A Woodland Feeling

If you asked me for my philosophy on garden design, it would probably involve something about creating a specific ambiance in the garden. I wish I could say for certain what this charming mauve plant that I put in a few weeks ago is called, but the label is long gone. I'm guessing it is some sort native or wold foxglove. I absolutely love it because they have been blooming constantly since they were planted (this was five one-gallon plants) and they make the dappled shade under the pepper trees look downright woodland-like, an ambiance I am particularly fond of that is not easy to pull off in a drought. They are tall enough to have a nice proportion over the boxwood hedges that border this "island." But the best part is that the hummingbirds love them and they come down to eye level to enjoy them while we are sitting nearby in the garden! I really should go back and see if the nursery has any more while this cool weather hangs around, extending out planting season!

The Monarchs Have Arrived

 For the past six years I have been planting native milkweed to attract Monarch butterflies. We are in the migration path for their annual trek from Mexico to California and because of the over population of our area their natural food source, the milkweed plant, is disappearing at alarming rates, having a negative impact on these lovely and amazing creatures.

 For many years I never saw any sign of them and so I moved the milkweed around the yard and even planted them in different spots. It did take a few years to see any signs of butterflies at all after the yard had pretty much been cultivated with pesticides and chemicals for years by the previous owners, but finally life started to return.

 Last year I wasn't in the garden much due to a knee injury, but one day when I was out walking around I noticed some strange, bare sticks protruding out of the ground. It took me a while to realize it was what was left of the milkweed plants that I had planted the previous fall! I was excited that there was hope that the Monarchs had found the food source I had left out for them and devoured it, although any sign of them was long gone.

Last weekend I was out digging up iris tubers (I know, I'm way off sync) and a pretty orange and black butterfly flitted by me. I always assume any orange and black butterfly I see is a Gulf Fritillar because we have lots of them and they love the passion flower vines which I grow. But I watched it head over to the patch of milkweed as if it was directing my attention there and then it was off. I climbed through the flower bed over to the milkweed and there they were, about a dozen Monarch caterpillars of all sizes, munching away on the plants! We have been watching them all week, growing in size, then disappearing, crawling off (I hope) to form a chrysalis on a nearby leaf or twig. Today when I went out the five plants were all but stripped of all foliage and there were still tiny caterpillars just emerged still looking for food. There should be another "crop of butterflies in a couple months so maybe I should get some more milkweed in the ground before then! There are actually three short-lived (two to six weeks) generations of butterflies that hatch in one area before a "super" generation that make the migration hatch. That generation lives six to eight months to make the migration to warmer climates in the fall. Well, I'm glad they finally found my little patch of food I planted for them and I figure if they can migrate thousands of miles to find the exact same mating place through generations, they'll be able to find my little milkweed patch every year too!

Finding Inspiration

After Christmas my DH and I got away for a few days at a spa in the hills in the San Diego area. Although it was colder than usual (ahem) we did spend a lot of time outdoors and the grounds were just lovely with an exceptionally beautiful landscape of mostly California natives with some Mediterranean plants covering acres and acres of the grounds. I was so impressed with it that I was inspired to come home and look for ways to incorporate more natives in my own landscaping plan, although I do already have a lot now, I can always add more. I do think it is not as easy as it sounds to gracefully add them into the average yard and it pays to either seek help from a landscaper who specializes in native plants or spend time exploring and taking notes and pictures of native landscapes that look good year round. There is a yard in our neighborhood that has removed their lawn and replaced it with drought tolerant plants and unfortunately it is somewhat of a visual disaster. It almost looks like it was laid out on a grid and succulents that will most likely stay very small were planted resulting in a very sad display. Like I say, it is harder than it looks to come up with a visually pleasing display that is also environmentally sound. I have had my fair share of mistakes! But we should always keep trying!

