Q: (…) how do you keep the squash bugs away. I have them every year with no way to rid them. I would not put toxic poison out, I want it ito be free of bugs and snakes with out poison.– Pearl

A: Hi Pearl,
Squash bugs can be a persistent problem along the East Coast and in Midwest gardens. To keep them under control, choose summer squash as they are more resistant than winter squashes and pumpkins. Two suggestions for control: keep mulch well away from squash plants as the bugs congregate under loose material to avoid the heat of the day and cover young plants with floating row covers. When they start to bloom, remove the covering so bees can pollinate the flowers. By that time the plants should be large enough to withstand the bugs but if you occasionally hand gather them in the early morning while they still move slowly and drown them in a can of soapy water, you can keep the hoards at bay.

As far as the snakes, of course they are great for the ecosystem, but certainly not welcome in the garden under your squash. Visit the website: http://www.chiff.com/a/garden-snakes.htm  for lots of good ideas for keeping them out of your garden.
Great Gardening,
Ros Creasy

Adult Squash Bug

Photo Credit: By Richard Bartz, Munich aka Makro Freak (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

Q: I have been growing vegetables in my 125 sq ft back yard for several years. The challenge has been making it look beautiful in the fall and winter.  Does your new book discuss year round gardening? And could you please list the flowers that are pictured in the slide show.

Thank you for sharing, you are an inspiration.

Andrea

A: Hi Andrea,
Yes, I discuss making the garden beautiful all year round. You didn’t say where you live but I find that strong lines created by raised beds, boxwood hedges, and interesting paths helps a lot to give a sense of place. Adding color with containers, painted walls and or gates, and a focal point or two – maybe a trellis, birdbath, or sculpture in a critical juncture holds the viewer’s eye in the space. You might even create a collection of antique garden tools or say Mexican sun faces on the far fence, or even hang a large decorative mirror there. (A mirror makes a small place look larger and is used by designers when there is something nice to reflect in the glass.) And as far as edibles, there are a number that grow well in all but the coldest winter areas including kales, cabbages, leeks, and chard. You can plant them in decorative blocks or diamonds instead of the usual straight rows, or plant them around a birdbath or sundial. Edible Landscaping has many more ideas; these are just to get you started.
I’d love to see photos of your finished creation. If you agree, I could then share it with others.
Thanks for the question,

Ros Creasy

Pomegranates, lemons, and persimmons make up my fall harvest.

In fact, many edibles are just as beautiful as a traditional flower or foliage plant. By including unusual vegetables in your designs, you are extending the structure, color and variety of potential plant materials. And, when combined with non-traditional planters, they can be real show stoppers.

If you are looking for inspiration, there is a great article on the design website, Houzz.com. Marianne Lipanovich writes about a whole host of ways to highlight vegetables in ornamental beds and containers. She’s also kind enough to mention Ros’ latest book, Edible Landscaping, as a resource. Houzz is a fantastic site and is also available as a mobile app. Below is a slideshow of photos from Marianne’s article:

This is my welcoming herbal entry. I planted two garlic chives, one on each side;  added a planting of regular chives; and for the containers I chose gold, tricolor, and purple sage; lemon and English thyme; and rosemary. Nasturtiums and ‘Lemon Gem’ marigolds are planted along the walk for color and two standard purple Potato Vines frame either side of the walk to add a formal feel.

My neighbors asked me to convert their small front yard, primarily a lawn planted on a slope, to a culinary herb garden. We replaced it with flowering perennials and easy-care shrubs on the slope, and selected thymes, rosemary, oregano, and chives planted near the level front walk. Stepping stones placed here and there make it easy to harvest the herbs and gives design to the planting areas. Now they can dash out of the kitchen for their herbs and have a cheerful garden that is easy to maintain.

Herb leaf colors range from gray, to green, to yellow, to purple, and include bi-colors too. Here I chose variegated lemon thyme and bi-colored oregano for the front of the bed. I then selected golden sage for the wooden container, and the upright Italian herb nepetella, spiky garlic chives, and the colorful lavender for the middle of the bed. Yellow violas and calendulas, and purple pansies add their rich colors and a ferny fennel lends a soft green background to the scene.

