GARDENING

Summer 2010
ON THE EDGE
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

JOURNAL OF THE MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

Spring 2010 #138

Making Friends in Your Garden

As gardeners, we’re all keenly aware of the myriad sea-
sonal tasks that lurk behind every page of the calendar—pest
control, planting, thinning, watering, fertilizing, soil build-
ing, weeding, mowing, mulching, pruning, primping, collaps-
ing. That’s why it’s so nice to come across a gardening
practice that involves doing next to nothing. In a healthy,
well-managed garden, some pest damage can be controlled
by letting species interactions run their course. This is the
basic approach of biological pest control.
Biological control agents are often referred to as natural
enemies, beneficials, or garden allies. Garden allies generally
reduce pest damage by killing pests or affecting their ability
to reproduce. Most gardeners are familiar with the ―three
Ps‖—predators, parasites and pathogens—but other inter-
esting garden allies control pests through herbivory, compe-
tition or antibiosis (the secretion of inhibitory substances).
The list of allies is (thankfully) huge, so in order to illustrate
some basic concepts of biological pest control, let’s follow
four possible fates of one common pest, the aphid.
Most aphids are delicate and dewy, but sometimes they
look more like crispy, golden aphid-puffs. Often called
―mummies‖, these golden husks are not the molted exoskele-
tons of thriving aphids but the parasitized remnants of very
unlucky ones. All parasites make a living at their host’s ex-
pense. In most cases, killing the host would be counter-
—Patty Nicely, MG03
productive (if your host dies, you die). However, for many
parasitic insects, the host provides a tasty meal and a cozy
place to pupate, so killing the host benefits the parasite. It is
this lethal tactic that makes parasitic insects, especially flies
and wasps, good garden allies. In the case of the golden aphid
mummies, the parasite is a tiny wasp that lays its egg inside
the aphid. The egg hatches into a larva that consumes the
aphid’s innards, and pupates into an adult wasp. The wasp
then chews its way out of the mummy, creating a perfectly
round exit portal, an elegant remnant of its intriguing
journey.
Elsewhere, a different aphid is having a different kind of
bad day. The lovely convergent lady beetle is famished, and
especially loves aphids. Adults and larvae of many lady bee-
tles are voracious predators, and just one can eat dozens or
hundreds of aphids in a day. Other predators—lacewings,
soldier beetles, syrphid flies, and many true bugs—are also
around to help with the aphids and other pests.
Yet another aphid is happily slurping up plant juice, un-
aware that things are about to go horribly wrong. The preda-
ceous flies are hungry, and an adult Aphidoletes has come to
feed on the aphid’s honeydew. This doesn’t harm the aphid at
all. However, the fly’s newly laid eggs will soon hatch into

