Friday, June 10, 2022

New plants, garden chores & rabbits

I aim to avoid planting anything new during SoCal's "warm season" but I seldom succeed in stopping altogether.  I cut myself some slack when it comes to succulents as most of them handle summer's soaring temperatures and dry soil better than other plants.  As the last few weeks have been relatively cool here, it's also easier to bend my self-imposed rule.  Our morning marine layer has remained intact.  Although it generally clears before noon, the clouds keep the afternoon heat at bay.  Thus far, our temperatures haven't strayed much above a comfortable 72F (22C), however, the temperature this morning suggests a break in the trend.

I haven't gone crazy but I've added a few plants this week.

A friend gave me 2 bulbils still attached to a piece of the flower stalk produced by one of her Mangaves, recently identified as 'Catch a Wave'.  It was growing in shade in a pot and produced a stalk nearly 6 feet tall.  I planted one bulbil in a small pot and one directly in the ground.

My local botanic garden's plant stand  is now well stocked with leftovers from the garden's spring plant sale.  I picked up an unlabeled Aloe, which looks to be the same hybrid I bought year's ago at another sale (shown on the lower right).  If I'm right about that, it's Aloe vanbalenii x striata.  Mine original plant also turns orange with sun exposure during the summer months.

I tweaked the succulent bed on the west side of our garage as I'm still unsatisfied with it.  The small succulent planter I'd had in front was blocking water to the plants behind it so I moved it.  I planted an Agave 'Mr Ripple' pup I had in reserve in its place.  I also replaced some unhappy succulents with Echeveria agavoides, which have generally done well here.

I'm hoping 'Mr Ripple' (left) bulks up now that its roots are in the ground.  I added 3 Echeveria agavoides 'Red Tips' (shown upper right) and plan to get more to create a mass in that area.  I added 6 Echeveria agavoides 'Gilva' in another section (shown lower right).

The Agave 'Mr Ripple' on the left is the parent of the pup I just planted.  The succulent planter on the right is the one I moved to another spot on the west side of the garage.

It's already too warm and dry for the ox-eye daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare) I planted in one backyard border last fall.  Those that haven't already died back look terrible so I'm trying out Helianthemum 'The Bride' as an alternative groundcover.  It's supposed to grow only 6-8 inches tall with a spread of 2-3 feet.

 

I continued pruning shrubs that recently finished their bloom cycles.

Echium candicans 'Star of Madeira' has been in place in this spot since December 2014, which makes it old by the standard for this species.  It's getting increasingly tall and woody and, as it doesn't take well to hard pruning, I take only the growing tips off. My guess is that I'll need to replace it in another year.

The 'Star of Madeira' sits atop a moderate slope at the front of the garden so pruning it is something of a challenge but I managed without breaking my neck.  I cut it back further in front as it had been covering up some of my favorite Agaves, as well as Aloe laworana (shown on the right).

I left some of the Echium's debris in place a this seems to be a favorite hang-out for this dove

I also pruned my second Echium webbii on the back slope.  The Centranthus ruber below the lemon tree needs to be deadheaded as well but I had yet another unfortunate encounter with fire ants while working there so I've put that off.

I was nervous about pruning the Leucospermums but read that they can be cut back as long as 4 sets of leaves remain on the stem.  I took that advice and cut back both 'Goldie' and 'Sunrise' after the last of their flowers dropped.

Leucospermum 'Royal Hawaiian Brandi' has barer stems so I was more cautious when pruning it.  I was treated to a butterfly sighting while work was in process.


After previously taking a casual approach to rabbits in my garden, this year has shown me what a blasted pain in the neck they can be.  During the first seven years here, I never saw a single rabbit.  They made their first appearance three years ago but during the first two years they disappeared in early spring, presumably as a result of activity on the part of coyotes and other predators.  This year, our little ecosystem is completely out of sync and a whole extended family of bunnies appears to have taken up residence.  In the past, any movement I noticed out of the corner of my eye was usually due to the presence of a lizard or a bird but I'm now encountering bunnies at every turn.  I've learned that they're voracious and seemingly willing to taste-test every plant I've got at least once.

