The Coastal Gardener:

A month ago I offered a few reasons why I garden. Then I asked readers for their motivations to garden. They had lots to say. Here are a few of the responses:

Judy, a regular reader from Costa Mesa, wrote: “I’d never really thought about it before. For me it’s the fun of being outdoors with the birds and neighborhood cats, desire for our home to be attractive, control (OK, as much as Mother Nature allows!), learning about new plants and the proper way to care for all plants, seeing a plant bloom that you’d forgotten you had or hadn’t seen bloom for several years and the fun of exploring independent nurseries for new discoveries.

Because of gardening we’ve visited parts of San Diego County that we’d have never known of if we had not been searching for a nursery. In the end I guess it comes down to joy. I can’t walk past a Tradescantia in bloom without getting a silly grin on my face. That plant just makes me happy. I’ve no idea why — the simplicity, the grassy leaves, the simple three petals? Few people that I know have ever heard of it and are usually unimpressed when they see it. But for me it’s joy. And I guess that’s why I garden!”

Eleven-year-old Michael, the youngest to answer, summed it up briefly: “It’s fun. Especially the bugs and lizards.”

Mary in Corona del Mar wrote this: “I love to entertain and have friends and family come by to visit. When we do, we seem to inevitably spend most of our time outside. There’s just something special about the fresh air and the green plants that we all seem to enjoy, even non-gardeners. We’re more relaxed when we’re outside. I don’t have a big garden, but I keep it pretty and colorful for just these occasions.”

Catou gardens with her daughter: “I have several inspirations. I started reading Michael Pollan’s books, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and “In Defense of Food” and became interested in growing an edible garden. But what got me really started was a garden at my daughter, Breeana’s, school, Newport Heights Elementary. One of the classes is growing many fruits and vegetables including strawberries, red leaf lettuce and broccoli. So in my front yard I added a lemon and lime tree to my rose garden. On my side patio, I have planted snap peas, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, eggplant, zucchini, peppers, lettuce, corn and of course tomatoes. My daughter and I are really having fun. And your weekly column has given me a lot of ideas. Thank you.”

Julie in Newport Beach just likes flowers: “I love going out to my garden and cutting my own flowers. I have lots of blooming plants so that I can always have flowers for vases in the house.”

Beth summarized a popular sentiment: “My mother and father always took great pride in their garden. It was where they would often spend their weekend, planting flowers or taking care of their vegetables. I guess I’m just following in their footsteps. Some of my best memories are of being outdoors with my mother, helping her pull a few weeds or plant a flower. I remember when she bought me my own watering can and told me it was my responsibility to sprinkle a tiny little bed of pansies every day. It probably wasn’t a very big responsibility, but I really felt special, with my own watering can. I wrote my name on it and took such pride in my assignment. I guess I owe my gardening interest to my mother and father.”

Bill in Costa Mesa snuck this in: “I think my wife has a garden just to keep me out of the house and off the golf course every weekend.”

Sophia loves the beauty of a garden: “I never really thought about it, but I guess I garden because of the beauty. I just love my garden. The roses, the foxgloves and all the little flowers with intricate details keep me happy. When I need to relax or when I’m having a stressful day all I have to do is just go spend a little time in my garden. After a couple of minutes I’ve forgotten all my worries and I’m down on my hands and knees pulling a weed or looking at a flower that I had not noticed before.”

Michelle wrote four paragraphs, but her last sentence seemed to say it all: “If everyone was a gardener, wouldn’t that be great?”

Ask Ron

Question: I love my blueberry plant. It has lots of fruit on it, and I’ve already been picking some, but the leaves look a little yellow. This is its second year and it’s in a pot. What should I be feeding it with?

Linda

Newport Beach

Answer: Blueberries like two things in particular: water and an acid soil. Keep your blueberry well watered during the warm summer months, but less in the cool winter months. Don’t use a general purpose fertilizer on a blueberry. You’ll need one that is labeled for azaleas or camellias. These fertilizers, if they are organic, usually contain cottonseed meal. In addition to providing fertilizer to the plant, the cottonseed meal will keep the soil acid, rather than alkaline. An alkaline soil, also meaning a high pH, is one of the primary reasons that blueberry leaves become pale and chlorotic. Blueberries are not heavy feeders, but in a pot you will need to feed a bit more frequently than in the ground.

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, Corona del Mar.