The current drought in large portions of the United States makes the need for water-wise gardens more important than ever. But that doesn’t mean our gardens can’t look attractive.

That’s why Seasonal Wisdom turned to Noelle Johnson for some drought-tolerant plant suggestions.  This talented horticulturist runs AZ Plant Lady landscape consulting in Chandler, Arizona and she spends her working hours  making low-water gardens beautiful.

Check out five of Noelle’s favorite drought-tolerant plants, and get her expert gardening tips for growing them.

All photos are copyright to Noelle Johnson.

In Noelle Johnson’s Own Words:

Many people have the mistaken impression that drought-tolerant plants are boring, but nothing can be further from the truth. Just because a plant thrives on little water, doesn’t mean a water-wise garden is devoid of interest. In fact, the reality is quite the opposite. Countless plants add welcome beauty to the landscape while only needing deep, infrequent watering.

Drought-tolerant plants require well-drained soil, so before planting, amend the soil with 1 part compost to 1 part native soil.

Here are a few of my favorites:

‘Blue Bells’ (Eremophila hygrophana) – This is a newer shrub, which is prized for its compact growth habit and low-pruning requirements. Vibrant violet flowers appear throughout the entire year above blue/gray foliage.

Size: 3 feet tall and wide; Attracts Hummingbirds

Hardy to zone 8; Full sun to light, filtered shade

‘Valentine Bush’ (Eremophila maculata ‘Valentine’) – The dark green foliage of this Australian native transforms in winter with the appearance of hot pink to red, tubular blossoms, which add badly needed color to landscapes in winter on into early spring. Maintenance is low, with them only needing pruning once a year in late spring after flowering has finished.

Size: Up to 4 feet tall and 4-5 feet wide, although it can be maintained at a smaller size.

Hardy to zone 8. Full sun.

Mexican Honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera) – This small shrub is an ideal choice for areas that receive light, filtered shade where it will produce narrow, orange tubular flowers all year long, much to the delight of hummingbirds. The bright green foliage adds a visually cooling element to the garden.

Size: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide; Hardy to zone 8

Attracts hummingbirds; Filtered shade

Firecracker Penstemon (Penstemon eatonii) – Many different species of penstemon grow throughout the western U.S. and are appreciated for their beautiful flowering spikes. This particular penstemon has red/orange blossoms that appear in winter and last through spring, attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. When not in bloom, it fades into the background while warm-season flowering plants take center stage.

Size: 1 to 2 feet wide, and 2 feet tall when in flower; Hardy to zone 5; Attracts hummingbirds; Full sun

Coral Fountain (Russelia equisetiformis) – The cascading, needle-like foliage of this shrubby perennial is attractive on its own, adding a tropical feel to the garden. However, the appearance of small, orange/red flowers adds stunning beauty wherever it’s planted. Hummingbirds can’t resist the flowers, which last spring through fall and even winter, in frost-free areas.

Size: 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide; Hardy to zone 8

Attracts hummingbirds; Full sun to light shade

Noelle’s Tip: Once established, water each plant deeply approximately 3-4 times a month in summer, 2-3 times a month in spring/fall, and every three weeks in winter.

More Garden Resources:

Growing container gardens? Don’t miss Noelle’s advice in this Associated Press article published in the Washington Post.

Want more drought tolerant tips? Check out this advice for a water-wise garden from expert Nell Foster.

Connect with  Noelle Johnson of AZ Plant Lady

Website

Twitter

Facebook

The Jacaranda trees are blooming in Southern California and spreading purple flowers all over the place. See how the Troy-Bilt CORE blower performs in cleaning them up, and enter to win a $100 Lowe’s gift card.

Plus, take a tour my friends’ new drought tolerant garden and learn more about Jacarandas trees.

Each spring and early summer in my Southern California neighborhood, the eye-popping Jacaranda trees bloom. These fast-growing, drought-tolerant trees reach 25 to 50 feet tall and 15 to 30 feet wide. It’s a lovely sight to see the streets lined in purple, but as the LA Times reports, you either love these trees or hate them.

Why? Because they make a serious mess when they bloom, which is why this pretty tree isn’t great planted near cars or houses. Many people on this street park their cars in the garage during this time to protect the paint.

