Succulent pot rehab

I'm still spending limited time in the garden, or outside in general.  While two sites I initially consulted, AirNow and AQMD, suggested that our air quality was good-to-moderate, the one my husband has been using, published by AccuWeather, suggests it remains poor-to-fair.  It turns out that each site factors different materials into its analysis.  A little digging surfaced a list of the best air quality applications and Plume Labs was near the top of the list and, as Plume Labs provides the data for AccuWeather, I'm now following its advisories.  Nothing associated with the Los Angeles County fires is simple it seems...Containment of the Palisades and Eaton Fires is progressing but it remains a slow process.

I spent some time rehabbing a few succulent pots that had seen better days.  As winter is generally our rainy season, I'm in the habit of ignoring those pots at this time of year.  That's been a big mistake this year.

Originally planted in November 2022, this is what my giant clam shell planter looked like last February

I didn't take a photo of it immediately before I replanted it but the only thing I retained was the Gonialoe 'Variegata' in the middle, which had turned browner due to water stress.  I added 3 small 'California Sunset' Graptosedums, as well as cuttings of a noID Crassula growing elsewhere in my garden.

The wok-style planter on the south patio had seriously deteriorated when I wasn't watching.

Even though I dumped water on this planter every so often, it'd gone to hell without my noticing.  This was the state it was in when I pulled it apart to start over.

This is it in its renovated state

The top photo is a closeup of the revamped pot.  Clockwise from the middle left, it contains a Crassula swaziensis 'Variegata', a Crassula pendens, 2 Echeveria 'Violet', and 2 segments of one of the original noID plants.

I made a few quick updates to another pot on the back patio.

With the exception of the reddish succulent, which I believe is Echeveria 'Violet Queen' (under stress), and one stem of Crassula perforata, the other ingredients are the grayish succulent that came from the wok-style planter (possibly Graptopetalum paraguayense) and 3 Graptoveria 'Lovely Rose', part of the recent shipment received from Mountain Crest Gardens

And I finally planted the tiny brain cactus I also received from Mountain Crest Gardens.

Stenocactus multicostatus is going to need time to bulk up before going in the ground and this pot, received as a birthday gift months ago, needed a plant.  I don't much like the tiny white rocks and will look for a more sutle top cover.

I wasn't sure where to plant a division taken from one of my bromeliads so that went into a temporary pot.  The pups I harvested from an Aloe in December also went into a temporary pot.

This is Nidularium wittrockia leopardinum, one of my favorite bromeliads (even if its leaf edges are vicious)

The divisions of Aloe striata x maculata need to root before I give them away.  I've already planted 8 of them directly into my own garden. 

The fountain-style planter in my front garden could use some additions but I'll shop around a bit before updating that.

The planter looks pretty good but, until the Mangave 'Kaleidoscope' planted in the center fills out, it could use a few more fillers

I still have plenty of pruning left to do and maybe I'll get to that this weekend.  I also have a little planting to do.

I had lunch with a friend yesterday and she passed along a bulb divided from a clump of Hippeastrum papilio in her garden.  It's one of my absolute favorites.  Thanks PZ!

 

May your weekend be peaceful.

All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Bloom Day - January 2025

Under current circumstances, with a fire emergency ongoing in Los Angeles County, I might be expected to skip blog posts but frankly I need something to divert my attention from TV newscasts and scrolling fire reports online.  My South Bay area has not experienced a fire as so many other areas have but, with conditions tinder dry in a terrain riddled with rocky canyons, the risk of fire is a serious concern.  My husband and I updated our disaster plan and restocked our emergency go-bags, including one we have for the cat, this past weekend.  We remain vigilant, monitoring the Cal Fire site, wind conditions, and our own horizon.  A new fire emerged on Monday in adjacent Ventura County - it's not close but it's a reminder that, with red flag warnings once again in effect, we can't be complacent.

I've thrown the majority of my Bloom Day photos into collages this month.  I'll start as usual with the most prolific bloomers this month.

Aeonium arboreum flowers en masse at this time of year.  Their arrival always makes me think of the 1963 British science fiction/horror film, The Day of the Triffids.

