Jumping from one project to another

Summer is usually my slowest season in the garden, limited to simple tasks like deadheading flowers and watering.  That's because it's usually hot as Hades by July and August.  But, thanks to a persistent morning marine layer, we've been remarkably lucky so far this month, at least by comparison to other areas.  The marine layer is much less common later in the summer season than is our "June Gloom."  When it continues beyond June, it's called "No-Sky July" but that's bit of a misnomer as the marine layer usually breaks up by early afternoon, if not earlier; however, even then it keeps our afternoon temperatures down to a comfortable level.  And, when temperatures are comfortable, it's hard to justify lolling about, especially when I have so many projects that need to be tackled.  

Many of the areas we had cleared of big shrubs in early May remain bare.  I planted the narrow bed adjacent to the garage with succulents in early June using a lot of cuttings and divisions I had on hand but I wasn't satisfied with it.  I added more succulents in late June.

It's less bare now but I'm still not entirely satisfied.  I moved many of the original plants around and added others I picked up at OC Succulents (as shown in this post).

I spruced up a nearby urn at the same time.

I added 3 'Little Gem' Cremosedums to the pump up the mix of succulents here

On the other hand, I continue to drag out the process of filling in the empty midsection of the bed adjacent to the back of the house, even though it's readily visible from the living room.  One of the four large Calliandra shrubs (aka red powder puff shrubs) had occupied a stretch nearly five feet wide in that bed.  I subsequently removed three Ageratum corymbosum shrubs that occupied a few additional feet there myself, leaving the space looking sadder still.

These photos show the Ageratum at its peak.  I loved both its "ever-purple" foliage and its flowers but the plants didn't look great during the summer months.  They also deposited lots of very dry leaves that collected next to the house.  Unfortunately, even the best of the 3 plants was too old and woody to transplant.

I took cuttings of the Ageratum in the hope that they'll root so I can plant them elsewhere, further from the house.  The plants originally came from Annie's Annuals & Perennials and the company that purchased Annie's mail order business has yet to start mail order operations.

This is what the midsection of that bed looks like at the moment with all those shrubs gone.  I cut 2 good-sized pups of Agave attenuata from elsewhere in my garden to plant there, with the intention of adding more succulents in and round them.  I'm also planning to divide some Arthropodium cirratum (Renga lilies) to mirror others already in place at both ends of the long bed.

I'd hoped to address that bed this past week but I got distracted by other projects.  Barring a surge in our temperatures, I hope to get back to it this coming week.

In the meantime, I turned my attention to a few other tasks.

I removed a mass of Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi Verde' that had been growing in front of several Agave bracteosa (aka squid agaves) in the back border, filling the empty space with creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin').  The thyme won't obscure the view of the agaves as the succulents did.

At the rear of the same border, I chopped down the Salvia africana-lutea and had my husband dig out its stump when it didn't cooperate with me.  Although I liked the Salvia, it grew too big for the space and was crowding the even larger Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset' next to it.  I'd already removed the flammable Mexican feather grass (Nasella tenuissima) there.  I still need to replenish the soil and replant here, although I've already thrown some succulent cuttings in there.  I plan to add more succulents to hold the soil in place before our rainy season starts (which means I still have lots of time!).

I also removed the Mexican marigold (Tagetes lemmonii) in the front garden, shown here when it was still in good shape in June 2024.  The shrub declined significantly in 2025 and wasn't blooming much at all anymore.

As the Tagetes had hidden the plants behind it, most notably a newish Leucospermum 'California Sunshine', I elected to fill the space with more of the Gazanias already there, at least for now.  I'm thinking of planting another Mexican marigold in the back garden when cooler temperatures return in the fall.

My husband completed his renovation of my lath (shade) house last week.  On Wednesday, I cleared out all the plants that had cluttered the small south patio (as shown on the left), leaving the area open once more (right).  I'm still in the process of reorganizing those plants inside the lath house and repotting many of them.

Like the lath house renovation, the schedule for attacking the agave overcrowding issue in the south-side garden was set by my husband.  I'd shown him the troublesome issues with the 'Blue Flame' Agaves, (and my feeble effort to remove one rosette), although I posed it as a future project.  However, having completed his renovations to the lath house, he decided he was ready to roll on removing the agaves.  As there was no way I felt I could handle the removals on my own, I accepted his schedule.

