Bulbs and Holiday Wishes

Just before leaving to our traditional ski vacation during the holidays...

Warm wishes to you and your family this holiday season and may the year head be full of health, joy and prosperity.

For long time I was looking for Calla Lily bulbs, a couple of months ago I received 3 bulbs from my friend Smadar, they all were at the same size and at the beginning there was no sign of growing for quite a while and I was afraid that I lost them all because of the frost. Today after 10 weeks you can see the pictures.



One of them is really tall and beautiful, the other is very small and the third one is almost invisible. I planted Crocus all around in purple and white, I can 't wait to see them all blooming toghether.

Frost Protection Guide

Hi All, for long time I did not write and I just decided to start blog again. It’s freezing here in the Silicon Valley, in California and I wondered how I can protect the garden from the frost, quick search on the internet and a couple of advice from our local nursery:
Here are some techniques for effective frost protection. Don’t give up on plants that are damaged on top. Many times they can come back from the roots or whatever growth remains if protection is given after the first sign of damage.
1) Water- It may seem counter-intuitive but the best frost protection is to water plants thoroughly before a cold snap. Well-watered plants are less likely to be frost damaged than dry ones. Moist soil also retains more heat than dry soil.
2) Cover Plants - Frost protection fabrics offer 2° to 6°F cold protection. Unlike plastic sheeting or blankets, they CAN be draped directly over foliage and left on plants for up to 6 weeks. Look for Easy Gardener Plant and Seed Blanket (6’ X 20’) which can be cut to size for different sized plants. Fabrics should be draped all the way to the ground, or in the case of container protection.
3) Lights - Place a lit 50 to 100 watt light bulb on the soil under any frost protection fabric (but not touching it) to keep the plant and roots warm. One attractive solution is to use miniature Christmas Tree Lights on plants leaving them lit all night. This adds some heat and has the added benefit of looking festive. Often these lights come on a net rather than a string, which makes them easier to install. Try nets on tender vines or a hedges. Lighting can be set on timers to run all night.
4) Sprays – Antitranspirant sprays like Bonide Wilt Stop or Cloud Cover offer an additional 2° to 3°F cold protection. They also help keep plants from drying out in cold winds. Spray before covering with frost protection fabric for extra protection.

I hope that you all be able to keep your garden safe , health and avoid the frost!
Cheers,
Dee

For additional information, please go to:
http://biomet.ucdavis.edu/frostprotection/Principles%20of%20Frost%20Protection/FP005.html

http://ag.arizona.edu/extension/pubs/garden/az1002.pdf

http://www.yamagamisnursery.com/guides/frost-protection-guide.pdf

Container Planting

Sunday was a warm nice day and I went to see a movie in “Santana Raw”- an open mall in the Silicon Valley area.
I just love the container planting that they have and I could not resist taking some photos and sharing it with you. I think that it’s a source for great container planting at home.

Just adding some Tulips makes it look much, much better

Changes in The Back Yard

Last year we rebuild the house, as a result we had to replant the back yard. The only trees that survived were our favorite lemon tree and plum tree.
My target was to add as much fruits trees and bushes as I can, keeping the grass area that gives me a great feeling while staying in budges.
I added a blue berry bush, I choose the “Sunshine Blue” since it’s ever green and has heavy corps. It’s blooming right now with a silvery pink bloom.

I love the small corner that I created there, it has my “Yellow Day Lillis” and I just cannot wait until they will bloom.

In addition I planted three kinds of grapes on the big gazebo next to the house, the main goal was that they will cover the gazebo and give us shadow, fruits and some green color. Since the winter was frigid cold (OK, California frigid cold ) I was happy to see that they actually start having leaves.

Fertilizer -> Get the Facts

How many of you try to figure out , when and how much to apply, what kind of fertilizer to apply and when to apply it.
Let’s take a look together:

Should I fertilize at all?
If you worked a lot of organic matter into the soil before planting, than just add more every year or two and you may not need fertilizer at all.

Purchasing the right fertilizer:
There are three main ingredients in every fertilizer:
Nitrogen-feeds foliage(N)
Potassium-produce fruits and flowers(K).
And phosphorus- keeps plants healthy and strong(P).
You will find them listed on every fertilizer package. Its the combination of the three that determine the best fertilizer for your garden. Take a look at the table below to see what different combinations different plant types need.

Plant Type	Nitrogen	Potassium	Phosphorus
Annual Flowers	15	30	15
Deciduous trees and shrubs	15	10	9
Evergreens	12	6	12
Most Vegetables	24	8	16
Lawn	30	2	3
Roses	9	18	9

When should you fertilize?
On annuals you can apply water-soluble fertilizers all seasons, starting in the spring and repeating every month. Shrub and trees should be fertilized once or twice during the growing season using granulated fertilizers, starting in the spring and fining mid August. Then just before plant bloom, make additional feeding.