Aloe 'Moonglow', divisions given to me by fellow blogger, Denise of A Growing Obsession, years ago are coming into their own

I picked up 2 Aloe hybrids at my local botanic garden years ago when they still held plant sales.  Aloe vanbalenii x ferox is on the left and A. striata x vanbalenii is on the right.

Our Hong Kong orchid tree (Bauhinia x blakeana) is covered in flowers despite our high winds but, as the tree has grown taller, its flowers are harder to photograph

Some of the Crassulas are in full flower.  Clockwise from the left are: Crassula ovata, C. orbicularis var rosularis, and C. 'Springtime'

The flowers of Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy' are tiny but plentiful

The small-flowered Grevilleas join the year-round bloomers at this time of year.
Top row: Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream', G. 'Poorinda Leane', and G. alpina x rosmarinifolia
Middle: G. lavandulacea 'Penola', G. rosmarinifolia 'Dwarf Form', and G. 'Scarlet Sprite'
Bottom: G. sericea and 2 photos of G. 'Superb'

Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl'

Leucadendrons often substitute colorful bracts for flowers.
Top row: Leucadendron salignum 'Blush' and L. 'Safari Sunset'
Middle: 2 shots of L. s. 'Chief', now over 10 feet tall
Bottom: L. s. 'Summer Red' and L. 'Wilson's Wonder'

Metrosideros collina 'Springfire' is starting off its bloom cycle with a bang

The Osteospermums are coming back slowly.  Clockwise from the upper left: O. '4D Sunburst', a noID hybrid, O. 4D Silver', O. '4D Pink', and O. '4D White'.

Polygala myrtifolia (aka sweet pea shrub) has self-seeded freely in both my front and back gardens

A couple of plants are coming to the end of their season.

Protea neriifolia 'Claire' and Camellia sasanqua are just about done flowering

Several other plants are just getting started.

Top row: Anemone coronaria 'Mistral Grape' and 'Mount Everest'
Middle: The first Arctotis 'Pink Sugar' and Leucospermum 'Sunrise' blooms
Bottom: Echium handiense, Narcissus papyraceus, and N. 'Geranium'

There's one surprise bloom in progress.

This is the best shot of the Mangave 'Silver Fox' bloom stalk I could get

All the smaller stuff has been groups into categories by color.

Clockwise from the upper left, the blues include: Eustoma grandiflorum, Felicia aethiopica, Nemesia 'Bicolor', Pelargonium peltatum 'Lavender Blizzard', noID Viola, and Salvia rosmarinus (aka rosemary)

Clockwise, the white and yellow flowers include: Alstroemeria 'Inca Sundance', Eustoma grandiflorum 'Green', Argyranthemum frutescens 'Mount Everest', Antirrhinum majus, Correa 'Ivory Bells', Fuchsia 'Windchimes White', and noID Cyclamen

Clockwise, pinkish blooms include: succulent groundcover Ruschia 'Nana', noID Kalanchoe, Argyranthemum frutescens 'Aramis Apricot', Alstroemeria 'Inca Vienna', Hebe 'Wiri Blush', noID Cineraria, and Boronia crenulata 'Shark Bay'

Clockwise, flowers with orange and red tones include: noID Anthurium, Bignonia capreolata (I think), Cuphea 'Vermillionaire', noID Echeveria, Pelargonium peltatum 'Dark Coral', P. p. 'Red Ice', Primula vulgaris, and Ribes viburnifolium

That's it for my bloom survey this month.  Although there's little to nothing in our forecast, hopefully we'll get some rain in February to take the edge off this exceptionally dry year in Southern California.  It's been over eight months since we've had any real rain.

Visit the host of Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, Carol at May Dreams Gardens, to find other florific posts.

All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase On Monday: Can we hope for better this week?

Last week was an emotional roller coaster.  With two major fires burning in Los Angeles County Tuesday evening, we got very nervous when our house was permeated with smoke and we heard fire engines passing through the area.  However, we were lucky and remained so throughout the week.  Driven by high winds, the smoke from the Eaton Fire in the Altadena-Pasadena area blew our way but, although our air quality has remained poor, no fires have broken out in our immediate vicinity.  The closest, the Palisades Fire, is thirty-five miles to our north.  At one time, eight fires were burning in our County.  It was down to three yesterday but the Palisades and Eaton fires are still largely uncontained and continue to threaten surrounding areas.  Over 12,000 structures have been destroyed, many people have lost everything, and 150,000 are under evacuation orders.  People are scrambling to rent - or buy - houses to lend their lives a semblance of normalcy.  Rebuilding is going to take years, especially as entire communities have been razed - there are no stores, schools, or churches left in some of them.

