THE COASTAL GARDENER:

Hold on. Sit down. Don’t get mad and don’t turn the page quite yet; this isn’t a misprint. For Orange County gardeners, “fall is spring.”

Those three words form the foundation of successful gardening in Southern California, especially in coastal Orange County.

Forget the calendar for a moment and read on. From a plant’s point of view there are really only two seasons — a cool season and a warm season. One season is for growing and one season is for resting.

Generally speaking, Orange County’s cool season begins about now and wraps up sometime in April or May. Our warm season, on the other hand, occupies the rest of the year, about April or May through early fall.

In Mediterranean climate regions, like ours, it is the cool season in which most plants are at their peak. Again, let’s try to understand Orange County from a plant’s point of view, not necessarily the gardener’s point of view. In Orange County, the warm season is a time for rest, and the cool season is a time for growth.

Even beginning gardeners can usually grasp the idea of plants having a growing season and a resting season. But where local gardeners often get confused is when they assume the warm season is always for growing and the cool season is always for resting. For beginning gardeners it is understandable if this “fall is spring, in Southern California” concept might seem just a little alien. That’s because for the majority of the country, plants do grow in the summer and rest in the winter. Most of the gardening world operates on this mode, exactly opposite to Orange County. We are unique.

As evidence, visit a garden in Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Dallas or Kansas City, Mo., in the cool season. The gardens there are asleep and so are the native plants, the forests and the hillsides. In these climates, April and May is the time when plants are waking up, gardeners are furiously planting, flowers are budding and trees are growing. In these places, where a majority of gardeners live, “spring is spring.”

So it’s understandable that casual Orange County gardeners, especially those transplanted from afar, have such a difficult time grasping the concept that here “fall is spring.”

It just makes sense. During the warm season in Orange County our hillsides go to sleep, wildflowers disappear, canyon plants struggle and plant life is on hold, waiting for cooler weather and fall showers.

Observant gardeners will notice that it is during Orange County’s cool season that plant life awakens and hillsides and roadsides turn green and colorful. That’s the natural system that has worked so perfectly in our Mediterranean climate for millions of years.

Given the opportunity, our Orange County gardens would prefer to operate on this same cycle.

Orange County’s Mediterranean climate provides rain in the winter and drought in the summer. Winter temperatures are mild here. Planting in the fall and early winter gives new plants the advantage of natural rainfall and mild temperatures. The cooler temperatures also make the activity of gardening more enjoyable.

In Orange County, most plants, when planted in the fall, grow furiously underground. Root growth is underappreciated by the novice or impatient gardener, but worshiped by the seasoned expert.

There are exceptions to southern California’s “fall is spring” scheme; it is the tropical plants that are in our gardens. Bananas, plumerias, elephant ears, avocados and other plants that we have been brought to Orange County from year-round tropical climates are on a different cycle. Being from equatorial regions, tropical plants like these are not accustomed to much seasonal change in temperature or rainfall. These plants enjoy the summer. In fact, they prefer the warm season, so long as the gardener supplies them with lots of supplemental water.

So, for Orange County gardeners, this is spring. It starts right now. The season isn’t over — it’s just beginning. There’s so much to do. Smart Orange County gardeners know this is our season. Don’t let it pass you by. Spring is here!

ASK RON

Question: When do I plant Paperwhite Narcissus if I want them to bloom for Thanksgiving?

James

Costa Mesa

Answer: You had better get them started today. Started now, they usually take about five or six weeks to bloom. Start them in shallow pots or pans, either with potting soil, sand, rocks, crushed glass or any other material that will support them. A warm area, especially at night will speed them up a little.

ASK RON your toughest gardening questions, and the expert nursery staff at Roger’s Gardens will come up with an answer. Please include your name, phone number and city, and limit queries to 30 words or fewer. E-mail stumpthegardener@rogersgardens.com, or write to Plant Talk at Roger’s Gardens, 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road, Corona del Mar, CA 92625.

RON VANDERHOFF is the nursery manager at Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar.