Flowers

Master Gardener for February: Rethink your rain-soaked shrubs and perennials

05.02.10

With what feels like 40 days and 40 nights of continuous rain, your plants, shrubs and lawn may appear a little waterlogged. Does the landscaping at your neighbors' homes look similarly under the weather, or are their plants fresh and vibrant?

The difference may lie in plant selection. According to landscape designer Sue Bell, a veteran Master Gardener, several commonly planted shrubs and perennials don't do all that well in our Northern California climate.

Azaleas, rhododendrons and many types of ferns are examples. Many homeowners plant them because they offer showy flowers, remind them of other parts of the country and are readily available at our local nurseries. However, they generally don't survive in most average Bay Area backyard environments without lots of effort. They thrive, instead, in woodland forests where continual leaf litter keeps them mulched and moist.

Do you really want to spend your time constantly watering and your money continually feeding a particular shrub when you can choose other gorgeous, flowering plants that thrive with little to no input on your part? Choosing appropriate native or Mediterranean plants such as Ceanothus, manzanita, Australian fuchsias, New Zealand tea trees, salvias and yarrow. These will not only provide you with year-round beauty and interest, they will also provide very necessary habitat for our birds, bees and bugs.

Source: San Jose Mercury News