Friday, January 27, 2023

Should it stay or should it go?

Last May, I published a post with the same title focused on whether or not I should remove a particular plant in my back garden.  This post features a host of plants that I'm looking at with a side-eye.  I have issues with plants in virtually every area of my garden.  I'll start with the back garden.

 

I like both the succulent foliage and the bright yellow blooms of Didelta 'Silver Strand' but it's an aggressive spreader.  The tag said it would grow 12" wide but it's easily twice that size despite repeated trimming.  I think it needs another home but, until I find one, I'm planning to cut it back (again).

This dwarf Jacaranda 'Bonsai Blue' was the subject of my May 2022 post.  It's still here, partly because I never found anything to replace it and partly because I've a long-standing affection for Jacaranda trees.  At this time of year, the leaves turn a sickly yellow-green before they're replaced by new foliage..  Still lacking a replacement to fill this spot, my interim plan is to cut the tallest stem to improve the tree's proportions.

I've been pulling out the weedy foliage of what I think is Oxalis stricta for the last 2 months but I actually love the delicate flowers, which fit into the blue, white and yellow color scheme in this bed so I'm considering leaving them in place.  Am I crazy?

I planted a lot of Sesleria 'Greenlee Hybrid' in 2016 as edging material.  According to its tag it was projected to grow 8-12" tall and wide.  Some sources say it requires a light trimming annually and others that it can be mowed to the ground.  It haven't found either approach keeps it tidy.  I might try dividing the clumps and replanting it in some spots but I'm leaning toward digging it all up.

 


There's only one plant that's currently bothering me enough in my south side garden that I'm considering its removal.

The tall spiky plant in the middle of this photo is Dasylirion longissimum (aka Mexican grass tree).  It hasn't developed much of a trunk in the 6 years it's been in my garden and it's never bloomed but my real issue is that it seems out of place here.  It probably also doesn't have the space it needs and it's impossible to weed around it without getting stabbed.  Of course, getting it out of that area could be a literal pain.



I've substantially more concerns with the front garden.

I inherited 2 western redbuds (Cercis occidentalis) with the garden.  They sucker relentlessly and, even with pruning, look more gangly with every passing year.  The spring flowers are pretty and the foliage is attractive but I'm not sure they're worth keeping; however, their placement on a moderate slope surrounded by succulents will make taking them out somewhat difficult.

In the early days after moving here, I added a lot of Duranta repens 'Gold Mound'.  At the time, they were were sold as shrubs that grew 2-3' tall and wide.  Later I found tags on shrubs that looked identical with tags saying they could grow 2-20' tall.  The one on the left is too big for its space and partially hides the Grevillea 'Superb' behind it and the smaller one on the right is both too tall for its space and lanky.  They're on my list to go.

My beloved Echium candicans 'Star of Madeira' has become very woody.  Tip pruning hasn't kept it within bounds.  While it has a lot of fresh green foliage, it also has a lot of bare branches.  I'm going to take cuttings in early spring to get a start on replacing it.

This Grevillea 'Ned Kelly', one of 2 in my garden, isn't happy in this relatively shady area and I don't think the occasional flower it produces is worth leaving it in place

The white bower vines (Pandorea jasminoides 'Alba') on either side of the arbor over the front door came with the garden.  They've looked sadder with every passing year and this January's rain hasn't reversed that trend.  I've no idea what to use to replace them but, at this point, having nothing there would be an improvement.

I planted more Sesleria 'Greenlee Hybrid' along the bed shown here (photographed from 2 directions).  It looks even worse than the plants in the back garden.  I'm not sure what I'll do to fill in the empty space.  Adding creeping thyme might be the simplest solution.

 

The cutting garden has one possible candidate for eviction.

I'm not sure what I was thinking when I planted lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) here, although I like it when it's in bloom even if the faux birdbath gets lost in the middle.  We had to hack it back when we replaced our water pipeline last year.  It's looking pretty woody now so I'm thinking it may be time to replace it with something more manageable.


The final three candidates are found on the north side of the house.

I underestimated how big this Grevillea lavandulacea 'Penola' would get when I moved it to the narrow space between the concrete block stair and the fence separating us from a neighbor.  It needs frequent pruning to keep it from encroaching on the stairway leading down the back slope.  However, it blooms well despite all that pruning so I'm not sure I can bring myself to remove it.

This Psoralea pinnata (aka Kool-Aid bush) is another plant meant to be kept in shape through tip-pruning but it's become very leggy.  I'll see how it looks when in blooms in late spring before I do anything.  It's supposed to readily self-seed but I've seen no signs it's been so inclined.

This mass of prostrate rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) is healthy but it's taking up a lot of space that could be given to more interesting plants.  I probably wouldn't remove all of it but I've been considering reducing its size substantially since last year.

