California Garden, Vol. 84, No.1, January-February 1993

32 Pages·1993·3.2 MB·English

by  San Diego Floral Association

(Mifbrnia,
GARDEN
JANUARY-FEBRUARY
1993
Volume84No. 1
ISSN0008-1116
$1.50
HORTICULTURAL CALENDAR
Jan.2 S%D{JDrEXpJL&R&LSUSSOOWBO&t BusTourtoseePasadenaRoseParadeFloats
Call232-5762or277-5004forinformation.
Jan.3 LOSANGELESSTATE& COUNTYARBORETUM SouthernCaliforniaGladiolusSocietyBulbSale
301N. BaldwinAve., Arcadia. 9a.muntilsoldout. Entrancefee. Call818/821-3222.
Jan. 7 THEHUNTINGTON FirstThursdayGardenTalkandSale
1151OxfordRoad,SanMarino. "What'sNewinRoses?"SlidelecturebyhybridizerTomCarruthofWeek's
Roses. 2:30p.m. Call 818/405-2141.
Jan. 9 SANDIEGOROSESOCIETYRosePruningDemonstration
BalboaParkRoseGarden. 9a.m. Techniquesandactualpruninginthegarden. 495-5084.
Jan. 9 QUAILBOTANICALGARDENS SlideTalk, ClassicalItalianGarden
230QuailGardensDr.,Encinitas. LecturebyartistErikGronborg. 11 a.m. $1 parking. 436-3036.
Jan. 10 SOUTHCOASTBOTANICGARDEN FruitTreePruningLecture
26300CrenshawBlvd.,PalosVerdes. Dr.JeanNatter. 2p.m. Call310/544-1948.
Jan. 16-17 SANDBEGOCAMELLIASOCIETYSHOW "MiniShow''
CasadelPrado, BalboaPark. Sat.: 11-4:30p.m. Sun.: 10-4:30p.m.
Jan. 19+ SANTABARBARABOTANICGARDENS BasicBotanicalConceptsCourse
1212MissionCanyonRd., SantaBarbara. FourTuesdays. 2:30-4:30p.m. Call 805/682-4726.
Jan.23 QUAILBOTANICALGARDENS Tour
230QuailGardensDrive,Encinitas.AloegardentourbyPhilFavell,horticulturist&grower. Admissionfree.
$1parking. Call436-3036.
Jan.23-24 SOUTHCOASTBOTANICGARDEN SouthCoastCamelliaSocietyShow&Sale
26300CrenshawBlvd.,PalosVerdes. Sat. 1-4:30p.m. Sun. 10:30-4:30p.m. Call310/544-1948.
Jan30-31 LOSANGELESSTATE& COUNTYARBORETUM Show
301N. BaldwinAve., Arcadia. SouthernCaliforniaCamelliaSocietyShow. Sat. 1-4:30p.m. Sun. 9:30-4:30
p.m. Entrancefee. Call 818/821-3222.
Jan.30 SANDIEGONATURALHISTORYMUSEUM WhaleWatching
CoronadosIslandsWhaleWatchingTrip. 8-5p.m. Call232-3821,ext. 204forcostandinformantion.
Feb.2,9 SMtDJZgOJL&X&LASSOOA'TXMCFlowerArrangingClasses
&16 CasadelPrado,BalboaPark.Room102.Threeclasses. 9:30-3p.m. $25members$30nonmembersforseries.
Call232-5762forinformationandmaterialsneeded.
Feb. 8-9 SOUTHCOASTBOTANICGARDEN Show
26300CrenshawBlvd.,PalosVerdes. AfricanVioletSocietyShow&Sale.Microminis,largetrailers,andpin
wheelblossoms. Sat. 11-5p.m., Sun. 10-4p.m. Call310/544-6815.
Feb. 6-7 SANDIEGOCAMELLIASOCIETY 46thAnnualShow
CasadelPrado, MajorcaRm.,BalboaPark. Sat. 1-4:30p.m. Sun. 10-4p.m.
Feb. 14-23 INDIODATEFESTIVAL
Indio,CA. CallIndioChamberofCommerceforinformation. 800/444-6346.
Feb. 16 SZDfDrEXpfL&R&LflSSOOATJCMC QuarterlyMeeting&Program
CasadelPrado, Rm. 101,BalboaPark. 5:45p.m. $5members, $6nonmembers. Call232-5762.
Feb.21-22 SSWCDfEgOTLCM&LStSSOOA'TXnCDesertBusTrip(seepage31)
Feb. 23 SSWCDfEgOfLCM&LASSOOATJatt AdvancedFlowerArrangingClass
CasadelPrado,BalboaPark.Room103. Onedaylimitedclass. 9:30-3p.m. $15 Call298-5182or232-5762.
