Garden Questions and Answers

Q. I just purchased a home in the San Francisco Bay Area. The back of my house faces north. I have pretty much landscaped the backyard, but I need and want to plant some trees or bushes against the fence. Hopefully, whatever I plant would need very little care, water or won't damage the patio with their root systems. I also want something fast growing in order to provide privacy. Am I aksing the impossible?

A. Well, let's just say you're asking for a lot. Most specimens that are fast growing will grow way too big for near the patio. Right off the top of my head, I thought of crape myrtle trees since they don't grow big and are colorful all summer long. However, crape myrtles are notorious slow growers. Also, I am seeing crape myrtles being planted all over the place locally. I'm just waiting for a disease or insect invasion to arrive that is specific to crape myrtles, which will wreak havoc. Patio trees also need to be as litter-free as possible, as well as what you mentioned about non-invasive root systems. You might consider photinias or oleanders, both of which come in tree versions besides their more common shrubs like you see in freeway medians. Laurel, bottlebrush, palms and the larger types of ceanothus are other possibilities. Again, it's going to be difficult because most fast growers either grow too large or may be a little messy (such as the falling oleander, photinia or bottlebrush flowers). There are also large shrubs like tree ferns, camellias and viburnums. A friend suggested Chinese parasol tree (Firmiana simplex), which I am not familiar with. The Sunset Western Garden Book describes it as a slow-growing tree to 15-30 feet.

Q. The house I bought has two flower beds containing calla lilies on the shady side. When they finally bloomed this past year, they were short-lived. I think the soil needs ot be amended, so I was going to dig them up and do this. But even as the old foliage was turning brown and lying down, new ones were sprouting. Should I go ahead and dig them up, amend the soil and replant? Is this the right time to do this? Will the new sprouts die if I remove them? Please help.

A. Calla lilies go through a short dormancy period after bloom. Since the foliage began to fade naturally, it's an indication of dormancy even though the plants are already beginning to resprout. You can cut back the old foliage and dig the plants now. Callas grow from tuberous rhizomes, so divide them after you dig and before you replant. Transplant them to a sunny or partly sunny bed into which you've added some organic matter, such as peat moss, compost or leaf mold. Callas like moist soil, so water them well after transplanting. Mulch the bed after planting to help keep the soil moist. Set the rhizomes 4-6 inches deep and 1-2 feet apart.

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