 

If you have views on any of these, please share them.  I can't possibly remove them all of them at once so whatever comes of my evaluation will be approached in stages over the course of the year.


What about you?  Do you have any plants begging to be booted out?


All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party


24 comments:

  1. I've removed (and moved) so many plants in the last year ! And I can relate to spending a couple of seasons thinking about it too. I think I've gotten more ruthless though-in a small garden like mine sometimes that's the only way to make room for new plants. Could that over enthusiastic Didelta be a candidate for your back slope ? As far as Lavender goes , it gets 3 or 4 years in my garden and then out it goes to be replaced with a fresh plant. They're so readily available in 4" and there are so many cultivars to try.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I had the same thought about simply replacing the lavender, although planting succulents around the base of the faux birdbath is another idea as it'd align with my treatment of the other 2 areas on that end of the raised planters in the cutting garden. In addition to the back slope, I'm considering simply moving the Didelta to a barer spot in the same bed where its spread would be more welcome. Thanks for weighing in, Kathy!

      Delete
  2. Anything described as an "aggressive spreader" should go. (I also thought of dropping the Didelta in the back slope, have it fight it out with the ivy).
    The Sesleria seem to be more trouble than its worth, the white bower vines looks sad. I hate having to prune my lavenders every year, but then I forgive them when they bloom... In general, if I put a lot of work into plants that look miserable, it makes me miserable too. So they have to go, even if there isn't a replacement in mind right away.
    Chavli

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree with you on the Sesleria, Chavli - and the bower vines. Both had their good days but those are long past and they show no signs of making any kind of miraculous turnaround in response to the rain. I'll probably start chipping away at my projects this weekend. It is more fun to plant than uproot, though!

      Delete
  3. Oh, I love the Mexican grass tree! Maybe in a different spot? Re: the other plants...I'm sure you'll have excellent judgement for your own beautiful garden. I like all your plants, so for most of them maybe it's simply a matter of moving things around a bit. Keep us posted on the adjustments.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Mexican grass tree would be great in another location but moving it to the one spot that could possibly handle it would be a very prickly matter. Frankly, I'm not sure I can even get it out of its current location without harming not just it but also some of the large succulents surrounding it. It may get to stay by default.

      Delete
  4. The Mini Jacaranda is sad. Never flowered? They were not cheap to buy as I remember, but does it make you happy?

    Dasilyrion you can take enough of the bottom leaves off so it is just a vertical spike of foliage. You might try that. They do get big and burly in time. Try it in a bigger space? Coincidence i spent 5 hours today trimming the leaves on mine--still not finished--but mine is a whole lot bigger.

    Oxalis? No no no!

    Seslaria--yuck! Bower vines--finished. Hardenbergia is a tough low-water fine if you want some evergreen foliage over the structure. A white flower version and a purple flower version.

    'Penola' is so pretty.

    Remove lavender and try the Didelta where the lavender is? The silver foliage and bright yellow flowers would agree with the white fountain and blue glass.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the input, HB! I think the Jacaranda flowered once, albeit lightly and, as I recall, it was indeed more expensive than most of the plants I buy. I did light pruning of the base of the Dasylirion last year, difficult due to its close proximity to various agaves. It could replace the fan aloe in the bed near the garage, if I could get it out in one piece. Hardenbergia is a good candidate to replace the bower vines. I grew it in my former garden and, though I recall it getting woody over time, maybe there are pruning techniques to keep it in shape. Planting the Didelta around the birdbath to replace the lavender is a great idea I hadn't considered!

      Delete
  5. The oxalis will likely be trying to abolish; it seeds around and the bulbs multiply like crazy. Have you thought of trying to coppice the redbud? If it's suckering seems like it might be the thing. I've been so jealous of 'Penola', such a beauty at this time of year. And I love the idea of taking out the tall stem on jacaranda; with plants you're not sure of I think of it as an opportunity to try experimental pruning first ;).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I cut the redbuds back pretty hard last year but I didn't get anywhere near taking them down to the ground level. That might be an interesting experiment, especially if the alternative is taking them out entirely. I cut back the Jacaranda before and it sprouted from the cut branches so I think cutting the wildly out-of-proportion branch is probably also a worthwhile experiment, especially as I still have no idea what to plant to replace it. Thanks for the input!

      Delete
  6. I think the oxalis is likely pes-caprae https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Oxalis_pes-caprae easy to tell by size and if there are okra-like seed capsules (which would indicate your stricta id).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the links! I checked the foliage and it does indeed have the small purple spots indicative of pes-caprae. The photos showing its spread in the San Francisco area are intimidating, although I note that I've occasionally seen this "weed" in another area of my garden and it hasn't taken over, even in my frost-free environment. The soil in the bed shown in my photo was disturbed when I removed a native aster that had run amok so that may have set the stage for development of this patch of Oxalis. However, the effort involved in pulling out the rampant aster (which is still popping up here and there) lessens my enthusiasm for encouraging the spread of the Oxalis.

