It's all about the fruit in the fall... As a rule, flowering crabapples produce an abundance of flowers in the spring and if all goes well, there should be an abundance of fruit in the fall.

Malus is the genus for crabapples; it's also the genus for apples. There are hundreds of cultivars of crabapples in the plant world. And when they bloom in the spring, many want to add a crabapple to their landscape.

So how do you know which crabapple to plant? Good question. Here are some things to consider. Crabapples can have problems with a fungal disease called apple scab (it's their biggest problem when everything is considered). This spring disease (caused by periods of wet, rainy weather) can cause leaf drop (sometimes severe) during the summer months. It's not unusual to see 'crabs' that are completely bare of leaves during August. Now, imagine this crabapple in a prominent spot in your landscape....

When you decide to plant a crabapple, consider selecting one that is reported to be resistant to apple scab. (Remember, resistance does not mean immunity.)

Another point to consider: the overall size of the plant. Smaller landscapes call for smaller plants.  Consider the ultimate height and width of the desired crabapple.

Looking to feed our feathered friends for the winter? Crabapples are a conservation plant; the birds will devour the fruits during the colder months.  Unless you get there first; you could always make crabapple jelly.

by Julie Hurd.

www.JulieHurd.com

When my husband and I visited France several years ago, we stayed at the home of our friends, in a village outsideParis.

As we approached the house, there was a low stone wall which looked ancient, and a rustic wrought iron gate that appeared as if it had stood open for ages. The house was small and simple and bright, and obviously old, and very charming.

But the best part of that little house was the enclosed back porch.

The walls were of plain slatted wood, painted egg-yolk yellow, and high overhead was a big, slowly rotating ceiling fan.

I was tired after our flight, so as I sat back in the overstuffed couch with chintz fabric, gazing into space and watching the fan, I soon fell asleep.

When I woke up, I did not know for sure if it was morning or afternoon. I felt as if I had maybe been drugged, and I realized that everyone had gone to lunch and left me to sleep. 

Only it was OK. I was all right just to doze and lie there idly, enjoying how this tiny room was so still and relaxing.

As I sat there, looking outside my little cocoon, everything seemed perfect: the solandra vines brilliant against the old stucco walls, the gnarly olive trees which stood quietly by the stone fence, and the small honeysuckle vines growing through the cracks between the door and the wall, as if they were curious to see what life was like on the inside.

On the table beside me, was sitting a bowl of slightly overripe tomatoes. And the lazy fan above my head made the air around me move calmly. Occasionally, I'd hear the distant calling of some excited bird, and I could faintly detect the sweet smell of citrus blossom.

Everything seemed startlingly clear. And so I wondered, what made this atmosphere so relaxed? What was it about everything these people did that had an indoor-outdoor feeling?

This little oasis was just where I wanted to be.

Each morning as I would enter my special little sanctuary, coffee mug in hand, I was anxious to see if my honeysuckle tendril had inched its way up to that piece of wrought iron curtain railing. Would it eventually curl all along it?

The back yard was a bed of smooth gravel, which retained its heat into the evening, and felt warm and comfortable on bare feet. In the middle of the yard, there was a big wooden table sunk into the gravel, with benches around it, and in one corner sat two Adirondack chairs with a small table between them. At the edges of the patio were little irregular paths made of decomposed granite (DG), which made a lovely little crunching sound under foot. By the paths were rather wildly growing, fragrant herb gardens, and around the walls were citrus, fig and loquat trees. And in the evening, the light from little twinkle lights cast a lovely warm glow over everything.

I decided that when I returned home, I would try to transform my own surroundings into something that might make me feel, even just a little bit, the way I felt here. 

And that is what I did. Of course I didn't recreate the French countryside, but creating an atmosphere and changing my purpose changed my outlook, both literally and figuratively.

In Southern California (we even abbreviate our spelling to So. Cal.), most of us use our backyards only for parties or barbecues, and our front yards are just to be seen from the street... and that's all. We don't allow in our lifestyles a time and place where we can just sit outside and watch a little nature and time go by. And I think we're missing such a quality of life.

Even with clement weather nine days out of ten, most of us eat indoors, glued to our tubes, when we could be dining out of doors, feeling relaxed, revitalized and really making better use of our outdoor spaces.

The thing is, an outdoor room doesn't have to be fancy, and there are all sorts of creative ways to find the space for one.

One of my favorite things to do is to use unused spaces. Perhaps you have an unused breezeway between a carport and the house, or even the old dog run by the side of the house you only use for trash cans. There's your space!