 Making Friends in Your Garden—1  Growing Woody Herbs in Containers—3

 Asparagus—a Spring Delicacy—5  How to Plant and Care for Tree Dahlias—6
 Composting for the Rest of Us—8  Book Review: The Trail of the Wild Rose—8
 How Master Gardeners Do It—9  Summer at Annie’s—11
 Confessions of a Reluctant Gardener—14  The Pruner’s Corner—15
CULTIVATE KNOWLEDGE
 2 Summer 2010 MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS
larvae that will devour the aphid. Like the parasitic wasps,
some predators let their offspring do all the dirty work.
Dare I say it? Another aphid is about to bite the dust.
Most insects are susceptible to pathogenic infection, and
aphids are no exception. Especially in humid environ-
ments, aphids are prone to infection by various fungi. All it
takes is that one spore—once it makes contact with the
aphid, it quickly germinates and takes over, turning the
aphid into a fuzzy mess. Aphids do have one advantage
against microbes; since they are sucking insects, they are
not susceptible to pathogenic viruses and bacteria that
must be ingested through leaf eating.
Walking through these four scenarios was meant to
highlight the wide variety and complexity of pest/ally in-
teractions. Hopefully it also inspired you to go out in your
garden and look around. If it did, I encourage you to get a
good hand lens and learn to identify the various life stages
of pests and beneficials, and evidence of their interactions.
This will allow you to monitor your pest situation and de-
cide if intervention is needed. For example, when I see
aphid mummies, I feel pretty confident that my aphid
population will start to dwindle. If you’re new to insect ID,
start with the various life stages of some common insects:
aphids, whiteflies, scales, lady beetles, soldier beetles, syr-
phid flies and tachinid flies. Also look for some common
signs of ally activity: discolored eggs, mummies, drooping
or liquefied caterpillars and curled up or fuzzy bodies.
Many excellent resources are available to help you learn
(see below). Identifying insects is fun, challenging and very
empowering.
There are some easy ways to help conserve your garden
allies and enhance their activities. The most important
thing you can do is to not use broad-spectrum or residual
insecticides, as these can kill allies along with pests and
can even result in a secondary pest outbreak. If you need to
use sprays, spot-treating heavily infested areas (or treating
during certain times of year) might leave some allies (and
their food sources) unharmed. Remember that bees pro-
vide valuable pollination services, so even though they do
not control pests, they should be protected like any other
beneficial insects. You can also provide water for benefi-
cials, and offer them a diverse range of flowering plants to
provide adults with food and habitat throughout the year.
Lists of ally-friendly plants usually include small-flowered
plants such as alyssum, yarrow, cilantro and aster. You can
also make or purchase ―good bug‖ food to place in your
garden.
Some people augment their populations of natural ene-
mies with purchased beneficials. Successful augmentation
can depend on many variables, and its effectiveness in
home gardens is still being studied, so I don’t recommend
it for every home gardener. It does work well for commer-
cial operations. If your garden monitoring efforts lead you
to conclude that you could benefit from purchasing allies,
please choose a reputable mail-order source (I would avoid
home and garden centers when purchasing insects). Also,
choose the right ally for your pest problem, and follow di-
rections carefully. Some worth trying are predatory mites
(for various mite pests), parasitic nematodes (for various
soil-dwelling and other larvae), mealybug destroyers (for
various mealybugs and other insects), Trichogramma wasps
(larvae parasitize some caterpillars), green lacewings
(larvae feed on many pests), and convergent lady beetles
(for aphids and other pests). Note that lady beetles are
very likely to fly away after you release them. Bacillus thur-
ingiensis (Bt, a bacterium for certain caterpillars, grubs, and
mosquitoes) is also readily available, easy to use and
effective. Purchasing praying mantises is not recom-
mended, because these generalist predators might eat your
beneficials.
Many natural enemies, especially wasps and lady bee-
tles, have been imported to help control exotic pests. Help-
ing to conserve these natural enemies is just as important
as conserving native ones. Importation is only done by gov-
ernment agencies that have thoroughly researched and
tested the possible outcomes of importation. Dozens of
invertebrate and plant pests in the U.S. have been at least
partially controlled by imported natural enemies.
Biological control is just one part of an IPM approach
to pest control. Know what pests and allies you have in
your garden. Tolerating low levels of pests will help keep
your allies fed. Special pruning techniques can remove
pests or preserve beneficials. Don’t overfertilize or overirri-
gate. Control ants and dust, both of which can interfere
with your allies (dust can also cause mite outbreaks). Re-
member that the list of potential garden allies is huge:
mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, spiders,
mites, nematodes, bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa, and
even plants. Making it easier for your new-found friends to
call your garden home is a good step toward solving your
pest problems.
For more information
From the Marin County Stormwater Pollution
Prevention Program http://www.ourwaterourworld.org/
LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=V28NsqxvaoQ%3D&tabid=61
Mac's Laminated Field Guide to Garden Bugs of
CA: ht t p : //w w w . ac o r n nat ur ali st s. co m / st o r e / MA CS -
LAMINATED-FIELD-GUIDE-TO-GARDEN-BUGS-OF-
CALI FORNI A-P3008C296.aspx?UserI D=27885146&
SessionID=eOzQJJkljz7ivTi{3JkZ
The three insect field guides listed here:
http://www.insectidentification.org/field-guides.asp
And this from ATTRA:
http://attra.org/attra-pub/PDF/IPM/insects.pdf
Photo, page 1: Wikipedia
 Summer 2010 MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS
IPM
is an ecologically-based approach to managing
pests that tries to prevent problems through a
combination of methods and uses pesticides only
as a last resort. IPM programs can be applied
against insects, weeds, plant diseases, rodents, or
other pests.
With IPM, you’ll have a safer home and environ-
ment and you’ll have fewer pest problems.
Remember these IPM steps as you try to solve
your pest problems:
Correctly identify the pest
Determine if it is a problem you can’t tolerate.
Identify the conditions in your home or gar-
den that are causing the pest to thrive or in-
vade and change them to the extent possible.
If this isn’t enough, consider other methods
such as cultural, mechanical, physical or bio-
logical controls, or use least-toxic pesticides
as a last resort.
References and Resources
1. Natural Enemies Handbook, UC ANR, 1998
2. UC ANR Pest Note 74140, Biological Control and Natural
Enemies (Oct 2007)
3. UC IPM website (www.ipm.ucdavis.edu)
4. Pests of the Garden and Small Farm, UC ANR, 1998
5. Sunset Western Garden Book, 2001
6. Sunset Western Garden Problem Solver, 1998
7. California Master Gardener Handbook, UC ANR, 2002
8. Pests of Landscape Trees and Shrubs, UC ANR, 2004
9. The Home Orchard, UC ANR, 2007
10. Golden Gate Gardening, Pam Peirce, 1998
11. Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply 2010 Catalogue;
see also www.groworganic.com
Rosmarinus officinalis
—Wikipedia
3
Growing Woody Herbs
in Containers
—Christina Kriedt, MG06
I don’t really garden. I mean, I do provide rescue water
when my gardening philosophy ―Don’t Spoil Your Plants‖
takes a turn for the worse. And I do pull a weed or two if
they’re causing my guests to trip on the walkway. (I also
put the wine away.) But in spite of my resistance, I am re-
sponsible for about 30 containers ranging from 3‖ clay pots
to 24‖ wooden tubs where I have plants growing, more or
less, many of them culinary herbs.
To some, the word ―growing‖ implies ―thriving.‖ Not
so most of my plants; not surprising considering my gar-
dening philosophy. Some, however, do hang on to life in
spite of my attempts to deprive them of it. There are herba-
ceous (non-woody stemmed) and woody herbs. Among my
potted woody herbs are oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage,
lemon verbena, and my darling Turkish (Mediterranean,
sweet) bay tree, Laurus nobilis. Truth is, it’s really no sur-
prise that the perennials are still alive, as they seem to do
best if they’re not coddled; I’ve always heard that if they’re
under-fertilized and watered in moderation the oils (and
flavor) will become more concentrated. (With all herbs,
try to harvest leaves in the morning after the dew has dried
but before the hot sun dissipates the essential oils and di-
minishes flavor.) It seems to be generally accepted that
sturdy genera like Rosmarinus and Salvia rooted in garden
soil improve if they’re ignored.
Plants in pots need a little more care than their garden-
soil counterparts. Nutrients leach out with rain and water-
ing and potting soil dries out quickly. There is nothing
more pitiful than a shriveled, wilting rosemary. (Never fear
– I saved it.) On the plus side, if you have poor drainage in
your garden, planting in containers allows you provide
really excellent drainage for plants that require it. An indi-
vidual pot should contain plants that have similar soil and
water requirements. The placement of the container is im-
portant: it should be as close to your kitchen as possible
where it will get at least 6 hours a day of direct sunlight.
Planting
It’s best to start with potting soil that is made espe-
cially for plants that require excellent drainage. Or you
could mix your own. (See page 15 for a Cornell soil recipe.)
Then there’s the whole clay vs. plastic controversy. I put
drought tolerant plants in clay or wooden pots and water-
lovers in plastic, but not religiously. If you plant rosemary,
for example, in plastic, check the soil before you water.
The plastic will retain moisture much longer than clay or
wood. For a deeper discussion of watering, see my article
in the June/July 2006 issue of GOTE: Container Watering
Tips, ht tp: //w w w . mon t e re ybay mas te r gar de ne rs .org /
newsletters/2006_june_july.pdf.
 Summer 2010 MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

