Hello,

We have recently moved from the North Coast - Cleveland, OH - to
Central "coast," CA (Atascadero, CA, which is about 20 mi. N of San
Luis Obispo, and halfway between LA and San Francisco.)

Needless to say, everything is different! I thought I had a good
handle on the Midwestern plants and trees in Ohio, and I was a
dedicated gardener. But I'm suffering from sensory overload out here
because all the plants seem new and strange. The "alien" feeling
hasn't worn off yet.

We are only 10 miles from the coast, but our climate is described as
more of a "high desert" - but I am not sure if this is accurate or
not. The higher elevation does make for more extremes than a typical
coastal climate. We have hotter summers (100 degrees F is not unheard
of), very cool nights (60s or 50s, even in summer), and even a couple
of winter frosts, although they are not considered "hard" ones. For
example, neighbors have told me that we can't grow bougainvillea here
(winters are too cold), even though I see it growing in the coastal
area, which is only 10 minutes away.

I was wondering: can anyone recommend some good books on xeriscaping
and on "high-desert" climates (if this is infact where I am)? Aside
from the temperature and humidity differences, I would like to garden
in a style that conserves water as much as possible - everything here
is so dry that is seems "crispy"!

Thanks for any info,
- Lisa

Hi Lisa,

I know what you're going through - I'm origially from Dayton, then to the
San Francisco area via Southern California and southern Israel.

Anyway - the first thing you need is the "Bible" of western gardening -
the Western Garden Book, published by Sunset. You most likely also need
"Drip Irrigation for Every Landscape and All Climates", by Kourik.

If there are any botanical gardens near where you live and/or old
(non-chain) plant nurseries, they can be great resources too.

cheers, and welcome to your new gardening world!

Marj
--
Mediterranean Garden Advice and Shop: http://stores.tiefert.com/garden/
Also: http://www.mindspring.com/~mtiefert/...gardening.html
In Sunset zone 14-mild


On 30 Aug 2004 09:31:15 -0700, -- pelirojaroja
wrote:

Hello,

We have recently moved from the North Coast - Cleveland, OH - to
Central "coast," CA (Atascadero, CA, which is about 20 mi. N of San
Luis Obispo, and halfway between LA and San Francisco.)...

Cactus should grow well in your area. There are a few varieties of
pine trees that will grow well. You may be in a good grape-growing
area. Grasses grow well too, although these can become undesirable
during the dry "fire" season. Talk with neighbors -- they will know
what grows well.

On 30 Aug 2004 09:31:15 -0700, (--
pelirojaroja) wrote:

Hello,

We have recently moved from the North Coast - Cleveland, OH - to
Central "coast," CA (Atascadero, CA, which is about 20 mi. N of San
Luis Obispo, and halfway between LA and San Francisco.)

Needless to say, everything is different! I thought I had a good
handle on the Midwestern plants and trees in Ohio, and I was a
dedicated gardener. But I'm suffering from sensory overload out here
because all the plants seem new and strange. The "alien" feeling
hasn't worn off yet.

We are only 10 miles from the coast, but our climate is described as
more of a "high desert" - but I am not sure if this is accurate or
not. The higher elevation does make for more extremes than a typical
coastal climate. We have hotter summers (100 degrees F is not unheard
of), very cool nights (60s or 50s, even in summer), and even a couple
of winter frosts, although they are not considered "hard" ones. For
example, neighbors have told me that we can't grow bougainvillea here
(winters are too cold), even though I see it growing in the coastal
area, which is only 10 minutes away.

I was wondering: can anyone recommend some good books on xeriscaping
and on "high-desert" climates (if this is infact where I am)? Aside
from the temperature and humidity differences, I would like to garden
in a style that conserves water as much as possible - everything here
is so dry that is seems "crispy"!

Thanks for any info,
- Lisa

(-- pelirojaroja) wrote in message . com...
Hello,

We have recently moved from the North Coast - Cleveland, OH - to
Central "coast," CA (Atascadero, CA, which is about 20 mi. N of San
Luis Obispo, and halfway between LA and San Francisco.)

Needless to say, everything is different! I thought I had a good
handle on the Midwestern plants and trees in Ohio, and I was a
dedicated gardener. But I'm suffering from sensory overload out here
because all the plants seem new and strange. The "alien" feeling
hasn't worn off yet.

We are only 10 miles from the coast, but our climate is described as
more of a "high desert" - but I am not sure if this is accurate or
not. The higher elevation does make for more extremes than a typical
coastal climate. We have hotter summers (100 degrees F is not unheard
of), very cool nights (60s or 50s, even in summer), and even a couple
of winter frosts, although they are not considered "hard" ones. For
example, neighbors have told me that we can't grow bougainvillea here
(winters are too cold), even though I see it growing in the coastal
area, which is only 10 minutes away.

I was wondering: can anyone recommend some good books on xeriscaping
and on "high-desert" climates (if this is infact where I am)? Aside
from the temperature and humidity differences, I would like to garden
in a style that conserves water as much as possible - everything here
is so dry that is seems "crispy"!

Thanks for any info,
- Lisa

It's not high desert, but it's summer-dry, and you're right in the
middle of a really dry summer. Atascadero is wine country; grapes,
fruits, and nuts will grow like mad there.

The Sunset Western Garden Book is the leading gardening reference book
for any of the Pacific coast states. This will give you lots of tips
on what will grow well in your area, planting practices, common pests,
and so forth.

Because California gardeners grow a lot of tender plants and low-chill
fruits, exactly how much frost you can expect becomes significant. Air
drainage is a big factor: if you're at the bottom of a slope, you will
get cold air that drains down the slope, and you'll get more frost
than your upslope neighbors. This helps you grow deciduous fruits, but
makes things like oranges and bougainvillea more chancy. Conversely,
if you're upslope, subtropicals are less likely to freeze, but fruits
that need much winter chill will get less and may bear less reliably.

--
Chris Green

On 30 Aug 2004 09:31:15 -0700, (--
pelirojaroja) wrote:

We have recently moved from the North Coast - Cleveland, OH - to
Central "coast," CA (Atascadero, CA, which is about 20 mi. N of San
Luis Obispo, and halfway between LA and San Francisco.)

As others have posted, Sunset's 'The Western Garden Book' is a
must-have. Sunset HQ is in Menlo Park, and they have lovely gardens
you can visit. See:
http://www.sunset.com/sunset/web/Mag...ngSunsetAnchor