Usually you will first need to build an overhang, and possibly a deck area. Screen it in, put in canvas drawstring blinds, inexpensive grass matting, or clean, smooth indoor/outdoor carpeting, and presto, instant indoor/outdoor room.

Open patios are perfect for fire pits, brick fireplaces, or room heaters for the winter. For summertime, add an air conditioner or swamp cooler. Maybe a fountain.

The furniture can just be 'higgledy piggledy.' And if you must have a television set, built in cabinets are also a great place for storing puzzles.

Plan to cover overhang beams with vines such as climbing rose, morning glory, jasmine, clematis or solandra.

 Be sure to plant fragrant plantings, such as mock orange, star jasmine, honeysuckle, osmanthus, or elaegnus.

 In covered areas, plant up big oversized pots of herbs or sweetly scented flowers such as romantic night blooming jasmine or stephanotis.

Create a new ritual - an atmosphere.

There is nothing better than waking up early on a Sunday morning, grabbing a paper and a cup of coffee (cell phones a no-no), and getting out there in your robe and slippers. Close your eyes, and hear the sounds of the birds, and be aware of the nature taking place around you. Glancing up, you really see and hear the early morning. It is sort of like eavesdropping on your own nature community. And what a lovely way to just sit and reflect.

 Or, how lovely on a cool winter's evening, to be able to entertain friends with the sounds and smells of burning pine crackling in your outdoor fireplace. And there is such a lovely feeling of self sufficiency in a space heated by a fire on a cool evening. Sort of like camping.

What is so special about these indoor/outdoor rooms is the feeling of being outside, but still feeling safe and cozy.

They say the clothes make the man. Well, maybe the surroundings make the lifestyle.

So I say, go ahead and build a big front porch, or a deck with an overhang! Put in a porch swing, and a bird bath. Maybe an outdoor fireplace! Build a little pond, and plant butterfly bushes. Do things to welcome outdoor activity.

Why not harken back to a slower time when people drank lemonade and played an instrument or listened to music. Or read, or did puzzles or crosswords. Or... dare I say it... conversed! 

Julie Hurd - Landscape Design

The glasswing butterfly lives in South America.

A butterfly with transparent wings is rare and beautiful.

All things beautiful do not have to be full of color to be noticed; in life that which is unnoticed often has the most power.

Why You Should Prune:

• Pruning dead, injured and diseased limbs from your plants helps keep them strong and healthy. Dead limbs can break in storms and damage other parts of the plant (or your house, if we are talking about trees).
• Pruning helps in producing larger, healthier flowers and fruit. Keeping a plant from overproducing also helps keep the plant healthy; overproduction can weaken plants.
• Pruning to shape trees and bushes makes for a nicer looking garden.
• Pruning for space keeps your plants from running wild and taking over the lawn or garden.
• Pruning can help restore vigor to older trees and shrubs, as well as improving appearance.

When You Should Prune:

• The best time to prune is during the plant's dormant season, generally in the winter.
• The exceptions are ornamental trees and shrubs grown especially for their spring flowers. Most of these should be pruned just after they bloom in the spring so the flowering buds are not removed.
• Evergreen plants can be pruned any time of year, but the best time is late winter or late summer, just before seasonal new growth begins.
• Evergreen plants susceptible to frost damage should be pruned after there is any danger of frost.
• Dead, injured, or diseased limbs should be pruned immediately.
  
  Tip: when you purchase a plant, ask us the best time to prune it.

Tools:

• Use hand shears for branches ¼ inch in diameter and smaller.
• Loppers are for larger jobs. The longer handles give you longer reach and better leverage. You can use these for branches up to about 2" on softwoods, less on hard woods (depending on the size and strength of the loppers — and you).
• Use pruning saws for larger branches.
• You might need a chain saw, or a professional tree cutter, for very large branches.

Technique:

Pruning techniques vary, depending on what you are pruning and why you are pruning. Here are some universals:

• The sharper the tool, the better. Using dull or rusty tools can harm the plant rather than help it.
• When pruning dormant plants, dormant spraying should be done immediately after pruning. If you feel lazy and decide to wait for a few days, you may find that new growth has begun to emerge. Your dormant spray will damage that tender new growth, setting your plant back and possibly resulting in deformed growth.
• When removing diseased limbs, get them away from the plant immediately and do not use the leaves for mulch, as that could spread the disease.

Warning: Regarding frost damaged plants: don't prune back the frost-damaged foilage until spring.