An Easy Solution

At the front gate of my SJC house is what has always been a problem planting bed. It was kind of a joke because every time I pulled up and saw it I commented that "I had to do something with this spot." It originally was a huge bed of Bird of Paradise, which although I like their easy nature and beautiful flowers, I am not crazy about the foliage and a whole bed of them as the first thing you see when you pull into the driveway was a bit much for me. I had made attempts to plant a number of combinations of other plants in this thin soil and shallow bed, but none of them were too happy and those that were became a feast for the many rabbits that hang out there. Last spring I finally just added to an existing clump of BOP with some of my old standbys from cuttings of other plants that were flourishing elsewhere like green agave and green aeoniums, threw in some native deer grass and waited. I lost one clump of deer grass, but everything else seems to be quite happy, rabbit resistant and flourishing. I need to fill in to cover some more of the bare soil and add a little color, but I am at last happy with this easy, drought tolerant bed that greets me when I come home!

September Iris

'Victoria Falls'

Many years ago was the first time I ever ordered iris from a catalog. I had a half an acre garden and was dreaming of planting hundreds of iris. Unfortunately the selection was overwhelming and I didn't know where to begin. So I started with the "A's". I order ten iris whose names began with "A".

'Beverly Sills'

When they arrived I planted them and made up neat little markers with my Brother P Touch to assure that I would never lose track of them. The following year I did the same with "B's".

'Frequent Violet'

That was as far as I got in the alphabet. By then I had dozens and dozens of all kinds of iris. Labels got hidden or lost, but I was thrilled with the amazing show they put on every year. Each was a surprise package every time it bloomed!

'Immortality'

If I was advising a gardener new to iris on what ones to choose, I would suggest starting with the rebloomers as a base, because they will bring you flowers throughout the year. Then you can pick out some of your favorite colors or especially fragrant ones to complete your collection. These are four of the iris that are blooming in my SJC garden right now.

Hosta La Vista...

I would like to think that I am a conscientious gardener, taking into consideration the adaptability and appropriateness of the plants I choose to use in my gardens. For the most part I am, but I also have a romantic side that explains why I would buy and plant a hosta when I know darn well that it will never survive in our climate. Those showy foliage darlings of east coast shade gardens that we gardeners on the west coast covet so, show up in the nurseries every spring even though they are pretty much an expensive annual here. The one in the picture above has been there for a couple years, slowly getting smaller and smaller until it will disappear all together I suspect. Best to enjoy it while it lasts and look for a more appropriate replacement soon.

Dahlias Doing Their Thing

'Peaches and Cream'

Well, it's been a tough summer for dahlias that like the heat, but I am finally getting some blooms from the new tubers I planted this year.

'Diva'

Although it seems late in the summer for them to start blooming, I guess it is the normal time since the dahlia festivals are all happening around now. It's obviously been a while since I grew these beauties.

'Ahoy Matey'

The foliage is showing mildew on some of them, since the sun has been a bit scarce until the afternoons, but the flowers are lovely never-the-less. They are all standing up well without staking with the exception of "Diva' which could use some help. Overall the garden is not very colorful this time of year so these blooms are a welcome focus.

Deep Soak

After being away for a couple weeks it is nice to come home to summer weather! The first order of business in the garden is to give all the large, established plants a long, slow soak to assure they are deeply watered enough to hang in there through the warm temperatures of late summer and early fall. A dripping hose for a long period around the bases will do a lot to bring relief to the palm trees and screening hedges until the rains replenish the deep soil moisture in the ground. Even the drought tolerant plants will welcome a good long drink around this time of year. And that is about all I have the energy for today!

Break Time

Everyone needs a break sometime, even if you love what you are doing. It is time for me to take a break and spend time with my DH playing in a paradise far away!

Tree Ferns

Some of the easiest, most reliable plants in the garden we have a tendency to take for granted. That is true of the Australian Tree Fern (sphaeropteris cooperi) for me. It is the go-to plant I always use for shady circumstances where I want a large, easy plant to fill in space. It will tolerate wet or dry shade and makes a nice understory plant to my tall palms that can lack eye level interest.
I love the lacy foliage and the airy feel that it adds to our 'Palm Alley' in SJC where it tolerates less than ideal conditions planted among the tree roots. They can grow quite large with ideal conditions, but I have a couple in Laguna that have been there 20 years and are still only about six feet tall. They will survive almost near death (as I have witnessed while planted in some neglected pots) and come right back to their former glory in no time. They are a nice solution for difficult spots that are shady and somewhat dry, although they will flourish with regular water.

A Dangerous Task

The beautiful agave is living in a lovely pot in our front courtyard. It has been there for a couple years and seems to be quite happy based on the amount of growth it has shown. However if it is to continue to grow I'm afraid it may need a bigger pot because it has filled the one it is in to the brim. It is going to be a case of breaking the pot I'm afraid because this beautiful succulent has very sharp tips and the thought of dislodging it from its home fills me with fear of impalement!

White Passion

The first couple of passion flower vines (passiflora) I planted in the Moonlight Garden that were labeled as white turned out to be not-so-much white as lavender. I let them stay solely out of appreciation for their willingness to grow quickly and cover the arbor that was looking a bit sparse in the new garden. I tried again last spring, but this time I didn't trust the label and only bought vines that had actual flowers on them that I could see were actually white. As passifloras do, they grew quickly and I now have lovely white passion flowers on another arbor leading into the garden. Will I remove the lavender ones? Maybe someday, but for right now, their exuberance, beauty and "passion" for living are allowing them to keep their place in the all white garden.

Tomatoes on Hold

It has been a tough year for tomato lovers that live near the coast in Southern California. The weather has been so cool and overcast that there has not been enough heat to ripen the tomato crop. There is hope however! It looks like we are expecting a heat wave which may do the trick and turn those green tomatoes red quickly, but we'll have to wait and see. Of course it will be just in time for us to go on vacation and miss the whole crop!