These are before and after photos of the first section, which we tackled together last week.  He did the heavy work using an electric saw and a shovel, while I toted the debris to our recycle bins.  I'd estimated that there were 6 large rosettes of the 'Blue Flame' Agaves to remove.  Below those, we discovered another half-dozen mid-sized rosettes and a dozen or more smaller pups.  'Blue Flame' really is a thug!

This week, while I was working on other projects, my husband decided to go after the remaining 'Blue Flame' Agaves (shown here in a "before" photo on the left).  Given their thuggish behavior, he argued in favor of removing them all at once in lieu of the 2-3 I'd originally targeted.  I agreed and he did the job on his own, although he's awaiting delivery of a Root Slayer we ordered to take out the remaining 'Blue Flame' carcass.  

I've no idea (yet) what I'm going to do to fill the holes in my south-side garden.  There's still the bloomed out Agave 'Blue Glow' to remove to so that has to be taken into consideration.  I already have an Agave 'Sun Glow' on hand, which will definitely end up somewhere in the mix but I may try smaller succulents and other plants there in the interest of easing the maintenance challenges I've had with this bed in recent years.  Depending upon the plants I select, I may need to delay some of the replanting until fall in the interest of ensuring the long-term survival of the new plants.  After all, I can't depend on our summer temperatures staying comfortable and we're unlikely to see any rainfall until October or November.

On the good news side, I recently received a box of plant prospects from my blogger friend, Gerhard Bock.  I've known Gerhard for years now and he's visited my garden on a couple of occasions.  He's an altogether great guy, an accomplished gardener, and very generous.  If you're not familiar with him, you can find his blog at Succulents and More here.  He can also be found on Instagram here.  I admired his low-growing Artemisia pedemontana, which I'd never seen before, and he responded by offering to send me cuttings.  But he sent more than that!

He sent expertly packaged cuttings of the Artemisia, some rooted and others ready for rooting in water.  I potted up the rooted ones immediately upon delivery.  Those I plopped into a glass of water are already about ready for potting too.  He also sent me seeds of his Mexican tulip poppies (Hunnemannia fumarifolia), which I'd also admired in photos on his blog.

Even more exciting, he included 5 different varieties of Echinopsis pups.  He's had wonderful success growing these flowering cacti as you can see for yourself in his blog post here.

So, even with unfinished projects nipping at my heels, my week is ending on a positive note.  In addition to Gerhard's gifts, the garden delivered two nice surprises.

One of my Epiphyllums apparently enjoyed its vacation in the front garden as it's produced a bud.  I'm guessing this is 'Monastery Garden' but these plants aren't labeled so I won't be certain until I see the flower open.

This is the first bloom of the 3 stalks from the 3 Lilium 'Zeba' bulbs I planted earlier this year.  I fell in love with this lily during last year's Puget Sound Garden Fling.  A commentator on Instagram identified it by name for me and I ordered the bulbs when I returned home, receiving them months later from Holland.  I wasn't absolutely sure they were the right bulbs until this flower opened on Wednesday.

Best wishes for a pleasant and comfortable weekend!

All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Bloom Day - July 2025 (Late Edition)

I'm a day late with my Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day post and left some blooms behind but I couldn't bring myself to skip the occasion altogether.  It's been an odd month from a weather perspective.  While we had a few brief very warm stretches in June, with temperatures reaching the upper 80sF (31C), July has been surprisingly comfortable by and large.  That hasn't always been true of Southern California's inland valleys but along the coast our morning marine layer has been helping us out.  The sun still shines bright by early afternoon but the temperatures remain cooler than usual for this time of year.  I'm knocking wood that trend continues awhile longer as the garden is already struggling to deal with summer dryness and we don't need the added challenge of any major heatwaves.

As it is, some of the flashiest flowers in my garden have already headed out the door.

Clockwise from the upper left are Orienpet lilies: Lilium 'Conca d'Or', 'Friso', 'Montego Bay', and 'Pretty Woman'.  Both 'Conca d'Or' and 'Montego Bay' only produced single flower stalks this year.  The wind snapped the former off at the base on Sunday afternoon and I cut the sole stem of 'Montego Bay' for a vase the same day.  Only the 'Zeba' lilies I planted from bulbs earlier this year have yet to flower.

Clockwise from the upper left, other plants on their way out include: Leucanthemum x superbum (top 2 photos), Leucospermum 'High Gold', and Salvia clevelandii 'Winnifred Gilman'

There are still lots of plants putting on a good show, though.  Here are some of the mid-summer stars:

While some of the earliest Agapanthus blooms have turned shaggy, there are plenty still looking good.  The only named variety I have is 'Twister', shown on the bottom right.