Even on Maggie’s daily walks, we have to clean her paws so she doesn’t track these pretty, but annoying flowers in the house.

That’s why I thought these trees might be a good challenge for the Troy-Bilt CORE blower, which I was asked to review recently as a Troy-Bilt blogger. And I knew just where to go to try it out – my friends Kurt and Lynn’s house.

They inherited a Jacaranda tree when they bought their house, and the lovely tree makes a huge mess each year.

The Troy-Bilt blower has the industry’s only motor with a limited lifetime warranty. It also has variable speeds up to 545cfm/125 mph to lift these stubborn flowers off the walkway.

The blower is powered by a Lithium-ion battery, which can be swapped for any battery needed in the Troy-Bilt CORE system.

It did a great job of blowing away many of the flowers, as well as miscellaneous leaves and yard scraps.

You’ll find plenty of power to do various yard work and the battery seems quite long lasting. We easily did the entire yard without any problem.

Meanwhile, Kurt and Lynn have done a charming job of building a new garden with succulents and other drought-tolerant plants. In a shady spot they added two Adirondack chairs to enjoy the space.

They’ve added lots of gorgeous stones that compliment the flowers. Groundcovers are slowly filling in the open spaces, and there is room for these plants to grow.

The rocks and plants match the midcentury style of the house and add a natural, rustic feel.

It was a fine place to test the Troy-Bilt CORE blower and I can’t wait to see how the garden space develops in future years.

Win a Lowe’s Gift Card

Here’s your chance to win a Lowe’s gift card for $100 to use on whatever you want.

It’s easy to enter this random drawing. Just be sure to enter by midnight, July 2, 2017 and PLEASE include your email so we can alert you if you win. (This drawing is limited to the United States.)

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GOOD LUCK everyone!

Disclosure: This Troy-Bilt review was sponsored and a blower was provided to me at no cost. However, my opinions are always my own.

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After a four year drought, California has finally had a rainy winter and spring. My small suburban garden has perked up quite a bit since we bought the property three years ago. So, I thought I would throw open my garden gate and invite you in for a little visit. Especially if you promise not to notice any weeds…

There is nothing like opening the kitchen door and looking out on jasmine, scented geraniums, herbs and succulents on a spring day. Rosemary, thyme, marjoram, basil and sage are close enough for flavoring dishes.

Edibles like tomatoes, lettuces, peppers, eggplants and broccoli are mixed among ‘Victoria Blue’ salvia, pink lantana, roses and flowering herbs.

I often combine flowers and food in some of my garden beds, because that allows me more growing space in my small garden. The flowers and flowering herbs attract pollinators like butterflies and bees for my edible plants. Plus, I don’t spray, so there’s no danger to the food plants.

Even with a rainy winter, we still have water issues in California. So, I’ve installed four rain barrels in my garden, which harvest rain from the gutters.

Did you know that just one inch of rain on a 1,500 square foot house can fill a 50 gallon rain barrel?

I’ve noticed my plants respond much better with rain water than from the tap. When I have four full rain barrels, I feel like a wealthy woman in Southern California.

The purple flowers are verbena, which attracts lots of butterflies and bees. Broccoli is planted underneath.

Rosemary, thyme, sage and marjoram are gathered in this sunny spot of my garden. They all like these Mediterranean growing conditions.

I let the thyme plants flower to attract bees. The flowers are edible, so when I prune them off, I add them to soups and casseroles.

This borage self seeded itself, as they often do in Southern California. This annual grows best from seed, because it has a long tap root. That’s why I pull up any babies I don’t want, as they don’t transplant well.

The flowers are edible and taste a bit like cucumbers. Add them to salads and soups. Not only humans, but bees love them too. I always have a couple buzzing around in the mornings.

Here are eight edible flowers you can grow in your garden.

Meanwhile, artichokes thrive in Southern California and this was an excellent spring. I’ve left quite a few on the plant to turn into those luscious purple flowers.

Here’s more about growing artichokes.

And this roque squash self seeded itself in a quiet part of the garden, which surprised us all.

Hope you’re having a great spring. What’s growing in your garden?

It’s been months since I’ve written in Seasonal Wisdom! My apologies and I’m about to remedy this situation. But one main reason is that I’ve been working on a full-time contract with the University of California’s Office of President to write about food and agriculture for its blog UCFoodObserver.com.

