SHOPPING
Landscape professionals. If you're looking for a qualified landscaper to incorporate Earth-friendly plants and materials into your garden, the California Landscape Contractors Association can help. A new function on its website lets you search online for sustainable landscaping specialists. Visit clca.org for details.

PLANTING
Annuals and perennials. Wake up a green backdrop with annuals and perennials whose flowers come in just one or two hues — all blues, for example, or apricot with blue. For a livelier look, pair yellow and orange, red and purple, or blue and green. For more info on how to use color in the garden, check out the Gardener's Color Wheel.

Clematis. Sunset climate zones 7–9, 14–17: If you're new to growing clematis, plant C. viticella hybrids, suggests Murray Rosen, farm manager of Chalk Hill Clematis nursery in Healdsburg. Easy to grow in Northern California, they're heat-tolerant, disease-free, and quick to establish. They bloom from June to September. Examples include white C. viticella 'Alba Luxurians', purple 'Etoile Violette', and pink 'M. Koster'. Chalk Hill Clematis nursery carries more than 300 varieties; it's open for tours by appointment (Apr 14–Oct 4; closed Sun–Tue; 707/433-8416).

Dwarf citrus. Zones 8–9, 14–17: Looking for a small citrus tree for a compact space? Try a dwarf variety that grows between 5 and 10 feet tall. Choices include 'Bearss' lime (seedless); 'Eureka' lemon, with true lemon-flavored fruits; late-ripening 'Lane Late' navel orange; or prolific 'Owari' satsuma mandarin. Plant the tree in a spot that gets full sun and has well-drained soil; water regularly. Dwarf varieties are widely available in nurseries, or order online from Four Winds Growers in Fremont. Related story: Pint-sized citrus

Easy-care perennials and shrubs. California fuchsia, ceanothus, coyote mint, lavender, manzanita, Salvia leucantha, and S. spathacea all have two things in common: They're easy to grow, and they tolerate drought once established (after a year or two of regular watering). That's why the Alameda County Master Gardeners of the UC Cooperative Extension list them as "Outstanding Plants for Alameda County." For more plant recommendations, read the list online acmg.ucdavis.edu. Related story: Find the right shrub

White flowers. Hot colors are summer favorites. But when the heat actually kicks in, white blooms look cool. That's when you'll appreciate pots filled with 'Sonata White' cosmos, Shasta daisies, or 'Profusion White' or 'Star White' zinnias.

MAINTENANCE
Tune up drip irrigation systems. Before warm weather gets into full swing, make sure your drip systems are working properly. Flush sediment from filters, clean screens of any algae, check lines for leaks, and make sure all emitters are dripping water (replace if necessary). You may also need to add new emitters if plants have grown significantly since the system was installed. Supplies are available at nurseries and home improvement stores, or online from the Urban Farmer Store or 415/661-2204. Related story: 6 steps to a water-wise garden

GARDEN BUZZ
What's happening in gardens and what's not

In
• Single plant containers
• Soothing spring greens
• Solar lighting
• Meditation spaces
• Smart controllers

Out
• Overstuffed containers
• Brassy orange with hot pink
• Tiki torches
• Wedding-cake gazebos
• Wasteful irrigation

Fresh Dirt: Get the latest tips and planting ideas on our garden blog »