Here are 5 things to do in the garden this week:
Fruits. Consider planting a quince tree (Cydonia bologna). The quince is a pome fruit, sharing that classification with apple and pear, and its pulp texture has been compared to that of a pear. However, unlike pears, which require more winter cold than Southern California experiences in order to flower and fruit, quince can grow anywhere in California. The tree is shrub-like in form and highly ornamental, reaching up to 25 feet tall, depending on variety. Although fruit is always fragrant, the flavor is generally tart but may be rendered sweet when it is turned into jam or jelly. Some varieties with a pineapple taste, such as Aromatnaya and Pineapple, are also enjoyed when eaten fresh.
Vegetables. Courtesy of the National Gardening Bureau (ngb.org), a wonderful source for gardening advice on every topic under the sun, here is a list of fast-growing vegetable varieties for cool weather: Asian Delight Pak Choi (Chinese cabbage), Prizm kale, Katarina cabbage, Sweet Baby radish, Konan kohlrabi, Sandy lettuce, and Red Kingdom mizuna. Although as cooler weather arrives, it would be preferable to plant vegetables from nursery starts, you can create warmth needed for germination by planting in your garage (except for lettuce seeds that need sunlight to germinate) or outdoors under floating row cover.
Herbs. French tarragon (Artemisia dranunculus) is a rhizomatous perennial herb that grows up to four feet tall, but should be kept through pruning at two feet to prevent it from flopping over. It dies back in winter but comes to life again in spring. Find it in the herb section of your nursery. It does not flower or produce seeds and is solely propagated from cuttings or through division. Its flavor is in the anise or licorice spectrum and it is utilized both dry and fresh. Similar to other herbs used in cooking, it should be incorporated throughout the cooking process when dry or towards the end of it when fresh.
Flowers. Australian violet. Although now is the time for planting those most famous Viola annuals, namely pansies (Viola x wittrockiana) and Johnny-jump-ups (Viola tricolor) — it’s also an excellent time to plant Australian violet (Viola hederacea). I have seen it utilized as a ground cover in entry planters and in containers or at the top of block walls, where it can trail down four feet or more. Flowers are typically a combination of violet, blue, and white, and although only 1/2 inch in size, they are amply displayed most of the year. Australian violet spreads through stolons or runners and does best when supplied with steady moisture through a drip irrigation system.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is offering its customers a rebate of $5 per square foot of lawn that is turned into a garden of drought-tolerant plants. Commercial or multi-family building customers receive $9 per square foot of lawn conversion, and public agencies get $10 per square foot for such a transformation. To learn more about this opportunity, go to LADWP.com. When you get there, scroll down to “Featured Programs and Rebates” and then click “Turf Replacement Program.” You must incorporate a water-saving feature, such as a barrel to catch rainwater runoff from your roof and artificial turf cannot be utilized in your project.