Why in the world should you care? Well, I’ve learned quite a bit that I wanted to share, including edible gardening tips.  If you like food – and who doesn’t, really? – check out these delicious stories. Photo: Martijn de Valk.

But, first, a bit about UC Food Observer

The UC Food Observer is your daily serving of must-read news from the world of food. It includes interviews and analysis of influential agricultural and food people and trends. And it supports the University of California Global Food Initiative, which addresses one of the critical issues of our time: how to sustainably and nutritiously feed a world population expected to reach eight billion by 2025.

I’m the assistant editor and work closely with Rose Hayden-Smith, who is renowned for her knowledge of sustainable agriculture and food history. You may remember these stories about her wartime garden research here and here. Rose is wonderfully talented, inspiring and knowledgeable. It’s been a delight, and I’ve learned a lot from her.

Seven Yummy Stories

Here are seven stories you might enjoy in no particular order:

Photo: Seed Savers Exchange

1) Genetic Diversity is Key … And You Can Help

Learn how important open-pollinated heirloom seeds are towards saving heritage foods. See how many once-beloved foods are disappearing, and why gardeners can play an important role in protecting and increasing this genetic diversity.

“Participatory conservation is very important to our work. It’s not enough for us to have a seed bank and keep these seeds in a Fort Knox-like setting. We want these seeds to grow and be maintained in different gardens around the country and world.” John Torgrimson, Executive Director, Seed Savers Exchange

Read the story.

Photo: Kathy Keatley Garvey

2) Pollinators are Beautiful

On most days, you’ll find Kathy Keatley Garvey outside finding, photographing and documenting insects, especially pollinators. This Communications Specialist for UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology has received international recognition for her photos.

“I see the world through a viewfinder. The work that I do is about the diversity of pollinators, their importance in our food supply and ecosystem, the beauty and the awe, and how we can protect them. Bees are responsible for pollinating one-third of the food we eat. They are crucial to our ecosystem.” Kathy Keatley Garvey

Read the story.

Photo: Wormfarm Institute

3) Agri + Culture = A Good Idea

Nestled among the rolling hills of the unglaciated region of south central Wisconsin you’ll find the Wormfarm Institute, a 40-acre organic vegetable farm and creative hub that is winning applause for reconnecting the link between “agri-culture.”

“For thousands of years, farmers in cultures around the world interwove dance, music and art through rituals of planting and the harvest in celebration of the land and those who care for it.” Donna Neuwirth, co-founder of Wormfarm Institute

Read the story.

4) Cattle Ranching has Ecological Benefits

Did you know livestock is California’s number-one land use? I certainly didn’t, and I’m not alone.

This complex connection of California ranching to food production is a mystery for many, according to Sheila Barry, Livestock Advisor and Director of Santa Clara County for University of California Cooperative Extension. She tells me:

“Working ranches occupy roughly 40 million acres in California. Whether these working ranches are public land or privately owned, many ranchers represent the fourth or fifth generations stewarding the land and their livestock.”

Read the story.

Photo: DotPolka

5) Mexican Food Deserves Another Look

Who told you Mexican food was unhealthy? It simply isn’t true, according to two professors in the San Francisco Bay Area, who co-authored “Decolonize Your Diet.”

Their research shows traditional, indigenous food from Mexico (available before the Spanish colonists arrived) is misunderstood and is actually among the world’s healthiest foods. Luz Calvo, Professor of Ethnic Studies at Cal State East Bay told me:

“The Latino/a Immigrant Paradox led us to look carefully at the health knowledge and practices that immigrants bring with them – especially knowledge about food, recipes, remedios (home remedies), and so forth.

The Latino/a Immigrant Paradox is powerful, because it shows that one does not need to be rich to have good health. But one does need to be connected to ancestral knowledge and culture.”

Read the story. and don’t miss the recipe!

6) Food Sovereignty with Native Americans

In Northwestern Washington, between Seattle and Tacoma, lives the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. This Indian tribe is composed of descendants of the Duwamish and Upper Puyallup people who inhabited Central Puget Sound for thousands of years before non-Indian settlement.

