June Tips & Events for Santa Clara County
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“The hum of bees is the voice of the garden."
— Elizabeth Lawrence
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Native Bees
Bees are buzzing all around our gardens, especially if we provide a good habitat for them. Our native bees are not the ones that produce honey, yet they serve essential functions in the landscape and in the wild. They have evolved together with California native plants, and they pollinate these plants and keep them as a vital part of our ecosystem. Remember that native plants and native wildlife feed and support each other. You can help by planting their
favorite food sources
in your garden.
Photo: leafcutter bee on Calandrinia flower, photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey
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Summer Vegetables
There’s still time to put in your warm season vegetables from transplant. If you start now from seed, you simply will have a shorter harvest season. With the unusually cool temperatures we’ve had this spring, you won’t be too far behind vegetables planted earlier. Warm temperatures and sunshine are part of what make your summer vegetables grow. Particularly sun-loving vegetables include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, melons, and squash. And that includes “winter squash” which is so named because it is thick skinned and stores well over the winter.
Photo: red and green sweet peppers, from UC ANR Repository
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Lilies
We’ve recently been inundated with Easter lilies, we’re currently seeing our daylilies come into bloom, and we can look forward to tiger lilies later in the summer. While all are beautiful and may have similar flower shapes, not everything with lily in the name is a true lily, botanically speaking. True lilies are grown from bulbs. Daylilies, for example, are not true lilies – they grow from tuberous roots. Grow all these flowers in well-drained soil, and keep them evenly moist. Cut back the stems after blooming, and leave the leaves in place until they die back naturally. Most can handle some shade.
Photo: Daylily, UC photo by Jack Kelly Clark
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Bonsai
Most of us have small spaces, and bonsai is an extreme version of fitting plants into small spaces. Some commonly used subjects are Japanese maple, juniper, and ficus. Bonsai is a real art form and takes a fair amount of time and attention. Local bonsai clubs offer instruction in techniques. Trimming and pinching are done to keep a tree miniature. Every couple years the plant needs to be removed from the pot to prune the roots and repot it in fresh soil. Fertilizer should be applied sparingly and only during the active growth season. It is very important to never allow the specialized well-draining soil mix to dry completely.
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Garden Thugs
Plants that can spread beyond their designated area in a garden are nicknamed garden thugs. They may spread by rhizomes (below the ground), stolons (above the ground), roots, or other parts. Trying to dig them out can be futile if even a tiny propagating part of the plant is left behind. One solution to this problem is to plant them in containers rather than directly in the ground. But keep an eye on them to make sure nothing escapes the container. Roots can easily find their way through drainage holes, so make sure to rotate the container each time you water or perhaps monthly. This will also help to keep the plant balanced by varying the orientation to the sun.
Photo: mint planted in a pot to prevent "escape", by Allen Buchinski
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Visit or subscribe to
our blog
for longer articles on seasonal topics
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Upcoming Events
We offer free or low-cost gardening talks, workshops, and courses all over the county, as well as hosting information tables at many community events. Please join us and bring your questions!
Palo Alto Demo Garden Open Saturdays from 10 a.m.–noon (May–Oct)
Come see what we're growing at our
edible and water wise gardens
and get answers to your gardening questions. Feel free to bring plant pests or disease samples for identification. We're located at Eleanor Pardee Community Gardens, on Center Road near Martin Street,
Palo Alto
(v
iew map
).
Sat, Jun 08, 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.,
Garden Safety
, Sunnyvale Teaching and Demonstration Garden, Charles Street Gardens, 433 Charles St.,
Sunnyvale
Sat, Jun 15, 9:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.,
Succulent Plant Sale
, Martial Cottle Park-Master Gardener Shade House, 5283 Snell Ave,
San Jose
Sat, Jun 15, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.,
Container Gardening
, St. Louise Hospital Teaching & Demo Garden, 9400 No Name Uno Way,
Gilroy
Sat, Jun 15, 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.,
Avocados!
, Martial Cottle Park, 5283 Snell Ave,
San Jose
Sat, Jun 15, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.,
Culinary Herbs
, Berryessa Library Community Room, 3355 Noble Ave,
San Jose
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Have a gardening question? Contact our Help Desk (for Santa Clara County residents). Start by reviewing our plant
problem diagnosis tips
.
The University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Santa Clara County Master Gardener Program volunteers are trained under the auspices of the UCCE. Our mission is to promote sustainable gardening practices by providing up-to-date, research-based horticultural information to home gardeners.
The University of California prohibits discrimination or harassment of any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy (including childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or status as a covered veteran (covered veterans are special disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, Vietnam era veterans, or any other veterans who served on active duty during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized) in any of its programs or activities.
University policy is intended to be consistent with the provisions of applicable State and Federal laws.
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