Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Another trip to Roger's Gardens

After an absence of more than a year, I've visited Roger's Gardens in Corona del Mar three times since April following my Covid-19 vaccination.  My most recent trip, just over a week ago, was prompted by an opportunity to connect with blogger friend Gerhard of Succulents & More.  He'd come to Southern California for the Inner City Cactus & Succulent Society Sale & Show and we arranged to meet at Roger's Farmhouse restaurant between stops on his whirlwind tour of local nurseries.  I arrived early to give myself time to walk around the exterior garden areas of the garden center I'd missed on my July trip.

I didn't have time to explore the entire exterior area so I focused on one end.  As one might expect in midsummer during an exceptionally dry year, the landscape was muted, with shrubs, grasses, and succulents carrying the show.  (More vibrant displays can be viewed here in posts from November 2016 and January 2019.)

The Leucadendrons (possibly 'Safari Sunset'), Grevillea 'Scarlet Sprite', and Westringia 'Morning Light' do a fine job of covering a slope here

Just a few feet away, there's a grouping of Leucadendron 'Ebony, a Grevillea in full flower ('Robyn Gordon' or 'Superb' perhaps), and more Westringia, which looks like it had been sheared to form a hedge

This display at the intersection of two large streets was my focus.  I was surprised by the shrub roses planted in front.

I think the low-growing grass in the foreground on the left is Seslaria, at least it bears a striking resemblance of the Sesleria 'Greenlee's Hybrid' growing in my own garden.  I can't identify the grass in the background.

The large Aloes and Agaves were here the last time I checked out the area in January 2019.  The Aloes are winter bloomers.

This is a closeup of the grass I wasn't able to identify.  A Miscanthus perhaps?  I photographed it from inside the gazebo with Leucadendrons and Grevilleas in the background.

Several very large hanging planters are attached to the gazebo's roof.  They're filled with Phormiums, Pelargoniums and what I think is Sedum.

These large clumps of Agave attenuata and Aloes were also here at the time of my last tour of the area

Chondropetalum tectorum (aka Small Cape Rush) is used extensively, including in the parkway area adjacent to the street.  Unlike the specimen fronting the street in my own garden, this one is a true dwarf.

A nice specimen of what I think is Agave vilmoriniana 'Stained Glass' identified as Agave salminana var ferox 'Medio Picta' with Aloes I can't identify

Although I'd shopped the garden center a month earlier, I still had to check the plants on sale to see if there was anything else I "needed."  I came home with a Dahlia 'Cafe au Lait' and an Agastache 'Kudos Mandarin' but there were a few other things that caught my eye.

I've been frustrated by the delayed blooms of my tuber-grown dahlias so I've been tempted to bring home plants already sporting buds.  This Dahlia 'Creme de Cassis' appealed to me but I decided a 'Cafe au Lait' with buds but not blooms was a better buy.  I was amused to see a number of dahlias with tomato cages to provide support.  I started using those a few years ago to support my own dahlias and now this seems to be a common practice.

This Leucanthemum x superbum 'Real Gold Cup' was new to me

This big but simple basket filled with a red-flowered Mandevilla was impressive

I've been enamored with Senecio ficoides 'Mount Everest' since my last visit and purposefully looked for plants for sale during this visit; however, the potted specimens ranged from $20-30.  I've ordered specimens in 3.5-inch pots from a mail order provider instead.

This octopus hanging from the ceiling in the indoor plant area captivated me for some reason.  My guess was that it's intended to become part of the Halloween display slated to open in early September.  There appears to be a price tag on its lower tentacles, though.  It'd be great in my lath house if that space were only taller and a whole lot larger.

Gerhard and I had a great lunch with lots of time to talk before I headed home mid-afternoon, just beating the commuter traffic that plagues our Southern California freeways.


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

22 comments:

  1. Nothing more fun than spending time with like-minded blogger friends (plant nerds...) regardless of where you meet up. I love the 'wind-swept' look of the low growing grass; not suitable for our smaller home gardens, but looks wonderful if the acreage is available.
    I immediately thought of your lath house when I saw that magnificent octopus. Fortunately, it's too large so it can't tempt you.

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    1. This afternoon I found myself wondering if I could put the octopus on top of the lath house ;) I expect, if I'd actually looked at the price tag, I'd immediately put the idea aside.

