Publication Date: Friday, December 02, 2005
Garden tips for December
Garden tips for December
(December 02, 2005) How to nurture our urban forest
by Jack McKinnon
Most people in the United States live in the forest. I live in a wild forest. Many of the rest of us live in an urban forest. The difference is quite interesting.
Wild forests for the most part are left to fend for themselves. Trees fall down and decay into forest floor, undergrowth forms an eco-system that provides nutrients for the canopy. The urban forests are thinned and cultivated. In many ways urban forests are nurtured, and treated like a favorite specimen plant.
This month's tips will focus on the urban forest and how we can nurture it. Here are the tips:
1. Look up more often. Notice the trees you live under. Get to know their names. I like to learn the Latin names (Genus and species); that way a pine is no longer just a pine. It is an Italian Stone pine, a Monterey pine or a Mugo pine. Each is different and unique in its beauty.
2. If you have trees on your property or where you live, take an interest in their care. Have an arborist come and look at them and give you an evaluation of their health. They can identify your trees for you and will tell you if they need pruning, fertilizing or some kind of pest-control treatment.
3. Have your trees pruned regularly. This cleans them up removing dead, dying and diseased branches. It improves the structure so the tree will continue growing in a healthy direction. It will thin the tree so air and light can reach all the branches and thus the leaves or needles.
4. If you do not have a tree near you, you can get one. I own only one tree, a small Japanese maple I used in a pruning demonstration. It sits on my deck in a pot and is my pride and joy. I water, fertilize and nurture this tree and it continues to look every bit as regal as a million-dollar cypress on the 17-mile drive in Carmel.
5. Plant appropriate plants under your trees. If you don't know what to plant, hire a designer or landscape architect to make you a plan. If you garden and want some advice you can ask your garden club to tea, hire a landscape consultant or study up on landscape design on your own. The landscaping around your property can make a big difference in how you feel and how others feel when they visit you.
6. Visit some of the ancient groves of trees near by. The Santa Cruz mountains have several. Try Heritage Grove on Alpine road, Sam McDonald Park on Pescadero Road, Memorial Park also on Pescadero Road and Butano Park off of Cloverdale Road in Pescadero. These trees are more than 200 years old and can be very moving to visit. Bring a lunch.
7. This month in the garden you can take cuttings from hydrangeas. Using hardwood cuttings with two bud nodes, dip in rooting hormone (found in nurseries) and put in fine fir bark or compost. Keep moist but not too damp.
8. Divide perennials like foxglove, yarrow, armeria, campanula, delphinium, echinacea, Santa Barbara daisy, ornamental strawberry and day lily.
9. Be sure to buy plenty of cyclamen and poinsettias for your holiday decoration. The cyclamen can be planted in your garden after the holidays and will continue for years. Plant them somewhat high so the root does not rot.
10. If you get a holiday tree, pay special attention to it. Trim it carefully, cutting the end so it can absorb water from the tree stand. Decorate it to complement its shape and texture. Note its fragrance and presence in your home. And when the time comes, recycle it so it will become compost for the urban forest.
Good Gardening.
Jack McKinnon worked in the Sunset Magazine gardens for 12 years and is now a garden coach. He can be reached at (650) 879-3261 or by e-mail at jcmckinnon@earthlink.net.
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