The popularity of crape myrtle, Lagerstroemia indica, is mostly justifiable. It is a compact tree, so is proportionate to small urban gardens. Its roots are very complaisant, so should not displace pavement. It blooms spectacularly for summer, and then develops fiery foliar color for autumn. Its only problem is that it is so popular that it has become too common.
The largest cultivars of crape myrtle do not grow much taller than twenty feet. Therefore, they are appropriate for utility easements with high voltage cables. Because of their very docile roots, they are popular as street trees. Although, they do not grow wide enough to provide much shade. Street trees should have single trunks. Others can have multiples.
Floral color is white, pink, red or mauve. Bloom can be very profuse and billowy. Autumn foliar color is bright yellow, orange and red before defoliation. The smooth bark is nicely mottled. Aggressive dormant pruning for winter delays bloom, but promotes bigger floral trusses. Crape myrtle enjoys warmth and full sun exposure. It does not need much water, once established.
With very few exceptions, all plants have roots. Almost all roots remain out of view within soil or potting media. Consequently, they do not get much consideration or credit for their important functions. They stabilize and collect nutrients for the plants that disperse them. They are as diverse and specialized as the stems and foliage of the plants they sustain.
Naturally, large plants like trees and big shrubbery disperse their roots very extensively. They must in order to obtain the nutrients and moisture they need to sustain themselves. In home gardens, though, they do not need to disperse their roots nearly as extensively. With watering and maybe fertilization, they can obtain what they need relatively closely.
Roots of domestic trees and shrubs are therefore more confined than those of wild trees. They are also closer to the surface of the soil. Roots of plants that prefer better drainage will not disperse very deeply. Unfortunately, some are likely to displace infrastructure on the surface of the soil. They damage sidewalks, curbs, driveways, and even foundations.
Repair of such damage typically involves removing or at least severing the causal roots. Severing substantial roots can be stressful to their associated trees or shrubs. It can also destabilize them. Some of such trees and shrubs may actually require complete removal. Future damage is somewhat avoidable by simply planting appropriate trees and shrubs.
Near pavement, appropriate trees should innately exhibit complaisant root systems. For trees that have potential to damage nearby concrete, root barriers might be useful. Root barriers are rigid plastic devices that surround the root systems of new trees. They direct root growth downward. Most extend into the soil two feet deep, but are open underneath.
Other types of root barrier are available for established trees. They are either flexible but firm plastic flashing, or fabric studded with herbicide pellets. They too extend into the soil two feet deep. After trenching to cut damaging roots next to pavement, a root barrier goes into the trench. Filling the trench holds the barrier in place to redirect encroaching roots.
This is what some of the flowers and foliage that are normally shown in closeup pictures look like within their respective landscapes. The first three landscapes need some work.
1. Citrus X latifolia ‘Bearss’ lime is almost surrounded by neighboring cape honeysuckle, so it is difficult to distinguish in this picture. Cape honeysuckle should be removed soon.
2. Musa acuminata X balbisiana ‘Blue Java’ banana on the left may be ‘Nam Wah’. The other on the right is unidentified. They moved into their landscape before the landscape.
3. Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’ smokebush is a striking focal point for its somewhat abandoned garden. It draws attention away from the neglect. It gets pollarded in winter.
4. Pelargonium hortorum, zonal geranium looks as good within the White Garden as in closeups. This is at the Mount Hermon Memorial Chapel. Its cypress need straightening.
5. Agapanthus orientalis, lily of the Nile is congregated in a large triangular herd on the side of the main road through Mount Hermon. It is blooming quite well for the summer.
6. Phlox paniculata, garden phlox appeared in this garden a few years ago, and has since become one of the more prominent features here. We have no idea where it came from.
Old fashioned hydrangea, Hydrangea macrophylla, were somewhat predictable. Those that developed color bloomed pink in alkaline soil or blue in acidic soil. White hydrangea only bloomed white. Nowadays, some cultivars bloom better in pink while others bloom better in blue. Pink cultivars in acidic soil or blue cultivars in alkaline soil may be purple.
Floral form has also evolved significantly. Old fashioned hydrangeas bloom with big and rounded trusses of many small flowers. Such trusses are about four to eight inches wide. Some modern cultivars bloom with flatter or conical trusses. Some produce tiny florets in the center with bigger florets around them. All hydrangeas bloom for summer or autumn.
Big hydrangeas can grow about six feet high and wide. Most modern cultivars are more compact. The deciduous foliage is lush. Individual leaves are about six inches long, with serrate edges. Hydrangea perform better after dormant pruning during winter, to remove older canes. Younger canes that grew during the previous season will be more vigorous. Although bulky, hydrangea blooms are delightful as cut flowers. All parts of hydrangea, though, are toxic.
Almost every plant needs sunlight. Only parasitic plants that lack chlorophyll are the few exceptions. Even they rely on plants that need sunlight to conduct photosynthesis. Some plants require full sun exposure, while others tolerate some degree of shade. Actually, a few plants prefer partial shade. Situating plants accordingly promotes their performance.