Feb. 27-28 LOSANGELESSTATE& COUNTYARBORETUM Show
301N. BaldwinAve., Arcadia, "OrchidsAreForEveryone!" 9-4:30p.m. Call 818/821-3222.Fee.
Weekly SANDIEGOJAPANESEFRIENDSHIPGARDEN DocentTours
BalboaParkbyOrganPavilion. Tues.,Fri.,Sat.&Sun. 10-4p.m.Donation. FreegardenadmissiononTues.
Call232-2780.
Every QUAILBOTANICALGARDENS FreeGuidedTours
Saturday 230QuailGardensDrive, Encinitas. VisitorsCenter 10a.m. $1 parking. Call436-3036.
Every OFFSHOOT TOURS FreeOne-hourPlantWalksinBalboaPark
Saturday MeetatBotanicalLathHouse. Canceled forrainorless than4 attendees. 1stSat., HistoryWalk; 2nd, Palm
Walk; 3rd, TreeWalk; 4th,DesertWalk; 5th, Sampleofallfourtours. 10a.m. StartingJanuary16, 1993.
DeadlineforsubmissiontoHORTICULTURALCALENDARforMar./Apr. issueisJan. 15.
SANDIEGOFLORALASSOCIATIONisnotresponsibleforchangesininformationwhichhasbeensubmittedbytheorganizations.
CALIFORNIA GARDEN
California SINCE 1909 SanDiegoFloralAssociation
GARDEN CasadelPrado,BalboaPark
SanDiegoCA 92101-1619
MondaythroughFriday
LIBRARYOFCONGRESSNO.ISSN0008-1116 10a.m.to12and1to3p.m.
619/232-5762
VOLUME 84 NUMBER
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1993 1
Publishedby
SanDiegoFloralAssociation 2 Horticultural Calendar JeanE. Johns
for83Years 4 AWorldofPlantssoClosetoHome DonMiller
5 AForgottenDream Carol Greentree
PUBLICATIONSTAFF 6 NewYearResolutions RobertHorwitz
EDITOR 7 Keeping aTortoise ChristinaMacias
LucyWarren 8 Trees ofBalboaPark Kathy KalasPuplava
ASSISTANTEDITOR 9 Oxalis: ToWeed orNottoWeed CatherineL. Zinsky
PatriciaT.Kastama 11 SomethingDifferen—t C.Greentree, V. Mayer, J. Wright
EDITOREMERITUS 12 WinterRamblings Wisteria PeterLoewer
JohnJ. Gagliardi 13 TheGenus Babiana JimDuggan
ElizabethGlover 14 AReason toPreserve GloriaIris Glasser
AlletheMacdonald 15 Camellias, Flowers oftheOrient EdaleeHarwell
STAFFWRITERS 16 Nowis theTime PennyBunker
PennyBunker 21 MoreOrchids IHaveKilled (PartII) HarryTolen
Nancy(Nottingham 23 Sewage Sludgeto Gardeners Gold LucyWarren
JeanE.Johns 24 TrainingBlackberries Joyce Gemmell & BettyNewton
STAFFARTIST 25 BookReviews StaffWritten
CeliaHanson 27 Affiliates Nancy Cottingham
ADVERTISING 30 FloralTrip and Classes Helen Gagliardi
LynnBeyerle 31 Getting toKnowSanDiegoFloral PatKastama
RENEWALS
JoanRoman Cover art: ''Beginning the Gardening Year"byfree lance artistMarji
Huntington (483-5123).
EDITORIALBOARD
DDoiraontahyGoCafrorrotlhl OWNERSHIPSTATEMENT1993
VincentLazaneo 1A.CALIFORNIAGARDENIB.00084020 2.9/30/92 3.bi-Monthly 3A.6 3B.$7.00 4.SanDiegoFloral
BettyNewton Association,inc,CasadelPrado,Room105,BalboaPark,SanDiego,SanDiegoCounty,CA 92101-16195.San
KathyPuplava DiegoFloralAssociation,Inc.,CasadelPrado,Room105,BalboaPark,SanDiego,SanDiegoCountyCA92101-
TinekeWilders 1619 6.LucyWarren,Editor,CaliforniaGarden,SDFA 7.SDFA 8.None 9.Hasnotchanged. 10.Average
copies2,800.
SinglecopiesofthecurrentissueofCaliforniaGardenmagazinecanbepurchased
Manuscripts are invited. Deadline is 90-days prior to foradonationof$1.50atthelocationslisted.