Plant on a slight mound to keep root crowns above If in spite of your best pruning efforts the plant does
puddling water. Keep mulch away from stems. I prefer to get out of control, you can take cuttings and start over. In
let plants like rosemary, bay, lemon verbena and sage live spring, select plump healthy cuttings about 3‖ long; trim
alone in containers, but they are willing to share space off lower leaves and pinch off flowers (better to select cut-
with similar plants. ting with no flower buds); dip in rooting hormone; place in
clean rooting medium; cover with plastic but don’t let the
Watering plastic touch the leaves (you can place one 3 inch plastic
Watering woody perennials can be tricky. If you find pot with a few cuttings into a baggie with sticks, taller
that water runs out the bottom of the pot a millisecond than the cuttings, to hold the plastic away from the plant,
after you turn on the hose then your soil might have be- and seal; open and reseal daily for air circulation); place
come hydrophobic—yes, it might have developed an irra- away from direct sunlight in a warm spot. Be patient:
tional fear of water. Seriously, though, hydrophobic soil woody cuttings can take up to 8 weeks to root. 
cannot hold water; it has dried beyond the water-retention Next time: Herbaceous Herbs
point. You will need to loosen things up a bit. I have used a
long metal skewer to poke deep water holes into hard pot- Resources
ting soil but it’s a Band-Aid treatment at best. http://attra.ncat.org/new_pubs/attra-pub/potmix.html?
id=California#appendix3
You’ll eventually need to cultivate and amend that soil
http://groups.ucanr.org/mgnapa/files/10334.pdf
or replace it. If you have a dangerously dry pot that is light http://www.planetnatural.com/site/herb-gardening.html
enough to lift, place it in a larger container, fill both pots http://groups.ucanr.org/mgnapa/files/10319.pdf
with water and remove the inside container as soon as the http://gardening.about.com/od/herbsspecificplants1/qt/
bubbles have stopped rising to the surface of the soil. (This Pruning_Herbs.htm
http://www.answers.com/topic/apiaceae
is how I routinely water most of my houseplants, which http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Coriandrum+sativum
are not from dry climates.) You want to displace as much http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/HG_2004-01.pdf
air as possible in as short a time as possible to rescue your http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/oregano.html
plant. That technique should hydrate the soil sufficiently http://californiacountry.org/features/article.aspx?arID=557
for you to start your watering routine over and never let http://groups.ucanr.org/mgnapa/files/10319.pdf http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/
files/filelibrary/2157/29637.pdf
the soil get overly dry again. But you must also be careful http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/CropFactSheets/basil.html
not to overwater. An overwatered plant can look decep- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytochemical
tively dry: wilted and gray. It’s telling you that it’s not get-
ting enough oxygen at its roots. Do not let pots sit in sau-
cers full of water which keep the soil soggy. Also, placing a
layer of anything in the bottom of the pot (except thin
screen material to keep soil from washing out) only de-
creases the amount of aerated soil available for root
growth. Don’t do it.
Fertilizing
Fertilizing is easy. A slow release 16-16-16 fertilizer
applied according to directions will be fine. If you over-
fertilize, you might get lush, succulent plants, but you’ll
sacrifice flavor. This year I intend to use the wonderfulness
my pet worms have been churning for the past 8 months.
Should be pretty intensely populated with all the right mi-
croorganisms by now. (I’ll report the results next time.)
The UC ANR folks recommend that we not use fresh ani-
mal manures in containers because they’re too salty.
Pruning and Propagating from Cuttings
Bear in mind that all might get quite large. In the
ground these plants have space to reach their full size po-
tential; but in containers, if you don’t do some shaping, you
might wind up with unsightly, leggy, floppy, crowded
plants. To prevent this, prune off dead or unwanted
branches in early spring and remove the top ¼ to ⅓ of each Laurus nobilis
plant. Photo by C. Kriedt
 Summer 2010 MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS
Asparagus—a Spring Delicacy
—Kathleen Sonntag, MG06
Growing your own asparagus is not difficult, but it
takes time and patience (what doesn’t?). Oh, it also takes
lots of space if you want to have enough for a meal. Sun-
set’s plant finder has all the details about growing them.
You should plant asparagus in full sun along a fence or
behind other vegetables or flowers. Add manure to the soil
and water before planting. You can start them from seeds,
but most people plant year-old roots. Here are the basics:
Dig a trench at least 8‖ deep. A second trench should
be 4.5 feet away from the first one.
Place plants in the trench about one foot apart.
Cover the roots (but not the crown) with about 2‖ of
soil and water again.
Add soil as the plants grow until the trench is full.
No harvest the first year. Have patience while the roots
grow. Cut the plants back in the fall and look forward to
your first harvest the next spring.
Whether you rely on others to provide fresh, local as-
paragus or grow your own, they are good steamed, grilled
or blended into a creamy soup.
Grilled Asparagus
Cooking asparagus on a grill (or broiler) is one of the
tastiest and easiest ways to prepare them. They make a
good hors d’ouvres right off the grill with or without a dip
since they taste best when they are still hot.
Use thick spears. Simply break off the tough ends (and
put them in the composter), wash, remove excess water,
and coat them with olive oil that has been seasoned with
garlic salt and pepper. You can use a peeler to flatten the
edges so that they are easier to turn on the grill, but it isn’t
necessary. Asparagus spears cook 3-5 minutes per side. Be
careful not to overcook.
Above: Asparagus for sale in New York City
—Wikipedia
Top right: photo by C. Kriedt
5
Asparagus Soup With Orange Cream
This recipe takes a little bit of effort, but the results are
worth it. A potato base with asparagus, sherry, orange
juice and herbs makes it smooth and hearty. Top with
cream just before serving.
For the soup
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups yellow onions (sliced)
2 cups peeled, cubed russet potatoes
5 cups vegetable stock (mushroom broth or other)
7 1/2 cups asparagus (trimmed, peeled and cut into 2-
inch pieces)
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley (chopped)
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 cup sherry (optional)
1 tsp grated orange zest
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
For the orange cream
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp very finely grated orange zest
2 Tbsp fresh-squeezed orange juice
Make the orange cream by stirring together all cream
ingredients until they are well blended; set aside.
Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the
onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the potatoes and the stock; simmer 10 minutes.
Add the asparagus, parsley and basil; simmer soup for 5
minutes.
Puree the soup with a handheld blender (easiest as you
can use the cooking pot) or in a food processor.
Add the sherry, orange zest, juice along with salt and
pepper to taste and bring the soup to a gentle simmer.
To serve, pour soup into individual bowls. Swirl 1-2
tablespoons of the orange cream into each bowl and gar-
nish with parsley.
Serve immediately. Makes 6-8 servings. 
 Summer 2010 MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

