If you are a new gardener or just want to know when to plant what, I recently bought a great book called, Pat Welsh's Southern California Organic Gardening . The great thing about this book, is that it gives you a month by month list of what to do in your garden and how to do it. There is a focus on using organic methods of killing bugs and fertilizing plants, which is great if you don't want harmful pesticides around the house or plan to eat the things you grow. A fantastic book for So Cal gardeners.
Need to snip some stray hedge branches or cut your roses? I found a great hand-held bypass pruner by Fiskars (the same people that do scissors for scrap booking) for a reasonable $9.99 at Target. They cut really well, are comfortable to grip, have a safety lock and a rose stem stripper built in to make non-thorny-leafy arrangements. They have a similar pair for $7.99 without the rose stem stripper too.
Good Earth - Miracle grow Moisture Control Potting Mix is the best soil to keep plants alive if you over water or forget to water from time to time. There is also a formula for gardens too. It's about $6-7 a bag at your local garden store, but worth it if you have potted plants that require a lot of watering, but you aren't a regular watering type of person. I have potted gardenia's and primroses that like moist soil, but if I forget 2 or 3 days of watering or if we have a heat wave- they stay alive anyway!
If your roses or garden are in need of mulch, the best product I have found is cocoa shell mulch. Not only is it great for your plants, it won't grow mildew and has the wonderful side effect of smelling like CHOCOLATE after you put it down. You can find it at OSH or any other garden center for around $9 a bag.
Have you gone to IKEA this month? If you haven't visited their outdoor gardening tent, you should! They have new solar powered Chinese Lanterns in white, red or turquoise for $9.99 each - the cool thing about them is that they are made from an outdoor fabric, not paper, so they will hold up to the elements. They have a variety of solar powered lights such as mini-lanterns strung on a chord and long and tube lanterns that can hang from high tree branches and pergolas - $19.99 each.
I also bought battery powered, round, blue LED tea lights called, Solig Lights that are sold in a 3 pack for $2.99 - they are great to put in votive holders to add ambiance on windy nights outside. They are LED, so they last longer than normal lights, but you can purchase extra batteries for them at IKEA.
If you need a little garden inspiration, you might want to go on a field trip to The South Coast Botanical Garden in Palos Verdes , The Huntington Gardens in Pasadena or take a stroll through the neighborhoods on Coronado Island in San Diego - Coronado Historic Home Tour
Check out other April field trip links on the side bar. Enjoy your Spring!
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