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ailnlyustraantdionsalwlillsubbemihtatneddlemdatcearrieaflu.lly,bAultlwmeancuasncnroitptasssuamned CFAELAITFHOERRNIAACRAERSBFOARRETMU&MNFUORUSNEDRAYT,IO75N5,-3I0N9C3.,,948407A-v82o0c7a,do30P1laNcoer,tDheBlaMldawrinCAAve9.2,01A4rcadiaCA 91006
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JANUARY - FEBRUARY 1993
A World of Plants so Close to Home
DonMiller
QUAIL BOTANICAL GARDEN; what is it? tragicdeath inHawaiiduringthistwo-yearjourney.
Webster says that a botanical garden is "a place In 1792, with Bligh as captain again, Banks ordered
wheretrees and plants are keptfor scientific study Nelson to Tahiti to gather cuttings and start seedlings of
andexhibition." Itsurelyisthat,butthereismore. There thebreadfruittree(Artocarpusatilis). Thebreadfruitwere
isalso afeelingofhistoryandoftheworld. tobetakentotheWestIndiestoprovideafoodsourcefor
Botanical gardenshave interestedmankindsinceearly slavesbeingheldinlargegroupsontheislands. Afterfive
times. Thefirstrecordofplantgathering(amajoractivity months ofselection, cutting and growingthe seedlings to
ofsomegardens for centuries) was transportablesize, Nelsonwasready
etched in stone after Queen to load his precious crop and sail.
Hatshepsut ofEgypt sent her plant Thecrewwas innomoodtogiveup
hunters to southern Arabia in 1482 their idyllic life in Tahiti for a crop
B.C. in search ofthe frankincense ofbreadfruit seedlings and shortly
tree (genusBoswellia) to provide a after sailing most ofthem mutinied,
sourceofthearomaticgum. destroyed the seedlings, and set
One of the most famous plant Bligh, Nelsonandothersadriftinan
collections is the Royal Botanical open boat. Fletcher Christian and
Garden at Kew, England. Like therestofthecrewsailedtheBounty
Quail, Kew was started by a backtoTahiti,pickeduptheirnative
woman. In 1759 English Princess companions, and ultimately landed
Augusta began her garden on nine Illustration.by„Ceh,.a„Hanson on PitcairnIsland, and, as theJy sayJ,'
acres. Thegardenwasgiventothe therestishistory.
state in 1842. By 1897 Kew grew to its present size of Kew and its subsequent directors continued to send
300 acres with a final donation made by Queen Victoria collectors to Australia and to the Far East. Alan
carryingtheprovisothatpartofthegardenmustremainin Cunningham, in 1814, gatheredseedsandcuttingsofsuch
itssemi-wildstate(as istrueofQuail). Australianplantsasaraucaria, acacia, banksia, eucalyptus,
CaptainJames Cook was commissioned by the Royal andhibiscus. Allofthesearewell represented atQuail.
SocietyofEnglandtoleadanexpeditiontoTahitiin 1768. One of the most energetic and successful of Kew's
HewastoviewandchartthepassageoftheplanetVenus collectors was David Douglas. Douglas searched the
across the sun hoping that the data gained would be an northwest coast of America in 1825-1827 finding such
asset in future navigation. Joseph Banks, a botanist, popular and useful plants as phlox, ribes, penstemmon,
offeredtopaytheexpensesforhimselfandsixassistantsto mahonia, and the most valuable commercial tree in the
accompany Cook and botanize in the landfalls of the world, PseudotsugaMenziesii, (Douglasfir).
SouthernHemisphere. In 1771 theexpeditionreturnedto Quail's history parallels aspects of this horticultural
England. Cookbecamefamousforhisvoyageofdiscov- legacy. Queen Hatshepsut, Princess Augusta, and Mrs.
ery andBanks, then27, shared equal gloryforhisbotan- RuthBairdLarabee, who founded Quail, all werewomen
ical discoveries. Banks became the first, but unofficial, who had a love for or saw the need to preserve plants.
Director ofKew and launched a continuing campaign to Plant specimens inthe Quail collection span the globe in
sendplantcollectorsthroughouttheknownworld. their origin. Although Quail is butone-tenth the area of
In 1772, Kew sent Francis Masson, the first of the Kew, its 30 acres well represents the Mediterranean
collectors, to gatherplants in SouthAfrica. Many ofthe climatesoftheworld. QuailBotanical Garden isherefor
plantsgatheredbyMasson:aloes,euphorbia,pelargonium, all to share, a place to enjoy the plants from far away
andproteacanbeseenatQuail. places and to dream of yesterday or to wonder about
DavidNelsonfollowedMassonbuthisnotorietyisfor tomorrow.
reasonsotherthanplantcollection. In1778,CaptainCook * * *
was again sent to explore the South Pacific. He was to SOURCES: Lyte,Charles,ThePlantHunters,OrbisPubLondon,1983
find out if there was a southern continent and to then WDoeusglleays,anDdavSiodn,,JLoournndaoln,D19a1v4idDouglasinNorthAmerica1823-1827,William
searchforthewesternend ofthe NorthwestPassage. Sir HerMajesty'sStationeryOffice,TheRoyalBotanicGardenKew
JosephsentalongDavidNelsonasbotanist. Onboardwas Whittle,Tyler,ThePlantHunters,Chilton
aroyalnavalofficer,CaptainBligh. CaptainCookmethis DONMILLERisadocentatQuailBotanicalGardenandaMasterGardener.