time, the spacing should be about 3 to 4 feet; each year the

How to Plant and Care for plants will add more canes and increase in diameter.
Tree Dahlias (Please see the photos that follow for a detailed explana-
tion.) I know that if a length of cane is left to lie on the
—Paul McCollum, MG04 ground, roots and new shoots will emerge from each sec-
tion, so be careful unless you want growth every 6 to 12
inches. Plants can be started in pots or directly in the gar-
den bed. The sections root quickly and growth is fast dur-
ing the growing season.
Since the canes grow so tall, they can be pruned back
in mid-summer to encourage side branches. They also
should be protected from strong winds to avoid damage.
They do well against a house or fence and like full sun and
rich soil. Three or four inches of good compost added after
the canes are pruned back will be all the plant needs until
mid- to late-summer; then add a couple inches of compost
and you will see the results in November.
If you don’t have a tree dahlia in your garden and
would like to include it in your landscape, I’m sure that
some of the current MG’s will be more than happy to share
a cane or two. Just ask!
Internet sites that may be helpful are listed below. You
will find many more with just a couple of clicks.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/56917/
http://articles.sfgate.com/2008-01-09/home-and-garden/17149492_1_dahlias
Up until the time I enrolled in the Master Gardener -plant-tree
training, I had never seen or heard of a tree dahlia. I was http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/dahlia_imperialis_white
familiar with the dahlia tuber and have grown many large _tree_dahlia.htm
and beautiful tuberous dahlias over the years, but this
plant was new to me. Like many or even most of the tree How to Plant Tree Dahlias
dahlias grown by Master Gardeners in this area, the origi-
nal canes most likely came from the garden of Al Derrick, a Prune canes at the base using a small saw. (Chickens are
truly superior Master Gardener who has taught many of optional.)
our propagation classes over the years.
Originating in Central America, Dahlia imperialis is in
the family Asteraceae. Flower size is somewhere in the 4‖
to 6‖ range and colors vary from white to pink, lavender,
and purple with yellow centers. The most common color
seems to be the purple or lavender (at least in our area)
which has a single row of petals; the white flowering
plants are singles or doubles (or multiples). The plants
grow tall – reaching 10 to 20 feet. The canes have the ap-
pearance of bamboo and are hollow with nodes every 6 to
12 inches. (There is a membrane near each node that stops
water going all the way through the cane.) The plants
flower late September through December and attract bum-
blebees and butterflies. It is quite a sight to see a couple
of dozen bumblebees flying from flower to flower in
November!
Soil with a pH of 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic) is preferred.
They can be grown from seed by allowing the flowers to
mature and dry out and then breaking them apart and col-
lecting the seeds that are similar in appearance to zinnia
but smaller. The usual method of propagation, however, is
by cutting the canes into pieces that include at least one
membrane. If you are planting several pieces of cane at a
 Summer 2010 MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS
These canes are ready to be cut into planting lengths.
Cut each cane into sections. Each section must
include at least one growing point. The node on the bottom
grows roots and the one on top grows leaves.
Use a 3-gallon pot to start your plants indoors; larger if you
will be starting them outdoors. Fill with soil to within 3+
inches of the top.
7
Place a section on the soil.
The node should be facing up.
Cover with potting mix no more than 1/2 inch deep and
keep moist.
Transplant started plants when the soil warms up in the
spring. If you want to plant at a later date, you can keep a
couple of the sections in a plastic baggie wrapped in a
damp paper towel. Store in a cool place like the refrigerator
(do not freeze) until late winter or very early spring. 
All photos by Paul McCollum.
The Dahlia is named after Andreas Dahl, 1751-1789,
Swedish physician and botanist and a pupil of Linnaeus.
(Dahlia Imperialis http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/
bulbs_and_plants/75041#ixzz0jcNuuRFK)
 Summer 2010 MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

