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| Photo Credit: Bodger Seeds Ltd. |
| For a bevy of color, Southern Californians can plant Alyssum Wonderland from seed just about anytime of the year. |
Even in Southern California, it’s starting to get chilly! While early winter isn’t a time when Southern Californians revel in their gardens’ bounty, there are still some things you can (and should) do to enjoy your favorite pastime this time of year. (And brisk weather or not, gardening will probably be a welcome relief from everyday holiday activities.)
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| Photo Credit: Gerald Burke |
| With its puffy blue blooms, ageratum puts on a good show in frost-free areas of Southern California. |
First off, there’s still time to sow some seed. When it comes to your vegetables, plant asparagus now (it may take time to germinate), as well as your beets, carrots, cabbages, kales, and head and leaf lettuces. You’ll get your crop of leaf lettuce first because head lettuce takes longer. I suggest trying several leaf lettuces, including the red ones, and mesclun and romaine. And don’t forget to start your short-day onions from seed, as well as garden and sugar peas. (Of course, if you want immediate gratification, you can buy most of these as starter plants.)
And don’t forget the flowers! Winter’s the perfect time to sow seed of calendula, cosmos, ageratum, lobelia, alyssum, mimulus, nasturtium, annual salvia, silene and sweet pea. With proper care, you’ll enjoy these beauties for months.
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| Tips |
- The holidays are a great time of the year to remember your favorite gardeners with useful gifts to help them enjoy their hobby. Consider ergonomic tools, kneeling pads, and of course, gardening journals, stakes and plant markers.
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| Facts |
- Green Ice is an excellent leaf lettuce for winter.
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