Unfortunately, we're expecting the winds to kick up yet again today.  My own area is considered at high risk of fire danger so we'll remain on edge like many of those elsewhere in the Los Angeles area, probably until we finally get some rain - and no one knows when that might happen.

I could only manage one floral arrangement this week.  I'm keeping my time outdoors to a minimum and wearing a mask while working outside until our air quality improves, which forecasters also predict could remain stagnant until that miraculous rain arrives.

I started off with Leucadendron 'Chief ', which has pink and yellow flower-like bracts, and added the larger yellow flower-like bracts of Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder'.  I cut stems of Narcissus to provide an extra flourish.

I dressed up the back view using Aeonium stems.  I have a LOT of Aeonium flowers at the moment.  

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Aeonium arboreum, Alstroemeria 'Inca Sundance', Narcissus 'Geranium', Leucadendron salignum 'Chief', and L. 'Wilson's Wonder'

For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Pruning or butchery?

I've tackled several pruning tasks during the past week.  Some of these were on my list, while others were handled on the fly.  With pruning tools in hand, I'm easily distracted.  I always think they're going to be quick jobs but somehow few of these turn out to be that easy.  As I'm a neat-freak, letting me loose with pruners can lead me to go overboard while cutting back plants.  I'm often left wondering if I've butchered my plant.  Usually, things turn out alright and the plants rebound but, until that happens, I worry.

I hadn't planned on cutting back the guava tree in my north side garden but I saw some twiggy bits I thought I could quickly trim away before tackling a different job.  Ninety minutes later, I'd narrowed the tree and reduced its height.  I don't have a "before" shot - these are the "after" views from the front and back.  It looks fine, although now I realize I need to prune the overgrown Leucadendron 'Chief' next to it; however, that's a job for another day.

I hadn't added the Senna bicapsularis to my to-do list either but I thought I could put quick work to this one as well.  It always produces flowers atop tall bare stems.  I've no "before" shot here either.  In this case I cut it back as shown in the photo on the left, only to come back 3 days later to chop it back even further, as shown on the right.  I'm divided on whether I've gone too far or not far enough on this one.

My target for work on the back slope was the tangled mess including a Vesalea floribunda (aka Mexican abelia) and a trailing Lantana, shown in the middle of the photo on the left.  It was a bigger mess than I'd imagined.  The photo on the right shows what was left of the Vesalea when I finished.

I've tried and failed to propagate the Vesalea from cuttings.  It reportedly fares better when propagated using layering, where stems attached to the parent plant trail the ground and develop roots.  The plant on the left appears to have done that.  I think the plant on the right is the remnant of the Lantana that merged with the Vesalea but I'm not positive.  I'm waiting to see what happens with both these plants before pulling either up.

I made 2 stabs at cutting back the Tagetes lemmonii (aka Mexican marigold).  I suspect it'll come back even reduced to a third of its original size but it's easy enough to replace if it declines.  The faded fox is a sentimental favorite I've had for 15+ years.  I may make a stab at painting him, or let him go.

The overgrown Vitex trifolia is shown in the wide shot on the left behind the Dasylirion longissima.  I cut it down by half to bare branches.  It's no longer visible in the wide shot on the right.  I've cut it back severely before but I may have taken it too far this time.

The photo on the left shows the Vitex's pretty purple and olive green foliage. Cutting the Vitex back to its bare branches, as shown on the right, revealed a large Acanthus mollis I almost forgot was there and a variety of succulents previously hidden.  It also revealed a lot of grass weeds (probably Bermuda grass) and some die-back to the Salvia clevelandii, which I still need to attend to.

I cleaned up the Crassula pubescens ssp radicans that's formed a mass at the base of a stump.  No problems with that simple exercise.

I took care of a few other things this week in the course of my pruning activity. 

