I started teaching in the Horticulture Department at Merritt College in Oakland in 1976. I was the youngest teacher at the college at the time (30). The administration came up with $2 million to build a new horticulture facility to replace the portable buildings and they told me to work with the architects in the…

A good principle of landscape design is to plant in drifts. The idea is if you plant in drifts or masses you are imitating nature making the landscape more natural looking. Instead of planting just one plant of a type, plant 5 or 10. Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold’) and Japanese Maple. Joe…

Dawn Gardens is surrounded by an 8′ tall fence and deer cannot get in unless someone leaves the gate open. One day that happened and 4 deer got in and thought they were in heaven. They helped themselves to everything especially the vegetables and roses. It took us 4 days to get them out and…

If you want to create rooms in a garden, hedges are a good way to do it. Hedges can also provide screening, sculpture and a barrier as well as a windbreak and sun protection. ROOMS Rooms, windows and doors can be created with plants in the garden. SCULPTURE Italian Cypress, boxwood and Cotoneaster make good…

Peonies are perennials that bloom in April and May and generally have large flowers. They like full sun and in hot climates, part shade. Paeonia ‘Cora Louise’ Paeonia ‘Bartzella’ Paeonia tenuifolia is an expensive plant that I am trying to get to bloom. It is 4 years old; I paid $50 for it 4 years…

Perennials are plants that live from season to season in contrast to annuals that live one year or season and then die. Technically trees and shrubs are perennials but usually the term usually refers to herbaceous plants. EVERGREEN PERENNIALS Evergreen perennials usually bloom during one season and keep their green leaves all year. Primrose (Primula…

Photos of evergreen and deciduous perennials at Dawn Gardens

These deciduous shrubs or small trees bloom in March and April and have fragrant flowers. Primrose Lilac (Syringa vulgaris ‘Primrose’) Blue Skies Lilac (Syringa vulgaris ‘Blue Skies’) Angel White Lilac (Syringa vulgaris ‘Angel White’) Lavender Lady Lilac (Syringa vulgaris ‘Lavender Lady’) Miss Kim Lilac (Syringa pubescens ‘Miss Kim’ Lilac Ludwick Spaeth (Syringa vulgaris ‘Ludwick Spaeth’)…

Garden plants should be planted where they need a minimum amount of pruning. Plant a plant in a space where it has enough room to grow. Minimal pruning would be dead and crossing branches, diseased branches and deadheading. A large branch of an overhead Oak tree fell on this ornamental crabapple tree breaking all of…

Miscanthus is the most common of the large ornamental grasses grown in California gardens. They can reach 8′ or more tall. They have beautiful feathery flower spikes that last into the winter. They are drought tolerant and deer resistant. The top photo was taken in March before they are cut back. The video was shot…