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  2. You've brought back fun memories of when you, Hoov and I went to lunch several years ago. I would have loved to crash this meet up! That Agave vilmoriniana 'Stained Glass' stole the show for me.

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    1. Perhaps we can arrange a lunch get-together the next time you're down this way, Loree ;)

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  3. Must have been fun! Happy you got to have a great meet up/plant chat with GB. That front area of Roger's is starting to look scruffy, (still interesting, though) maybe they're going to redo it all again soon.

    The Agave is that variegated one San Marcos thinks is a salmiana; no marginal teeth on 'Stained Glass'.

    https://www.smgrowers.com/info/AgavesalmianaMedioPicta.asp

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    1. Thanks for the ID on the 'Stained Glass' imitator, HB. I admit it didn't look quite right to me based on the bright yellow color but I didn't take in the teeth. The area was scruffy relative to how it's looked on the other occasions I've taken the time to check it out. However, given how scruffy my own garden looks at the moment, I actually found that somewhat comforting.

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  4. Oh, what a fun outing! So glad you got to meet up with Gerhard. I really like that Real Gold Cup Leucanthemum. I've developed a thing for those frizzy Leucanthemum - I really, really like them! That octopus is cool, but I hope it isn't real. IMHO, they are far too intelligent to be used for decoration.

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    1. I have a thing for ruffled Leucanthemum myself, Anna, but I consider it foolish to plant them this time of year. Sadly, garden centers usually offer plants when they're in full bloom as opposed to when it's ideal to plant them. I understand why that is but it's frustrating for someone who wants to grow for more than a brief annual show. The octopus looked like wood to me at first glance but it was more probably made of plastic or resin.

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  5. Inspiring, as always, with lots of good ideas. I love the Leucadendron 'Ebony'... do you grow that one in your garden? Wouldn't it look great with the Agave salminana var ferox 'Medio Picta' and the Leucanthemum 'Real Gold Cup?'

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    1. I have one Leucadendron 'Ebony'. It would look great with those plants but mine is already cozied up with Grevillea 'Scarlet Sprite'. I'll keep your suggestion in mind should I find a place for another one, eliza!

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  6. Loving the dahlia (I'm sure you knew I would!). It looks like you had a lovely visit.

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    1. That dahlia may make it on to my list of tubers to look for next year, Nikki ;)

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  7. A true dwarf of tectorum sounds lovely. I would like to plant restios here, but no space for thatching reed sized plants.

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    1. Years ago, the garden centers here were selling what was probably Chondropetalum elephantipes labeled as tectorum so my plant is huge, which presents a problem as it's planted along the street. I think the local suppliers have sorted things out since. I originally had 3 of those giants!

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  8. How nice to be able to meet face to face with Gerhard. A real treat. Chuckled at your octopus. At the Chelsea garden show a couple of years ago there was a huge dragon that I could imagine peering down from the top of a gazebo. Not sure it would have shipped but fun to imagine visitors responses.

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    1. I'm very fond of dragons (and many gargoyles) myself, Elaine. I should look for one to put atop my lath house!

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  9. The street-side plantings look so different at this of year. I'm used to seeing them in the winter when the aloes dominate.

    I had a tectorum once that got massive. I bet it was mislabeled, like so many of them were at the time.

    I think I'll get several of those 'Mount Everest' senecios to plant against the fence in the front yard. I've tried to create a screen with Senecio talinoides, but it's too floppy.

    As a matter of taxonomic curiosity, all these senecios (incl. ficoides) are now in the genus Curio. Not sure it'll ever be universally accepted...

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    1. My mail-order 'Mount Everest' arrived yesterday in their tiny pots. Who knows how long it'll take for them to develop some girth. I'm planning to pot them up in the hope that they'll grow a bit before I plant them out, hopefully when rain arrives. I've seen the Curio name pop up but, without checking, assumed it was a prior classification so thanks for setting me straight.

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  10. Glad you had a chance to get together with a fellow blogger and revisit Roger's Gardens and encounter an octopus. Makes for an exciting day.

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    1. The octopus was a big surprise, Susie. It stopped me in my tracks!

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  11. Muted or not, it's beautiful! I'll have to try to visit Roger's Gardens next time I'm out there. Thanks for the tour.

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    1. It's a "destination nursery" and well worth a visit if you're passing through, Beth!

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