This one let me get within 2 feet of him before he sprinted off

My husband made me cages to protect the plants the rabbits have taken a particular shine to.  I've deployed close to a dozen of these already.

 

The good news is that the plant cages are effective in keeping the rabbits out and my husband prepared extras to be called into service as needed.  That's a good thing, especially as I have a small mail order plant delivery pending.  A friend gave me a few plants as birthday gifts late last month that I still need to get in the ground too.

Best wishes for a peaceful, pest-free weekend.


All material © 2012-2022 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party


26 comments:

  1. Bunnies & squirrels - Grrr! Lucky you with a husband who makes cages. Oh, and although I didn't leave a comment the other day (I was a bit lazy), your lath house is awesome.

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    1. My husband gives useful gifts. The plant-protecting cages were his birthday present to me and the lath house was his Christmas present (in 2017). I'm very lucky.

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  2. I'm grateful I don't have to deal with rabbits! You win on the June Gloom though , it hasn't showed it's face here yet. However we got almost a half an inch of rain weekend before last, and I've already used all but 10 gallons of my collected water. And I was able to skip in-ground watering last weekend.

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    1. I'm still in shock over the arrival of the rabbits, Kathy - even my neighbors who've lived here 3+ decades longer than we have said that there were no rabbit issues here until 3 years ago. I've got to wonder how the ecosystem got off-kilter to create that change!

      I'm envious of your rain. The marine layer was thick enough at one point last week to give us a hundredth of an inch of precipitation. We turn off our irrigation for at least one cycle if we get 0.12/inch of rain but we haven't seen that since at least early April. I believe our water guidelines consider a quarter of an inch as "measurable rain" warranting turning off the irrigation for at least 2 days (not that some people turn it off even when it's pouring).

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  3. #^*%#%^ rabbits. Have a great weekend!

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  4. Your marine layer is an interesting phenomenon, Kris. Though there are some similarities between Adelaide and Los Angeles geographically (beach to the west, ringed by hills) we don't have anything like it here.

    Your succulent bed is looking great. Does it get all day sun or is some shade provided by the tree in the background (Arbutus sp.)? I haven't grown Echeveria agavoides before (though I'd like to) and am wondering how much sun it will tolerate?

    Practical birthday presents are the best. Hope you had a great birthday.

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    1. Between the Arbutus, an Agonis flexuosa close to the street, and a hedge along the street, that succulent bed gets shade about half the day. More importantly, that shade is provided during the hottest part of the day. Off-hand, I think all but one group in my back garden receive partial shade. The 5 in full sun are already clearly stressed, although they've survived 2-3 summers already.

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    2. Thanks Kris, that's good to know

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  5. Mangaves 'Catch a Wave' is very exotic; you are lucky to get this cool gift.
    I like the pruned Echium a lot. The bare "legs" are an artistic addition, while not blocking the view of other plants around it.
    Oh, those cute little bunnies will munch on anything. I found out they are very fond of Gazania blooms. All I was left with where the centers... I do my best to brush it off, enjoy the cuteness in front of me, and share my garden with them with as much joy as I can muster. (No more Gazania for me!)
    Chavli

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    1. I have (had) had a large number of Gazanias and I've noticed the bunnies' appetite for those plants :( Oddly, here they decapitate many of the blooms, leaving the entire flower behind. Maybe they like the Gazania's milky sap or perhaps they're picky about the quality of the bloom - whichever it is, it's annoying but I'm aware that a full-scale battle with them would be fruitless.

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  6. I adore the funny bonsai habit of old echiums, but find it tough to get anything to grow underneath (although I haven't tried doves!). What is the sort of strappy/grassy groundcover you have in the firat echium photo? Thanks.

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    1. The plant below the 'Star of Madeira' is Dianella tasmanica 'Tasred'. I planted 3 of them there in March 2015. They produce small blue flowers, which I rarely notice until they're just about done. They're more well known for their shiny blue berries but I don't get many of those, perhaps because my plants receive so much shade. My only word of warning is that the plants do spread slowly by rhizomes - mine have recently been trying to creep into spots I don't want them but they've been well-behaved up to last year.