To learn more about the Muckleshoot people and food sovereignty with Native Americans, I spoke with Valerie Segrest. She is a Native nutrition educator who specializes in local and traditional foods. She serves her community as coordinator of the Muckleshoot Food Sovereignty Project and also works as Traditional Foods and Medicines Program Manager. She also is a storyteller and told me:

“Stories not only provide the knowledge we need to thrive in the world, but also solutions to the complex and major challenges we face in this modern world. There is cultural storytelling, and also just people stories; the stories people carry around on food traditions and how food has improved and changed their lives in positive or negative ways.”

Read the story.

Photo: The Millet Project

7) You Should Try Sorghum and Millets

Sorghum and millets are two ancient grains that have a bright future. For instance, sorghum is gluten free grain with high fiber and healthy nutrients. Millets also deserve a moment of your time.

Millets are a diverse family of grains. They are gluten-free and often contain lower carbohydrate content than rice, corn or wheat, as well as higher levels of protein, fiber and minerals, such calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and iron.

In these articles, you’ll find information on both types of grains, as well as recipe ideas and nutritional information.

Take a second for sorghum.

Millets are worth a minute.

Stay tuned for more gardening stories in upcoming weeks! Just in time for another gardening season. What are you looking forward to growing this year?

When it comes to garden chores, one of my husband’s least favorite jobs is trimming the 12-foot (often  higher) Cape honeysuckle growing in our backyard.  It’s a dirty, thankless job that needs to be done every few months so the plant doesn’t get out of control.

But a new innovative cordless, battery powered hedge trimmer by Troy-Bilt has made this chore much faster and easier. Check it out.

When we moved into this house in California, we inherited a huge ­­­­­cape honeysuckle (Tecoma capensis) that covered the back fence of our property. Hardy in Zones 9 to 11, the cape honeysuckle is a colorful, carefree and drought tolerant plant. It’s also very attractive to hummingbirds and bees.  We consider it a good living privacy screen for the property.

But this plant grows so quickly that it can be a real pain in the neck in California. It’s a good idea to cut it back every few months, or even monthly to maintain the shape.

So, you can understand why my husband was rather eager to review the new Troy-Bilt cordless hedge trimmer, powered by CORE technology.

This beast of a plant needs serious tools to keep it under control.

The Troy-Bilt hedge trimmer is cordless, which makes it much easier to maneuver while on a ladder dealing with a monster plant.

“I’ve had corded trimmers before, and it’s so much easier to use this Troy-Bilt trimmer,” says my husband. “I really liked not having to worry about plugging it in or accidentally cutting the cord. It’s a lot more convenient for quick, spontaneous jobs too.”

He especially liked the way this hedge trimmer is powered with a new proprietary CORE technology that provides the kind of battery power that rivals gas engines.  “This trimmer cuts like a hot knife through butter,” he adds. “It’s got plenty of power to cut through those thicker branches.”

Basically, the patented motor has a new design. You won’t find the heavy copper coils you typically find on brushless motors. Instead, these CORE motors have a printed circuit board that operates together with magnetic rotors to deliver concentrated power when needed.

Here’s more about Troy-Bilt CORE technology…

But my husband doesn’t really care about all that – he’s just happy to have a battery-powered trimmer that really can tackle this monster hedge. With 22-inch chrome-plated blades that move 3,000 strokes per minute, this tool works exceedingly well on this dense and tall hedge.

He’s also a big fan of the 40 volt lithium-ion battery, which can be used with any of the tools powered by the CORE system. Now that my husband has the battery and charger, he can use it with all the other CORE-powered tools and just buy the bare tools.

“I’ve owned corded and cordless trimmers in the past,” says my husband. “But this is the best trimmer I’ve ever used – corded or cordless. This is now my favorite garden tool in our shed. It’s the gold standard of trimmers.”

The Troy-Bilt hedge trimmer powered by CORE is the industry’s only motor with a limited lifetime warranty.

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post. I am a Saturday6 blogger for Troy-Bilt this year. This tool was provided at no charge. But I was not told what to write, and my opinions are my own. My husband’s opinions are DEFINITELY his own. If he didn’t like something, believe me, he’d let us know.

It could happen to anyone, really. Our friends came home from vacation to an overgrown backyard, where the grass had grown really tall. In some places, the lawn had grown nearly knee-high, and the yard needed more than just a normal lawn mower to cut it.

