Only one major chore but a plethora of planting possibilities means a delightful month in California gardens.

Nature tells us that the California spring is over by May, especially after another dry winter. Look for the wildflower “clarkia” in the brown hills. Its common name says it all: farewell to spring. But it’s not a sad time at all. May brings roses and rhododendrons, even tiny tomatoes and squash, after-work swimming and biking — and the promise of six months or so to enjoy our outdoor spaces at their best. Let’s look at ways to make those spaces as comfortable and beautiful as possible.
Look but don’t touch. Fremontia, (the common name flannel bush makes us itchy), is the California native that says that spring is over and to get ready for the dry season. It’s a tough, tall shrub/tree originally from some of the state’s driest parts. Yes, the leaves are hairy and sticky and can irritate the skin. But the flowers are glorious — especially on ‘California Glory’, shown here — rich yellow and up to 3 inches across. Fremontia is a great choice for a natural garden kept on the dry side. Put it in the background, where you won’t bump into it but where you can appreciate the blooms.

Botanical name: Fremontodendron ‘California Glory’
USDA zones: 8 to 10 (find your zone)
Water requirement: Light
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: Up to 20 feet tall and 12 feet wide
Growing tips: Make sure the soil is well drained — very important; don’t expect a long life.

Cool down with brimming bowls. Long ago the Moors (think of the Spanish palace the Alhambra) taught the rest of the world a lot about creating gardens — especially how to make a little water go a long way. The Moorish idea of brimming bowls suggests that water is abundant, which of course it isn’t in an arid climate. Just the suggestion of water can be enough to create a sense of coolness and calm, though.

Shown here is a granite fountain, operating with a small circulating pump. It offers enough water to attract hummingbirds and hand-dipping grandchildren.

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Sniff or taste first. Unless you’re going into the pesto business, just a few basil plants should supply your summer needs. Warming weather is a great time to plant basil, but with so many different types available as nursery seedlings, what’s best? To keep the choosing simple, trust your nose or taste buds. Plant what you like.

In general, for pesto or sprinkling on tomatoes, you’ll probably be satisfied with varieties labeled ‘Sweet Basil’ or ‘Genovese’ (or a related Italian name). Scented basils, generally milder, include lemon and cinnamon. Some have a licorice flavor, which may or may not appeal. Purple-leafed varieties look interesting in salads and on sliced tomatoes.

Plant several kinds, if you have room, in a sunny spot; partial shade helps in hottest climates. Stagger plantings over several weeks to keep fresh leaves coming all year. Keep cutting back the tips to encourage bushiness; cut often enough to prevent flowers from forming. Never let the roots dry out.

Add a sculptural trellis. Left to their own devices, tomatoes, beans and other summer vegetables may sprawl or clamber into a tangle of a vegetable garden. Trellises and arbors can control the chaos, as well as add vertical interest to a boring flat space. A trellis such as the one shown here looks great even before and while the plants are climbing up it.

To grow crops upward, make sure you choose the vining types of beans and peas, not the bush varieties. Not all tomatoes need vertical support; some are naturally low and bushy. The vining indeterminate types of tomato will need all the support you can provide; these include popular varieties such as cherry, ‘Early Girl’ and most heirlooms.

Add some razzle and dazzle. Until relatively recently, Loropetalum chinense flew under the radar — called “delicate,” “subtle” and such, without even a common name. Now, after the plant breeders got a hold of it (thanks to them!), it has become one of our most versatile landscape plants, with colorful leaves and bright pink or purplish flowers. It’s now generally called fringe flower, and a wide range of varieties bear names that include words like “razzle,” “sizzling” etc. Consider one or more for partly shaded spots, as a border, background plant, hedge or container plant, or trained into a tree shape. It is easy to grow and takes pruning or not. Enough said.

Common name: Fringe flower
Botanical name: Loropetalum chinense
USDA zones: 7 to 9
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Partial shade
Mature size: Up to 6 feet tall, sometimes more, and equally wide
Growing tips: Prune to control the shape and size, or leave it alone for a graceful flowing look.

Don’t forget the good old white. Lost in the shuffle is the original white Loropetalum. It is delicate and subtle, with pretty white flowers that can brighten shady spots. It looks great combined with flashy azaleas. It will bloom heavily even when sheared back, as shown here.
Plant a solo succulent. Succulents can do all sorts of things, but some look great alone in a simple terra-cotta pot. Maybe this is oversimplifying, but it boils down to this: Find a succulent you like, match it with a pot you like, plant it in a commercial soil mix for cactus and succulents, and mulch the top with gravel. Be careful about overwatering. Shown here is Dudleya pulverulenta, a California native that gets its name from its powdery leaves (“pulverized,” from the Latin). A few other personal favorites for solo succulents: Echium, aloe, Opuntia.

Botanical name: Dudleya pulverulenta
USDA zones: 9 to 11
Water requirement: Light
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 1 foot tall and up to 2 feet wide
Growing tips: Protect container-grown plants from the hottest sun.

Discover a shady problem solver. Sweet woodruff, romantically named and delicate looking, is actually an aggressive spreader in shady, dampish spots where other plants struggle. Try it under camellias, azaleas or shade trees or in other dark places.

Botanical name: Galium woodruff
USDA zones: 5 to 8; best in cooler northern California climates
Water requirement: Moderate and more
Light requirement: Partial to full shade
Mature size: Low spreading, up to a foot tall or higher, usually less
Growing tips: Needs rich, moist soil to thrive — in which case it may thrive itself into a pest. It tends to burn up in too much sun.

What Else to Do in May in Your California Garden

The best planting move is to set out heat-loving vegetables and flowers, such as the zinnias shown. The main chore is to get your watering systems and schedules in order for the dry season ahead.

Set out heat-living annual flowers. These are pretty quick to bloom and easy to transplant from nursery packs: ageratum, bedding begonias, celosia, lobelias, marigolds, petunias, portulaca.

Sow seeds of summer flowers. Marigolds and zinnias are especially easy to grow from seeds sown directly in the ground in sunny spots.

Plant summer vegetables. Not too late. In fact, tomatoes and peppers set out as seedlings usually start stronger now than if planted earlier. You can start these as seeds in the ground: beans, corn, pumpkins, radishes and squash.

Complete major landscape planning. This includes shrubs, trees, ground covers and lawns. It’s OK to plant later, but take special care in hot climates.

Plant tropicals. Now is ideal timing for bougainvillea, avocados, citrus and other heat lovers.

Watch for pests. Major threats include snails and slugs, plus aphids on new spring growth. Inspect vegetable plantings for earwigs (unmistakable creatures); control with bait.

Clean up. Cut off spent flowers of spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils. Let the stems dry naturally before removing them.

Feed. Fertilize newly planted flowers and vegetables within a few weeks after planting, or according to the label’s directions. Use an acid-type fertilizer on camellias and azaleas after they bloom. Continue feeding roses regularly.

Water. In case you need a reminder after the dry winter, make sure you give a regular deep soaking to shrubs and trees, except for the more drought-resistant ones.