Designed By Julie Orr, installed by SouthBay Design and Landscape

"Before" Julie Orr Design's Express Garden Service

For various reasons throughout the cycle of your garden, you may find that your new plants simply are not thriving or that your older plants are looking tired. If the bones of your yard (the hardscape paths, patios and general places you walk on) look great, maybe you just need a plant makeover?

This client in Los Altos asked me to do just that. He had a terrific layout from a previous designer that looked good but the plants were suffering and never achieved their full potential even after the client waited 10 years for things to “fill-in.” I stepped in along with the guidance of a landscape contractor and we diagnosed several key issues. First there were plenty of drainage issues which were only exasperated by irrigation problems (too much water) and to add insult to injury, the client had too much maintenance to handle on his own, so we put him in touch with the right experts.

Here are some of the pictures of the finished results just shortly after the makeover.

"Before" Julie Orr Design's Plant Makeover

Lemon Espalier

Nearly every garden I design has some of citrus tree in it and for good reason. Not only is the fruit wonderful, easy and tasty but citrus trees are evergreen, so they look great in the landscape all year round.

Many of the varieties are available in two different root stocks: dwarf (grows 8-10 feet tall) and regular (grows 20+ feet tall). Also, for the patient gardener, you can train your citrus into an espalier or have a professional, high-end gardener do this for you.

All citrus does well in full sun but here are some of our favorite varieties for Santa Clara, San Mateo and Alameda Counties:

Orange Trees

Cara Cara- Pink flesh, sweet and seedless

Navel Washington- Sweet, seedless winter ripening variety

Valencia- Harvested in June so they are very sweet, great for juicing

Moro Blood- Deep red coloration, almost purple-red. Very productive, early maturity, distinctive aroma, exotic berry-like flavor. Needs lots of heat

 Mandarin Trees

Satsuma ‘Owari- Hardiest tree of all mandarins. Fruit Ripens in November, December and is usually picked before the first frost. Seedless fruit peels easily

Golden Nugget- Seedless. The taste is extremely sweet when mature (March-May) with a very rich flavor, considered by professional taste panels to be one of the very best flavored citrus in the world.

Algerian Clementine- Ripens about a month after Satsuma, classic sweet/tart mandarin flavor. Few seeds.

 Lemon Trees

Eureka- A true lemon (not a hybrid like Meyer) has larger fruit bearing multiple crops per year, but the main season is late winter, spring, and early summer. Thornless.

Improved Meyer- Bears fruit year round and cold hardy. Can handle partial shade. Great for lemonade and cocktails

Variegated Pink – a mutation of ‘Eureka’ that has variegated (green-and-white striped) leaves and immature fruit striped green and cream, mature flesh is light pink plus the tree itself is smaller making it very garden-friendly.

 Lime Trees

Bearss- A tried and true lime that is great for cooking, drinks and cocktails

Mexican- If you like key lime pie, this is your tree

Palestine Sweet- Juicy yellow fruit with less sugar and acid than the Bearss Lime. With its mild flavor and few seeds, it makes a refreshing, cooling drink.

Kieffer- Their leaves, zest, and juice are used in Thai, Cambodian, and Indonesian cooking

Grapefruit Trees

Oroblanco- Sweet seedless fruit even in areas of low summer heat. Huge, intensely fragrant flowers and attractive glossy foliage.

Rio Red- Red-fleshed fruit that ripens in winter.  Wonderful for juice or eating fresh

Chandler pummel- Pink-fleshed fruit which are somewhat larger than standard grapefruit. Heavy producing in the right location, provided sufficient summer heat and frost protection

 Exotic Citrus Trees

Buddha Hand Lemon

Nagami Kumquat- The most widely available kumquat in North America. Olive size and shape, bright orange fruit.

Calamondin- Prolific fruit production. Zesty acid juice. Handsome compact habit making it great for containers

Buddha Hand Citron- Fruit forms finger-like sections resembling a human hand. It is much esteemed for its delicate lemon fragrance in China and Japan. Fruit has virtually no pulp, but can be sliced and candied in syrup. Not frost tolerant

Have you invested in a beautiful new landscape recently or are you planning a new garden installation? Nothing can ruin your garden results faster than these fast traveling, underground critters. Here are some tips from our expert, Zach Smith of Smith’s Gopher Trapping Service.

Gopher Damage

Gophers or pocket gophers cause damage because the feed on plant shoots and roots. They can kill grass, flowers, shrubs and even trees through their feeding activities. Because they work day and night they can kill large plants in a very short time. Because they have such powerful claws, they can burrow under and collapse paver patios, driveways, walkways and retaining walls. The damages from gophers can total in the thousands of dollars per year not only to your landscape but perhaps also to your health. In lawns their burrows and mounds are the perfect size to get a foot catch in, causing falling and ankle injury hazards. Solution: If gophers can move onto a property readily from neighboring lands, then a semi-monthly monitoring and trapping program should be considered as a first defense.

