Southern California Garden Checklist: Planting and Maintenance

Planting

Bare-Root Roses

Visit nurseries this month for best selection; favorites sell fast. Look for these fragrant newcomers (wholesale grower in parentheses):

• Hybrid teas: 'Aromatherapy' (Jackson & Perkins) – bright pink; 'Della Reese' (Armstrong Garden Centers only) – deep burgundy; 'Meiberos'/'Elle' (Star Roses) – pink; 'Neptune' (Weeks Roses) – dark lavender.
• Shrub roses: 'Midnight Blue' (Weeks Roses) – dark purple; 'Pure Perfume' (Jackson & Perkins) – white.
• Climbers: 'Lemon Meringue' (Weeks Roses) and 'Scent from Above' (Jackson & Perkins) – both yellow.

Bulbs

Coastal, inland, and low-desert gardeners (Sunset zones 22-24, 18-21, 13) can still plant anemones, daffodils, freesias, ranunculus, and other spring bloomers. Pre-chilled crocus, hyacinth, and tulips (6+ weeks in refrigerator) go in late this month.

Shrubs with Winter Interest

Add winter-flowering shrubs: breath of heaven (Coleonema), Camellia sasanqua, New Zealand tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium), pink powder puff (Calliandra haematocephala). Or shrubs with bright berries: beautyberry (Callicarpa), cotoneaster, holly, pyracantha, toyon.

Maintenance

Indoor Plant Care

Counteract dry heating air: place pots on pebble trays barely covered with water. Group plants and mist frequently to raise humidity.

Cymbidium Fertilizing

Feed with bloom-promoting fertilizer (15-30-15) until buds open. Move flowering plants to shade for longer-lasting blooms.

Frost Preparation

Move tender containers under eaves or indoors when cold threatens. Cover in-ground plants with perforated plastic or burlap on a frame (e.g., four tall stakes) keeping cover off foliage. Water adequately—hydrated plants withstand cold better.

Prune for Holiday Greens

Shape conifers and broad-leafed evergreens now; use clippings for decorations. Good candidates: cedar, cotoneaster, cypress, fir, holly, juniper, magnolia, pine, pittosporum, podocarpus, pyracantha, toyon.

Raspberry Pruning

Cut low-chill (everbearing) raspberry canes to a few inches above ground. New growth emerges in spring.

Tool Refurbishing

Clean digging tools: fill 5-gal. container with sand mixed with 1 qt. vegetable oil; dip tool heads repeatedly. Remove rust from crisscross blades with sandpaper. Sharpen with mill bastard file, spray with machine oil, wipe clean.