Beauty & chaos on the back slope

Largely hidden from view, my back slope on the east side of our property generally peaks in late April/early May and this year is no exception.  It's invisible from the main level of our lot so visitors seldom see it.  Even I didn't know it was there until the day of the final inspection prior to closing our purchase of the house.  In the early days of living here, we ventured down there only to pick lemons as the trip to the bottom via a slippery dirt path was treacherous.  I fell on my back side more times than I can count until my husband created a stairway out of concrete blocks to ease the passage.  Once that was in place, I started planting and gradually transformed the space.  It receives relatively little attention and just a bit of water but somehow manages to shine for a time each year following our winter rainy season.

The back slope is accessed through the gravel path in the north-side garden.  The concrete stairway starts where the path reaches the fence that separates our property from our neighbor on the north side.

The steep upper side of the slope (right) is covered in ivy and honeysuckle and I've abandoned all hope of terracing it.  However, I've planted the area between the stairway and the bay laurel hedge, as well as the area surrounding the lemon tree at the bottom.

I planted Ribes viburnifolium (aka Catalina currant, no longer in flower) in the upper area and added divisions of Centranthus ruber and artichoke plants there, which return each year with increased vigor

Clockwise from the upper left are: Geranium incanum, a vigorous weed that regularly pops up in the ivy-covered upper slope; artichoke plants that I sometimes allow to flower instead of eating; and a variety of white and pink Centranthus.  Over time, the Centranthus has self-seeded throughout the back slope.

The mid-section of the slope is the most colorful, at least at present

Aeonium 'Velour' mingles with Euphorbia 'Dean's Hybrid' (left) and Lampranthus 'Kaboom' (right) competes for attention

Everything I planted in the lower section of the slope seems to be fighting for space

This is a view of the same area from the other side, where a narrow dirt path separates the bed from the bay laurel hedge.  More Euphorbia 'Dean's Hybrid' has seeded itself here.  In the foreground on the right, trailing Lantana montevidensis and Vesalea floribunda 'Chiapas' (aka Mexican abelia) have merged together.

In addition to Agave attenuata (originally planted as pups taken from elsewhere in the garden), more Aeonium arboreum and a cluster of noID bearded Iris, the area sports clusters of self-seeded Pelagonium 'White Lady' and Santolina chamaecyparissus (top row).  The bottom row shows closeups of 'White Lady' and 'Chiapas'.

Two Aloe elgonica, gifts from Denise of A Growing Obsession, are nearly buried among the other plants.  At a minimum, I need to move the one on the right, which is almost invisible under the arm of an Agave attenuata.

This is the flat area at the bottom of the slope, sandwiched between the lemon tree that came with the garden on the right and Ceanothus arboreus 'Cliff Schmidt' I planted on the left.  With all the calla lilies (Zantedeschia aethiopica) and Centranthus there, it's almost impossible to navigate at the moment.

A humongous Bignonia capreolata covers the wire fence between us and our neighbor on the north side at the southeastern extreme of her lot.  Although the giant trunk of the plant sits on our property (long story preceding our ownership of the property, when the property lines were under dispute), the vine remains for the neighbor's benefit.  I've previously been confused about whether this is a Bignonia or a Campsis but, based on closer looks at the leaves and flowers of each, I believe it's a Bignonia.

I discovered more gopher activity immediately adjacent to the neighbor's wire fence

Clockwise from the upper left are other plants in this area: California poppies (Eschscholzia california), Drimia maritima, Romneya coulteri (aka Matilija poppy), Stachys byzantina, and Zantedeschia aethopica.  The Romneya was a serious mistake on my part as it's a thug.  Although beautiful, I've tried and failed to remove it several times.

The flat area at the bottom of the slope sits alongside the property line with our neighbor on the southeast side.  The tree-sized Ceanothus and two Pittosporum 'Silver Magic' mark our side of the line on one end, where the land drops off on the other side.

There's no fence between us and the neighbors on the south side and their raised planters are openly visible from our side

The ivy was cut back hard on both sides of the property line last year but the rain has brought it back as a living wall between us on the left side of the Ceanothus.  The ground under the ivy is too uneven to walk on safely.

As the temperatures rise, the fire ants are likely to follow and, when that happens, my time on the back slope will be limited once again.  As it is, while working in the area earlier this week, I tucked my pants into my socks and donned boots to protect me from the miserable creatures.

Here are a couple of views from the bottom of the slope looking upward to conclude our visit:

I really should clear the plants infringing on the stairs to avoid tripping hazards.  Maybe I'll move some of the Pelargonium clumps to my renovated succulent bed.

Best wishes for a wonderful weekend.  I'll close with a few photos of flowers that appeared elsewhere in my garden this week.  My guess is they won't make it to Bloom Day.

This is a hybrid Vireya Rhododendron I bought as an experiment last December.  I'd almost given up on it blooming as Rhododendrons (with the exception of some Azaleas) don't like SoCal.

Bearded Iris 'City Lights' (left) and Sprekelia formosissima (aka Aztec lily, right) have each honored me with one of their uncommon visits

All material © 2012-2024 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party