CALIFORNIA GARDEN
A FORGOTTEN DREAM
CarolGreentree
ASWEBEGINanewyearandanewschoolterm, Whoever initiated the early idea of a specialized
werememberthatthenobledreamofestablishing vocational school — whetherKateorothers — musthave
a horticulture school for our city is almost the become swept up by the intensity of fair preparations,
sameageastheSanDiegoFloralAssociation. California unable to pursue the additional task of pressing for the
Gardenwasnotyettwoyearsoldwhenatentativesitefor Agricultural College. Today a downtown freeway hums
anagricultural collegeappearedonthefirstplanproposed justwestoftheschoolthatneverwas.
for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. In October Nonetheless,CaliforniaGardencontinuedtoremindits
1910, thecityfathershad engaged "thebesttalentmoney readers ofeducational opportunities for gardeners in San
couldpossiblyhire", as expo directorCharles Collierput Diego. In September 1913, a series of "Official County
it, to design a suitable site for the coming fair. At th—at School Agricultural Bulletins" began with the announce-
time the southwest corner of the sprawli—ng city park ment of a school-and-home beautification contest. Later
whichhadjustbeenrenamedBalboaPark wassetaside bulletinswerepublishedas"TheRudimentsofGardening"
forexpodevelopment. JohnandF.L. Olmstead,Jr., sons byGeorgeP. Hall,presidentoftheLittleLandersColony.
ofapioneerlandscapearchitect,wereselectedtotransform Thisseriesofbasiclessons inbotanyandhomegardening
thescrubbyarea into atemporaryCamelot: agardenfair was developedforteacherstouseasguidelinesforpracti-
designed to lure new businesses to San Diego's superb calclassprojects. CaliforniaGardenbecamethedistribu-
climateand excellentharbor. tion vehicle for these official bulletins: copies of the
In a preliminary Olmstead Brothers plot-plan dated magazine were sent directly to teachers throughout the
January 1911, a building labeled Agricultural College is county,asacurriculumaidforclassworkatvariouslevels.
locatednearthepointatwhichElma—nd 18thStreetswould To stimulate active student involvement in all kinds of
crossiftheyextendedintothepark justsouthoftheold garden projects, the magazine's editor, A.D. Robinson,
Navy Hospital boundaries. Probably that building was encouraged students to write essays describingtheir pro-
intended to serve as an exhibithall during the exposition jects and to submit photographs offinished work. As a
andtobeconvertedto aschool afterward. further promotional incentive, school children were even
However, egoisticfrictions among the sitedesigners, paidasmall commissionforeach newmagazine subscrip-
combined with economic cross-purposes among the expo tiongeneratedby studentsthemselves.
planners, led to a chain of resignations that ultimately Later issues of California Garden are sprinkled with
transferred the fair site to a different area of the park. horticulture education suggestions. In February 1914, a
Somehow, inthe ensuingscufflebetween civicideals and smallnoticeurgesSanDieganstolearngardeningbymail;
practical realities,plansfortheAgricultural Collegeseem "take advantageofthe correspondence courses in
tohavevanished. Thefair washeld ona central mesaof agriculture now offered by the College of
BalboaPark...butwithoutaschoolto surviveit. Agriculture at Berkeley. An announcement has
Perhaps it was Kate Sessions who first suggested the been issued describing thirty-two courses, and
Agricultural College? She was a college graduate and otherswillbepreparedwhentheneedanddemand
believed in education. She had landscaped Russ High for them is apparent. Each course deals with a
School in 1908, notfarfromthe locationoftheproposed particular [subject], treated in simple and direct
college. Shehadlandscapedotherschoolstoo, and inthe language,easytounderstand. CourseNo. 27ison
processshesometimesgaveimpromptudemonstrationtalks HomeFloricultureandwillbereadyonMarch 15.
to school children. In 1915, Kate was made the official No. 28, HomeGroundOrnamentation, willnotbe
SupervisorofAgricultureofthelocal schools. ready until June 1. Send to the College of
Or perhaps the Little Landers Colony ofSan Ysidro Agriculture, Berkeley, California for the circular
encouraged the development of agriculture education for describingthecourses. Thesecourses areall free
this region? The Little Landers were devoted to the and mark a long step toward bringing the state
communal concept that in this climate a family could institutiontotheveryhomes ofitssupporters."