Milkweed Options

Asclepia curassavica

I have always thought of milkweed as the orange kind that I grow, like in the top photograph, but the other day I was out in the corner of the garden where I had planted some more milkweed in hopes of attracting more butterflies, when I noticed this other plant in the bottom picture. It sure looked like milkweed foliage, but I had never seen the dainty little pink and white flowers like those before on my milkweed plants. I am pretty sure it is one that my friend Jeff brought me when he read that I was having a problem attracting Monarch butterflies with my other patch of milkweed. I am not sure of the cultivar so I will not even try to identify it, but we'll keep an eye on it to see if it does a better job of bringing in the Monarchs than the orange and yellow ones have in the past. I do get a lot of butterflies now (it has taken a few years because at first there were none attracted to this property) but the Monarchs have never made a stop even though it seems like we are in their migration path and we could get at least a few.

As The Temperatures Soar

It's hot and dry and very, very windy here. It's bad enough that we're in the middle of a terrible drought but now we have to have souring temperatures what seems like every other week on top of it. This time of year we are usually cool and cloudy. It feels more like September or October wildfire weather than the diddle of spring. I am thankful for the shade trees in the back yard that add a visual coolness to the yard as well as dropping the temperature in the area. Where the soil is exposed it is hard and cracked. Many of the roses have already been cut back after their first bloom and attack of sawfly larvae. (I need to seek out some worm castings for their soil.) But there are other plants like these natives that look like they aren't bothered at all by the 90 degree spring temperatures. The pretty pink Mexican Evening primrose (Oenothera speciosa) is a native that can be invasive once it starts reseeding, but it doesn't bother me. I welcome the pretty pink flowers in the spring that disappear altogether the rest of the year. They thrive in terrible soil with little water so they are perfect in a spot where nothing else will grow, like under this clump of palm trees. They are mixed in with another reliable native, Santa Barbara Daisy (Erigeron Karvinskianus). The threadlike stems and tiny daisy flowers grow year round and act as a filler almost anywhere in the garden. It is not easy watching the gardens trying to survive under trying conditions, so it is nice to see some plants that take it all with not much stress at all.

Easy, But So Pretty

I'm sure everyone has a spot like this in their garden. One that is almost no-maintenance, but makes them smile every time they walk by, at least for most of the year. This is one of those spots for me. Two native-ish plants that are drought tolerant and reseed easily every year. The pink ones are Mexican evening primroses (oenothera speciosa) and the little daisies are Santa Barbara daisies (erigeron karvinskianus) although I have seen many other common names for both of these plants in different parts of the country. They can be invasive in small gardens, so either plant them in a contained bed like I have here or be diligent about weeding out the seedlings in the spring. Of course you can always let them just take over and sit back and put your feet up in the pretty splendor all summer!

Two Pleasant Surprises

There are two beautiful things going on in the garden in SJC right now that I wish I could take credit for, but they just kind of happened on their own. One is this amazing cascade of pink jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum) that is cascading over the very tall privet hedge in the garden by the front door. I may or may not have planted this jasmine, I can't remember and it could be creeping over from the neighbor's yard. In past years it has bloomed while climbing up the green hedge, but this year it is an amazing fall of bloom all across the top. Do I need to mention that the scent is intoxicating? The whole property is scented with this heady delight, especially at night. I'm smitten!

The other scene that is bringing me much happiness is this native ceanothus that I did plant but had no idea it was going to join the huge salmon colored honeysuckle shrub behind it to form an arch filled with these amazing blue flowers in the back yard.  It was just a little tiny shrub that I stuck in to fill in an awkward spot and it has loved where it is and grown to quite a substantial form. I have had huge ceanothus shrubs in Laguna, but most of the ones I have planted here in SJC have not taken off like this one. Just proves the old adage, right plant - right place! 

     Both of these plants are pest and disease resistant, drought tolerant and the bees and butterflies love them. The only downside to the jasmine is it is not a self-cleaning plant and the brown flower brackets will hang on much longer than desired. Hopefully they are so high that they will not be noticed and the greenery will eventually grow over them. 

      Don't you love it when your garden offers up its own design inspirations?

Sage and the Bee

I am not sure what kind of native sage this is, I planted it years ago in a mixed bed outside the dining room window in SJC. It is kind of woody and blooms all year round with soft, hazy gray-green foliage. The unique thing about this plant is that it attracts a specific kind of bee. I don't know much about bees and I don't know what kind of bee it is, but at all times there is one, single, big fat black bee buzzing this plant. The bee moves from stem to stem, flower to flower, gathering pollen and then takes off. He returns in a few minutes to continue this quest. Now I am sure that it could possibly be more than one bee that loves this plant, but you only see one bee at a time, all the time. I never see that bee at any other plant, or in fact, anywhere else in the garden except on this sage. Truly a match made in heaven!

