Happy New Year!

Just a quick pic of my garden to wish you all a happy New Year! I can't believe it'll be 2020! What are your gardening plans for the new year? 

 I have so much work to do. We've had about 5" of rain in the last two months. And even though I have a ton of mulch in my flower beds, the weeds have come up with the rain. And then there's all the rose pruning to do. I did my first pruning job of the season today. But I have so many jobs lined up I usually get to my own roses in Feb. 

I'd like to put a fence around the front garden, just two horizontal PVC slats to delineate our two walkways and maybe two small gates. We live on a corner. Sometimes people can't see the arches we put up over the walkways and they walk through the flower beds to the house. I have Zinnia seeds and Chrysanthemums to order.

 Ooh, today I found Freesia bulbs for 70% off at Armstrong Garden Center. I bought 4 packs and planted them. It's not too late to plant them if you can still find them.

Happy New Year! Happy Gardening!

Tree Daisy

I'm still learning about this plant called Tree Daisy or Montanoa arborescens. Say Mont-an-oh-uh. I saw it blooming a few years ago at the Quail Botanic Garden in Encinitas that is now the San Diego Botanic Garden. 

It took awhile for me to find out what it was. Then I found it in Lincoln Avenue Nursery 2 years ago in full bloom in a 5 gallon can. I'd never seen it in any other nursery. And I've learned that you have to snap them up when you see an unusual plant because when you go back it won't be there. That goes for things other than plants too :-) 

You can see how our fence needs painting here.  I had a pink Brugmansia in front of it that was beautiful at first, then slowly declined and I removed it recently.  

Montanoa is native to Mexico and will grow to 20' tall. I love that it blooms in fall and winter and that it is scented. The foliage smells sweet like Dr Pepper. Oddly enough my friend Louise says that in her native Maine, Montana blooms in Spring there! Wow! And it has crazy fast growth! The first year it got as tall as the fence. Unfortunately I cut it back too late and it didn't bloom in 2018. This year it is taller than the fence and is bungeed to a fence post. I was so happy to see flowers this year on it. I know that a plant should be cut back after blooming. But it grew so much that I want to prune it twice. I'll cut it back soon when there are no more flowers. 

 Have you grown Tree Daisy?

Merry Christmas and Happy Gardening!