Modern home gardens are generally shadier than older home gardens. They are smaller and surrounded by larger homes and fences. Taller fences, taller hedges and evergreen trees obscure adjacent homes. They also produce more shade. Plants that tolerate some degree of shading have consequently become more popular. They require less sunlight.
Most of such plants are understory plants. In their natural habitats, they live in the partial shade of larger plants and trees. They should do the same within home gardens. Ferns, philodendrons, alocasias, colocasias and Natal lily are a few examples. They are some of the few plants that actually prefer partial shade. They can roast with too much sunlight.
Azaleas, rhododendrons, andromedas and hydrangeas are also understory plants. They prefer a bit more sunlight than the other examples, though. They like eastern exposures, where they get plenty of sunlight, but only in the morning. Then, they are in partial shade as the weather gets warmer after noon. However, some can tolerate more sun exposure.
Oleander, bougainvillea, lavender, lily of the Nile and agaves are the opposite. They like full sun exposure as well as warmth. Unshaded southern and western exposures are no problem for them. Shade inhibits their performance, and promotes thin etiolated growth. Most yuccas and cacti require sunlight and warmth, but can be difficult to accommodate.
Northern exposures are the shadiest. Southern exposures are the sunniest and warmest. Both eastern and western exposures are partly shady, but eastern exposures are cooler. They get all their sunlight prior to noon, while western exposures get all theirs after noon. Big eaves extend shade. Deciduous trees shade during summer, but not through winter.
These Six on Saturday lack a theme. They are a mixed bag.
1. Watsonia X pillansii ‘Coral and Hardy’ bugle lily is my first ever! Something dug it out last year before bloom, for no apparent reason. You can probably guess where it is from.
2. Canna X generalis ‘Cannova Mango’ canna on the right seems to have produced a red sport on the left. I do not think that another cultivar mixed with it, but I am not certain.
3. Matthiola incana, snapdragon has not been planted here for years because of rust. A few generations of just a few feral plants have grown from seed though. Most are yellow.
4. Osteospermum fruticosum, trailing African daisy might be feral also. Although some were planted nearby, I do not remember that any were planted in its particular location.
5. Phlox paniculata, garden phlox began as feral, since we do not know how the seed got here, but now that it is here, we cultivate it. Almost all of it is white, but one is lavender.
6. Rosa spp., rose is producing some exemplary flowers. I do not know what cultivar this is, but it resembles ‘Seashell’. I suppose its name is unimportant. It is pretty regardless.
A prune is not merely a dried plum. Plums and prunes are really two distinct types of fruit. Plums are Japanese cling fruits, with their ripe flesh firmly adhered to their pits. They are rounder, softer, juicier, more colorful and best for fresh eating. Prunes, Prunus domestica, are European freestone fruits. They are slightly oblong, firmer, sweeter and dark purple.
Because of their higher sugar content, prunes are more popular dried than fresh. Plums are likely to mold during the drying process because they contain less sugar. Prunes are also better for canning and juicing than plums. However, for marketing purposes, modern prunes now qualify as plums. Plum juice is apparently more appealing than prune juice.
Regardless of their differences, plums and prunes are of the same genus. They grow on similar trees that require the same dormant pruning through winter. Dwarf trees are about ten feet tall. Semi-dwarf trees, which are the most popular, can get almost fifteen feet tall. Efficient pruning keeps them shorter so that more of their fruit grows within reach.
So much summer fruit is now in season. Most cherries have finished, but apricots, plums and prunes are still ripening. Nectarines and peaches will ripen immediately after them. Almonds will be the earliest nuts to ripen later in August or so. Birds, squirrels and other wildlife are eagerly watching and waiting. If they have not stolen fruit yet, they likely will.
Fruit appeals to wildlife like flowers do. Flowers employ attractive colors and fragrances to appeal to wildlife that pollinates them. Many reward such pollinators, which are mostly insects and hummingbirds, with nectar. Similarly, fruit uses attractive colors and aromas to lure wildlife that disperses its seed. Such fruit is compensation for this important work.
It is therefore only natural for wildlife to damage or abscond with fruit from home gardens. Such wildlife includes squirrels or various birds, or perhaps rats, opossums or raccoons. Protecting ripening fruit from them can be daunting. For some situations, it may not even be possible. Typically, wildlife takes only some fruit. However, sometimes, it ruins all of it.
Protection of fruit requires some familiarity with whomever exploits it. Squirrels and birds are visible as they are active during the day. Opossums, raccoons and rats are nocturnal, so are not visible during the day. Opossums and rats tend to nibble fruit but leave it on its stems. Raccoons tend to take fruit off trees to eat on the ground, leaving bits and pieces.
Bird netting can exclude birds, but is difficult to install, and almost impossible to remove. If effective for the particular birds, flash tape is an easier and more practical option. Fake owls or snakes deter both birds and squirrels. Relocation every few days improves their credibility. Because they are unfamiliar, plush toys may be as effective to deter squirrels.
Tree trunk baffles can protect fruit from opossums and raccoons. However, they are only effective if there is no other access from adjacent trees or fences. Rosemary, lavender or mint around fruit trees can supposedly be a minor deterrent. Not much deters a raccoon, though, once fruit starts to ripen. Electric fencing can be effective, but is not so practical.
Tony Tomeo 