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    2. much appreciated

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  7. Glad the weather is holding for you, Kris, so you can continue to garden. I feel for you in respect to the rabbits. It seems some wildlife are thriving in our manmade world. In the last week I've had a bear, groundhog, raccoon, rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels and deer in my yard. The only ones I like to see are the birds. :) Eliza

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    1. I seem to have jinxed myself in mentioning the pleasant stretch of weather, Eliza. We got up into the mid-80s today. By comparison to the inland areas with temperatures over 100F, we're doing well but I'm already switching back to gardening during the early morning and late afternoon hours. We all have our fair share of pests of one kind or another - I count myself lucky that I don't have deer. If the coyotes visited more often I might have fewer rabbits. I've seen a noticeable increase in crows flying low over the property recently, however.

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  8. Rabbits can indeed be a nuisance in the garden. We don't have too many, and my cat helps keep the population down. Unfortunately, her idea of rabbit control is to bring them in the house - alive. She then sets them down and she and the dog chase them under the furniture. One I was able to intercept, but the other died somewhere in the house, only to be drug out and laid at my feet a few days later by the dog.
    You have so many succulents. I swear you should open a nursery as you must have everything if not more than they do. But as always, I marvel not as much at your collection as at you ability to know all their names. I can't even remember my neighbor's names sometimes.

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    1. Ha! I know my plants' names better than most of my neighbors, Cindy ;) If my cat was allowed outside, I expect she'd try to catch the rabbits too - as it is a neighborhood has been spending a lot of time in my garden (and I no longer shoo him away). My cat brings in live lizards when she catches them in her catio and I've had similar problems hunting them down. She brought one in just yesterday, which I was lucky enough to catch and release outside (minus his tail).

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  9. Hi Kris .. sorry about the bunny explosion and I am sure you are too right about ecosystems being off kilter in so many places. This poor planet has had enough nonsense ? Funny how that aloe (when it turns orange) reminds me so much of a starfish .. it is very pretty ! The succulent bed is going to be amazing as it grows .. the best I can do is a tiny patch of different Hens & Chicks , which I really like actually .. especially the darker tipped ones . That butterfly is gorgeous .. I haven't seen any here yet but then we have had cool WET weather .. fingers crossed though I see them soon. Your husband is very handy with helping you out to save those plants from the "bunny buffet" LOL .. Too funny about forgetting "names" I have lost my capacity to store plant names in my mind so badly I am always reaching for paper and pen to make notes now .. how sad is that ? LOL

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    1. I expect my climate is better suited for succulents than yours, CGJ. we're frost - and snow - free here. I actually have limited success with most hens & chicks succulent varieties - they seem to want a bit of winter chill and we don't get much of that either.

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  10. Too bad about the bunnies. The good news is they tend to be cyclical with their populations peaking and crashing. You might be at the peak currently. They are voracious but you can spray individual plants with something like Plantskyd and that keeps them from snacking.

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    1. Thanks for the tip about Plantskyd, Elaine. I've noticed crows flying low over the garden numerous times over the past few days and an online search substantiated my suspicion that they prey on rabbits. It may explain why I didn't see a single rabbit in the garden today for the first time in a couple of weeks.

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  11. Oh rabbits are an absolute nuisance Kris despite their appearance. I've fortunately never had any in the garden (grey squirrels are more than enough to contend with) but they did cause havoc at my former allotment. On one occasion they chomped their way through my annual flower bed of cornflowers nigella etc overnight. I could have cried! Good luck with keeping them off your plants 🤞

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    1. I had some issues with squirrels at one time too, Anna. Luckily, cutting off the birdseed at the end of winter also seems to send them elsewhere ;) As to the rabbits, I've been amazed at how fast they can decimate plants.

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  12. 'Catch a Wave' is a great mangave. It's been discontinued, I believe, but it'll live on in gardens. Your succulent bed will be glorious in a year or so!

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    1. They're already eliminating Mangaves?! Based on my friend's experience with the plant, it appears to be very vigorous, although she did express concern about that shape of the mother plant following its bloom.

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