Composting for the Rest of Us

—Kathleen Sonntag, MG06
If you have been hesitant to start composting your
kitchen scraps because it is too much trouble, I hope you
will give it a try after reading this. Some of us compost
partly because we just can’t bear the thought of throwing
vegetable peelings, old produce, coffee grounds, tea bags,
banana peels, lemon rinds and the like in the trash to go to
the landfill in a plastic bag that does not decompose. In-
stead, these kitchen scraps can become fertilizer for your
plants. How do you get started?
You need a small compost bin in your kitchen. You
can buy one or use a container—maybe a plastic tub that
once contained cookies. Treat yourself: buy some cookies
so you can recycle the container as a kitchen compost bin.
Outside, you need a larger compost bin (see the Win-
ter edition of GOTE for information about some options)
or some space in your yard to pile the kitchen scraps along
with some yard clippings.
I have a compost aerator (it’s leaning on my compost
bin in the photo at right) called a Wingdigger™ to turn
the compost and mix the older part with the newly added
scraps. A shovel or garden
Book Review
fork works too. —Kathleen Sonntag, MG06
Wingdigger™ When you first start
your compost, add a few The Trail
shovels full of soil from your of the Wild Rose
garden and some leaves, Anthony Elgin
grass clippings (if you still 2009
have a lawn) and pine nee- Thorndike Press
dles along with the kitchen
scraps. You want to have
both green and brown vege-
tation. I also added some
purchased organic compost.
That’s it! Keep adding
Anthony Eglin lives in Sonoma and writes British gar-
scraps and turning the pile.
den mysteries. Prior to writing mystery novels, Eglin lived
It will warm up as the worms and other insects do their
in England. After moving to the U.S., he followed his pas-
job. Red worms (the kind people purchase for worm bins)
sion for gardening and created a series of garden video-
found my compost and you will probably find them in
tapes. He is a member of the American Rose Society and
your bin after it starts to ―cook,‖ too. I occasionally add
won awards for his rose garden.
bone meal. Add water only if it really dries out. Check the
moisture when you are turning and add some if the com- I recently read The Trail of the Wild Rose, his latest in the
post looks dry. series of four books featuring a retired English botanist
This is not scientific composting; it is simply recycling who helps solve crimes involving plants and gardeners. All
vegetation on a small scale and getting fertilizer for your of his books include a great deal of botanical background
garden in return. You will have some compost to use in information. They also provide insight into the world of
about a year. plant collectors and breeders. This one had several pages
Many websites have detailed information about what about rose history, species and breeding. The plots are
to put in the compost bin—just ―Google it.‖ engaging, the characters are realistic and contemporary;
You can read more about composting in my article Eglin’s award-winning mysteries are a good read with
some horticultural information included—perfect for a
Composting Kitchen Scraps on Suite101.com. 
gardener with a fertile mind who sometimes likes a story
that does not require deep thought to be enjoyable. 
Composter photo by K. Sonntag
 Summer 2010 MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS
How Master Gardeners Do It
—Compiled by Sharon Ettinger, MG00
Which herbs do you REALLY go get
from your garden and use in your
kitchen? Do you grow them in con-
tainers or in the ground?
Denise Weatherwax, MG08
I grow sage, 2 kinds of thyme, rosemary (of course),
flat-leafed and regular parsley, oregano, chives in season,
and basil in the summer. I grow it in the ground in the
back yard, and use all of it in cooking. I received a handy
herb-keeper as a gift that keeps a supply cut and ready to
go in the fridge for about a week. Or else I run down to the
yard with a pair of scissors. At the end of the season, I
dump all the rest of the basil in the Cuisinart with olive oil
and pine nuts, and freeze it in little containers. I add the
grated parmesan before serving and, voila, fresh (sort of)
pesto.
Darcy Horton, MG06
I grow parsley in a raised bed and use it all the time
when I make a smoothie or fresh veggie juice. I just throw a
handful in.
Alan Schlenger, MG96
Parsley, thyme, oregano, sage, and marjoram are peren-
nial and always available. They are right outside the
kitchen door in the ground. Use them all the time. Cilantro
is available only when I remember to plant it -- not as often
as I would like.
Tammy Tahara, MG06
I REALLY use basil, rosemary, oregano and thyme! I
grow the basil in a pot on my deck where it gets lots of
warmth and sun and the rest are in the ground in my ter-
raced garden
Ellen Wright, MG99
I grow and use spearmint, peppermint, tarragon, sev-
eral thymes, oreganos, marjorams, rosemarys, winter sa-
vory, and both Mediterranean and coastal bay. The two
bay trees are growing in pots and I keep them as both
quasi-bonsai and herb producers. I also grow the tarragon
in a pot, as it can be a really rampant pest. The mints, as we
know, can be invasive and the spearmint, in spite of regular
pulling, has threaded its way into several beds. I use so
much spearmint that I keep a big cultivated patch in my
vegetable garden. The peppermint lives in a fairly harsh
area which keeps the flavor intense and it in check. I grow
English, Greek, and creeping thyme in the garden and in
9
pots. The oreganos and marjorams (including a lovely but
pesky creeping variety) grow all over the place as ground