While on the slope to tackle the Vesalea, I performed a general cleanup.  It looks neater, if nothing else.

The Calendula seedlings were overrunning one of my cutting garden beds, making me think that there were more Ranunculus coming up than there really were.  I thinned the Calendula, moving some of those seedlings elsewhere.

I added 3 Aloe striata x maculata pups and several Aeonium arboreum cuttings to the top tier of the front slope below the Arbutus 'Marina' tree.  The photo has a reddish color due to the effects of the smokey light when it was taken yesterday.

I got less done this week than I'd hoped due largely to the fires that erupted across Los Angeles County.  We'd been warned of "life-threatening winds" but it sounded like hyperbole until the first fire broke out in Pacific Palisades thirty-five miles to the north on Tuesday morning.  Later that afternoon another massive fire emerged in Eaton Canyon in Altadena, spreading into Pasadena and other surrounding areas.  My own area in Southern California's South Bay doesn't have an active fire but we've been impacted by the smoke from those two fires, which together have burned over 32,000 acres.  There are currently six fires burning in the County with only two of the smallest fires partially contained.   I've lived in Southern California my entire life and have seen many fires touched off by Santa Ana winds but this is the most intense event I've ever seen.  Some 180,000 people are under evacuation orders.  Pacific Palisades has been decimated by the loss of 6000 structures and the Eaton fire has taken nearly 1000 more.  At least five people have died.  My confinement to the house due to smoke is trivial by comparison.

View of the smoky haze on Wednesday afternoon

All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

When the bird feeders are full

I've been leaving my bird feeders empty for much of the year; however, I feel compelled to fill them during the winter months.  Granted, what passes for winter in my climate poses far fewer challenges for the birds than conditions in colder climates but I do like watching them from the window of my home office at this time of year.

Unfortunately, my windows are less than pristine and foggy conditions on some days didn't help the clarity of the following photos yet they still tell a story.

The house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) and lesser goldfinches (Spinus psaltria) are always the first to show up when seeds magically appear

Fuzzy closeup of the lesser goldfinches

The white crown sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) showed up soon after the finches

The spice finches (Lonchura punctulata), birds native to tropical Asia, were late arrivals.  These birds escaped into the wild decades ago.

The smaller birds are scared off on a regular basis by the neighborhood bully.

The California scrub jay (Aphelocoma californica) scatters the smaller birds as soon as it arrives

Scrub jays can't get directly to the seed in my "squirrel-resistant" feeders but, like squirrels, they manage to get enough seed to keep them coming back

A bigger threat loomed.  I noted the hawk's arrival but all the smaller birds appeared oblivious.

Without a closer look, I can't be certain of his/her identity but I'm guessing it was a red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis).  They often land in the neighbor's pine trees behind our garden.

The birds also dismissed the threat that lay behind the glass window of my office.

Meeko has thoroughly enjoyed the presence of the birds, chittering at them.  She looks a little fat here but, at 11 months old, she's simply filled out some.

What I haven't seen are any squirrels.  They usually appear at the feeders before the birds do!  Last week, Loree of danger garden asked how the pumpkins in my front garden avoided destruction by squirrels for over two months.  While I've had squirrels tunnel through pumpkins overnight on many occasions, I assumed that the thick skins of the pumpkins I'd bought this year had made a difference.  

Photo taken in late October 2015

Then, while walking the neighborhood earlier this week, I noticed several ordinary pumpkins untouched  in the gardens of two other homes.  I also realized that it'd been a month or more since I've seen squirrels nearby.  A neighbor across the street told me she's seen packs of coyotes wandering through the area nearly every night on her trail and security cameras.  Another neighbor said she passed one in the mid-afternoon.  Maybe the squirrels have been pushed out by predators?  Even if true, I'm sure their absence is temporary.

Our regional Santa Ana winds are blowing again.  They touched off another serious wildfire in Pacific Palisades, approximately thirty-five miles to the north of us, yesterday morning.  Another major fire developed in Altadena, forty-five miles away, in the afternoon.  The smoke blew our way last night, permeating the house.  Wind whipping foliage about caused our motion-detection lights to go on and off, on and off constantly.  It was not a restful night but at least we don't have a fire in our immediate area.  My heart goes out to those who do. 

All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party