The Candelabra Effect

I have seen aeoniums flower before, the yellow blooms of 'Zwartkop' are quite common in my Laguna garden. I must say though that this is a rather unique display for me. This unnamed variety that grows in my street side garden in SJC has taken on a somewhat "candelabra" look with each of the six offshoots as well as the center sporting a tall blossom stalk. This is a taller aeonium than I usually grow in the garden. I like them flat and close to the ground and cut them before they typically get this height, but it is growing amongst a stand of scented geraniums and I let it grow taller to compete for the center stage I guess. It is definitely stealing the show right now!

Mud

After weeks of not getting out into the garden I ventured out this morning to see what this weather trend has brought us. In a word - mud! The compost that was added last fall has become mud. The mulch that was used to tidy up the soil and insulate the roots this winter - mud! Even some of the shallow rooted ground covers that were living in lower spots have become mud. Not really much you can do to alleviate this problem but wait it out and pray for sunshine. Please excuse me while I get on my knees!

The Rain

It has been a while since I have posted on this blog, mainly due to being busy with holidays, visitors and even a brief vacation, but there really wasn't too much to say except it has been very, very wet!

I am always being asked about how all this rain will effect the garden and I must say that we are just going to have to wait and see. Of course we have had wet winters while I have had my Laguna garden and other than a few small slides in some of the sloped beds, the excess water just runs off down the hillside eventually making its way to the bottom of the canyon and on into the ocean. It is an established garden and the deep roots keep most of the soil in place. It is another story in SJC where the property has been terraced to create flat areas that do not drain well with this much water. Of course most of the plants that are drought tolerant have roots that tend to rot with too much rain in the summer when they are dormant, I'm just not sure if they will be able to handle the wet during the winter when it is this much. I had already cut back many of the woody shrubs and perennials and I'm afraid that may have put them in peril due to not enough foliage to try to transpire away some of the moisture. But like I said, we will just have to wait and see!

The Scrappy Place

I'm not sure every gardener has a place like this in their garden. It is a spot where everything that doesn't have a home elsewhere gets stuck. In this case it is over the septic tanks that I found out the hard way need immediate access occasionally. All of these random plants have been propagated from others in the yard and were in need of a home. This is a walkway by the pool equipment and is usually just passed right by, but still an opportunity in the sunlight to do something interesting. We'll see how it develops.

The White Azaleas

I have never been a big fan of azaleas. Not sure why. Maybe they are so overused for shady areas that I overlook them as an option for my own garden (although I will use impatiens all day long - go figure). There were a number of them on the property in SJC when we moved here and I gave many of them away and transplanted the rest. I must say over the years I have grown rather fond of these white ones that grow with little care in the deep shade in the Moonlight Garden. They do add sparkle this time of year when the days can be dreary. I just wish they were self cleaning because the blooms hang on way past their prime. Can't have everything I guess!

Peeking Through

I love spontaneous moments like this in the garden where a persistent Knockout Rose 'Rainbow' weaves its way through an aggressive helichrysum that is dominating the bed. A soft and pretty backdrop for a bright little rose!

Sunrunner or Sunsprite?

I have always thought this was a 'Sunrunner' rose that I planted, but I'm starting to think it may be 'Sunsprite.' 'Sunrunner' is a low mounding ground cover type rose with five petals that I grow in my Laguna garden. I wanted it in my SJC garden but I must have bought the wrong one because this one is a small floribunda with many petaled blooms. Still a nice rose though!

Indulgences

My European birch tree is an indulgence in our neck of the woods. It requires regular water to look good (I have a few in my Laguna garden that I put in way before I understood anything about plant requirements and they show it!). This is my little garden outside the front door in SJC and it is filled with plants that need more water than the typical drought tolerant selections that populate the rest of the property. I get to see the leaves change on this graceful weeping tree in the late fall and look forward to the buds of new growth in the spring. It sways with the slightest breeze. I can plant all kinds of flowers at the base and not worry about it being over watered and prone to disease. It is a romantic tree in a bit of a fantasy garden, just a tiny one, and it is my indulgence!

Basal Growth

I think that correct pruning methods is one of the most difficult concepts for new gardeners to understand. When to prune, how to prune, what to prune is enough to fill books. In our area now is the time to cut back many scraggly perennials that tend to get woody in the center and lose their compact shapes. There are some that can be cut back to the ground with no consequences, but I think the easiest rule of thumb to remember is to look for basal growth and cut back to just above that growth. Basal growth are the new shoots that start showing up at the base of shrubs like this Margarete daisy. It is a good sign that the plant is ready to put out new life and by cutting back the long floppy branches it allows the fresh young shoots to take over resulting in a compact shrub that will bloom profusely in the spring. It may be difficult to cut off those remaining blooms, but it will be worth it in the long run!

Such Sweetness

This time of year it is hard to find a shrub in bloom with sweeter flowers than abutilon. In my gardens it blooms during the cooler months, from the fall to summer, but maybe because it gets more water from the rain during those months. It will survive on moderate water, but likes regular water.

I have it growing in both light shade and sun and it does well either way. It can get a bit scraggly, so keeping it pruned will maintain a full appearance. The foliage is shaped like maple leaves which lends itself to the nickname, 'Flowering Maple'. And if the delicate little hanging flowers weren't enough to make you love it, the hummingbirds are crazy about it too.