The Grass is Always Greener

I don't know a lot about lawn grasses, having lived in Laguna Beach where there are no lawns for the past 25 years. I did have a grassy section near the bottom of my slope that I tossed fescue mixed seeds around every year because there was lots of shade as well as sun in the area under large eucalyptus trees. It was green and shaggy and worked for playing with the dogs as well as giving the eye a respite from the overflowing gardens. When we moved to SJC I inherited a lot of lawn. I have removed more than half of it so far, but I do leave a large lawn in the front that is a favorite of the family for play. It was all Bermuda grass when we moved it which worked out well because it can take tough play and is drought tolerant. The only problem with this type of grass is that it goes dormant in the cool months and turns a sickly shade of beige. I am married to a New Yorker where it rains year round and who believes that lawns should always be lush and green and complains about the grass every winter. My job, to distract him until it greens up again because there are a hundred other things I would rather do than replace this large yard of grass.

Red Salvia Shrub

This red salvia shrub is one of the plants in my perennial garden that people ask the most about. I really do need to find the name of the cultivator to give to visitors. It is a reliable shrub with blooms almost year round. Of course it attracts hummingbirds like crazy and like other perennial salvias it is drought tolerant. I have two of them, but I did have to cut back the other one because it was getting a bit leggy, but this one is doing fine with little to no maintenance requirements for the couple years it has been in this spot. The only dilemma is it is crowding out a 'Nancy Regan' Rose that is growing nearby and I am quite fond of those beautiful peachy blooms. Someone may need to move.

Bringing It Inside

I wish I could remember what these bulbs are called. I buy them at Roger's Gardens in bloom every winter and bring them inside to brighten the winter days. They are so pretty and bright and do a great job of greeting everyone when they walk in the front door. Lovely, lovely.

Cineraria

This is the first time I have planted cineraria in the ground. I have purchased it many years and used it for seasonal color in pots, but never planted it to see if it would come back the following year. Many of the early spring shade plants that should be perennials do not make it past the summer to return the following year in our area, so I guess I had low expectations for these. It sure is a pretty burst of color and if it does return it will just be an added bonus!

Spring Urges

Even though it is still the middle of winter, you couldn't tell by our weather during the day (it still gets pretty chilly when the sun goes down). It is this kind of weather that releases some chemical in the brains of gardeners that stimulate the urge to plant, at least it does in my brain.


So it was understandable to bring home a couple flats of some of my favorite late winter, early spring flowers. The purple anemones will go in the front door garden and the peachy primroses will be used to fill in some pots on the deck and the rest will be added to palm alley to add a little lightness to the shade. Who could resist?

Primroses and Pansies

We have an annual party this time of year based on a popular sporting event. It is the one time of year that we open our home to a wide variety of family, friends, coworkers and neighbors. People actually fly in from all over the country for this event, (and to escape the east coast weather). For many of them it is the only time of year they see my gardens in SJC and I hear lots of comments on how they are looking forward to seeing them. Understand that this is the time of year that the roses are all cut back, the ornamental grasses are hacked off to the ground, the hydrangeas are bare as well as many of the trees and shrubs. It is also the time of year I appreciate being able to go to the nursery and have tables and tables of annuals and perennials in bloom to choose from for instant gratification. Flats of pansies and primroses came home with me this week as well as gallon pots of cannas, daisies, candy tufts and cinerarias. A few doses of liquid seaweed, mulch and some sunny weather should help turn the bare spots into somewhat less disappointing beds of early spring inspiration for our guests!

The Big Trim

It takes my tree trimmers three days to clean up the hundred plus palm trees we have on our SJC property. Removing dead and dying fronds is half of the work. Removing heavy seed pods is the other. These gentle giants are not self cleaning and removing dead and dying material that harbors bugs and disease keeps them healthy and happy. Tons of debris has to be hauled to the dump because palm materials don't decompose in the compost pile and I'm not into basket weaving. It is a big job but everything looks so neat and tidy when it is done that it is worth the headaches.

The Low Limb

I love an interesting tree, especially a weeping tree and I loved how this part of one of the California Pepper trees was growing outward and hanging over the grassy path in the backyard. Unfortunately with all the rain it started getting lower and lower until you couldn't walk under it without getting on your hands and knees. I finally made the decision that it was becoming a hazard and had to go.


This week the tree trimmers came and removed that whole section of the tree. Although I do miss it's weeping character, the open path and sunshine is a welcome change to the rest of the garden. I'll get over it.

Cutback Time

Although some of the ornamental grasses were cut back in the fall, most of the big fountain type grasses (like this purple fountain grass) start showing signs of new growth around this time of year which is the best indicator for our area that it is time to cut them back. I know it is necessary, but they look so sparse and sad for a couple months that I try to put it off as long as possible, but it is better to just bite the bullet and cut them back now so all the plant's energy can go into the new growth.

Non-Stop

I have to commend these white reblooming iris in the Moonlight Garden, they have been blooming non-stop all year long including the rainy season and the chilly nights. I have two kinds and they are very similar so I don't know which ones are consistently putting on a show. It is either 'Immortality' or 'Frequent Flyer', or maybe both! There is never a time that I can't find at least one in bloom!