Creating More Screening

July 2010

February 2013

My ongoing problems with the dying oleanders continue. Here are two shots of the Gravel Garden and you can see the loss of foliage that is exposing our neighbor's yard where the oleanders used to thrive. We've planted some Carolina Cherries (prunus caroliniana) that should fill in fairly quickly once they take off, but it may take a while for them to get established. There are some white hydrangeas in the bed that I had hopes of growing large and billowy, due to illusions of grandeur that I get from reading Deborah Silver's amazing blog, Dirt Simple. I have to come back to reality and realize that this is not Detroit, but Southern California and although this was once a wet, soggy area (thus my dream of hydrangea heaven) it was most likely due to a broken sprinkler pipe that has been fixed, making this area as dry as the rest of the yard. I will be looking for a new inspirational shrub to plant here.