Billardiera heterophylla (formerly classified as Sollya heterophylla, aka Australian bluebell creeper) has abundant tiny blue flowers.  It'll be covered with small purple drupes (fruit) later this summer.

I'm never quite sure when Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid' will take off but the hummingbirds always alert me when it does

Cenchrus orientalis (formerly classified as Pennisetum orientale, aka Chinese fountain grass) has a remarkably long bloom period

I didn't photograph all my Cupheas but 'Vermillionaire' is looking particularly good this summer

Daucus carota 'Dara' (aka wild carrot) self-seeded liberally throughout my garden this year

Most of my foxgloves have underperformed this year but this Digitalis purpurea is trying to make up for them all by itself.  I think this is the 4th flush of blooms it's produced.

Last year I was unimpressed by the Leonotis leonurus (aka lion's tail) but the plants are doing very well this year

Hybrid Monarda 'Peter's Purple' is the only member of the genus I've managed to grow in my current garden

Myrtus communis is a humble shrub but its fluffy white flowers are appreciated

I cut back Salvia canariensis var candidissima hard last month and it's already bounced back

Santolina virens 'Lemon Fizz' is a little messy but I enjoy both the flower and the foliage colors

I sowed seeds of several varieties of Zinnia elegans this year but 'Benary's Giant Wine' and 'Queeny Red Lime' are first out of the gate

A handful of succulents are also putting on a good show.

Clockwise from the upper left are: Aloe distans, A. lukeana, Crassula pubescens, and C. p. ssp. radicans

Of course, I can't forget the old standbys that bloom for much of the year.

Many of the Gazanias in my garden are now self-sown mixes but the 2 in the top row are 'Yellow Flame' and 'White Flame'

Some Grevilleas bloom year-round.  Clockwise from the upper left: Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream', G. sericea, and G. 'Superb' (bottom 2 photos).

Lantana 'Lucky Yellow' (top 2 photos) is exuberant at the moment.  The bottom 2 photos feature 2 smaller varieties, 'Irene' (left) and variegated 'Samantha' (right).

Many of the Pelargoniums bloom off and on all year.  All but one of these are ivy geraniums (Pelargonium peltatum).  The exception is the one on in the second row on the left, for which I have no ID. 

Polygala myrtifolia (aka sweet pea shrub) continues to mount its battle for world domination in my front garden (while also creeping into the back garden whenever I'm not watching)

As usual, I've thrown the best of the rest into color-themed collages:

Pinks, clockwise from the upper left: Arbutus 'Marina', Argyranthemum 'Grandaisy Dark Pink', Cistus 'Grayswood Pink', C. skanbergii, Cuphea 'Honeybells', and Rosa 'Pink Meidiland'

Blues, clockwise from the upper left: Consolida ajacis (aka larkspur), Lavandula 'Provence', Plectranthus neochilus, Globularia x indubia, and Thymus serpyllum

Whites, clockwise from the upper left: Abelia 'Kaleidoscope', Achillea millifolium, Diplodenia 'Sundenia White', Eustoma grandiflorum, Magnolia grandiflora, and Osteospermum 'Violet Ice'

Yellows, clockwise from the upper left: Achillea 'Terracotta', Arctotis 'Large Marge', Argyranthemum 'Aramis Apricot', Berlandiera lyrata (aka chocolate daisy), Chrysocephalum apiculatum 'Desert Flame', and Petunia 'Bee's Knees' 

Reds, left to right: Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun', Hemerocallis 'Sammy Russell', and Leucadendron salignum 'Blush'

So that's it for my late post.  To enjoy more flowers, call on Carol at May Dreams Gardens for connections to other contributors' Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day posts.

All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: A tropical treat

I spotted the first and only bloom of Lilium 'Montego Bay' late last week.  I'd originally planted three bulbs but two of them appear to have vanished and, given that the single remaining bloom stalk produced only one flower, there was nothing much more to expect of it so I made it the focus of today's arrangement.

An abundant flush of flowers on Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid' sealed the deal on a coral color theme

Back view, showing the flower-like stems of Leucadendron 'Blush'

Overhead view: The flower stem of Hesperaloe 'Coral Glow' was a last minute addition.  The plant, or rather half of it, recently survived a gopher's strike.