supply its own food needs from a single-acre farm; that In the same issue, a full-page article lauds the
onlyalittlelandwasrequiredtosurviveandprosper. The Pennsylvania School ofHorticulturefor Women, quoting
Little Landers played an important role in the 1915 the school's own prospectus: "...there is no occupation
—
expositionbymanagingaworkingmodelfarm apopular more honorable, independent or interesting than the
attractionatthegardenfair. profession of horticulture. Not only does it afford
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1993
opportunityforfinancialgainandcontributeabundantlyto
thehealthandhappinessoftheindividual,but,inthestudy
ofnaturalscience, itopensupabroadfieldforintellectual
life. Further, the extension ofhorticultural activities in
Americaisdesirableandnecessary; andthosewhoengage
intheworkarecontributingdirectlytothegeneralwelfare
ofourpeople." Thearticlecloseswithaquerytoreaders: YEAR RESOLUTIONS
"Is there any reason why San Diego should notbeginto
thinkandplanforasimilarschool forherwomen? Shall RobertHorwitz
the CaliforniaGardendiscussthissubjectseriously?" LIKETHETWELVEdaysofChristmasorthetwelve
ThroughoutitslonghistoryCaliforniaGardenhasbeen months of the year, a gardener can easily develop
avoiceofinspirationto San Diego gardeners, presenti—ng twelveresolutionsto greetthe New Year. Here are
wistful pleas and editorial prods to local citizens thefirstdozenI'vecomeupwith,feelfreetomodifythem
encouraging and admonishing them to get themselves a foryourownhappygardeningin '93.
good garden school. Today Kate Sessions, George Hall One—Withwater aspreciousasitisinourdesertclimate
and A.D. Robinson would surelybe proud ofthe educa- andnoreliefinsight, myfirstpriorityisSAVE WATER!
tional opportunities availableto gardeners throughoutour Use—whatisneededjudiciously.
county. California Garden founders would delight in Two Be a recycler. This means getting to know your
seeingthatthedream they nurtured so earnestly for over compost pile intimately. It also means sharing your
fifty years has indeed become a reality in San Diego. surplusplantsandvegetables with yourneighbors...which
Perhaps today's reality might even exceed their highest canl—eadtounforseenpleasantreturns!
expectations...and for thatachievement every horticulture Three Beweedfree. Don'twatchthatbaseballgame, get
educatorinthiscountycancertainlysharethepride! outthereandweed! Allthatbendingand stoopingisalso
* * * goodforthewaistline. You canevenputthegoodweed
CAROL GREENTREE is a gardenwriter interestedin local history, She into—thecompostheap.
studiedornamentalhorticulture. Four This same kind ofdedication is required forthose
Saeleistpoafgeed1u4c1atioofnatlhepSreopgtreammbsera-nOdcotpopboerrtuinsistuieesofinCaSlainforDniieagoGaCroduenntyf.or pruning chores, and remember that it doesn't rain here
oftenenoughtobeanexcuse.
—
Plant Pot Hanaers Fnievee—dtThheinsutyreiatrioIn',mnodtetjeurstmiwnheednteoveferrtIilfiezeelwlhikeendtohiengplaitn.ts
Six Getnastyandbemeantoharmfulbugs. Resolveto
SPIRAL 4 RING DESIGN FOR get rid ofthem when you first see them, not when they
PROPER PLANT GROWTH, SPACE have already made an infestation. And use the most
SAVING, HEAVE GAUGE WIRE, enviro—nmentallybenignmethods inyourmeanness.
Seven Repair those sagging garden structures and
RUST RESISTANT, HALO RINGS furniture, or install new ones whilethe stores are having
ELECTRICALLY SPOTWELDED. sales onthiskindofmaterial.
—
KATHY FRENCH EwieglhtltoPgreetpgaoreodeagcrhowstehe.d andplantbed, deeptillthatsoil
[phone] NineandTen — These arefun! Plantand tendyourflowers
assiduously,sothatyoucanbragtoyourneighborsonthe
fecundityofyourgarden.
—
Eleven Take care ofyourshrubs and trees. Repair their
wateringbasins, prune them with pride, add new ones as
neede—dtofill inthoseholesthatyouhaveneglected.
Twelve Avoidimpulsebuyingatthenursery. Justlikeyou
WALTER ANDERSEN NURSERY shouldnotgogroceryshoppingwhenyouarehungry,plan
aheadforyourgardenshoppingneeds.
