A well-maintained garden not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of your home but also adds value to your property. However, achieving and maintaining such beauty requires consistent attention, care, and expertise. For many homeowners, the question arises: how often should you hire a gardener to keep your residential landscape in prime condition? The answer varies based on a number of factors, including the size of the property, the types of plants in the landscape, your local climate, and personal preferences. In this post, we’ll explore the various considerations that impact the frequency of hiring a gardener, along with the benefits of professional garden care.

Each garden is unique, and how often a maintenance crew should visit is largely dependent on the specific requirements of various elements of the garden. For instance, a simple lawn with a few flower beds will have different needs than one with a backyard orchard. Landscape elements include:

The unique climate of a landscape as well as seasonal changes in weather can affect how often garden maintenance is required. Different plants have varying growth cycles, and the care they require changes with the seasons.

In addition to having a maintenance crew visit the landscape, many home gardeners will complete some garden tasks on their own. This can save money in the long run, and can actually be a very enjoyable way to pass free time. How much time homeowners have to dedicate to garden care is an important consideration when deciding how often to hire a garden crew. If you are a busy professional or simply just do not have the time to care for your garden, hiring a gardener of a weekly or bi-weekly basis can ensure that your landscape remains in good condition throughout the year. If you enjoy gardening as a hobby and have a lot of free time, you may only need professional care four times a year.

Arguably the most important factor in how often a professional garden crew is hired for maintenance is budget. Professional gardening services can vary greatly in cost depending on the location, the size of a property, and the specific services required. Many gardening sercices offer package deals for regular maintenance, which can be more cost-effective than hiring a gardener on an as-needed basis. Newer garden maintenance companies have subscription plans with options to add services on an as-needed basis.

A day of garden maintenance is about 8 hours, and a half-day is considered 4. Basic gardeners in the Bay Area, California get paid an average of $25 an hour, which works out to $200 for a full day and $100 for a half day of maintenance. Labor price per hour varies depending on location, and the level of garden care provided. Materials like mulch, topsoil, compost, and plants are extra costs incurred by homeowners, as well, though some subscription gardening companies are changing this, building anticipated regular maintenance materials into their pricing structure.

Hiring a professional gardening service has many benefits beyond simply the convenience factor. Here are some of the key advantages:

This past weekend, I headed out to Lake Amador in Ione, California. My husband is a big fisherman, and he went up to participate in their annual Trout Derby. I joined him after a few days, after I got off work on Saturday night. When I got to the lake, it was cold, dark, wet, and windy. The rain had turned our campsite into a slushy, muddy mess. So I made quick work of  setting up the canopy and getting our sleeping situation figured out, and we went to bed, crossing our fingers on both hands for a clear morning.

The next day, I woke up to a beautiful surprise. Fields of orange wildflowers surrounded our campsite, dotting the grassy hills with color. The flowers stood on tall, slender green stems, and the inflorescences reminded me of young, curled fiddlehead fern fronds. I went to work identifying these blooms the lazy way (aka Google Image Search). The results I received pointed me to the genus Amsinckia.

This genus is native to western North America and south-western South America, and are commonly called Fiddlenecks, due to the curled shape of their new flower infloresences. ​They are in the Boraginaceae family, making them relatives of Forget-Me-Nots and Borage. They, like Borage, are somewhat edible; Native Americans ate the leaves, shoots, and seeds. Before you go eating them, however, do keep in mind that they are bristly, and that their sharp hairs can be irritating to skin. I also have come across some information about seed and other toxicities in some species, as well, so make sure you do a boatload of research before stickin' anything in your mouth. The flowers of most species are yellow-orange, and the stems grow to reach between 8 and 50 inches tall. All species are annual, and there are twelve of them.

Flowers on the plants I found had five petals, were definitely more orange than yellow, and had darker orange marks toward the center of the bloom. Stems and flower buds were bristly but not overly so, and leaves had smooth margins and were slightly fuzzy. Each plant had a terminal inflorescence, with another close to the top, as in the photo above. Taller plants had other infloresences appearing at intervals going down the main stem. Leaves were lanceolate. I tried to use these clues to compare them to the remaining four species on the list:

I think it's safe to rule out Amsinckia vernicosa; the stems on the plants I found are clearly not pink or as thick as those in that species. Just on looks alone, it is most similar to Amsinckia menziesii, and since that species is the only one whose range map includes Amador County (the others only come close), that's another mark towards its positive identification. It may be a hybrid between A. menziesii and one of the two remaining species, as well. Not having an identification guide, I think it's as close as I'm going to get.

I'm so happy to have discovered a new species for my books, and have learned a lot about these plants along the way. Hopefully I'll be able to go back over to Amador soon, so I can take more pictures and do a little more investigating.

