Susi's Ground Rules: Do your homework before buying plants
Advice for beginners
Never put a one-dollar plant in a 50-cent hole. Properly prepare your hole for planting by making it large enough and adding the appropriate amendments so your plants will get off to the best possible start.
Do your homework by reading up about plants to suit your needs before rushing out to purchase something to fill a gap in the garden. Every plant has requirements such as amount of sun/shade, water needs and soil type, and every plant has a need for a certain amount of growing space, too. This way you won’t have to replace things that died because they were unsuitable in the location they were given, and you won’t have to move plants that outgrew the space.
Visit other gardens. Go on as many garden tours as you can to learn about what plants do well in this area, to see how various plant combinations work, and to get ideas for new things to try in your garden. Don’t be afraid to ask questions of the garden hosts — people love to talk about their gardens and most are very generous with their advice.
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Favorite drought-tolerant plants
* Caesalpinia mexicana, Mexican bird of paradise
* Cercidium 'Desert Museum,' Palo verde tree
* Leucophyllum frutescens, Texas ranger
Favorite garden sources
• Shocking Beauty, by Thomas Hobbs: Great inspiration for wild color combinations.
• Cape Bulbs, by Richard Doutt: Excellent guide to growing South African bulbs, which do well here.
• The Undaunted Garden, by Lauren Springer: Wonderful ideas for plants that don’t need much care.
Do’s and don’ts
Do learn as much as you can. I’ve found a wealth of knowledge and made many friends at the San Diego Horticultural Society. Read all you can; there is a wealth of books and magazines out there to help you.
Don’t be afraid to do exactly as YOU please in your garden; don’t worry about what other people will think. The garden is your most personal space, so let yourself go and be as creative as you like. The more personal it is the more you will enjoy it.
Don’t think you’re a failure if plants die. Every gardener has plants that die for many different reasons. You can’t find out what plants will do well for you unless you try new ones, and if you are trying out risky plants (such as ones that need more tropical
conditions) you should expect that some of them will die. That’s okay — learn from your mistakes.
Favorite garden tools
Felco pruners. Replace the blades often so they’ll stay in top condition and make pruning a pleasure. They come in different sizes (and right- and left-handed models) so try out a couple to find what is best for your hand size.
Long-handled pruners to reach the tall spots without having to use a ladder.
DecoColor brand black opaque paint markers (thin line) to write the names on plant tags. They will last in full sun for two to three years before fading. I buy them in Michael’s craft stores. A regular #2 pencil lasts much longer, but is harder to read.
My best secret
I use inexpensive colorful construction flags (about $1 for 10 flags at Home Depot) to mark jobs to do. They are easy to spot and remind me to get the job done. Sometimes I write on them with an indelible marker (“plant new daffodils here”). They’re useful if you have a helper in the garden, too. (“Please prune all the shrub with a pink flag in front of them.”)
Susi Torre-Bueno can be reached at the San Diego Horticultural Society at 858/756-2579. Visit the society at www.sdhortsoc.org. She also is the San Diego regional representative of The Garden Conservancy 2003 Open Days Program.
