April is the “Height-of-Bloom Month,” according to Pat Welsh, who for the past 30 years has been inspiring Southern California gardeners through her books, columns, talks and TV appearances. Her book, “Pat Welsh’s Southern California Organic Gardening Month by Month,” espouses even if you planted summer vegetables last month, it’s not too late to do so now. Actually, many vegetables prefer being put in the soil now. Among the choices to plant from seeds, try green beans, beets, carrots, corn, endive, leaf (not head) lettuce, New Zealand spinach, pumpkins, radishes, salsify, squash, sunflowers, Swiss chard and turnips. Put in nursery transplants of cucumbers and tomatoes. Continue planting culinary herbs among you veggies such as basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage summer savory and thyme from transplants. (You can also plant parsley and basil from seeds.) For small spaces, grow French tarragon, horseradish and mint in containers.
For fruits and veggie plants, check out the Victory Garden at Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar. It’s “Garden to Table. Everything Edible,” area stocks a variety of blueberry bushes; strawberry plants; lettuces; tomatoes; peppers in white, yellow, green and red varieties; wine-grape producing and blackberry vines; black mission and brown turkey fig trees, red baron peach trees, Snow Queen white nectarine trees, tropical gold apricot trees, Hass avocado trees, Fuji apple trees … and yes, lots of seeds! They also have a complete line of organic products – from soil and plant food to fertilizers and herbicides. Tomorrow at 9 a.m. take in their, “My Edible Garden in April,” their monthly discussion of everything edible. Steve Hampson, edible garden expert, will lead a lively and interactive discussion about what, where and when to plant, prune, feed and harvest your vegetables, herbs and berries.
