Sunset; $32.95). Other sources include the California Garden Clubs Inc. Web site at www.californiagardenclubs.org and the Southern California Garden Club, which meets monthly in the San Fernando Valley. Call SCGC president Robin Pokorski at [phone].

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no caption (Agapanthus)