OPEN 7 DAYS 3S6a4n2DiEengtoe.rpCriAse9S2t1r1ee0t 8:00A.M.TO Therearelotsmoreresolutions,butwedonotwantto
AWEEK 500P.M. get overburdened. If you pay attention to the twelve
[phone] mentionedabove, youwillstillhavetimeforthatbaseball
FREEGARDENCLASSES gameandgoingtothebeach too.
9:00A.M.-SATURDAYMORNINGS * * *
ROBERTHORWITZoccasionallywriteswithtongueincheek.
CALIFORNIA GARDEN
KEEPING A TORTOISE
WHILE PRESERVING YOUR GARDEN
ChristinaMacias
TO ME, a garden isn't complete without all ofthe
creaturesthatvisitorcallithome. Whatbetterway
to spend a glorious California afternoon than
admiringtheflashesofhummingbirds,thesongsoforioles
orthegentle ploddingsofatortoise? It is estimated that
over 20,000 California Desert Tortoises are kept in
backyards in this state, so here are a few tips onhow to
keepyourpethappyandyourgardenintact.
Inearlyspring,California'stortoisesemergefromtheir
three-monthhibernation. Everyyearitseemslikeasmall
miracletohearmyowntortoise, Boris, stirringinhisbox
ofhayandthenpeeringup atmewithbright,beadyeyes.
Soonhe'sinvestigatinghisoldhaunts,baskinginthewarm
sunshine and enjoying a lukewarm sponge bath to help
replacemoisturelostduringhislongsleep. IllustrationbyJenniferDay
Buttortoises and gardens arenotentirely compatible, great nutritional value. To vary the diet, make a mixed
since the little animals are notoriously inquisitive and saladofspinach, romaine, escarole, alfalfasprouts,grated
anythingwithinreachisfairgame. Ifyouwishtopreserve zucchini and slicedgreenbeans, adding afew rosepetals
preciousplants,afewprecautionarymeasuresarein—order. fortreats. Youwillsoonfindyourpet'spreferences, but
Foryourpet'ssafety, theyardmustbewellfenced this sincetortoisesarepickyeaters theyshouldbeencouraged
includes swimming pools or deep ponds. The little toeatavarietyoffoods. Andpleasemakesurethatwater
creatures have an insatiablecuriosityand notagreat deal is available atall times, in adish shallow enoughforhim
ofcommon sense. You wouldthinkthathaving survived towalkinto.
dinosaurs, volcanoes and ice ages they would be more Beinginquisitivebynature, don'tbesurprisedifyour
cautious, but they can get stuck in the strangest places. pet sneaks up behind you whileyou'rebusily weedingor
Theyarealsoprodigiousburrowers. Beingcold-blooded, planting. Theyseemto enjoyourcompanyandwillsoon
theirbodytemperatureisregulatedbymovingfromsunto recognizetheirowners. Boris even comes to the kitchen
shade during the day, so ifyou cannot allow your petto door if I am late with his salad! He can spend hours
burrow, you mustprovidehim with someshade. An old watchingtheneighbors through thefence, or even atrail
doghouseorevenpieces ofwood againstafencewilldo. ofants. Whichbrings meto pesticides. Pleaseusethem
WeallowBoristoburrowinonespotunderneaththepatio. sparingly, ifatall. Tortoisessniffeverythingwithintheir
Whilethiskeepshimhappyandoccupied, ithasprovided reachandsampleallvegetation. Sincetolerancelevelsare
some harrowing experiences, particularly during heavy not known, it is best to err on the side ofcaution. You
rainswhenhehastoberescued fromhisfloodedhole. can have a binge and fumigate your yard once he
Poisonous plants must be removed or isolated. A hibernates.
raisedbordertwicetheheightofyourtortoiseashestands In late October, you will notice your tortoise eating
onhishindlegswilldeterhim. He maygrabatanything less andmoving aboutmoreslowly. Itistimetoprepare
hangingovertheedge, buthewillnotbeabletobulldoze his winter home. Find a box large enough for him to
hisway throughtender seedlings, as happened to me one moveaboutin, butonethathecannoteasilyclimboutof.
yearwithawholerowofhollyhocks. Fill itwith clean, dry alfalfa hay, and sithim on top. If
There are many plants yourtortoisewill enjoy while he'sready,hewilldigdownandgotosleep. Ifnot,he'll
adding nutrients and variety to his diet. Like birds, try to climb out, so try again in a few days. The box
tortoisesareattachedtothecolorsredandyellow,somake should be kept in a cool place, with the lid partially
sure they are edible. Rose petals are one favorite, plus replaced to allow for air circulation and left undisturbed
dandelionflowers, hibiscusflowers, creeping Charlieand until spring, away from rats, bright lights and small
green beans. You can also try offering apple, melon, children!
berries orgratedcarrots. As alastresort, theywillgraze Youmayfindyourselflookingforhisperkylittleface
onyourlawnbuttheymuchpreferlettuce, whichisnotof whiledoing your winter garden chores, surprised at how
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1993
much you miss his quiet, unassuming presence. But
around Valentine's Day you'll hear those familiar
scratching noises coming from his box, and the miracle
willstartalloveragain.