That’s when my husband decided to try out the Troy-Bilt brush cutter attachment on their backyard. We wanted to see if this tool could really stand up to thick, tall grass. Here’s what happened…

Normally, our friends have a delightful backyard with lots of trees and flowers. But a long vacation trip, and several rainy days while they were gone, made their yard a real bear when they returned home.

My husband mentioned that Troy-Bilt had recently sent us the TrimmerPlus® Add-On Brushcutter to review. “If any backyard could use this tool, this is it,” he explained.

We decided this yard would make a good test spot, and our friends were happy to agree.

This tool uses Troy-Bilt’s JumpStart Lithium-Ion Engine Starter, which makes it quick and easy to turn on these tools.

This starter works with all the TrimmerPlus attachments, and it’s one of my husband’s favorite aspects of the tool. Forget about pulling a cord to start this machine. This cordless electric starter gives you 25 starts without recharging it.

It quickly became apparent that this tool meant business, even though it was cutting thick grass and weeds.

The brush cutter has an 8 inch steel reversible brush blade for heavy weeds and brush. It also has a pro-style straight shaft design that allows for easy trimming under shrubs and low branches.

Here, you can see how the brush cutter is making a path through the tall, dense grass.

Even our friend wanted to try out the tool to see if it was easy to use. The J-style barrier bar and comfort should strap are included, and make the brush cutter simple to maneuver.

The entire lawn was cut back within an hour.

The brush cutter isn’t a normal tool to use in cutting your grass. But on those rare times, when you need to quickly and easily cut back thick vegetation, it’s a great tool to use.

This brush cutter made short work out of tall grass. It paved the way for the lawn to be finished with the mower. And it won two impressed and loyal fans on a summer afternoon.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, and I am a Saturday6 garden blogger for Troy-Bilt. I was not, however, told what to write and my opinions are my own.

What are those special ingredients that elevate a garden into a stylish and unforgettable space? What’s the best way to unleash your garden personality, and how can you create an outdoor place that’s uniquely your own?

Just in time for another gardening season, Seasonal Wisdom sat down with London-trained landscape designer Rochelle Greayer for ideas on developing personal style.

Photo copyright Adam Woodruff

If you’re an avid gardener or reader, you may already know Rochelle Greayer. She was a graduate of the English Gardening School in London. She is the creator and editor of  the hip gardening newspaper Pith + Vigor. And she also writes regularly for Apartment Therapy. I’ve gotten to know her better, because we are both members of the Troy-Bilt Saturday6 national blogging team.

Rochelle is also the author of Cultivating Garden Style: Inspired Ideas and Practical Advice to Unleash Your Garden Personality (Timber Press). This hard cover book is packed with photography, design tips and advice on styles ranging from Playful Pop to Xeric Hacienda and Handsome Prairie.

Whatever style you enjoy, you’ll find a wide variety of garden accessories – from modern umbrellas to retro fire pits to comfy loungers. There are literally hundreds of ideas to get your creativity flowing.

This visually stunning book is designed to help you determine the look that’s right for your home. Along with lots of design ideas, there is The Little Green Book in the back with good garden resources. You’ll also find general gardening advice for everything from firescaping a yard to choosing the right tree. There are many  little gems in this jewel of a book.

Obviously, Rochelle is a good person to ask about garden design:

Photo copyright Marianne Majerus

Q) How does someone cultivate “style” in the garden? 

Rochelle Graeyer: I think everyone has a personal style whether they know it or not.

Sometimes it is hard to find. But you can see personal style in the car they drive, the clothes they wear, the things they eat and the art they like. I think people are often afraid to embrace their style, particularly in the garden, because it can be so visible to everyone around them.

Finding your style is about finding what sings to you – the colors you love, the stories you like, the books you read, the images you are attracted to – and then learning how to translate that into a garden.

Pinterest is my favorite tool for people to use to find what they love. A fun activity is to go to Pinterest and perhaps go to someone else’s page that has a wide variety of boards.

The point is, expose yourself to a huge array of images. Then start liking — not pinning – but liking images.  Liking is super fast; you just click the heart in the corner on anything that looks interesting to you for any reason.   Let it come from your gut. The faster the better, so you aren’t over thinking or letting your critical thinking mind engage at all.

