Willow Glen Resident
Gardening
Winter Charm: Usually grown as annuals, snapdragons are perennials that exhibit a wide variety of sizes, colors and flower shapes. They perform best in cool weather and full sun.
Bring out the rake--leaves won't leave by themselves
By Tony Tomeo
"Reds" are best enjoyed at the ambient temperature. "Whites" should be slightly chilled. Proper foliar etiquette is very important. On milder autumn and early winter days, jumping into a pile of red maple leaves releases a subtly sweet aroma with a delicate hint of cinnamon. Red oak produces a richer, yet elegantly refined bouquet. Jumping into a lightly frosted pile of white ash leaves is quite an experience for the "seasoned" connoisseur.
Leaves are now falling all over the Santa Clara Valley. There is no need to bring out the good silver maple and fine Chinese pistache leaves for this festive "oak-asion"--only a rake. Leaves cannot be left in the garden and must eventually be composted or disposed of. Waiting for the wind to blow leaves away into the neighbors' gardens is cheating if it works, but ineffective if the wind deposits as many or more leaves than it takes away.
Leaves that accumulate on lawns create too much shade for the grass below. Because the grass does not grow much during cool weather, the shade is not often a problem. However, if leaves are left too long, the shaded grass eventually yellows, and some of it can die. If the weather happens to get a bit warmer, this process accelerates, and fungal pathogens may also become problematic.
Large leaves can cause the same problems for ground cover and even annual flowers and vegetables. Many of these smaller plants are susceptible to some of the same diseases that afflict the falling leaves, so sometimes become overwhelmed by disease that literally rains down from above. For example, sycamore leaves that can cover Iceland poppies and snapdragons bring powdery mildew with them. Even if the leaves are removed before the shade becomes a problem, the powdery mildew can continue to proliferate.
Even on inert pavement and roofs, fallen leaves can cause problems. Tannins that leach from leaves can stain any porous material. Decaying leaves can become dangerously slippery. If left too long, fallen leaves can even cause rot in wooden decks and roofing materials. Rain gutters and downspouts frequently get clogged with leaves.
Some trees certainly necessitate more raking than others do. Maples and fruitless mulberries produce easily raked large leaves that tend to fall within a limited time. Once the trees are bare, no more raking is needed. However, elms drop leaves through autumn and winter, and sometimes into spring, so they require repeated raking for a considerable time. Their small leaves tend to slip through rakes, so must be raked more aggressively. The only advantage to smaller leaves is that they sift through ground covers and small plants, instead of covering them as large sycamore leaves do.
Ironically, broadleaf evergreen trees are actually messier than deciduous trees that are dropping their leaves now. They may seem cleaner because they do not drop as many leaves at the same time. However, they tend to drop small quantities of leaves throughout the year, so there are always at least a few leaves to rake. Because evergreen trees are unable to eliminate most of their wind resistance during winter, they are unfortunately more susceptible to wind damage.
Flower of the Week:
Snapdragon
Snapdragons, Antirrhinum majus, are perennials that are grown as cool-season annuals. Planted in autumn, they will be happy to bloom through the locally mild winter. They can survive through summer if pruned back, but during warm weather, they are very susceptible to rust and powdery mildew and do not bloom as well as the warm- season annuals that usually replace them.
Their conical floral spikes start blooming at the base and continue blooming upward. Once the lower flowers have fallen off, leaving only a few awkward flowers on top, deteriorating spikes should be pruned away to promote continued bloom.
Many varieties of snapdragon are available. The tallest "cut flower" varieties can get almost as tall as 3 feet and about half as wide. Smaller varieties that get about
6 inches tall and wide are used for edging and bedding. Flowers can be single, double, bell-shaped and even double bell-shaped. There are many colors to choose from.
Listen to Tony Tomeo's 'New Image Garden Report' Friday mornings at 8:10 a.m. on KSCO-1080 AM (or online at www.ksco.com). He can be reached at www.ttomeo@newimagelandscape.com or 408.358.2574.