* * *
CHRISTINAMACIASisafreelancewriterwholivesinSanClementewith
Boris.
PLANTS TO AVOID
IF KEEPING A TORTOISE
amaryllis foxglove
anemone hyacinth bulb
angeltrumpettree impatiens
azalea mock orange
bottlebrush morning glory
callalily rhodendron
cherry leaves trumpet vine
daffodil
TREES OF BALBOA PARK IN BLOOM
KathyKalasPuplava
WHILEOURWINTERneighborspouroverspringflowercatalogs, wecanenjoyfloweringplantsyear-round inSan
Diego! If you would like to learn more about the trees in Balboa Park, consider taking a free Offshoot Tour (see
HorticulturalCalendarpage2). OffshootToursresumesafterawinterholidaybreakonSaturday,January 16thwiththe
"TreeWalk".
BOTANICALNAME COMMON NAME LOCATION
AcaciaBaileyana Baileyacacia, goldenmimosa canyonareas
Arbutus Unedo strawberrytree Alcazar Gardens
Dombeya cacuminum NCN FederalBuilding
Eucalyptusmelliodora honey-scented eucalyptus ParkBoulevard
Eucalyptussideroxylon ironbarkeucalyptus MorleyField, DesertGarden
MicheliaDoltsopa NCN Municipal Gym
Prunushybrids floweringpeach BalboaDrive&Laurel Street
PyrusKawakamii evergreenpear Prado
Tecomastarts yellowbells MarstonHouse
NCN = no commonname
Camellias, azaleas, and aloes throughout the park will start putting on a show this time of year. Don't miss the
—
spectacularbloomsintheDesertGarden it'sagreatwaytowarmup awinterday!
* * *
References: botanicalnames—HortusThird,commonnames—SunsetWesternGardenBook
KATHYKALASPUPLAVAistheBalboaParkHorticulturist.
8 CALIFORNIA GARDEN
OXALIS: To Weed Or Not To Weed
CatherineL.Zinsky
LIKE THE EGG, oxalis has gotten a bad rap. rather bullet-shaped and small. They areplentiful. Boy,
Manygardenerswillcrinklenosesandthink'weed' aretheyplentiful! They are also elusive. Try as Imight
atanymentionofoxalis. Certainlyinagenuswith to eradicate a clump here and a clump there, I inevitably
morethan 850species therearegoingtobesomethatare miss abulb ortwo and findthatI havemerely aided and
best confined to the mulch heap! Stil—l and all, there—are abettedthisoxalisinthespreadingofitself. Ihavelearned
select oxalis that respond beautifully and neatly! to tobaganddepositintothegarbageallbulbsIhavelifted.
cultivation. Theplantitselfisaprettyspecimen. Hotpinkflowers
The majority of oxalis are indigenous to both South withayellowcenteropenatoplongstems, somereaching
Africa and South America, and belong to the family afootlong. Itsleavesarelargeforanoxalis, andthicker.
Oxalidaceae. Most are bulbs: some are rhizomatous, The leaf color is a gray-green. Coating the leaves are
othershave fibrous roots. All are characterized by three cilia, which aretinyhairs. This gives thefoliage a soft,
(sometimes four) heart-shaped parted leaves, very much downy appearance, making this oxalis all the more
resembling clover. This resemblance has given rise to inviting. Thecombinationoflargishleavesandlongstems
some oxalis being mistakenly called the shamrock. is the root cause of this plant's nickname, Giant Pink
(Actuallythereisnooneplantthatisbotanicallydesignated Clover.
shamrock.) Wood sorrel is another common name for Tantalizing is an evenbetter adjectivefor O. Bowiei.
oxalis. In a container the plant exudes charm, a Lorelei
Oneofthemore quaintcharacteristicsofthisgenus is tantalizing,teasingandtemptingthegardenerintoreleasing
theclosingoftheleaves, umbrella-like, oncethesunsets, it intothe garden. Theurge is hardto resist. Sufficeto
onlytounfoldatdawn. Intensefullsunwillalsocausethe saythereareworseweeds.
leavesto actinthismanner. Grand Duchess oxalis (O. purpurea, formerly O.
