Fennel, leeks and chives in the kitchen garden.
Plants in the St. Clare Garden need occasional trimming for appearance’s sake and to increase bloom. Only the bitter orange, the roses, the turf, and the vegetables need regular fertilizing. A large quantity of high-quality compost was mixed with the original clay soil during construction. The only weed suppressant used is a thick layer of gorilla hair mulch. Weeds are pulled as they appear. Watering is done by an underground irrigation system using pop-up sprinklers on a timer; the two large pots containing the bay laurel tree and the orange tree are part of this system. The roses are occasionally treated for powdery mildew, but on the whole, little or no pesticides and herbicides are used in the garden.
This web site was written and designed by Nancy Lucid whose research was supported by a generous grant from the Bannan Institute for Jesuit Educational Mission at Santa Clara University.
For questions regarding the web site contact Nancy Lucid. All rights reserved.