Spring flowering perennials include bearded iris, lamb's ear, alstroemeria, Santa Barbara daisy, coral bells, and true geraniums.

Summer bloomers include penstemon, daylily, coreopsis, salvias, verbenas, and my personal favorite — agapanthus.

If you are a container gardener, plant with a premium potting soil. Use a good planting mix for all in-ground planting (ask us for suggestions). Add an application of an organic starter fertilizer, then watch your garden grow!

This article is going to help you recognize the good guys. Our discussion of beneficials would not be complete without mentioning something obvious that most of us have in our gardens--birds! They are easy to attract, beautiful to look at, enjoyable to listen to, and they are great predators too!

Scrub jays and mockingbirds eat caterpillars and grubs, and hummingbirds love aphids, which add much needed protein to their diet. There are lots more to help us — such as finches, weavers, etc....

To attract birds be sure to have a water source nearby, and plant a variety of plant material. Hummingbirds like any flowers with lots of nectar and bright colors. They are particularly fond of fuchsias, salvias, honeysuckles, and the like — we have many hummingbird-friendly plants here at the nursery. We'll show you how to create a garden for the birds!

Bees are also very important for our gardens. Without bees we could not have flowers or fruit. They're our pollinators.

If you're concerned about the Africanized bees (killer bees) which have had some publicity lately: they are usually only aggressive if their nests are disturbed, and have been found gathering pollen along with the friendly ones! It is wise to be aware of them, but not necessary to be afraid to garden!

A very helpful order of insects is the beetles (order coleoptera). Besides the ladybugs, there are two very helpful families.

1) Beetles of the family carabidae (ground beetles):
Most adults are brown or black, although a few are metallic blue or green. Some of the larger species can live for 2 to 4 years. Although most forage on insects found in or on the soil, some climb into trees, shrubs, and crop plants to hunt. Almost all of these feed on pests. My favorites are the beetles in the genus calosoma, which eat caterpillars. The next time you see a black beetle, don't step on it--it may be after the caterpillars that are eating your plants!

2) Beetles of the family cantharidae (soldier beetles):
Soldier beetles are colorful insects, often black or brown with red, yellow or orange. They are elongate and flat with long threadlike antennae. Adults are commonly found on flowers and foliage. The larvae have dark bristles which give them a velvety appearance. Some of these beetles are important predators of aphid pests. Soldier beetles are highly predacious in the larval stage. They live on the ground and feed on other insects including, snails, slugs, millipedes, earthworms, caterpillars, maggots, and grasshopper eggs.

In closing, here's an important reminder of careful and informed use of chemicals: if you choose to use them, please consult a nursery professional. If you decide to dispose of them, do so through an official toxic waste disposal--usually listed in your local newspaper or in the Yellow Pages.

Don't be discouraged from growing fruit just because the space in your garden is limited. Even if there is insufficient room for apples or pears, many container gardens can support currants or one of the unusual berries. These take up little space and are seldom found in the grocery store. And don't forget the ever-popular strawberries!

Currants - they grow well in cool temperate climates and make a good alternative for the patio gardener who lives in a colder climate. Black, red, and white currants can all be grown in containers against a wall, and can be trained as cordons or espaliers.

Hybrid Berries - some of the hybrid berries, thornless blackberries, tayberries, and loganberries can be grown in a container against a wall. They do need a framework of wire but they are easy to train.

Strawberries - the favorite fruit for the patio gardener. Strawberries are especially attractive grown in special planters or tubs, with white flowers in late spring and delicious red fruits ripening in summer. They can also be grown in growing bags, planted in late summer to bear fruit the following year.

It is possible to retain strawberry plants in growing bags for two years but it is probably best if they are replanted annually. Since they are a greedy crop, make sure you add slow-release fertilizer when you plant them.