June's tour of South Coast Botanic Garden (Part 2)

Last Friday, I posted part one of my June tour of South Coast Botanic Garden.  Today's post covers where that one left off, starting with the Palm Circle near the entrance to the garden.

The Palm Circle was planted up with a lot of tropicals, including banana trees for the summer season

The Pollination Garden lies just beyond the Palm Circle.  Last year, it was initially planted with annuals to cover the bare ground.  In November, when the annuals were spent, the garden staff planted natives that are known to attract pollinators.  Most of the natives will take time to become established but, luckily for visitors, a wide range of annuals showed up to fill in the empty spots this summer.

Clockwise from the upper left: Achillea millefolium (common yarrow), Anetheum graveolens (dill), Daucus carota (wild carrot), Cosmos bipinnatus (paired with borage and roses), Cosmos with a visiting bee, noID Cirsium (thistle), and Xerochrysum bracteatum (strawflowers)

A huge Rotheca myricoides (butterfly bush, formerly classified as Clerodendrum ugandense) has occupied the area surrounding the current Pollination Garden as long as I can remember and, although it's native to Africa, the garden apparently intends to leave it in place.  In my view, any plant with blue flowers should automatically get a free pass to remain wherever it thrives.

The area surrounding the pond was mostly green.  I was pleased to find that the pond now has a turtle again.  Whether it's the same turtle that occupied the pond when it was part of the old children's garden or not, I can't say.  He was inundated by admiring children and remained under water at the time of my visit so I didn't get a good photo of him.

When I first saw this squirrel, I initially wondered if it was a chipmunk as its appearance was very different from those that frequent my own garden, as well as the squirrels I usually see at SCBG.  However, I little research clarified that my resident squirrels are the tree-dwelling eastern fox squirrels and this one is a native California ground squirrel.

I popped into the small tropical greenhouse, which was more disappointing than usual.

Two Phalaenopsis (moth orchids) were woven into a tall vine.  The lower one was pink and upper one was was an odd shade of blue.  I tried to convince myself that the staff couldn't have died the upper one blue but its color was too unreal to believe the color was natural.

I spent more time than usual in the Rose Garden but then roses are especially deserving of attention when they peak in early summer.  They were plentiful, although they could have benefited from deadheading.  I sought out the most perfect blooms I could find.

Clockwise from the upper left, the roses include: 'Gemini', 'Judy Garland', 'Julia Child', 'Love & Peace', 'Sexy Rexy', 'Sparkle & Shine', and 'Love Song'

Last year, the garden added tropical plants, including Cannas, to one area of the Rose Garden that was prone to damp soil.  They were looking their best at the time of my visit.

In a drier area, staff and volunteers had added masses of Pelargoniums and lavender

They added masses of true Geraniums too.  I wish these were happy in my garden but I suspect SCBG is more generous with their water rations than I am.

These unidentified groundcover roses were planted in an area surrounding one edge of the Rose Garden.  In addition to their abundance, I actually felt a degree of solace when I spotted an equal abundance of weeds.  Grass weeds have plagued my own garden this year and keeping up with them isn't at all easy, especially when they're protected by thorns.

The former Mediterranean Garden that was situated near the Rose Garden no longer exists as a defined garden area. Part of the area it formerly encompassed sits behind construction fencing but the area directly opposite the Rose Garden, previously covered by an expansive mass of Salvia leucantha (aka Mexican bush sage) is now planted with a wide range of drought-tolerant plants.

This photo was taken last year (June 14, 2023) when the area was still covered in Salvia leucantha

One year later, from the fenced section of the former Mediterranean Garden to the palm trees adjacent to the main path leading to SCBG's entrance and exit, the space previously covered by Mexican bush sage has been completed replanted.  There are grasses, Leucadendrons, Opuntia and a variety of other succulents, as well as several Salvia leucantha.  I noticed the new planting for the first time during my visit this past February.  It's filled out since then, albeit slowly.

As I headed to the exit, I passed through an area I used to refer to as the "promenade" because it led from the Palm Circle to the formal entrance of the Rose Garden, an area often used for wedding events.

The 'Snow Leopard' Mangaves (left), planted in 2022, are looking good.  A mix of Alstroemeria and succulents, including dwarf Portulacaria afra (elephant food) and Senecio serpens (blue chalk sticks), is used elsewhere as shown in the next 2 photos. 

I'd hoped to have a chance to walk through the upper meadow, which was closed during each of my earlier visits to the garden this year.  I understand that the garden has installed a row of Grevilleas there but I've yet to have the opportunity to see them.  I found the upper meadow closed yet again, although I entirely support the reason for this particular closure.

Children of various ages were using their summer break to engage in a new learning experience

Now that the marine layer is lifting very early, if it's present at all, I may schedule a visit to the butterfly exhibit in early July.  Fingers crossed that I find a suitable slot when the temperature is neither too cool (for the butterflies) or too hot (for me).  In the meantime, may you all find a sweet spot in the weather this weekend.

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