Until next time, 

Kristi

Many people will tell you that if you  need a fast-growing, lush-foliaged privacy shrub with beautiful blooms, you should look no further than Oleander. These plants, commonly called 'deadly beauties', are popular landscaping plants native to Europe and Asia. They can form rounded shrubs or small trees if pruned correctly, and are members of the Dogbane (Apocynaceae) family, making them relatives of Milkweed, Amsonia, Hoya, Mandevilla, Plumeria, and Vinca (Periwinkle). They grow to be quite large, up to 20 feet tall and 6-10 feet wide, and are adaptable to many different soil and climate conditions. Oleander shrubs can handle browsing from deer, costal salt spray and salty irrigation water, heat, drought, high winds, air pollution, and poor soil. They are urban landscape superstars in this way.

Oleander plants, though not native to North America, have a long history here. The first Oleanders to be put in the ground were planted in 1841 in Galveston, Texas. They flourished even in the area's humidity, salty air, and alkaline soils. In the years that followed, so many plants were installed in the area that Galveston was known worldwide as 'The Oleander City'. The use of Oleanders to fill spaces typically devoid of all plant life caught on, and they quickly spread across the United States, used in home gardens as well as public spaces. In California alone, there are estimated to be around 25 million Oleander plants along highways and roadsides.

Although these landscape icons seem to be the ideal plants for almost any situation, there are a few factors to consider, including their toxicity. Oleander plants contain the toxins Oleandrin and Oleandrigenin, which are cardiac glycosides. If humans or animals ingest any part of the plant, they are met with a slew of side effects, such as weakness, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, headache, stomach pain, and eventually death. These side effects are well-known in horticultural circles today, informed by historical accounts of their use in traditional medicine and tragedies that have occurred from uninformed use of plant parts in cooking. In Ancient Babylon, physicians used a combination of licorice and oleander to cure hangovers, and in the Middle East, the plants were used as a cancer treatment. Over the years, these plants have been cultivated for their use in relieving symptoms of ringworm, malaria, leprosy, indigestion, alcoholism, heart failure, venereal disease, and fever. It has also been used to trigger miscarriage. Sadly, it is a common drug used for suicide, mainly in the Middle East, by young children forced into marriages to much older men.

Despite the toxic drawbacks of these plants, they are still commonly planted in many situations, mainly as landscape ornamentals. They are a plant-it and forget-about-it genus of plants, typically living for about 20 years before needing to be replaced. They do well even when neglected, and can form a nice evergreen privacy hedge that flowers continuously throughout the year. They can handle hard prunings, able to regenerate even if cut back to just a few feet tall. For more information on Oleander (Nerium) plants, their various forms, and cultivation information, visit the Nerium page on this website:

Although these plants are fantastic for gardeners who prefer low-maintenance landscaping, their toxic qualities as well as their status as non-native plants may sway some horticulturalists away from their use. Thankfully, there are many alternatives to Oleander plants that can do just as well in the garden.

Whether you're a fan of Nerium shrubs or they rub you the wrong way (sometimes literally, as they can also cause contact dermatitis), these shrubs seem to be here to stay. Do you have any experience with these shrubs? Make sure to share in the comments below.

Until Next Time!

Resources and References:

The Jack-o-Lantern is one of the bastions of the Halloween season. Carving pumpkins is a part of many families' traditions around this holiday, and the practice has its roots in Irish folklore. The story begins with a man nicknamed Stingy Jack. He was given the moniker due to his reluctance to pay for a drink, which he convinced the Devil to foot the bill for. He invited the Devil to have a drink with him, and convinced the Devil to turn into coin that could be used to pay their tab. Once the Devil transformed, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross he carried. This proximity to the cross prevented the Devil from changing back into its original form. 

Soon after this encounter, Jack died. Because of Jack's previous transgressions, he was not allowed entry into heaven. Jack was also not allowed into hell; the Devil was upset by all of the tricks Jack had played on him, and kept his word that he would not claim his soul. Jack was sent off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way through his purgatory. Jack placed the piece of coal into a carved out turnip, and as the legend goes, has been carrying it around with him as he aimlessly roams the earth. The ghostly figure that was once Stingy Jack was renamed Jack of the Lantern, which after some time was shortened to Jack O'Lantern. 

Immigrants from England, Ireland, and Scotland that came to the United States in the 1830's brought with them this practice, and changed the American pumpkin-carving tradition at this time of the year to one uniquely associated with the Halloween holiday. Nowadays, Jack O'Lanterns are typically carved from round, orange pumpkins and are set out on doorsteps and placed in displays for the season. The most commonly used pumpkins for carving are Connecticut Field Pumpkins, which are known as the original commercial Jack O'Lantern pumpkin.

The Halloween season is marked around the Bay Area with the opening of various pumpkin patches. One of the best ways to find one in your area is to get on Yelp and check out their map.

Now that you've got a place to get your pumpkin and a story to tell the kids while you're carving, you're all set for the holiday! 

Happy carving.