What's Starting To Bloom?

Nasturtium and Strawberries

Bearded Iris and California Fuchsia

Spanish Lavender

'Royal Sunset' Climbing Rose

Bearded Iris

Although today is more like a winter day with cool temperatures and rain, Spring has definitely arrived with lots of blooms opening everywhere. Here are a few that are brilliant today despite the gloomy weather!

A Couple of Natives

Ceanothus 'Ray Hartman'

Douglas iris

Late winter and early spring are times I really appreciate the native plants in my gardens. Many years ago I planted some ceanothus in a couple difficult spots in my Laguna garden. One did not make it (too close to a sprinkler), but the other one thrived for years and grew into an enormous shrub covered with gorgeous blue flowers for months every spring. I can't think of many other plants that brought me so much pleasure without any care from me. One day it was entirely dead, overnight, the victim of underground voles that ate the root system causing an immediate and untimely death for my beloved ceanothus. I have planted many more, but none have grown the the proportions of that one, although there is always hope because I have a number of them in different locations, waiting for one to take off. This picture is one that is blooming beautifully outside my front door in SJC. It has potential. Right next to it is a couple clumps of Douglas iris, another native plant. They both are doing well. Finding a good spot for native plants in our gardens is often tricky because they can have very specific cultural needs due to California's varied topography. A plant that will grow naturally on one hillside will perish on the next hill for a variety of reasons. Soil, sun exposure, and moisture levels can vary greatly throughout our region, making growing natives a little tricky. My best advise? Try them out in different parts of the garden and don't be discouraged if they don't respond immediately. Successfully growing California natives may take some patience and determination, but they are worth it!

A Strong Foundation

The lower forty in my Laguna garden is a mass of plants that provide the backdrop for the evolving seasonal interest. The massive burgundy colored New Zealand flax (phormium) is a lovely backdrop for these Matilija poppies (romneya coulteri), a California native that has self-seeded here from the other side of the garden. It has been years since I have added anything to this part of the garden and it just keeps getting better and better due to the strong foundation shrubs, grasses and perennials.

Matilija Beauties

There are few California native plants that are more stunning than the beautiful Matilija poppies. They grow up to eight feet tall and there are a few beautiful groups of them along 133 in Laguna Canyon this time of year. Like many natives, they are a bit finicky about where they will grow. I have them in both gardens but nothing to brag about. They like sandy soil with perfect drainage. I only get a few blooms a year, but I'll take whatever I can get!

Along the Street

I must confess that I don't see much of this garden in SJC. It runs between the front wall and the street and because I pull in and out of the driveway before I pass it I usually only glance at it once in a while.
It is fairly large and was one of the first things I worked on when we moved in four years ago because it was some really bad grass around the tall queen palms and not what I wanted the world to see. It is comprised of a gravel path, rocks, a pot of succulents as a focal point and a number of native and drought tolerant plants. I use woolly thyme and rosemary as groundcovers.

Many of the plants here, especially the succulents, have been started as cuttings from other places in the yard. It does get watered in the summer from the automatic sprinklers that have been adjusted from when it was lawn.
There are summer blooming shrubs and perennials such as lavender and lantana for color. Every once in a while when I go out the gate specifically to look at what is happening out here I am pleasantly surprised that it is doing so well and there is always something that amuses me. Usually it is a really big, thriving weed or a piece of trash that has ended up in a bush (I have to get out here more) or even a small aspen tree that has sprouted from seeds the giants across the street drop. But this week there were some interesting things in bloom that I will share later.

Happy Natives

Last week I gave a tour at the Hortense Miller Garden and was pleasantly surprised to see the grand show being put on by the Douglas Iris! An entire hillside in the native garden was covered in blooms, the most I have ever seen in my ten years of giving tours there! I came home and looked at my Douglas Irises and sure enough they are blooming away too!

