MATCH SOIL TYPE WITH PLANT.Byline: JANE GATES Gardening Open space, the glint of light on a drop of water, the sound of the breeze or a hummingbird hummingbird, common name for members of the family Trochilidae, small, strictly New World birds, related to the swifts, and found chiefly in the mountains of South America. Hummingbirds vary in size from a 2 1-4-in. , a shiny orange berry - these are nature's stress healers. The holidays are filled with the great expectations that are ideal for stress whether they lead to fulfillment or disappointment. Now is a good time to deal with that tension, and your garden can help. If working in the garden is your therapy, then enjoy December's opportunities to clean up dried leaves, plant hardy perennials and bulbs, mulch mulch, any material, usually organic, that is spread on the ground to protect the soil and the roots of plants from the effects of soil crusting, erosion, or freezing; it is also used to retard the growth of weeds. flower beds, turn the compost heap Noun 1. compost heap - a heap of manure and vegetation and other organic residues that are decaying to become compost compost pile cumulation, heap, pile, agglomerate, cumulus, mound - a collection of objects laid on top of each other and prune prune, popular name for a dried plum. Fruits of the many varieties of Prunus domestica, which are firm-fleshed and dry easily without removal of the stone, are gathered after falling from the tree, dipped in lye solution to prevent fermentation, dried in the back roses, shrubs and trees. Soil is easier to dig when moist, but try to avoid working in wet mud. Walking on wet soil tends to compress it and can squeeze out the air spaces between soil particles already in short supply with clay soils. Mixing in compost and peat, as well as manure, will help add the organic matter soils in the Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, area are lacking. Choose to dig your soil a few days after rain showers so the soil is moist but not wet. Watering a day or two ahead in dry weather will serve as well. If you plan to grow edible root crops, skip the manure, as it tends to make the roots fork. Peat will add texture, moisture retention and acid to your soil. Azaleas and camellias, gardenias and astilbes love acidic soil, as do blueberries. Many shade-loving plants prefer a more acidic soil as their natural habitats are usually woodlands - hence the love of shade - where falling foliage forms thick mats of the decomposing organic material that creates a natural acidic compost. The trick to successful plant growth is to imitate the natural environment as closely as possible. Though most plants tolerate conditions beyond the ideal, the closer you come to supplying a plant's native needs, the more that plant will thrive. So, as you amend your soil, think of what you plan to grow. A lime-loving plant will not be happy with acid soil. Looking at the limestone and rocky, semi-barren hillsides of the canyons, you can understand why most of our full-sun natives and many drought-tolerant plants do well in the quick draining and calcareous soil calcareous soil (kălkâr`ēəs), soil formed largely by the weathering of calcareous rocks and fossil shell beds. Different varieties usually contain chalk, marl, and limestone and frequently a large amount of phosphates. prevalent in this area. You can amend the site for the plants you want, or you can plant the type of plants ideal for the site. It depends on your taste and the amount of effort and money you want to expend ex·pend tr.v. ex·pend·ed, ex·pend·ing, ex·pends 1. To lay out; spend: expending tax revenues on government operations. See Synonyms at spend. 2. . Although California natives and many drought-tolerant plants will save you hours in maintenance and plenty in utility bills, they will require extra care for the first year, and it's hard to get a luxurious tropical look from most. You might consider grouping plants with similar needs in locations where your priorities are best served. For example, a shaded area may be perfect to plant with acid-lovers, while a play area may need grass or gravel. A quiet sheltered area may do well with a seating area surrounded by tropical plants or an ornamental grass Ornamental Grasses are grasses grown as ornamental plants. They have become increasingly popular in gardens in recent years. Along with true grasses (family Poaceae), the genus Carex (sedges) are often included in this classification. garden and a water feature. And an open hillside may be perfect for drought-tolerant plants or a cactus cactus, any plant of the family Cactaceae, a large group of succulents found almost entirely in the New World. A cactus plant is conspicuous for its fleshy green stem, which performs the functions of leaves (commonly insignificant or absent), and for the spines (not and succulent succulent (sŭk`yələnt), any fleshy plant that belongs to one of many diverse families, among them species of cactus, aloe, stonecrop, houseleek, agave, and yucca. landscape punctuated with rocks and boulders. Gates set to teach Jane Gates, the garden columnist, will teach a gardening and winter class at Golden Oaks Adult School beginning Jan. 9 through March 13. The class is $52 and meets from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The location hasn't been announced. For more information or to register, call the Golden Oaks school at (661) 253-0583. - Daily News CAPTION(S): box Box: Gates set to teach (see text) |
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