Mole Damage

Moles cause damage inadvertently to plants as they burrow searching for earthworms (they are carnivorous not vegetarian like gophers). They dislodge annuals, remove soil from under shrubs and trees, and send plants into severe drought stress in the process. They also undermine patios and walkways and cause unsightly mole-hills in manicured gardens. Mole damages are not as acute as gopher damages, but can be very troublesome and expensive nevertheless. Solution: Because moles can move into a garden swiftly from neighboring properties, mole extermination via a semi-monthly monitoring and trapping program is recommended.

Vole Damage

Voles eat primarily above-ground parts of plants and chew the bark off trees and shrubs. They make pockmark holes in lawns and ground cover and undermine hardscape. Though their damage is not as common or extensive as gophers and moles, they are still a significant pest in the landscape because landscape damage can be expensive to repair. Solution: They are easily trapped when first signs arise.

Ground Squirrel Damage

Ground Squirrels differ from tree squirrels in that they burrow in the earth and feed primarily on grass, and other vegetative matter on the ground. They are communal animals and share their tunnel network readily. The damage caused by ground squirrels causes extensive erosion on hillsides and under driveways and in golf course greens. Their holes can be a serious hazard for ankle-breaks to people, horses, and other livestock.

In addition to physical injury potential, the fleas on ground squirrels carry three types of the Plague disease.

Solution: The best control for ground squirrels is trapping and sometimes poison. Because of their high reproductive rate, it is important to have a regular program in place to keep their populations under control.

The best defense in a pest situation is a good offense. If you see signs of holes or burrows in your property, don’t delay. Call a professional pest removal service immediately to assess the situation. We recommend a non-toxic approach like those found at this company: www.gopher-trapping.com

To learn more about these and other pests at the UC Davis Pest Notes website http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/menu.homegarden.html

By Julie Orr and Stephanie Morris

1) Winnifred Gilman Salvia, Salvia Clevelandii ‘Winnifred Gilman’ – This cultivar related to Cleveland Sage is evergreen and shoots out sprays of tall blue-violet flowers drawing delicate hummingbirds, butterflies and helpful insects.

2) Saint Catherine’s Lace, Eriogonum giganteum – The evergreen is valued for rapid growth, gray foliage and white blooms.

3) California Fuchsia, Epilobium canum- Easy to grow, this flower is most alluring to hummingbirds. It has red flowers and sweet nectar.

4) Deer grass, Muhlenbergia rigens – This excellent accent plant features long seed heads, and you can enjoy seeing them sway under a gentle breeze.

5) Ray Hartman Ceanothus, Ceanothus ‘Ray Hartman’ – A popular California lilac, this small tree makes an excellent focal point for tiny gardens. Also looks amazing against a wall or fence as an espalier.

6) Western Redbud, Cercis occidentalis- This treasure features heart-shaped leaves and gives off a breathtaking winter show of hot pink buds.

7) Bush Anemone, Carpenteria californica– The joyful evergreen native features dark green leaves year round and surprises all with white fragrant flowers blooming from spring to summer.

8. Paradise Manzanita, Arctostaplyos parahoensis- This is considered a great plant because of its year round appeal with evergreen foliage and nice red bark. Hummingbirds love its bell shaped flowers.

9) Pacific Coast Iris, Iris douglasiana ­­ ­­- A spring blooming small scale plants tolerant of part shade and moist or dry soils, with showy flowers in the spring.

10) Seaside Daisy, Erigeron ‘Wayne Roderick’- It is one of the few that flowers in the spring, summer and fall as long as you keep deadheading the spent flowers. Perfect along the edge of a pathway.

Choosing a hot tub that is right for you involves many important considerations. Here is a checklist of items to remember when you going shopping for your spa:

1. Decide if you are using 110v or 220v. Only the small spas are available in 110 volt
2. How many people should your spa hold. The typical range is 2, 3, 4 or 6 person tubs
3. Would you like a high profile (36-37″ tall with more legroom) or a low profile (about 32″ tall) *Designer tip- consider sinking your spa into a custom deck for the look of a built-in spa at a portable spa price
4. Do you want oscillating jets (they move side to side for better coverage of sore muscles) for the ultimate massage experience or will you be happy with straight jets
5. Filtration. The better models filter up to 50,000 gallons of water per day. This means you use fewer chemicals and you don’t have to change your water as often
6. Features. What do you really need and what can you live without?
1. Stereo. Yes, little speakers by your head playing your favorite tunes
2. Aromatherapy. Added scents to freshen the smell of the water like lavender, eucalyptus or vanilla
3. Added insulation. As an upgrade you can get denim insulation to keep the tub’s heat in, thereby saving you energy
4. Color. Not only do you get to choose the tub color but also the exterior.

Another important consideration is to buy from a reputable company with a proven service record on delivering: quality products, installations and warranties.  Many of our client’s have been happy with their Sundance Spas.