Feb 27, 2022
One soggy morning, rain and wind buffeted Sacramento. At this perfect moment for baking blueberry muffins, my blue orbs were hibernating in the freezer. All were grown in containers last summer.
Growing edibles and ornamentals in containers is a gardening option. In many cases, it’s required. Tiny new home lots and some urban dwellings offer enough “yard” for the dog to turn around. Available outdoor growing space may be concrete or a Midtown balcony, rooftop or alley.
Containers and flowers go together like teens and texting. Inflation and the cost of food, continuing pandemic concerns and a boost in healthy diets are driving increased edible gardening. Pots are perfect!
Jan 28, 2022
Peek outside if you dare. Behold landscape plants on the critical list, already deceased or unanimous picks for the All-Ugly Team. Craters may mark spaces that plants once occupied. Yes, you need plants, but not just any plants.
While scouring local nurseries this spring, please consider the perennials and annuals recommended in this column. All perform well in Sacramento gardens. My current favorites:
Dec 28, 2021
No weed survives to spread seeds another day in my garden. Tomatoes, peppers, squash and cucumbers overpopulate kitchen counters and fill refrigerator bins in summer. I wander the yard daily, hand pruners ready, to deadhead and shape annuals and perennials. This must stop in 2022.
Not one to declare New Year resolutions, reassessing garden duties recently struck me as a necessity. Following a year of distracted gardening because of home remodeling projects, COVID chaos and minor health challenges, it became obvious I needed to reconsider how I garden.
Nov 28, 2021
Crazy weather and alarming environmental catastrophes suggest Sacramento gardeners may want to rethink old school strategies and practices. What worked a few years ago does not necessarily guarantee success today.
Gardeners and plants have been forced to deal with smoke and ash from wildfires, unusually hot stretches of summer heat, milder winters and strict water conservation because of persistent drought. Not yet apocalyptical threats, but reason to tweak things in your favor.
Oct 28, 2021
A self-described “bratty teenager,” Lori Ann Asmus saved her best attitude for houseplants.
“My mom was an avid gardener, but I really wasn’t interested in working with her,” Asmus says. “I would buy these little indoor plants and then kill them in short order by being uber-responsible, watering them every day, sometimes twice a day. I didn’t have success with houseplants until I went to college, where I didn’t have time to love them to death.”
All grown up, Asmus owns The Emerald City Interior Landscape Services. Chances are you have gazed upon her “interiorscapes” in Sacramento businesses such as The Citizen Hotel, Eskaton Village, and lobbyist, attorney and doctor offices. She designs and maintains indoor plants for mostly business clients