These are California natives, also called Pacific Coast Iris, and although very drought tolerant, they seem to be reacting to all the rain we've had this winter and spring with exuberant blooms! How nice!

Fancy Flycatchers

Our house in SJC is in horse country and although we don't have any, there are a couple horses the neighbors own a few yards from our back fence. You can't see them and with the exception of an occasional whinny and a whiff when the breeze is waifing a certain way, you wouldn't know they are there. That being said, there do seem to be more flies at this house than our other house. Not a lot, just a few, but more never-the-less. How to cope? Why sarracenia of course. Pitcher plants are some of the most unusual, beautiful plants that you can grow, but they are also entertaining! One summer my husband and I spent hours every weekend just sitting on the deck watching a group of them lure and capture their prey (okay, it was a slow summer). They are actually Northern California natives and quite easy to grow given the proper cultural requirements. If you are interested in growing carnivorous plants I recommend you read The Savage Garden by Peter D'Amato and skip the little cellophane wrapped versions you find in most nurseries and look online for some interesting, sizable and healthy specimens!

Lion's Tail

It has taken a while but my Lion's Tail (leonotis leonurus) shrub is finally coming into it's own this summer. As is often the case with native plants, it has taken a while to get established, but it seems to be settled in and ready to put on a show. It is one of those wonderful drought tolerant plants that need little care once it makes itself at home, requires full sun and excellent drainage. As you can see, there was a heavy "dew" on the morning I took this photo. The orange color has a softness to it and the blooms have an interesting texture, which makes it a wonderful background plant that mixes well with other specimens. Keeping it pinched back will help maintain the full appearance and avoid the leggy, scraggly look that it can sometimes have.

Easy Natives

I have always loved Mexican Evening Primroses (oenothera berlandieri). They are a pretty little native in our area that blooms profusely for months, are very drought tolerant and self-cleaning. Unfortunately they have a reputation for being invasive, especially when they are given more water than nature provides. Because I have a large garden in Laguna that has a "wild" section where they can ramble forever, this does not bother me. I also use them at the base of my roses and they bloom for months easily. In SJC I have them contained in a planter that is very dry with some other natives and they put on a show for months too. Oddly enough I rarely see them growing anywhere but in gardens so I don't know why they are considered to be so invasive. They do spread somewhat but not to the extent of smothering other plants. Sometimes I think invasive is synonymous with happy and prolific, something I admire in a plant!

Welcomed Home

After being in New York for ten days I was looking forward to coming home to see what changes had taken place in the garden while I was gone. As soon as we drove up the first thing to catch my eye in the street garden was the big showy blooms of the Matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri). I was thrilled to see them in bloom, their tall stalks swaying in the breeze making the flowers look like they were waving hello to me!
This California native is one of my favorites and like some of the finicky natives in our area, can be a challenge to grow. I have some in Laguna that took me years to get going and I noticed this year that they have relocated themselves about fifty feet away from where I first planted them. At least they stuck around! Although I have grown them for a long time, I have yet to have developed a huge stand of them that they are capable of producing. I get a few lanky blooms a year, but even that makes me happy. They are very picky about having good drainage and are much more happy with sandy feet, something that is hard to get in most gardens in our area. Because California has such a variety of climates and topography, just because something is a native doesn't mean it will be happy on your street, in your garden without making a few adjustments to meet it's needs!

Pacific Coast Iris

Although most of my many iris are the tall bearded variety, I also have some of the variety called Pacific Coast Iris (iris douglasii). These are sometimes referred to a "grass iris" because of their clumping, grass-like foliage
Their requirements are similar to most other iris, although I have read they can take some shade. As is the case with many native plants, they can be a little tricky to get established in the garden and I have not been wildly successful growing them over the years. If they do not do well in the garden bed where I have them outside the front door, I think I will move them to the street side garden which is better suited for native plants.

Early Winter Blooms

Although we still have a couple weeks of autumn left in the year, it is feeling like winter here. The temperature is barely breaking the 60's and the skies are overcast, preceding what is expected to be a cold winter storm coming down from Alaska. Our native California plants that rely on the winter rain to wake them up have already started to bloom, like this blue ceanothus, due to a bit of rain last month.