Due Diligence: Four O’clock Plants

Four O'clock flowers

Our family lives in a historic neighborhood of Chico, California called the Barber Neighborhood. Our neighborhood was named after O. C. Barber, the founder of the Diamond Match Company, who had a factory built nearby to process lumber for matches at the turn of the twentieth century. Our home was built in approximately 1909. Because of the age of this neighborhood we have found in around our property an abundance of old trees and shrubs of what many this day would consider cottage garden or great-grandma plants. One of which is the Four O’clock growing prolifically near our garage and Mandarin tree. Not many people go out of their way to buy and grow this plant in their gardens anymore. Why? I couldn’t say as I’ve found it is a really interesting and beautiful plant with a long history of cultivation.

Spring Mulch on Site aka Chop and Drop Mulching

It’s important to consider our unique Mediterranean climate this particular time of year. Getting a basic understanding of how our seasons, the hydrologic cycle and your gardens all interact is not only fascinating but essential for healthy plants and soil life.

chop and drop wheat and other grasses for green mulch

 

Precipitation exceeds evaporation in the Spring*.  Air and soil temperatures gradually rise with increasing daylight hours, critters become more active, plants begin to grow again and everyone thrives with the moisture and additional warmth of early Spring.  How we can utilize this seasonal activity to our benefit and ultimately the health of the whole landscape? 

Mulch-on-Site 
aka Chop and Drop mulching