Vermiculture: Let the worms do the dirty work

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• May in the garden: Plant, feed, beware of frost

  May in the garden: Plant, feed, beware of frost

  May is a month for planting, fertilizing and controlling pests. But don’t be fooled by a late frost.

  Plant dahlias and gladiolus for summer color. For annuals you can plant dianthus and pansies. As the nights become warmer you can hang baskets of fuchsias and geraniums. For perennials, shop for summer and fall color with asters, coreopsis, and cornflowers.

  Now is the time to check the needs of your lawn. Aerate, feed and over-seed to get rid of bald patches. Around mid-month, feed your lawn with an even coat of highnitrogen fertilizer, watering thoroughly after application.

• There’s plenty to do in your December garden

  There’s plenty to do in your December garden

  Q: Are there chores I should focus on in the garden during December? — Dennis Neil, Los Osos

  A: Wear an extra sweater and you’ll find that December is a beautiful time to work in the garden. You may need a breather from the holiday ruckus and keeping the garden tended will make for less work in the spring.

  Winter is a great time to assess what worked and what didn’t in your garden. Grab your hot coffee, tea or cider and take a stroll. The bones of your garden are more visible at this time of year. Now, you can set some goals for 2012.

• February is the perfect time to prepare for spring

  February is the perfect time to prepare for spring

  Q. What should I be doing in the garden in February? Is it time to cut back perennials and shrubs? — Sharon Connors, San Luis Obispo

  A. February is already spring in many areas of the county. If not done in January, dormant pruning of roses and fruit trees should be completed now, before they bud out. Shrubs can be shaped and cut back now, as can salvias and lavenders and verbenas, when they have a flush of new growth at the base. Ornamental grasses, too, can be trimmed and/or divided.

  This is a good time to prepare beds, digging in compost and planning new plantings. Be sensitive to the water needs of your garden. During times of frost, it’s important to make sure that soil is not completely dried out. As growth begins in spring some areas may need water after a dry winter — or if we’ve had late rains, test the soil before working it. If it sticks together when squeezed, wait until it dries somewhat.

• Bliss Café in San Luis Obispo offers food and philosophy

  Bliss Café in San Luis Obispo offers food and philosophy

  Given this season of both excess and reflection, perhaps it’s a good time to consider the food and philosophy of Bliss Café in San Luis Obispo, especially if you’d like to explore the idea of a “yogi-style, karma-free” vegan menu.

  This high-ceilinged, brick-walled eatery on Chorro Street has only a handful of seats, so it’s best experienced during non-peak hours or for takeout. Either way, plan on taking some time to relax and enjoy the soothing Eastern artwork and meditative music.

  Originally opened a couple of years ago as Vraja’s Kitchen, Bliss Café began its current incarnation at the beginning of 2011. Now, it’s co-owned by Dave Fintel and Palaka Sauer — the latter has been a familiar face at local farmers’ markets for the past five years with his Govinda’s Garden foods (which he still does under the Bliss Café name). Palaka, as he prefers to be called, has also owned restaurants in his native Brazil and Florida, and made several trips to India to learn the principles of this style of cooking.

• It’s back! The Cambria Garden Tour and Gourmet Garden Event

  It’s back! The Cambria Garden Tour and Gourmet Garden Event

  The Cambria Garden Tour is back! Taking a one-year hiatus leaves avid gardeners anxiously anticipating this upcoming event. This year, I assisted the tour’s selection committee in identifying seven gardens that represent Cambria’s finest. Without giving away too many secrets, here are the backyard paradises offered on the 2012 garden tour:

  • Need ideas for tough plants that can thrive in salt and wind? Participants will visit the garden of Mark and Chris Landgreen on the bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The landscape provides a foreground for the vast water view. Low-growing, drought tolerant plants like ceanothus and rockrose provide color. A carpet of dymondia surrounds the rock pavers. There’s a modified Zen garden and an enclosed area for potting and growing grapes, vegetables, and herbs. The seating area and pizza oven by the front door provide a sheltered area to “sit a spell.” An added treat: local classic cars will be on view on the cul-de-sac out front.

  • Around the corner you’ll visit an