The Water-Efficient Landscape Gardens

January

• Coming soon.

February

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March

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April

Garden chores this month include:

• Weeds - Remove early germinating annual weeds such as bedstraw, cut leaf geranium and oxalis before they set seed, controlling bindweed. Managing weeds.
• Tree sprouts – Pull up volunteer oak and other tree sprouts while watching out for garden pests and diseases.
• Rosemary – Shape rosemary plants to prevent woodiness by trimming back selected branches by half, taking care not to cut into woody stems. For more information about pruning rosemary, see the UCCE Master Gardeners of Sacramento County video Pruning Rosemary.
• Native plants – Review growth of manzanitas, California golden currant and coast silktassel and prune as needed.
• Water wise alternatives - Consider water wise, sustainable alternatives to lawns such as pathways, patios, raised planters, drip irrigation, dry creek beds, and permeable pavement.

May

May is the time to stop by and smell our roses, enjoy our spring blooming perennials, flowering cool season grasses and more.  Lavenders and salvias with names like Hot Lips, Lipstick, Bees Bliss and Whirly Blue are top May choices for pollinating bees and hoverflies. 

For information about plants that are attractive in Sacramento in May, see the WEL spring plant list.

Garden chores this month include:

• Euphorbias and Jupiter’s beard – Deadhead, as they reseed readily
• Lavender – Cut back one-third after plants complete their bloom to control shape and encourage growth and re-bloom.  See UCCE Master Gardeners of Sacramento County YouTube video Harvest and Rejuvenate Your Lavender
• Weeds - Remove annual weeds such as bedstraw, cut-leaf geranium, burclover and oxalis before they set seed, and control bindweed. The UC IPM Weed Gallery is a good guide to identifying and controlling weeds.
• Tree sprouts – Pull up oak and other tree sprouts.
• Garden pests and diseases – Be on the lookout for these.  A good resource for flower problems is the UC Integrated Pest Management website.

June

Although the calendar says summer arrives June 20, our early June weather feels more like midsummer.  Many of our ornamental grasses are starting their long-lasting bloom cycles. Fresh blossoms of summer flowering sages, goldenrod, hummingbird plant, and santolina delight the eyes and beckon birds, bees and other beneficials.  See information about attracting beneficial insects to your garden (Garden Note 129) and Master Gardeners of Clackamas County, Oregon YouTube video Best Bee Flowers. Come see our volunteer sunflowers, lantana, butterfly bushes, and native sulfur buckwheat blooms.  Blue gray and lavender Russian sages, lamb’s ear, plumbagoes, society garlic, lantana, and verbenas add a cooling touch.

For plant choices that are attractive in Sacramento in June, go to the WEL spring and summer plant lists.

Garden chores this month include:

• Weeds - Remove germinating annual weeds such as bedstraw, spotted spurge and oxalis before they set seed, and control bindweed. The UC IPM Weed Gallery is a good guide to identifying and controlling weeds.
• Tree sprouts – Pull up oak and other tree sprouts.
• Deadhead – Lavender, Jupiter’s beard, germander, Santa Barbara daisy, and santolina will benefit from pruning this month. For information on pruning Santa Barbara daisies see UCCE Master Gardeners YouTube video Prune Santa Barbara Daisies.
• Native ceanothus, currants, and sages – Consider pruning and shaping these plants as they slow their growth in adjustment to the warm dry days ahead. A good resource for flower problems is the UC Integrated Pest Management website.

July

Summer peaks this month with long, dry, often very hot days and balmy nights.  Here in the garden shimmering ornamental grasses act as a background for heat-loving buckwheat, lantanas, crape myrtles, sunflowers, rudbeckias, goldenrod, and more. Cooling gray, green and lavender-colored Russian sages, Cape plumbago, junipers, and caryopteris provide a calming contrast to the riot of bright blooms.  Bees, butterflies, birds and beneficial insects drift happily about the garden. 

For plant choices that perform well in Sacramento in July, see the WEL summer plant list.

