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For determined gardeners, lack of garden is no obstacle
Apartment dwellers always find a way
By Tony Tomeo
I often write about my former college roommate, Brent Green, and some of the horticultural scandals we have been involved in since we were assigned to the same dormitory room at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo back in 1986. As one would suspect, rather unique problems develop when two horticulturists are confined to a small dorm room with no yard. Anyone who was there at the time could immediately recall room 316 in Fremont Hall, also known as the "jungle room."
Of course, Brent was responsible for the accumulation of most of the biomass, which included--but was not limited to--a southern magnolia, blue gum eucalyptus, Chinese elm, yucca, night blooming jasmine, Monterey cypress, Monterey pine, four king palms, a dozen or so camellias, and various philodendrons and ficus. When we left at the end of the year, we did not recover our cleaning deposit.
Gardening without a garden can be rather difficult; but those of us who live in apartments or on small lots seem to find a way. Many plant species can be grown successfully in containers on small areas, such as porches or balconies. Unfortunately, outside of the few nurseries that employ knowledgeable staff, acquisition of species suitable to container gardening can require considerable work. Sakamoto Plants is the only nursery I know which specializes in container gardening.
Mr. Sakamoto selects plants from various growers specifically for container (rather than landscape) use; the emphasis is on quality rather than quantity. Several unusual species of plants found here are not normally seen in larger nurseries, which prefer to sell more popular material. Many plants can be purchased in ornamental containers.
Sakamoto Plants also stocks unique planters and small garden statuary. Although planters and container plants for porches, decks and patios are the specialty here, many items are useful for larger applications. Sakamoto Plants, located at 15567 Camino Del Cerro (off Los Gatos-Almaden Road) in Los Gatos, is open Thursday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, phone 408.356.3864.
Of all the container plants commonly marketed, the ones with which my clients seem to have the most problems are live Christmas trees. Most conifers are not happy when confined to containers more than a few years, but grow too large when planted in the garden. Most of us who purchase live Christmas trees are unaware of what particular selections will actually do if given the chance. One of the most common live Christmas trees is the Italian stone pine, the same kind of tree as the two very large ones at the entrance to downtown Saratoga. Other choices include Canary Island pine, Aleppo pine, various spruce and the two species of redwood. Although spruce can live for many years in the same container and grow slowly in the ground, all of these choices are trees to be reckoned with.
I only recommend live trees that either can be kept small or, for those who know exactly what they are getting, can eventually be planted when they may no longer be kept in their original containers. Another concern with live trees is that most of the larger ones are grown in Oregon in very heavy soil. They are not only very unwieldy, but drainage can be a problem.
Contrary to popular belief, cut trees are not harvested from forests; they are grown on plantations, much like any other vegetative crop. Purchasing a cut tree is no more environmentally irresponsible than purchasing cut flowers, vegetables, tobacco or even Levi's made of cotton. It is certainly more humane to cut a tree quickly instead of making it miserable for several years in a container, planting it and then cutting it down when it gets too big. Cutting down one mature Christmas tree may also cost more than several cut trees. I do not want to totally eliminate the possibility of finding a species of conifer that will remain manageable with proper maintenance for many years. However, it is useful to know the advantages and problems associated with both live and cut trees.
Tree of the Week: Colorado Spruce
After Brent and I decided to use an angel on top rather than a star, we realized that a king palm was not a good choice for our dorm room Christmas tree. A Colorado spruce, Picea pungens, would have been much more suitable and might have been usable as a live Christmas tree for many years afterward. Colorado spruce is slow and well behaved enough to be planted in most gardens, but it looks best when branches are not pruned up off the ground, so it may require a wide area. Although they can grow quite large in their native climate, they are much slower and compact here.
A Colorado spruce in Santa Clara, which I can remember when I was about 5 years old (it was also about 5 years old), is now, at about 32 years old, only about as tall as a two- story house next door. The cultivar "Glauca" is the classic Colorado blue spruce. Other cultivars vary in color and form. Spruces do not seem to mind the heavy soil of the Santa Clara Valley, but are sensitive to mild weather. Winter here is not quite cold enough, and summer is not quite warm enough. When stressed, they may be susceptible to aphid or mites, but usually recover within one year. If you insist on a live Christmas tree, a Colorado spruce is a good choice.
Horticulturist Tony Tomeo can be contacted at 408.358.2574.
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
