December in the native garden contrasts the fall colors of vine maple, redbud, and willow with the springlike greens of new growth and the bulging buds of manzanita and currants. It's as if nature skips a season here.
Richard Halsey of the California Chaparral Institute, echoing John Muir, concurs. “ ”Winter just doesn't happen here,“ he says. ”Spring starts with the first rain, usually November or so. To the envy of those folks back east, it goes all the way into May/June.“
Californians have so much spring that we need words to describe the nuances . ”Spring“ by itself connotes the emergence of new growth, the busy time in the garden, the awakening from dormancy, whereas ”winter" connotes a time of dormancy and hibernation.
The first rain marks the first month of the California spring, Reemerging. It's not the odd July rainstorm that barely moistens the earth. It's the first soaking rain of the season that gives everything a good watering, with leaves dripping the next morning. Soon after, new seedlings of California poppy and other wildflowers emerge. It's also a good time to plant new wildflower seeds, which can benefit from the rains.
Weeds, too, emerge with new vigor. If you're seeding new annuals, sprout a few indoors on a damp paper towel so that you can distinguish your seedlings from weeds.
Grasses, some of which have faded in the warm, dry season, begin growing fresh new foliage. Cut back spent seed stalks, and rake or comb your hands through the clumps to remove old leaves.
This is the time to clean up the garden. All the plants that flourished in the warm, dry season can be cut back now. California fuchsias are winding down, so any plants over a year old or so can be cut a few inches high. That way, they will grow back bushy instead of straggly and lanky. Cut back the seedheads of native buckwheats if they're starting to look weatherbeaten. In wilder parts of the garden, I like to leave the seedheads for birds to enjoy as long as I can.
Mugworts are resprouting from the base, so the woody stems can be cut back. Matilija poppies need to be cut back to about 4 inches high. Pull out any unkempt rosettes of California poppies, and let new seedlings replace them.
The second month of the California spring is Budding. Notice all the buds of manzanitas, currants, and ceanothus growing larger and pinker each week. Early varieties may start blooming. Silktassels are elongating.
As you're cleaning up the garden, go ahead and remove any dead branches of manzanita or ceanothus. But don't prune any plants that are about to bloom, or else you won't get any flowers. As a rule of thumb, the best time to prune a plant is after it has flowered and fruited, and before it begins to set new buds. Go ahead and cut some bright red toyon berries for decoration, but wait until the dry season for other pruning.
Another rule of thumb is to prune half or a third of the new growth each year, and don't cut into any woody stems unless you know the plant will resprout from the base. Manzanita, ceanothus, sage, and buckwheat plants can die from overzealous pruning.
© 2008 Tanya Kucak