East Bay Home and Gardens

Garden Variety: Too Mulch of a Good Thing

By Ron Sullivan
Friday April 11, 2008
I’ve been the Mulch Queen, or at least her Majesty’s faithful herald, for years. The sight of our locally predominant clay soil lying naked to the elements upsets me. I know what happens when it gets walked on and rained on—yes, rain does compress soil over time if that soil doesn’t have nearly perfect drainage or spongelike absorption—and dried to dust by the sun. -more-

Green Neighbors: Endangered in Its Home, Enthusiastic in Gardens: Malva Rosa

By Ron Sullivan
Tuesday April 08, 2008
Leaf and blossom of Lavatera assurgentifolia, malva rosa, island bush mallow.
Joe and I spent the other afternoon moving dirt and reshaping the malva rosa by the garage, to allow some sun on the pile we were making. This isn’t the first time we’ve radically reshaped the thing, and it won’t be the last. Except for the fact that it’s so inherently bewildering, I’d call this plant the ideal first thing to learn pruning with: it’s woody but soft; it puts out lots and lots of branches to choose from, and it can take a severe pruning and recover. -more-