Herbs are at home in a mixed border and glamorous enough for the front street-side border. The sculptural collards anchor this colorful border. Prostrate and upright rosemary nestle up to the collards. Directly behind them is a purple basil, and behind it is a golden sage, some bronze fennel, and a yellow rose. Among the edible herbs are the non-edible yellow and red lantanas and geraniums.

This herb garden lends a yen-like peace to my back patio. A venerable old rosemary sets off the birdbath. Planted among the non-edible geraniums and million bells are a number of different thymes, a knotted marjoram, lavender, and Chinese chives. Horseradish and sage are planted in containers.

Lecture Schedule Spring 2012

March 15

Moraga Garden Club, Holy Trinity Cultural Center ,1700 School Street, Moraga, California Lecture: Edible Landscaping – 10:30 am

Contact: Hollace Gertmenian (925)376-5130

March 17 and 18

San Diego Botanical Garden – Herb Festival, Spring Plant Sale, Tomatomania – Lecture: Edible Landscaping – 1:00 pm

Contact at www.sdbgarden.org/herbfest.htm

April 15

Colonial Williamsburg’s 66^th Annual Symposium, Williamsburg, Virginia – Lectures: The New American Garden and Growing an Heirloom Garden: Vegetables and Flowers – 8:30 am to 9:20 am and 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm

Contact at www.history.org/conted

May 2

The Bel Air Garden Club, Bel Air, California – Lecture: Edible Landscaping -11:00 am

Contact: Phoebe Vaccaro (310)476-2031

May 4 and 5

Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Garden, Los Angeles, California – Gala Fundraiser 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm – Garden chats: Confusion in the Edible Garden – What most Gardeners want to know – 11:00 am

Contact at www.arboretum.org

May 10

CIL’s 8^th Annual Authors Night – Center for Independent Living, Berkeley – Book Signing –

Contact at www.cilberkeley.org

The new information is more precise, because of more detailed weather data collected in the last few decades, and also because the winters have been slightly warmer during that time. Just remember though, that the information given for plants in catalogs is based on the old zone designation and it will take years for the new information to trickle down throughout the books and catalogs.

Photo credit for map: http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/

–Jean Ann

Hi Rosalind,

For awhile now I’ve been fascinated with the notion of “cool roofs”. I’ve read (though this has been disputed) that much like glaciers it could reflect sunlight back into space and lowering the impact of sunrays. I also read this crazy article about Peruvians painting rocks. Now maybe my idea has already been tested and shot down. I have no idea. I’m a huge fan of yours so I thought I would start my research with you.

My idea is this, given that the US has vast acres of pastures for cattle and corn, is there a white plant that could take their place? Maybe food for live stock? What are the white plants and grains available to us? I know people may not be interested converting their lawns but I do wonder if some would. There are also acres of landfill that could grow something white. Again maybe this is all crazy but I have to look into it.

Any information would be greatly appreciated, again I’m a huge fan of all of your wonderful work!

Thanks,
J.

Ros responds:

Hi J.,

It great to think outside of the box but I think there is a problem with your premise. Plants need chlorophyll in their leaves to convert sunlight into to energy and thus live, and of course, chlorophyll is green. “White” plants are few and far between, mostly limited to desert areas. They are white because white absorbs less heat as you stated. If memory serves me, I believe these plants are also not efficient at converting sunlight to energy. Inefficient conversion is not a problem in desert areas because of the intense and constant sunlight. I can think of no white food or grain plants and I’m guessing that white versions wouldn’t be productive in areas with frequent clouds or cooler weather. However, some folks interested in this subject have suggested we breed more reflective shiny-leaved plants. What do you think of that idea?

Thanks for making me think and why don’t you ask a few other folks and see what they say. Let me know if you make much progress in your research, it’s certainly an interesting premise.

Best, Ros Creasy

Picture via http://www.energysavers.gov

Three week old seedlings almost ready to plant in the garden

January is the perfect time to plan your spring and summer gardens. While there are many wonderful local nurseries around the country that offer a few racks of seeds and a limited number of edibles as transplants, I find the largest selection of ornamental edibles are available from mail-order and on-line seed companies. And when you order in January the companies are seldom sold out of some of the most popular choices.

I personally prefer to start the garden planning process by perusing paper catalogs. I put sticky notes on select pages to mark possible candidates, including varieties of seeds of both edibles and strictly ornamental flowers. In addition to the paper catalogs, I go on-line and check for transplant choices at chileplants.com, naturalgardening.com, and tastefulgarden.com. After I have limited my choices, always a painful process, I then go on line and order directly. I find on-line faster than ordering by mail and further, I can tell if the company is sold out and make adjustments to my final plan.

