By Sharon Tooley.
As with most of you, I am delighted to see spring just around the corner. Not just because I can focus on my gardens, but also because most of my friends and I have had our first “shot”.
I am a member of both Poway Valley Garden Club and Bernardo Gardener’s Garden Club here in the north county inland. My husband Dave and I have been living in our home in Rancho Penasquitos for almost 40 years. I have also lived in Coronado, Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach since 1955, and so I understand the different growing conditions throughout our county.
Most of the clubs in our Palomar District of California Garden Clubs are continuing with Zoom meetings, drive-bys etc. However, two clubs have outside open to the public events coming up.
Mission Hills Garden Club is hosting their 22nd annual garden walk on Sat. May 8th. Tickets must be purchased in advance and all the information is on their website. https://www.missionhillsgardenclub.org This may be the only garden tour this year so I hope everyone will give them the support they deserve.
Poway Valley Garden Club will be participating in the Poway Farmer’s Market held each Sat. from 8 am until 1 pm on Midland road. The two Saturdays they will be there are April 17th and 24th. They will have a booth set up in Old Poway Park next to the Farmer’s Market to sell “home grown” plants, succulent gardens and birdhouses painted by their members. They man the booth and can tell you about the plants being sold and give growing advice.
In my garden I am watching my many bulbs sprout and bloom. Bulbs are easy and fun to grow and add excitement to the winter garden. First up are my Paperwhites followed by Snowdrops and Daffodils. The best thing about Paperwhites are the unusual containers they can be planted in – anything that holds water will work. I also have coming up Mediterranean Bells, Freesias, Dutch Iris, Crocosmia, Lilies and Hollyhocks. For more information about bulbs, I usually go to Google Images with the common name and when the pictures appear, click on the websites to learn more. I have not mentioned Tulips because I have not had much luck growing them. Even when they are refrigerated for six weeks, they still do not bloom well.
I have also carried over the winter two large pots with Dahlias which are actually tubers, not bulbs. I will keep them fairly dry for the next few months and they should begin emerging in late March or early April.
Happy Spring gardening,
Sharon Tooley.
