Anawalt Gardening & Tool Tips
Indoor palm trees are prized for their ability to purify the air, boost mood, and elevate decor. These tropical beauties also act as natural humidifiers, making them perfect props for dry California environments.
They’re low maintenance compared to most other houseplants, needing only moderate sunlight, consistent watering, and occasional fertilization.
Mandevilla is a flowering vine native to Central and South America. Its dazzling, trumpet-shaped flowers and glossy green foliage make it a favorite for gardens, landscapes, and containers.
The plant flourishes in Southern California’s Mediterranean climate, showing vibrant blooms from spring to fall.
Chinese Evergreens, or Aglaonemas, are superb interior plants that tolerate neglect and poor conditions.
A well-tended Chinese Evergreen will reward you with beautiful foliage, occasional flowers, a calming presence, and cleaner air.
Asparagus originated in Mesopotamia and the East Mediterranean area. Cultivation traces back thousands of years and found its way to California in the late 19th century. The first commercial crop was grown on Bouldin Island in 1892.
Asparagus officinalis does well in Southern California’s Mediterranean climate — a boon to local gardeners who value its succulent, flavorful spears.
Tomatoes are the most popular vegetable for home gardening. They’re relatively easy to grow, remain productive all summer, and can be grown in containers, raised beds, and on ridges.
There’s nothing like the sweet, rich flavor of a freshly picked tomato from your garden. No grocery store tomato compares.
Roses are one of the best medicinal and culinary plants. If used for these purposes, they should be grown organically.
Toxic pesticides and other chemicals will compromise their medicinal and food value. Spraying the plants with synthetic poisons is a bad idea if you plan to drink rose hip tea or use rose petals in salads!
There are many good fall choices for gardeners in Southern California, although the temperature, moisture or the lack thereof, wind, and soil may be challenging.
Flower colors and vegetable flavor are better for fall crops because of cooler temperatures during maturity compared to summer crops. It’s the reason that summer flowers in the North are so colorful.
Poinsettias, whose bright petal-like bracts appear in late fall, have long been the most popular Christmas plant.
Hybridization has brought about many improvements to the fragile poinsettia. Plants are now more colorful; they also last longer.
When planning a new flower or vegetable garden, your family should be realistic about the time and cost for preparation, planting, maintenance, harvesting, and removal of residue. The suggested size for a family flower or vegetable garden is 100 to 400 square feet. You can increase or decrease it later, as needed.