Baby red boc choi, chartreuse lettuces, and peacock feathered mustards are specialty vegetables started in my seed box

Most seed companies offer some varieties for the whole country but many specialize and choose the best varieties for a specific climate. I recommend that gardeners order from their closest seed companies when possible. Southerners from Southern seeds companies, West Coast gardeners from their region, and so on. The drop down “Other Useful Websites” under the Features section of this website contains is a very long list of seed companies and their links. In my book Edible Landscaping there is much information about these companies and many more, including their physical addresses, phone numbers, etc.

Golden zucchini from Renee's Garden Seeds is the star of my front border. In back are the burgundy leaves of purple orach, an heirloom variety from the Seed Savers Exchange.

I specifically recommend:

• Generally, for cool and/or short climates in the Northeast and Northwest try Bountiful Gardens, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Nichols Garden Nursery, Pinetree Garden Seeds, and the Territorial Seed Company
• For Southwestern gardens look to Native Seed Search, Plants of the Southwest, and Redwood City Seed Company
• For Southeastern gardens try Southern Seed Exchange and Whillhite Seed Company.
• For seed companies that are generalists with many great varieties look to Burpee’s, Cook’s Garden, and Renee’s Garden Seeds
• And finally check the website list for specialists like companies that carry mostly tomatoes, or heirlooms, and herbs specialists to round out your choices.

My containers are filled with special varieties of vegetables. In the large barrel there are plants of bush 'Henderson' lima beans climbing among the black-eyed-susan-vine, and a 'Super Bush' tomato overflows its container.

Question: 

Hi,  I live in San Diego where water is in limited supply.  My hubby and I took out our front lawn and planted low- water, drought tolerant plants.  I would like to add some edibles to my front yard.  I have rosemary, lavender and artichoke.  Can you recommend some other low-water edibles suitable to coastal San Diego? -Loc

Answer: 

       I’m so glad you want to grow a few more edibles!  As far as drought tolerant edibles are concerned, there are a number of aspects to be considered. The fact is, every time you grow an edible plant and harvest from it, you are saving water. The home gardener uses far less water than the farmer does. It’s not obvious to the average gardener, but I actually occasionally lecture for the Denver Water Company and the State of New Mexico concerning ways to save water in the global sense, not just at the end of your own hose. When you harvest lettuce from your garden you save 3 or 4 times the amount of water that the farmer and the grocery store would use to grow, water, harvest, wash, and keep fresh that head of lettuce.
       You stated that you grow rosemary, lavender, and artichokes, which is great, the rosemary and lavender are drought tolerant, but to grow tender artichokes it actually takes a fair amount of water. You didn’t state how close you are to the ocean, but as you are in USDA Zone 10, if you are more than 10 miles away and not in a cool fog pocket, you could grow the drought tolerant plants: figs; pomegranates; pineapple guava; and the Mediterranean herbs, oregano, fennel, sage, sweet bay, and thyme. Another way to save water is to grow super productive edibles like: lemons, strawberries, tomatoes, summer squash/zucchini, chard, peppers, collards, lettuce, and kale, and basil in the summer and cilantro in the winter. Just think of all the trips to the grocery store those would eliminate. These plants give you a large harvest for the water used.

*posted by Jean Ann Van Krevelen

photo by David Mill

For years I have planted culinary herbs in my clients gardens when they have critter problems. Deer, rabbits, chipmunks, and woodchucks seem to avoid these intensely fragrant plants. And while it’s a bit unusual to plant them in cemeteries, I knew that my mother-in-law wouldn’t mind this choice in front of their gravestone as she had helped me type my first manuscript for The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping. She was a fan of edible landscaping!

A month later I contacted Gale and asked for an update. She sent along this photo with a note that the oreganos on each end look slightly cut back. So now the question is: are the cuts nibbles by critters or sloppy weed whacker damage? We don’t know yet. We do know that the sage, golden oregano and thyme seem to be untouched. Tune in, we’re going to keep an eye on this planting and follow it until we know for sure. Culinary might be the answer for many families who lose their cemetery flower plantings on a regular basis. Who knows, harvesting a few herbs may give us another excuse to visit with loved ones.