Northern California May Garden Checklist: Shopping, Planting, and Maintenance

Go Shopping

• Herbs, lavenders, and salvias: Morningsun Herb Farm (Vacaville) offers extensive culinary/medicinal herbs, 40 lavender varieties, 60 salvias. Annual open house May 9 with demo garden and tastings.
• Kousa dogwoods: Sara Monte of Wildwood Farm Nursery (Kenwood) recommends 'Angel Wings' (white), 'Satomi' (pink), and 'Wolf Eyes' (cream-edged leaves).

Planting

• Back-of-border blooms (Zones 7-9, 14-17): Tall vertical accents—green-flowered Nicotiana langsdorffii, fragrant N. sylvestris, 'Aztec Sun' and 'Goldfinger' Tithonia, tall cosmos and sunflowers (3-6 feet).
• Fragrant low-water shrub: Sweet-scented bush anemone (Carpenteria californica), a UC Davis Arboretum All-Star. Find more at arboretum.ucdavis.edu.
• Ornamental grasses: Drought-tolerant, sun to part shade: Elymus glaucus, E. triticoides, Festuca paniculata, Pennisetum messiacum. Source: Greenlee Nursery (909/629-9045).
• Summer annuals (Zones 7-9, 14-17): Cosmos, Madagascar periwinkle, marigolds, nasturtiums, petunias, salvia, zinnias (sun); coleus, impatiens (shade). Zones 1-2: plant after frost danger passes.
• Salad greens: Sow small batches every two weeks until 75°F. Choose fast-growing arugula and leaf lettuce over slow head-forming types.
• Container vegetables (Zones 7-9, 14-17): 'Blue Lake Pole' beans, 'Giant Marconi' pepper, 'Early Girl' and 'Sun Gold' tomatoes, 'Eight Ball' zucchini. Use 18-inch+ containers, fresh potting mix, full sun, regular fertilizer and water.
• Bean tipi: 3-8 bamboo poles (6-8 ft), twine, pole beans. Plant 4 beans per pole, 6 inches apart. Try 'Blue Lake', 'Kentucky Wonder', scarlet runner, or yard-long beans.

Maintenance

• Aerate lawns: If a screwdriver won't penetrate to handle depth, aerate. Use manual aerator for small lawns; rent power core aerator or hire pro for larger areas. Best on moist lawns.
• Thin fruit (Zones 7-9, 14-17): Before fruit reaches 1 inch, twist off excess to allow 4-6 inches between remaining fruit. Improves size, prevents branch breakage, ensures annual bearing. Free demo May 16 at Fair Oaks Horticulture Center.
• Control aphids: Strip by hand or blast with hose.