covers and useful ornamentals. I have two different rose-
mary bushes and they have very different flavors! My favor-
ite rosemary grows in the Salinas Costco parking lot. It is
quite mild and it dries and grinds well. I harvest the shoots
before they're pruned and dry them inside my car…..a great
herb dryer! The winter savory reseeds itself and shows up
here and there.
Kathleen Sonntag, MG06
I grow chives, flat-leaf parsley, thyme, oregano, rose-
mary, basil and dill and use them all. They do best in con-
tainers in my garden, except the rosemary and oregano.
Alice Waters once said that when you are going to
cook something, go out in your garden and decide which
herbs to use – select what appeals to you on that day.
Robin Sanders, MG95
I grow and use oregano, basil, sage, thyme, rosemary,
parsley, and cilantro. All are grown in raised beds except
the rosemary, which is a very old plant that was here when
I moved in. The basil and cilantro are planted annually, the
parsley usually lasts a couple of years. Everything else is
perennial. I'm considering digging up the oregano and put-
ting it in a large pot as it is trying to take over the raised
bed!
Salvia officinalis
—Wikipedia
Diana Huang, MG01
Cilantro. I grow it in the ground.
Mercy Rosario, MG08
I grow most all my herbs in the ground. I do have a
container of basil. The herbs I really use are rosemary, oreg-
ano, thyme, mint, and basil.
 Summer 2010 MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS
Mary Bowman, MG06
Cilantro, parsley, oregano, basil, rosemary all grown in
the ground.
Carri Wagner, MG04
Oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, turmeric. I
cut them and often dry them. They grow on a very small
mound.
Patty Nicely, MG03
I regularly harvest rosemary, bay, oregano, thyme,
mints, lemon balm, sage, tarragon, chives, borage flowers,
burnet, and marjoram for use in the kitchen. I also use lav-
enders, rose geranium, pineapple sage, white sage, and
lemon verbena for scenting the house. Some are in the
ground, others are in pots. If you go with pots I recom-
mend larger ones--some of the potted herbs have grown
roots out the bottom and into the ground. Pots also keep
some of the smaller herbs away from my male dog
(important for anything culinary!).
Claudia Boulton, MG99
I keep parsley, of course, mint, thyme and chives close
to the kitchen. Sometimes I grow several different thymes
and oregano, dry them and mix them together. This mix is
excellent for salads, salad dressings, fish poaching water
and to put in the cooking water for artichokes.
Marcia Charland, MG06
Basil is my #1 favorite, most used herb. I plant a lot of
it in my raised bed.
I use it to make bruschetta, minestrone soup, in pasta,
caprese salad, pesto, etc!
I also plant and use oregano, dill, parsley and chives.
Dee Dee Hanania, MG99
Italian parsley, chives, basil, and thyme. They are in
garden boxes as the gophers enjoy eating in our yard.
Melita Israel, MG95
Outside my kitchen door I have a small herb garden
that is made up of some chimney flues. They keep the
spearmint and peppermint in check and serve to contain
water and act as a small retaining wall along the garden
path. The mints are used for teas. I use tarragon especially
with chicken. In the veggie garden I grow the annual
herbs. Dill and basil are favorites.
Vegetable Gardening info:
UC ANR: Vegetables (website)
Vegetable Gardening at a Glance from UC -
recommended planting dates, general planting
requirements, amount to plant for family of four,
etc (pdf)
Vegetable Gardening Basics from UC (pdf)
Barbara Gordon, MG98
I grow several kinds of thyme, usually basil, and sev-
eral types of parsley all in the ground.
What plants do you put in your
garden to attract beneficial
insects and why?
Do the beneficial insects help you
control pests?
How do you keep the beneficial in-
sects in your garden?
Mary Bowman, MG06
Anise, onion and garlic flowers, alyssum, carrot and
parsnip flowers, all sorts of wild flowers, bachelor’s but-
tons, Queen Ann's lace. Beneficials seem to love umbels, so
lots of them, and I am not sure they like alyssum as I don't
see lots of activity in it. We have rosemary blooming all
year, as well as lavender, which I think attracts benies.
Patty Nicely, MG03
Lavenders are huge bee magnets, and having bees
around can help with vegetable pollination. I leave flowers
on my parsley and cilantro because they seem to attract
hoverflies and lots of other insects. I let alyssum naturalize
because it is said to be a "good bug" food. I assume that the
hoverflies do help with pest control in my yard. I do see a
lot of aphid mummies, which can be attributed to the
presence of parasitic wasps.
Claudia Boulton, MG99
I use a list of beneficial insect attractors created by
Rich Merrill, former head of the Cabrillo Horticulture
Dept. The most successful for me seem to be alyssum, an-
gelica and anything in the Asteraceae (daisy) family. Note
that I don't grow any veggies for lack of heat and sun.
Melita Israel, MG95
When I first moved here I purchased all kinds of
predatory insects. Green lacewings are one of my favorites
and sometimes they land on a window in the evening so
they are still around after 30 plus years. Can’t see the tiny
spiders I purchased or the nematodes. I guess they are do-
ing OK because I don't get holes in my carrots or radishes
like I planted the first year we had a veggie garden. Lady-
bugs of different kinds and soldier bugs, tachinid flies just
came. Guess I had lots for them to eat. 
And Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast
rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.
~Percy Bysshe Shelley, "The Sensitive Plant"
 Summer 2010 MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS 11