      Delete
  7. Okay, 1 last thing about the oxalis (which is heavily used by bees in my yard) https://milliontrees.me/2015/05/15/five-reasons-its-okay-to-love-oxalis-and-stop-poisoning-it/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Whatever I do with the Oxalis, I won't be using Garlon to eradicate it! I'll probably dig out the bulbs at the end of their flowering season, if not before. I really do like the flowers but having them take over the entire back garden would take that interest too far. I've saved both your links for future reference. Thanks again for sharing them!

      Delete
  8. Any plant that's struggling/past its prime like the bower vine, I'd put it on the removal list. As far as stuff that's healthy and still looking good after these tough years -- e.g. I've always admired the lines of that dasylirion among the agaves! Re the aggressive didelta, IF it looks good most of the year I'd probably try to accommodate it in a large garden like yours, esp with climate change/water restriction issues. Same idea for the bank of rosemary. I understand the complaints about golden duranta. I had one grow enormous in the early 2000s and then it became infested with some strange scale so was pulled -- never again. As Kathy notes lavender is generally shortlived so no issue pulling it when it gets woody. Echium gets woody with time too. The sesleria might be a subjective issue. Marty pointed mine out a couple days ago and said, 'Do you like that?" with an incredulous tone of voice! I said I did. Raking it might be better than cutting it down as far as maintenance. I don't have Greenlee's hybrid anymore but use instead Campo Verde/Campo Azul . Whatever you do, Kris, I'm so glad you're not attempting it all at once!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the feedback, Denise. Marty's view of the Sesleria is interesting. I loved in the first few years but now it drives me crazy. I've tried "combing" it, which I agree yields better results than cutting it to the ground, which seems to kill it. I've started a haphazard response to my list, cutting back the Jacaranda and digging out the lavender yesterday. I may move the Didelta to the lavender's spot as HB suggested. Taking out the trumpet vines is high on my list but I'm going to need assistance on that project and I haven'd enlisted that yet ;)

      Delete
  9. Reading your post made me realize how lazy a gardener, I am, lol. Not only do I laze around all winter barely thinking of my garden, I rarely rip things out and start over. The plus of a cold winter is that things don't grow quickly like they do in a warmer climate. ;) Eliza

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Real winter weather seems to remedy many ills with bugs and weeds as well, Eliza. Not much other than severe drought kills things off here.

      Delete
  10. I like HB's idea of moving the Didelta to replace the lavender. I honestly don't mind the grass tree among the succulents. I like the overall form echo, and the contrasting textures. I would definitely move the Durantas - especially if they get that big. I find how reality clashes with the scant info on the plant tags really interesting. I mean, it happens all the time! There are several things in my garden which I'm considering, as they have gotten too big or too shaded out for their spots. I got one out a few weeks ago, but so far haven't tackled the rest. And now we have another temperature below freezing, so perhaps a few things will take themselves out, so to speak...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sometimes I wish we had serious winters that would take out plants, Anna, but then I acknowledge that Mother Nature isn't as selective as I'd like her to be. I brought the tag on one of the Durantas to the attention of a nurseryperson once and she just shook her head. Really, what's the point of telling a customer that the plant they're considering may grow 2 to 20 feet?!

      Delete
  11. I love how proactive and analytical you are. Me, I usually let things go too long and then decide spur of the moment that a plant has to go--NOW.

    I wish Didelta would grow like that here. I lost mine, and an offset from Hoover Boo didn't take. I also like her suggestion of replacing the lavender around your birdbath with the Didelta.

    My two cents: If a plant bothers you enough, take it out, whether it's healthy or not.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've already cleared the lavender around the faux birdbath with the plan of moving the Didelta there. Hopefully, it won't take offense to being dug up and moved. I tried to plant cuttings of it earlier but, to date, only a single one seems to have survived the experience. It clearly isn't as easily propagated as the majority of my succulents.

      Delete
  12. I loved this post, I felt like I was walking around the garden with you evaluating things. My only comment is about the Dasylirion longissimum, I love it there. Maybe it's just the angle of the photo, but it appears to be the perfect counter to the agaves.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your view on the Dasylirion is shared by others, Loree. I expect I'll leave it in place for now and just try to trim its base enough to allow me to weed around it.

      Delete

I enjoy receiving your comments and suggestions! Google has turned on reCAPTCHA affecting some commentator IDs so, if you wish to identify yourself, please add your name to your comment.