A neighbor's viewpoint on my garden

Chickadee Garden's "Facility Manager" recently presented his favorite picks among the late spring blooms in the garden he shares with his spouse.  That reminded me that I hadn't asked for my husband's input on our garden in some time.  (The input he provided on our summer garden last year can be found here.)  To compensate for cutting his hair, a chore I somehow acquired decades ago when he was still in graduate school which I've never managed to shed, I asked him to provide a current take on what he liked about the garden.  He grumbled that he'd already done that once but he didn't refuse so, when his haircut was done and I suggested a stroll around the garden before dinner, he proposed foisting the task on asking a neighbor to provide input.  He argued that because he's severely red-green color blind he couldn't fairly assess the garden - and then he shot across the street to see if our neighbor was willing to fill in before I could respond.  Neighbor S was accommodating and the two of them were back to join me on a spin through the upper level of the garden within minutes.  (Note: Familiar with our fire ant problem on the back slope, S declared it off-the-table at the outset.)

Here are the plants that grabbed S's attention:

Front Garden

He surprised me by picking Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Rose Pink' almost immediately.  I asked him what he liked about it and he referred to the flower's color and the plant's lacy foliage.

The next choice, Agave 'Jaws', couldn't have been more different.  S said the plant had "personality."  I offered him a large pup I recently found growing nearby but he said he didn't want to worry about having a grandchild fall into it.

The magenta seedpods of Cercis occidentalis (aka the western redbud) earned favorable comment next.  (I know one SoCal blogger who is probably shaking her head over this choice but I have to say it hasn't self-seeded in my garden.)

The color contrast provided by Cuphea 'Vermillionaire' earned it a thumb's up.  S was less than impressed by the flowers of Grevillea 'Superb' behind the Cuphea.

South Side Garden

The selection of Hymenolepsis parviflora (aka Coulter bush) startled me, even though the flowers stand out from the surrounding plants.  I love this plant myself - until the flowers turn this mustard brown color.  Earlier in the season, the yellow flowers provided an echo of other yellow colored flowers in the back garden, carrying one's eye along the full length of the area.  (Mum's the word but I cut the flowers back the day after S voiced his appreciation of the plant.)

Back Garden

Daucus carota 'Dara' grew from seed.  The four foot tall flower S pointed out (left) popped up on the edge of the flagstone path opposite the larger, taller clump of Daucus in the back border (right).  Like the flowers of Hymenolepsis parviflora, the Daucus forms umbels.

Lilies often draw people and this pink one, no longer at its best, received S's nod

This Hebe 'Wiri Blush' is one of my oldest plants but people seldom notice it.  I love the red of its stems and leaf undersides, as well as its flowers but the shrub is currently a mess.  Something, probably a gopher, tunneled underneath it last year, causing die-back at the plant's center.  S noticed the flower and the foliage but not the shrub's misshapen appearance.

This photo may give you a better idea of the shrub's current shape.  I'm vacillating between making an attempt to divide it or simply replacing it. 

Nierembergia scoparia 'Purple Robe' deserves more acclaim than it generally receives.  S loved its purple flower color, delicate foliage and low-growing habit.

The selection of Arbutus 'Marina' (aka strawberry tree) wasn't a surprise.  Nearly every visitor remarks on the beauty of this tree and I'm lucky to have inherited four of them with the garden.

The red trunk and peeling bark of the tree, which reminded S of manzanitas (Arctostaphylos), were major factors in its appeal

North Side Garden

Although I recently gave Grevillea 'Scarlet Sprite' a major haircut and most of its flowers are gone, it also earned a thumps up.  S cited its "exotic" flower for its appeal.

In the process of our walk-through, there were also a couple of what I'll call "honorable mentions":

Heuchera 'Marmalade' was noticed due to its unusual foliage color

This pineapple guava (Feijoa sellowiana), with flowers already giving way to fruit, drew S's attention as he prepared to return home.  I commented that the squirrels seem to be paying the plant a lot of attention at the moment.  When asked what drew them, I said I wasn't sure whether its the developing fruit or the flower petals, which have a sweet taste.  I offered him a petal to chew on his way home.

It's always interesting what draws someone's attention in the garden.  Several times during our spin of the garden, S asked "what's that?" and walked briskly ahead while I tried to ascertain what he was referring to.  I was almost always wrong on my first guess.  Do visitors ever surprise you with their preference of certain plants over others?

All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party