Summer at Annie’s
—Christina Kriedt, MG06
If you have never been there, you might want to consider visiting
Annie’s Annuals and Perennials in Richmond, California. Words
don’t do it justice, so I’ll stop talking and just show you. 

http://www.anniesannuals.com/
Summer 2010 MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS
Summer 2010 MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS 13
 Summer 2010 MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS
Confessions of a Reluctant
Gardener
—Christina Kriedt, MG06
I completed most of my horticulture studies at Merritt
College in Oakland in the 80s. I could at that time identify
at least 1,000 ornamental plants, reciting botanical and
common names. Things are different now with the passage
of many years and the onset of Senior Moments.
These days I can recall more botanical than common
names. That’s a good thing because common names are
unreliable, at best, for identification. My granddaughter
calls Taraxacum officinalis ―fairy flowers.‖ I used to call them
dandelions. Now, of course, they’re officially known as
fairy flowers. Common names are often descriptive of a
plant (hairy bitter cress) and so are botanical names: Tri-
folium repens, white clover, means three (tri), leaves
(folium), creeping or crawling (repens). Now try Metase-
quoia glyptostroboides. Smallii as in Penstemon smallii doesn’t
mean a small Penstemon, but that it was named after some-
one named Small who may or may not have been diminu-
tive. Latin for ―small‖ is parvus or minimus.
Common names can differ wildly from area to area. Did
you know that Rosmarinus officinalis, rosemary, is also
known as: compass weed, dew of the sea, incensier, Mary’s
mantle, romero, pilgrim’s plant, mi-tieh-hsiang, old man
and polar plant? (An intensive five minutes of research did
not reveal why it has common names that refer to direc-
tions.) Rosmarinus literally means ―sea dew‖ or ―dew of the
sea.‖ If I go into a nursery and ask for a cedar, I might get a
Cedrus, a Chamaecyparis, a Thujopsis, a Taiwania, a Calocedrus, a
Cryptomeria, a Thuja, or a Juniperus. They may or may not be
similar in appearance or cultural requirements. Avoiding
common names becomes especially important if you’re
buying or exchanging seeds. ―Bluebells‖ can be Hyacin-
thoides non-script, Endymion non-scriptum, Scilla non-scripta, or
Mertensia virginica. Which one do you want? Better to nar-
row it down a little—to the botanical name, that is to say,
to the currently accepted botanical name.
This ―using the botanical name‖ thing is all well and
good until the International Botanical Congress convenes
every six years and – you guessed it: they change the
names. ―One cannot prevent the reclassification of plants
into different genera, e.g. the common chrysanthemum has
been put into Dendranthema, the genus Sedum is being split
up, Zauschneria has been put into Epilobium, Pratia into Lobe-
lia and Pernettya into Gaultheria. There are even whisperings
of threats to lump Mahonia into Berberis!‖ (Kew Gardens,
http://www.kew.org/science/names.html) Rosemary is a member
of the Lamiaceae AKA Labiatae family; both names are ac-
cepted by the ICBN (International Code of Botanical No-
menclature).
There are many reasons why plant names change, but
basically they fall into one of three main categories: taxo-
nomic (incorrect scientific placement), misidentification
(oops, I made a mistake), and nomenclatural (not named
by the rules). If you just have to know more, read this:
http://ibot.sav.sk/icbn/main.htm, the International Code of Bo-
tanical Nomenclature, and let me know what you learned.
So, what our teachers drummed into our heads so long
ago was that common names are fairly useless for exact
identification, and that it doesn’t matter how you pro-
nounce the words (Rosaceae: roh ZAY-see--uh or roh-ZAY
-see-aye or roh-ZAY-see-ee, as I was taught) as long as you
spell them correctly.
Case in point: I was recently visiting a friend whose
garden is entirely surrounded by a fantastic hedge of what
I thought was Cotoneaster. I was not sure which species, but
I was confident that it was in the genus Cotoneaster. In later
correspondence, she referred to the hedge plants as Cotonia
aster. I looked it up online and found only one reference to
such a plant—in a poem. I was baffled. As I was composing
a response regarding the Cotonia aster, my daughter entered
the room and asked what I was writing. I said out loud
that I was stumped about a plant called cuh-TONE-ee-ya
ASS-ter (Cotonia aster) that I was convinced was actually
cuh-TONE-ee-ass-ter (Cotoneaster). And then I realized,
hearing the words, that the plants are one and the same.
The owner had heard the name Cotoneaster and had proba-
bly never associated it with the correct spelling. There is
no such plant as Cotonia aster according to Google. And
they know everything.
If you have a problem with this, don’t call me. Take it
up with Carl Linnaeus and the International Botanical
Congress. As for me, I will always call Taraxacum officinalis
fairy flowers.
Learn more
The International Botanical Congress - The Australian
botanical community invites you to Melbourne, Australia
in July 2011 to participate in the XVIII International Bo-
tanical Congress. ―The rules that govern scientific naming
in botany (including phycology and mycology) are revised
at Nomenclature Section meetings at successive Interna-
tional Botanical Congresses.‖ http://www.ibc2011.com/
The Code: http://www.bgbm.fu-berlin.de/iapt/nomenclature/
CODE/SaintLouis/0000St.Luistitle.htm 
References
http://www.kew.org/science/names.html
http://ibot.sav.sk/icbn/main.htm
http://ibot.sav.sk/icbn/main.htm
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/common.htm
http://www.bgbm.org/IAPT/Nomenclature/Code/
SaintLouis/0002Preface.htm
 Summer 2010 MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS 15

