The 2 Minute Gardener

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Ask Doug - "My baccharis is dying from the inside, what is causing it?"

Baccharis pilularis, also known as Coyote Bush, is a terrific drought tolerant, California native shrub. Coyote Bush is great for slopes and requires little care once established. This client noticed that her Coyote Bushes started to turn brown at the center of the plant and are slowly dying.

Since only the Coyote Bushes were affected, the probable cause is an insect. The most common type of insect in San Diego that causes this kind of damage is the Flatheaded Borer. Borer insects lay their eggs on the bark of trees and shrubs, especially ones that are weakened by drought. The eggs hatch and then the larvae bore their way into the bark of the plant. This tunneling damages the phloem, or food carrying, section plant. This in turn will slowly kill the plant.

Some borers can be killed with a systemic insecticide. For more information about insects and how to kill them check out the UC Davis Pest Control Webpage;
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Photo - Camellia japonica 'R. L. Wheeler'

Photo by Doug Kalal

Photo - Concrete Mow Strip

Concrete mow strips are a great way to

separate lawn from shrub beds. Mow strips

allow for a lawnmower to just run over the edge of

the lawn easily. This is turn reduces the mainenance needed

because you will not need to drag out another yard tool

to do the edging on the lawn.

Photo by Doug Kalal, taken at a client's house in La Jolla

Monday, November 7, 2011

Photo - Golden Aucuba (Aucuba japonica)

The foliage on this shrub is great for brightening up shade

parts of the garden. As the shrub matures it will

start to produce red berries, which birds love.

Photo by Doug Kalal, taken at a client's garden in La Mesa

Photo - Shade Sails

Shade Sails comes in a wide variety of colors and shapes.

Got Shade can custom make a shade sail solution for any size

patio and thanks to their contractor’s license,

they can install shade sails anywhere in California.

For more information, here is their webpage;

http://www.gotshadenow.com/.

Photos provided by Got Shade

Garden Elements - Shade Sails

Here in San Diego we are blessed with sunshine all year round. But sometimes too much sun can take the fun out of enjoying your backyard. Among the options available to back yard aficionados to create some cool patio space are Shade Sails. Shade Sails are any type of fabric that is stretched between anchor points (either the house or steel poles) to create a taunt canopy.
In the Southern California region, Got Shade is the leading manufacturer and installer of high quality shade sails. Got Shade’s sails are made from high-density polyethylene and come with a ten year warranty. Their sails come in 16 different colors as well as several sizes and shapes. Got Shade can custom make a shade sail solution for any size patio and thanks to their contractor’s license, they can install shade sails anywhere in California. For more information, here is their webpage; http://www.gotshadenow.com/.