Garden chores this month include:

• Weeds – Continue to remove germinating annual weeds such as bedstraw, spotted spurge, cut-leaf geraniums, and oxalis before they set seed, and control bindweed. The UC IPM Weed Gallery is a good guide to identifying and controlling weeds.
• Tree sprouts – Pull up volunteer oak and other tree sprouts.
• Garden pests and diseases – Keep an eye out for these. A helpful resource is UC Integrated Pest Management.
• Flowers – Encourage longer blooming periods by deadheading salvias, penstemons, rudbeckias, and other continuously flowering perennials. A good resource for flower problems is UC Integrated Pest Management. UC Integrated Pest Management - Flower.
• Mulch – Spread mulch such as chopped leaves, wood chips, or other organic matter to a depth of 2 to 4 inches around plants to keep down weeds, conserve soil moisture, and moderate soil temperatures.
• Irrigation – Regularly check lines and emitters for clogs, cuts, and breaks. Monitor and adjust irrigation as needed.  See more irrigation tips.

August

Late summer brings many serene, sun-loving perennials to center stage. The variety is amazing. From cheery yellow sunflowers, rudbeckias, goldenrod and lantana to feathery lavender spikes of bluebeard, Russian sage and society garlic, a full range of warm and cool shades grace our walks and patios. Hot lips, raspberry, lipstick and other autumn sages continue to attract carpenter bees and other pollinators.

For plant choices that perform well in Sacramento in August, see the WEL summer plant list. 
Garden chores this month include:

• Native plants – Many natives and plants from similar climates go dormant when the weather is hot and dry. They may stop growing and lose their leaves. Pruning some of these natives is recommended now. However, it is important to research each plant before doing heavy pruning.
• Weeds – Continue to keep weeds under control. The UC IPM Weed Gallery is a good guide to identifying and controlling weeds.
• Deadhead – Deadhead salvias, Santa Barbara daisies, rudbeckias, and other continuously flowering perennials to promote longer bloom periods.
• Mulch – Now is a good time to apply additional mulch to cover to a depth of 2 to 4 inches around plants to keep weeds down, conserve soil moisture and moderate soil temperature.
• Pest management – Continue to monitor for garden pests and disease. A helpful resource is UC Integrated Pest Management.
• Irrigation – Regularly check lines and emitters for clogs, cuts, and breaks. Monitor and adjust irrigation as needed.  See more irrigation tips.

September

Ornamental grasses shimmer and dance in late summer and early fall.  Depending on their size, grasses serve many purposes in the garden whether as screens, borders, backgrounds, companion plants, ground covers or as lawn substitutes. Most grasses, once established, require little irrigation, no fertilizer and are low maintenance. See more information about Ornamental Grass.

Other late summer standouts in the garden include zephyr lilies, lantana, varieties of Autumn sage, late blooming English lavender, Russian sage, California fuchsia, pitcher sage, roses, and butterfly bush.  Birds, bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects abound.

For plant choices that perform well in Sacramento in September, see the WEL fall plant list.

Garden chores this month include:

• Weeds – Continue to keep weeds under control. The UC IPM Weed Gallery is a good guide to identifying and controlling weeds.
• Deadhead – Autumn sages such as ‘Hot Lips’ rebloom vigorously after removal of spent flower stalks.
• Review plants and plan ahead – Survey plants in the garden that have not done well with our water restrictions and plan for replacements in fall.
• Pests – September is a good time to monitor for pests. Since pests tend to be specific to a plant, it is important to identify the pests before determining a management plan. In many cases spraying a pest off with water, picking it off and dropping it into a pail of sudsy water or deciding to live with a small amount of damage is the correct course of action. Often the good bugs and birds can control minor infestations. A helpful resource is UC Integrated Pest Management.
• Irrigation – Regularly check irrigation lines, connectors and emitters for clogs, cuts and breaks. Monitor irrigation schedules as the days become shorter and cooler and reduce irrigation times accordingly. See more irrigation tips.

October

• Coming soon.

November

• Coming soon.

December

• Coming soon.