Facing the realities and some new garden challenges

Steve Kawaratani

“The worst sorrows in life are not in its losses and misfortunes, but

its fears.”

-- A. C. BENSON

“I have a dream ... “

-- MARTIN LUTHER KING

California is burning and the memories of 10 years past sear my

thoughts.

I feel the guilt of moving into our remodeled house as thousands

have become homeless. I feel the pain of those who have lost loved

ones as I celebrate my anniversary with Catharine this weekend. And I

mourn the loss of Halloween for the children of fire-ravaged areas.

We all want our garden to be beautiful for the upcoming holidays,

for the enjoyment of our family, friends and neighbors. Although

Christmas may be an over-sanguine target for garden perfection, the

fall and winter garden has its considerable charms, and one needs to

start planning now and planting soon.

Seasonal planting habits and a certain cautiousness lead many

gardeners to use the same commonplace plants every holiday. Many

claim that there isn’t time to learn new plants or risk experimenting

in the garden.

Pity. As a garden fanatic, I say we try planting something

different because we’ll still be enjoying the plants long after the

holidays have ended.

As a starter, I will be planting Pineapple sage, Salvia elegans,

on my deck.

Not only will they be providing the requisite showy red flowers,

the leaves can be used to flavor the eggnog and garnish my Mother’s

holiday fruit salad. This hardy perennial grows to 2 to 3 feet, and

does well either in planting beds or containers.

Nearly ever-blooming in Laguna, Scaevola “Alba,” provides showy

white flowers as a groundcover or planted in a hanging basket. Other

scaevolas can be found in nurseries, varying in color from blue to

purple. They all require very little care and prefer full sunlight.

To provide berries for our wreath, I’ve planted California Holly,

Heteromeles arbutifolia. A native to our environs, it is covered with

red berries from November to January. Growing naturally as a dense

shrub or pruned into a small tree, California Holly is useful as a

screen or hillside planting.

Related to the snapdragon, Garden Penstemon, Penstemon

gloxiniodes, brings a showy display of pink, rose, lilac, and white

flowers throughout the year.

They thrive in well-draining soil and will grow either in full sun

or partial shade. Sprawling in rock gardens, penstemon can also be

trimmed as an attractive border plant.

One must plant Iceland Poppies, Papaver nudicaule, this month, for

color by Christmas. Some may say it is a bedding plant, not related

to the preceding recommended plants. But technically, they are

perennials and I just can’t resist their spectacular and brilliant

flowers.

Catharine and I are alone in the warm sun of Mexico. We have

escaped from this year’s holiday responsibilities and are happily

tending our garden.

It feels wonderful to be down south, and we haven’t missed the

season for moment. But wait ... sadly it was only a dream, but we do

have a pumpkin to carve and champagne to sip this weekend. See you

next time.

* STEVE KAWARATANI is the owner of Landscapes by Laguna Nursery,

1540 S. Coast Highway in Laguna Beach. A “local” guy, he makes his

home with wife, Catharine Cooper, an artist and writer, and their

three cats. He can be reached at (949) 497-2438, or by e-mail at

landscapes@ln.coxatwork.com.