Across the country oxalis are more commonly variabilis)mightbeconsideredtobemuch likeO. Bowiei
cultivated as houseplants, and as such are exceptional. by some, butnotby me. Ihave GrandDuchess in many
Oxalis are as easy to grow as Aspidistra, with the partsofmy garden (by design, not chance!) and findthat
additional asset of brightening a room by producing thoughimpossibletoremoveonceittakeshold,thisoxalis
flowers. HereinSouthernCaliforniathisversatilecharmer is not pesky. It does not turn up in unlikely and
need not be confined solely to the house. Oxalis thrive undesirable areas, as can O. Bowiei. Don't mistake me!
outdoorsinouruniqueclimate, andareperfectadditionsto GrandDuchess will spread. It's simplymanageable.
any colorpotorcontainerplanting. Thereareevenafew
that make a delightful contribution to the front of a
perennial border. Oxalisrubraisonesuchexample.
Oxalisrubraisabulbousplant,andispracticallyever-
flowering. It's an old-time favoriteoncebetter known as
thewindow-boxoxalisand, as itsnamesuggests,hasdeep
pink flowers. This oxalis forms a low mound as it
matures, making it particularly attractive in the garden;
moreover, its bulbs develop in densely packed groupings
that allow for easy division without the worry of
inadvertentlyspreadingitfromoneendofthegardentothe
other. This is a real consideration with oxalis, for once
freedfromacontainersomecanbecomequiteinvasiveand
are nigh onto impossible to eradicate, save by an aerial
bombing.
OxalisBowieiisoneoxalisthatshouldbecontainedto
beenjoyed. Ina container OxalisBowiei canbe quitean
adornment; in the garden it becomes a nuisance that one
learnstohate...andlivewith. (Thereisapoisonavailable
toeradicateoxalis. Isimplychoosethepestoverpoison.)
0. Bowiei is a bulb from South Africa. The bulbs are Oxalispurpurea'GrandDuchess' CatherineL.Zinsky
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1993
I use Grand Duchess as a ground cover under my Oxalis will grow injust about any type of soil, but
roses. Thisoxalisisdormantallsummer,breakingground does best in a light, well-drained soil mix. A simple
in September and floweringwell intoJune. As youhave mixture of equal parts of loam and peat moss with a
nodoubtalreadysurmised, myGrandDuchess oxalisis a modicumofperlitethrowninfordrainagewillsufficequite
colorfulreliefbeneaththewinter-prunedrosesformuchof nicely. Ifyou prefer buyingprepackaged mixes, thesoil
itsfloweringseason. sold for the potting of African violets is adequate for
GrandDuchessisanativetoSouthAfrica, andassuch oxalis. Mostoxalispreferpartial shade.
isdroughttolerant. A containergrownspecimenwill, of And for those of you curious about that clover-like
course, require more frequent watering. O. purpurea is weed withthe small yellow flowers thatseems to pop up
also frosttender. A frost will set itback: a hard freeze everywhere come spring, especially in ice plant!...yes, it
willdo itin. isanoxalis. O. corniculataisaninheritancefromEurope,
Thisparticularoxalisisoneoftheshowierspecies. It andisconsideredanaggressiveweed. Yetonegardener's
is low growing with bluish-green leaves. The flowers, weed can be a—nother person's treasure, and many do in
though short-stemmed, are sprightlyand cheerful and are truthcultivate orrather, letus say donot 'weed'...this
found in clear shades ofpink, lavender and white. All particularoxalis.
haveyellowthroats. A few ofthechoiceoxalis canbe seasonally found at
Mission Hills Nursery and Walter Andersen's Nursery.
ParkSeedoffersanewoxaliscultivarthatlookstempting.
It has striped flowers and is called Oxalis 'Candycane'.
Butbewary. Thisoneevenhas atantalizingname!
* * *
CATHERINEL.ZINSKYisafreelancegardenwriterandthestaffgarden
columnistforEastCountyWeekly.
HEALTHY PLANTS & TREES
OxalisDeppei CatherineL.Zinsky HORTICULTURAL
Unlike the winter flowering Grand Duchess, Lucky PEST CONTROL
Cloveroxalis (0. Deppei) parades itsglory, which areits
leaves, throughout the summer. It can flower, but is
grown more for its striking foliage. The leaves of O. Organic and/or Chemical
Deppei most resemble a four-leaf clover, save that each Integrated Pest Management
leafhasadistinctiveandeye-catchingreddish-blackblotch Deep Root Feeding
atthebase. LuckyCloverisespeciallydramaticgrownin Health Enhancement
ahangingbasket. ThoughanativeofsouthernMexico, it
preferspartialshade.
NEW WAY
AntomelK Brothers Professional Landscape Services
566-1400
TUBEROUS BEGONIAS
2545CapitolaRoad
SantaCruz,California95062
C-27 #501032
36-pageColorCatalog$1.OO
10 CALIFORNIA GARDEN