As you all are aware, it was Mother's Day this past Sunday! Unfortunately for me, my mom was out of town, but I still celebrated by taking myself to the famous San Jose Municipal Rose Garden, and did I have a great time! This is such a  beautiful time of the year to visit the rose garden. The blooms are fantastic, and you can take pretty, Instagram-worthy pictures of the rolling waves of roses laid out in front of you.

The San Jose Municipal Rose Garden is a 5 1/2-acre open space in the middle of the Rose Garden neighborhood in San Jose, set aside by the city at the request of the Santa Clara County Rose Society in 1927. The garden features many different varieties and colors of roses, a large reflection fountain, and plenty of space for picnics. For all of you rose-nerds out there, about 75% of the plants are hybrid-teas with a single high-centered bloom per stem, but the garden also features grandifloras, floribundas (my personal favorite), miniature roses, climbing roses, and polyanthas. 

I've included some of my pictures below; you'll feel like you were there with me! 

I hope you enjoyed my photos; until next time!

I heard on the radio last week that the Bay Area is 'due for a big quake'. While I am wary to declare a full-out state of emergency in light of this news story, it did pique my interest in learning more about where fault lines and liquefaction zones are in the Bay Area. Luckily, the California Geological Survey just published a new interactive map of liquefaction zones for me to check out: 

While my home does not fall in the dark green liquefaction zones outlined in the left map above, there are many areas in San Jose and the greater Santa Clara County that do! Knowing where fault lines and liquefaction zones are is important in searching for homes; additional insurances may need to be purchased and the knowledge of fault lines and earthquake zones needs to be disclosed during the selling process. Knowing where fault lines are also can increase your preparedness for a quake when it does happen. Below, I've listed some great resources for residents of the South Bay Area who are curious about earthquakes:

CGS Fault Activity Map of California
CGS Earthquake Zones of Required Investigation
​Earthquakes: Ready.gov
California Geological Survey Resources and Information 

Until next time, enjoy the ride!

As summer really begins to ramp up and we get warmer weather, we'll start spending more time outside - but we'll be accompanied by a pest that nobody enjoys: Mosquitoes! I don't know about anyone else, but those little guys love me. If I go to an outdoor party, I come home looking like a kid with a bad case of the Chicken Pox. Another group of fun  critters to be aware of during this time are Ticks, especially if you have children or animals that play outside a lot in the summer months. The upside is, there are things we can all do to limit the availability of nesting grounds for these bugs and protect our families from bites.

In Santa Clara County, the group who deals most with these bugs is the Vector Control District. They are strongly urging the public to be aware of these pests, and to be diligent in maintaining their yards to lower mosquito and tick population numbers:

How To Reduce Mosquito Populations
First, take a look around your front and back yards. Do you have any areas where there is standing water? Don't just look on the ground - mosquitoes can breed in any sort of container with standing water, like watering cans, buckets, cups, and ponds. Having standing water on your property increases the likelihood that you'll have a mosquito problem in your yard. And remember, mosquitoes can carry West Nile Virus! So what can you do?

Check outdoor kiddie pools, toys, containers, buckets, planter bases, trashcans, rain gutters, old tires, and leaky faucets or hoses for standing water. If you find any, pour it out! Mosquitoes only require a quarter of an inch of water for about a week to breed, so even a little water can be a potential problem!

You can also reduce your personal risk of being a mosquito's next meal by wearing long-sleeved shirts when outside at dawn and dusk, using bug repellent, and by checking window and door screens for tears that could let bugs into the house.

How to Reduce Tick Populations

Ticks are those pesky little spidery-looking bugs that can crawl onto you during your outdoor adventures. They are common in wilderness areas, but can also be present in yards. Juvenile ticks are most active and numerous in the summer months, and are known to spread Lyme Disease. Ticks can be avoided by wearing long pants and sleeves, spraying bug repellent, and by checking yourself, your children and your pets for ticks after being outside. Ticks can be picked up anywhere, but are most abundant in grasses, in leaf litter and on logs and rocks in the foothills and mountains. 

A Little About Birds

Birds can be carriers of West Nile Virus. To be safe, make sure to keep pets and children away from dead birds, and make a phone call if you see a group of dead birds around an area. This could be a sign that the birds were sick with a disease. Do not touch the birds, just simply call California's West Nile Virus Hotline, at 1 (877) WNV-BIRD (1-877-968-2473) or visit their website for more information at www.westnile.ca.gov . 

Reporting
To report standing water, unkempt pools, standing water in gutters, or if you notice any areas where mosquitoes are abundant, call the Vector Control District at 1 (408) 918-4770, or go to their website www.sccvector.org and report it through the online form, which can also be accessed by clicking the button below:

​Armed with the above information, you can make a difference in lessening the mosquito populations in the area, reduce your risk of coming home with an unwanted new friend, and keep our county disease-free!