The Coastal Gardener:

The first paragraph of Pat Welsh’s new book says it all: “Gardening is different in Southern California. Anyone who’s ever gardened elsewhere will tell you that. It’s not like back East ... it’s not like England ... it’s not even like Florida.

“Even people who have never gardened anywhere else soon realize how different Southern California gardening is; all you need to do is flip through any book on basic gardening to realize that much of its advice just doesn’t apply here.”

No more truer words could be written about local gardening.

Fortunately, the next 423 pages of Welsh’s “Southern California Organic Gardening” lay out exacting and accurate information about how to garden successfully in our unique slice of gardening paradise.

This book, like no other, gets right to the heart of our local gardening concerns.

Introductory chapters on our climate, soils, environmental issues, water, pests and much more should be required reading for all who aspire to a great garden.

But just like the woman herself, Welsh doesn’t preach in her book, she teaches. This isn’t a book about dry academic topics. This is a book of instruction.

Welsh tells and then explains exactly what to do, when to do it and how to do it. No vagaries or hazy opinions, Welsh gets right to the point with clear, practical information and strong, well-healed advice.

For the past 18 years, Welsh has authored the most complete guide to local gardening ever printed. My copy, like most others of her original 1991 book is now soil-stained and tattered.

Likewise for her revised edition, printed in 2000. These books have become gardening classics.

Happily, this newest edition, just released, will allow these predecessor versions to retire to my bookshelf alongside a few other old favorites like Joan Citron’s “Selected Plants for Southern California Gardens” and Mildred Mathias’ “Flowering Plants in the Landscape.”

Welsh’s book makes the best holiday gardening gift that I can imagine. Because it just arrived in the past week or two at bookstores and garden center shelves, you can be assured that the recipient will need it.

For those with two black thumbs, a few evenings of reading through Welsh’s month-by-month lessons will motivate them to greater garden success than they may have thought possible.

Welsh is certainly the queen of Southern California gardening. Once again, in this book, Welsh clarifies the local gardening year perfectly, with confidence and certainty; advice harvested from a lifetime of gardening and growing. Follow Welsh’s advice and your gardening adventures will never be more rewarding.

Ask Ron

Question:

My camellias look like they are about ready to bloom; the buds are big and fat. Is this the time to fertilize them?

Dineen

Costa Mesa

Answer:

No. One of the most common mistakes of camellia culture is incorrect fertilization. First, camellias are light feeders, needing only modest amounts of nutrition during the year. The fertilizer used should be an acid-forming type, rather than a standard all-purpose blend used in most other parts of a garden. Organic cottonseed meal is perfect for feeding camellias and is usually the primary ingredient in most fertilizers labeled for azalea and camellias.

However, fertilizer applied now will have a strong likelihood of doing more harm than good and may shock the plant, causing the flower buds to fall off before they open. Instead, wait until the plant has finished flowering, usually about March or April, and give it a light feeding at that time. Regardless of what the label on the fertilizer package says, never dig in the product or cultivate under a camellia. This will damage the tender surface roots and is another cause of bud drop and other problems.

ASK RON

your toughest gardening questions, and the expert nursery staff at Roger’s Gardens will come up with an answer. Please include your name, phone number and city, and limit queries to 30 words or fewer. E-mail [email protected], or write to Plant Talk at Roger’s Gardens, 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road, Corona del Mar, CA 92625.

RON VANDERHOFF is the Nursery Manager at Roger’s Gardens, Corona del Mar.