Through the Garden Gate

Native California Plant Sale
Our local native plant sale is on Saturday, Oct. 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Santa Rosa Vets Memorial Building. This sale is a great introduction for newcomers to learn about and purchase native California plants at great prices. Beside plants, they sell bulbs, books, posters, T-shirts. Staff on hand will help with selections and advice. Arrive early, as this sale is very popular.
Why a plant sale in October? There may be some new or East or Midwest gardeners reading this column who don’t know much about gardening in Northern California. October through November is the best time for planting, especially native shrubs, perennials and trees. There may or may not have been rain to moisten and soften the soil, which makes digging-life easier, but the soil is normally warm yet at this time of year. The roots of plants make their way through the soil in the hole and into the surrounding native soil. As the rains dampen the soil, the roots settle in before the cold of December through February. By the time spring arrives, the plants will break dormancy and leaf out and blossom.
Bare-root planting starts in January and goes through the end of February. Gardeners tend to take a break in the early part of the year and get out their gloves, pruners and digging shovels in March. Sonoma County is an exciting place to be a gardener, and there are lots of nurseries that specialize in certain kinds of plants and lots of wonderful general nurseries.
I have no real complaint about big-box stores, but I do have complaints about their nursery plants. Often they have been treated with pesticides and these poisons are passed on to the pollinators such as honeybees, bumblebees and all the little native pollinators that need nectar throughout the year. Our local nurseries are run and staffed by folks who really know the plants and the local ecology. This is normally not true of big-box nursery staff; they seldom know where or how the plants they sell were grown.
Another downside of the big commercial vendors is that they offer invasive alien plants that take over the niches of our native plants. These invasive aliens, such as Pampas grass, are sold to unsuspecting customers, who innocently plant them without a clue as to the ramifications of their decisions.
Okay, off my soapbox!
Most salvias are fairly drought-tolerant; however, one of my favorites, the bog sage, is a bit of a water lover. I have it planted under my hanging birdbath, so it receives enough water to keep its tall, lithe, waving stems full of sky blue flowers. They are so blue! Bog sage (Salvia uliginosa), crazy name meaning “full of moisture” or “marshy,” spreads fairly easily but doesn’t seem to go beyond the really wet soil into the rest of the garden. The big bumblebees love its flowers and the finches and sparrows eat the seeds. It blooms in late summer, early fall, so is a good interim plant. Warning to strict native California gardeners: This salvia is not a native, but is from South America. I grow mostly natives, but I intermix other ornamentals with flowers that the pollinators use.
It is hard to miss all the articles that are currently being written on the problem of the vanishing honeybees, and others, that have served the pollination needs of our crops for years. We as gardeners can help by not using pesticides in our gardens. I have never felt the need to use them. My gardens are full of flowers and they are apparently in balance with the local ecology. I recently had an issue with mealybugs on my manzanitas and discovered that I had allowed other plants to crowd and shade the manzanitas. They needed more air and sunshine, which was easily remedied. I spent time squashing by hand the sticky little bugs, without the need for pesticides. All is well now.
Learn which plants attract the pollinators, then put in more of that particular plant. We can help and make an impact on our local neighborhoods.
Please write me at: jo*******@co*****.net. Have a happy planting season!