NOW'S TIME WHEN NEARLY ANYTHING CAN BE PLANTED.

Byline: JANE GATES Gardening

SANTA CLARITA - Santa Clarita shows off her microclimatic diversity this month.

Newhall can be shrouded with ocean fog while, just a few miles away, the sun can be doing its desert best at baking Canyon Country. The ocean influence often makes for comfortable outdoor workdays. Yet the next day, blazing heat can blast into town, charring delicate foliage, or a cold front can bring a chill reminiscent of the winter days of not so long gone.

Only last week, unexpected winds, more typical in the autumn, flattened lush growth in parts of the city. Then the heat proceeded to cook what was left. It's a month when you can actually expect diversity here, unlike the Southern Californians in the coastal areas.

It is a great time for the garden. Now's the time that just about anything can be planted - with ``just about'' being the operative words.

Stay away from cold weather vegetables such as peas, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and others in the brascia family, and flowers like sweet peas, pansies and stock.

California natives should wait for the autumn to plant, as should most bulbs. But perennials of all sorts, even the most tender, can go into the ground this month. Annuals can fill in all the empty spaces where perennials are still getting established or a splash of color is needed.

Remember that annuals only live for the one season, so they bloom as much as they can during their short lives so they can disperse as much seed as possible.

Perennials, on the other hand, will bloom for a much shorter time since, when they finish their flower-to-seed phase, they need to grow on to build strong plants for next year's growth.

This explains why deadheading, i.e., cutting off spent blooms before they form seed heads, encourages plants - especially annuals - to keep blooming longer in order to fulfill the need to produce those seeds. This also is why people who seek a long-lived plant that blooms avidly year-round are likely to be frustrated.

Plants can go all out, expending their life force in a condensed show, or will be productive for a limited time before they need a snooze in order to regenerate for next year. A good design includes both annuals and perennials. The garden establishes a solid foundation design with the more permanent colors and shapes of perennials and is kept exciting in the less active spots with annuals.

Keep the garden clean to avoid hiding places for snails and other pests. One exception is to leave the foliage on bulbs to die down as completely as possible. This is how the plant stores strength for next year's growth. Tie up sprawling foliage as it dies back or hide it beneath surrounding plants, but don't cut it off yet.

If you spray colonies of aphids, whitefly and thrips early with an insecticidal soap, you can avoid the need for heavier poisons later. There are lots of chores to do in the garden this May, but make sure you take the time to wander around and enjoy the gifts of spring and the fruits of your efforts. After the long, cool and wet winter, plants are putting on a luxuriant show. Though you work at taking care of your garden, remember that your garden can help take care of you, too.