Don’t pin; that stops your freedom… it makes you organize and judge. The point is to turn that part of your mind off. Once you have done that, take a look at all the likes and see what patterns you find.  Did you like stuff with a particular color, style or element? What threads do you see? Sometimes a thread in your boards can be hard to find, but a friend can see it more easily. The threads are the beginnings of finding your personal style.

Photo copyright Hugh Main

Q) What are some common misconceptions about garden style?  

Rochelle: Style to me is very personal. It is not what the neighbor has down the street, although that may look great! Lots of people aim for what their neighbors have in the garden, but I think that only leads to a boring world (and boring neighborhoods).

Creating space around you that uniquely serves you, inspires you and comforts you is something that can only be done for you and by you.  Style isn’t universal – it is personal and unique.

Brooke Gianetti

Q) What have been some of your most important garden design inspirations?

Rochelle: Art and fashion are both hugely inspiring to me.  Both tell stories and when you are drawn to something (like art or fashion) you are drawn to some element of the story that it is telling.

Then, of course, there are other garden designers. From them, I am often more inspired by the technical elements – such as how they built something, or the plants they choose and how they put them together. If they are really thinking, then I can be very inspired by the stories they are telling. For example, I’m a fan of avant garde garden shows like Chaumont, because the whole point is to get away from “pretty” and more into an idea or concept.

Pretty is great – and of course pretty can carry the day in a garden – but just pretty can also be sort of a boring story.

Photo copyright Andrea Jones

Q) How would you recommend people deal with their “inner critic” and create their own garden style?  

Rochelle: Maybe thinking of it as “art” or “style” is too stressful and puts too much pressure on it?

Think more about what you love. Consider how you want to spoil and indulge yourself first. Then, once you know what is meaningful to you, it is easier to tell the inner critic to shut-up and go away. It’s all about you and whatever makes you happy. Who cares if that rhubarb plant is next to the mailbox, if it makes you happy?

Photo copyright Jim Charlie

Q) Is there anything else you’d like to add?  

People always ask me, ‘What about my homeowners association?’ And to that I say, there is always the back yard.  Build a fence if you must. Then do what you love and what inspires you out there.

Thanks, Rochelle! Best of luck with your own garden this year.

This is not a sponsored post. I was provided a free copy of the book from the publisher, but I was not compensated in any way.

Another gardening season is here. If you’re like me, it’s easy to get a bit overwhelmed with everything that needs to get finished outdoors – instead of enjoying your time playing in the soil.  So, in the spirit of pleasure and priorities, here are five tips for keeping your garden looking its best this year.

Unforgettable Foliage

Flowers come and go, but fabulous foliage looks good in the garden all season long. Look for plants with striped, variegated, spotted or unusually colored foliage. Often the flowers are insignificant or unimportant; it’s the leaves that matter.

For example, you could grow an ordinary geranium with traditional green leaves and red flowers. Or, you could experiment with the stunning ‘Mrs Pollack’ geranium (shown above), which sports dramatic red, green and yellow leaves, along with red flowers.

‘Key Lime Pie” heuchera adds a bright dash of color to a garden spot, especially when combined with darker plants such as black mondo grass.

From lighter leaves to bold, variegated patterns, plants come with different colored foliage that can bring plenty of drama to your garden, long after the flowers have stopped blooming.

Fragrance Matters

We’re often in such a hurry to pick good looking plants for the garden that we don’t consider other important factors, such as how those plants smell.

It’s easy to overlook the importance of aroma in the garden, until you happen to catch a whiff of sweet, spring-blooming jasmine on a California evening. Then you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

Wherever you happen to garden, make it a priority to add more fragrant plants to your outdoor spaces. From jasmine, rose and citrus to heliotrope, gardenia, even pine needles and eucalyptus leaves, there are lots of options for fragrant plants. Make aroma an important ingredient in your garden’s pleasures.

Healthy  Soil

The most beautiful gardens start with the healthiest soils. Every spring, I add a couple inches of compost  to my garden beds to revive the nutrients and microbial activity levels. Ideally, you’re striving for about 5 percent organic matter in your soil, which will help retain water, add good drainage, improve soil texture and add micronutrients.