– if it forms an arch another water sprout will grow from

The Pruners Corner the top of the arch. There seems to be agreement that it is
—Paul McCollum, MG04 better to just get rid of them.
In closing, suckers usually come from shallow roots so
Welcome to spring! Most of the pruning of trees and adding a layer of topsoil will sometimes discourage them.
shrubs has been completed and we are all looking forward Also, many times suckers will come from just one root so if
to a time of renewal in the garden. It’s almost mid-March you can simply cut off that root, it will lesson or eliminate
as I write this and the sun is bright. Most of the apricots the problem.
have flowered and set fruit; oranges (limes and lemons too) That is it for this time around. I will hopefully see you
are ripe and perfect for juicing; apple buds are swelling; in the summer edition of the Journal and until that time –
and kiwi vines are breaking dormancy. Add to this the happy gardening – enjoy the fruits of your labor! 
roses, which are in the beautiful copper-red new leaf stage,
and what we have is an outstanding spring growing season
due to a wonderful winter season of rain. This is indeed a
great time to be a gardener!
Our hope is that all goes well this year, but because of
conditions beyond our control, and some things because of
our control, some of us may have added work to do in our
gardens. We will be dealing with only two issues for
now—water sprouts and suckers.
If you do a Google search you will find that some peo-
ple say that these terms mean the same thing and in a way
that is correct in that they are both a result of ―excessive
vigor‖ due to growing conditions. Others (including the
University of California—and I agree) make this distinc-
tion: a sucker is growth emanating from the base of the
tree or from shallow horizontal roots; water sprouts grow
straight up from an existing lateral branch.
Some trees are more likely to have these problems than
others. For example, almond trees seem to produce water
sprouts easily. Plums and some apples and some pears, on
the other hand, seem to produce suckers rather than water
sprouts.
We can debate the question of proper terminology but
the real question is what do we do with them. What I try
to do is remove them as they develop. I use my pruners and
cut suckers off at the base, meaning at the root line or
trunk. Water sprouts are best snapped off at the point of Cornell Soil Recipe
growth or they have a tendency to grow back. If you use a This recipe is for plants that “require good drainage, aeration and
mower on suckers they multiply and get worse because the have the ability to withstand drying between watering”; and have
mower does not cut them off at the base. coarse, tuberous or rhizomatous roots:
A general rule with both is to remove them as soon as Material 1 cubic meter
possible because they rob the tree of nutrients that are Sphagnum peat moss (screened 1/2 inch mesh) 0.33
needed to produce fruit or good growth. Water sprouts Douglas, red or white fir bark* (about 0.5 cm size) 0.33
and suckers also grow fast; they may be a few inches tall Perlite (medium grade) 0.25
today but they can add two or three feet in two to four Ground dolomitic limestone 4.2 kg
Superphosphate 20% (powdered) 2.7 kg
weeks and attain a diameter of ½‖or more at the base.
Fertilizer (10-10-10) 1.5 kg
There are some people who suggest that a water Iron sulfate 0.3 kg
sprout can be used as a central leader and this is true if it is Potassium nitrate (14-0-44) 0.5 kg
the right kind of tree. If the central leader on a pear tree Granular wetting agent 0.9 kg
has been damaged and there is a water sprout growing Fir bark comes from Douglas fir, white or red fir, or red-
straight up near it, remove the damaged leader and the wood, ground and screened to a definite size. Finally ground
sprout can be trained to take over. You can also tie or bark (about 0.5 cm) has a dry weight of about 200 g per liter
weight a water sprout to keep it from growing straight up. cube. Fresh bark has a pH of about 5.0. Upon weathering, it
A vertical branch made lateral will put fewer demands on becomes slightly more alkaline. The bark contains some nu-
the tree and produce more flowers and fruit. It should be trients, but these will not meet the requirements of growing
grown as close to horizontal as possible and not in an arch plants.
 Summer 2010 MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

G ARDE NING ON THE E DGE

Journal of the Monterey Bay Master Gardeners
www.montereybaymastergardeners.org

EDITOR Christina Kriedt

ASSISTANT EDITORS Sharon Ettinger & Kathleen Sonntag
DESIGN/LAYOUT Christina Kriedt

CONTRIBUTORS C & STAFF S

Amy Savage S Patricia Nicely C,S
Bonnie Pond S Paul McCollum C,S
Christina Kriedt C,S Sharon Ettinger C,S
Darcy Horton S Simon Stapleton S
Cynthia Jordan S Sue Tarjan S
Denise Weatherwax S
Kari Olsen S
Kathleen Sonntag C,S

The Monterey Bay Master Gardeners extends

research-based horticultural information;
creates and promotes educational and recreational
gardening activities in Monterey and Santa Cruz
counties; and supports the educational program of the
University of California’s Cooperative Extension.

Board of Directors
Simon Stapleton, President
Denise Weatherwax, Vice President
Gigi Tacheny, Treasurer
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Barbara Gordon
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Denise Weatherwax
Liz Burns
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Patricia Nicely
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