This spring, I fed these roses with a one-time serving of a homemade tea made from Authentic Haven Brand alfalfa tea.  Then a few weeks later, I sprinkled a quarter-cup of Epsom salt around each rose plant and watered well. The plants have rewarded with me with bright green foliage and plenty of blossoms that are just now coming, as you can see. Although I had tried this company’s cow manure teas in the past successfully, this was the first time I had bought the alfalfa tea.  I recommend it as your rose garden beds are waking up in the new growing season.

Control Weeds

Another way to keep your garden looking attractive is to effectively manage the weeds. This year’s rainy spring has germinated weeds like crazy around here!

Make it a goal to keep your weeds under control. Start early in the season, before they spread. Work on dirt that is slightly moist, because it’s easier to remove weeds when the soil isn’t bone dry. Carefully loosen the soil so you can remove the entire root system. This Troy-Bilt Premium Garden Rake ($6.99) is an effective tool for this task. It’s made of galvanized steel, so it can stand up to the job.  Even if I wasn’t a Troy-Bilt Saturday6 blogger this year I would still recommend this tool.

Prevent weeds by covering the soil with mulch. I like to put about 8-10 sheets of newspaper on the soil, and then water it well. I cover the newspaper with three to four inches of fine wood chips. Over time, the newspaper and wood chips will decompose slowly into the soil and add organic matter, but in the meantime, they will smother the weeds and save water in the garden.

Recently, I helped Troy-Bilt and Planet in Action build a new edible community garden at Travis County Park in Austin, Texas. During the day, I spent hours using the Troy-Bilt Long Handle Garden Hoe ($29.99), as you can see above. It came in handy breaking up and spreading the soil over the day. There may be times when you want or need to weed standing up; this tool can really save your back.

Grow Food

From red lettuces (shown above) to deep purple eggplants to yellow cherry tomatoes, growing your own food is an easy way to add beauty, taste and fun to your garden.  Once you get used to picking your dinner fresh from the backyard, you’ll never look the same way at those grocery store vegetables again.

Don’t have a big garden? Feel free to mix your edibles with your ornamental plants, as long as you garden organically. Besides some of those vegetables are just as pretty as flowers, and deserve a front row spot in the garden. Don’t forget containers. Lettuces and salad greens grow easily in window boxes and pots of all sizes. Mix them with edible flowers like nasturtiums, violas or pansies.

Swiss chard (shown above) is a “cut and come again” vegetable. When you clip these leaves back to the ground, they’ll grow again. Here in California, these plants have been growing in my garden for a couple years already in a sunny spot.

Start with Seeds

Many vegetables grow easily from seeds, and you get a lot of plants for the price of a seed pack. Seeds allow you to grow more unusual heirlooms, which are often hard to find as transplants. Growing food from seeds also teaches patience and persistence, while waiting for the plants to germinate.

If you want to grow tomatoes, peppers or eggplants, start those indoors about 8 to 10 weeks before your last frost date. So, the time to start these seeds is February or early-March in many places.

But you can plant many other seeds in the ground right now.  John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds recently sent me a free selection of seeds to review, and all are easy to grow when directly seeded into the garden.

Spinach, carrots, radishes, beets, peas, lettuce and Swiss chard are just some of the vegetables that grow well from seeds sown in the garden right about now. In fact, many of these plants prefer to start from seed in your garden, rather than as a transplant. Personally, I’m eager to try ‘Little Snow’ peas, which start to produce in only 30 days. These would be ideal for areas with short spring seasons.

But, Most Importantly …

However, you decide to garden this season, remember to have fun. The most beautiful and memorable gardens are the ones where you can tell the owners really enjoyed themselves while planning and working there.

As Kate Morton wrote in The Forgotten Garden, “It was such a pleasure to sink one’s hands into the warm earth, to feel at one’s fingertips the possibilities of the new season.”

Hope you have a great time this year sinking your hands into the warm earth and feeling the possibilities in your garden.

Disclosure

Seasonal Wisdom is a Troy-Bilt Saturday6 blogger for 2016, and this is a sponsored post. The John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds were provided for review at no charge.

This year’s El Nino weather has brought more rain to California, leaving the fields filled with wildflowers such as these wild mustard and lupin flowers blooming near Gaviota in Santa Barbara County.

Take an armchair tour of these spring meadows and get a good online resource for wildflowers in this area.

A pretty purple lupin was just some of the wildflowers spotted in Gaviota, just north of Santa Barbara, the day before the spring equinox.

The fields of wild mustard flowers can be seen in this photo of the Gaviota pier, which is currently closed due to a severe recent storm.

Here’s another mustard-filled field on a hiking trail to the Gaviota Wind Caves.  We didn’t make it to the caves, but this blogger did. Check out these photos by California Though My Lens.

California’s native elderberries (Sambucus mexicana) are a riot of flowers at the moment.  Eventually, these flowers will become blue berries beloved by many species of birds.  These berries are edible if they are cooked. Here’s more information on this variety by Dr. Peter J. Bryant of University of California, Irvine.

The flowers can be used for teas and tonics, although we like them best for elder fritters. Here’s my recipe to try.A bit closer to home, I found this unknown purple flower growing in the sand along the Ventura beach. Just another reminder that there’s lots of beauty out there – if you take the time to look!

Learn More

Database of Santa Barbara Flowers by SantaBarbaraHikes.com with photos

More California wildflowers at Ventura Botanical Garden

Wildflowers of the Eastern Sierras

The holidays came early for my husband this year. That’s because he had the chance to try out Troy-Bilt’s Straight Shaft String Trimmer and several attachments in our garden. As he gives his review of the Troy-Bilt tools, an unexpected guest comes for a look. Check it out!

As you may know, Seasonal Wisdom is a #Saturday6 garden blogger for Troy-Bilt.

Recently, the company asked me to review its string trimmer and two TrimmerPlus® attachments. My husband Kevin was excited about receiving these particular tools, because we have a relatively small suburban yard in California where trimmers, lawn edgers and pole saws really come in handy. (We’re also going through a historic drought at the moment, so please excuse how dry our turf looks right now.)

The tools reviewed:

• Troy-Bilt Straight Shaft String Trimmer, TB685-EC
• TrimmerPlus® Add-On Lawn Edger, LE720
• TrimmerPlus® Add-On Pole Saw, PS720
• JumpStart Lithium-Ion Engine Starter, 49MRBESP966

Troy-Bilt EC Straight Shaft String Trimmer, TB685

This 30cc, 4-cycle gas trimmer is a cool little system that allows you to use any TrimmerPlus® attachment with it. That means you can do multiple tasks with just one trimmer. This was a big plus for Kevin, as it helps save room in the garage.  He says, “It’s very quick and easy to change over the attachments. And the trimmer itself is very heavy duty.”

We both liked that the engine ran cleaner and produced less noise than our old trimmer. The trimmer uses the clean fuel, so you don’t need to mix the oil and gas. And you don’t need to replace the fuel as often.

The trimmer’s adjustable handle can be used for either right or left-handed use. (We’re both right-handed.)  A multi-position handle reduces vibration and operator fatigue. Anything that reduces “fatigue” is always popular around our house.

“I also really like the sling,” says Kevin. “It helps you balance the weight, so your arms don’t get as tired.”

JumpStart Lithium-Ion Engine Starter

This cordless  engine starter got high marks from Kevin. He really liked not having to pull the cord to start the machine. The battery is supposed to last up to 25 starts between charges.

TrimmerPlus® Lawn Edger, LE720

The edger works well on our turf, which is suffering greatly from the historic California drought, as I mentioned.

Kevin liked how quickly he could connect the edger to the string trimmer without any tools. The edger is adjustable in depth up to 2.5 inches.  He used it on walkways, patios and other border areas.  The large guide wheel made it easy to maneuver.

TrimmerPlus® Add-On Pole Saw, PS720

In our yard, we have a huge trumpet vine that we inherited with the house. It grows like a weed, and has to be pruned regularly. So, this attachment was another one of Kevin’s favorites.  It easily prunes the thick, intertwined branches.

When you add the extension to this pole saw, it reaches 11 feet.  You can see the strap helping him to balance the tool, as he works.

Good Choice for Holidays

Around here, we’re more likely to use a trimmer than a mower.  So, we need equipment that’s reliable and easy to use.  Kevin gives these garden tools a “big thumbs up,” and looks forward to many years of use.

Meanwhile, our dog Maggie thought this post needed a little excitement and decided to photo bomb Kevin unexpectedly. She gave the garden tools a good rating too.

Disclosure:  As a #Saturday6 blogger, these garden tools were provided at no charge. But our opinions are always our own.