Clockwise from the upper left: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid', Crassula pubescens ssp radicans, Hesperaloe parviflora 'Coral Glow', Leucadendron salignum 'Blush', and Lilium 'Montego Bay'

I saved a handful of stems from the second of last week's vases, cramming them into the small vase that normally sits on our kitchen island.

The remaining stems include Leucadendron 'Jubilee Crown', L. salignum 'Safari Sunset', and Zinnia elegans 'Benary's Giant Wine' and 'Queeny Red Lime'

Feeling the pull of other projects, I didn't take the time to put together a second arrangement from scratch this week.  For arrangements from other IAVOM contributors, visit our host, Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Wide Shots - July 2025

This isn't my favorite time of the year to post the quarterly wide shots of my garden.  With no rain likely until October or November, it looks drier with every passing day and warmer temperatures put a strain on the plants even when I run the irrigation system twice a week.  This year, my summer garden is also full of holes.  Many of these are due to our removal of selected plants in the interest of improving the "defensible space" around our home in the event of wildfires.  I've introduced less flammable plants in some areas but not all, and then even the areas I've replanted will require time to fill in.  I've also begun removing plants that have overcrowded their neighbors and have cut back others that'd grown twiggy.  I'll probably add more groundcovers in September/October when temperatures cool and the chance of rain isn't as far off but, for now, some areas will remain empty.

I'll start with the back garden.

View from the back door, looking in the direction of the Port of Los Angeles.  If you peer closely at the the fountain, you'll note that there's a wire cloche sitting on its top tier.  The raccoons recently rediscovered the seashells there and "distributed" them in and around the fountain.  They could easily knock over the cloche but they haven't bothered to do that yet.

Looking north from the main patio.  I still miss the tree-sized Leucadendron 'Pisa' and the huge Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt' that previously occupied the bed on the left but I've partially replanted it with small plants, including Abelia 'Kaleidoscope', Chrysocephalum 'Desert Flame', Petunia 'Bee's Knees', and various Hippeastrum bulbs.

View from the north end of the back garden looking south.  You can now see the back patio, formerly obscured by the Leucadendron and the Acacia.

View from the back patio looking south.  Lilium 'Friso' is blooming and there are buds on the remaining stalk of Lilium 'Pretty Woman'.  If you have eagle eyes, you might spot the yellow Lilium 'Conca d' Or' in the background in the bed on the right.

View from the south end of the back garden looking north.  The blue and white Agapanthus visible in the distance are already getting shaggy in the heat.

I pointed the camera in the same direction here but, trying to cut out my husband on the patio while taking it, I somehow ended up with a more detailed view of the foreground and a closer look at the canyon area in the distance well beyond our garden

Turning to face west brings us to my south-side garden.

I removed the Agave 'Blue Glow' bloom stalk pushing into the Metrosideros 'Springfire' on the left after I took this photo but the chore of removing the plant itself still remains.  It has pups popping out its sides and it'll be interesting if any of those can be saved in the process.  On the right, Leucospermum 'High Gold' still has flowers while most of the Leucospermums elsewhere in the garden are done for the year.

View looking south from the small patio.  We're in the process of addressing overcrowding among the agaves in the succulent bed on the left (as described in my last post).  Meanwhile, the smokebush (Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple') on the right is looking particularly exuberant this year.

South-side garden looking east in the direction of the harbor.  The peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa) in the background is scheduled for pruning this fall but its shade is currently appreciated.

I usually dip down the dirt path leading to the lower level of the front garden from this point but my husband took over the area a few weeks ago when he embarked on renovating the lath (shade) house he built for me as a Christmas present in 2018.  I'd requested a few minor repairs but my husband isn't known for doing anything halfway.  He finished the job on Wednesday so I'm planning to clean up and move its potted plants back next week.

This photo, looking downward from the front garden's main level was taken earlier this week after my husband installed a new, sturdier roof but before he completed his final improvements

Moving on to the main level of the front garden, starting on the south end:

This is the view from the south end of the front garden looking north.  The area on the foreground on the right was replanted after I had an Acacia 'Cousin Itt' and a Salvia lanceolata removed for fire safety reasons.  Two other 'Cousin Itt' Acacias remain in place on the left side of the flagstone path.

View looking south from the midway of the flagstone path.  Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' on the left is overwhelming the space (again).  I cut it back about 2 months ago.

Photo taken from the driveway looking east toward the front of the house.  The 2 tree-like 'Copper Glow' Leptospermums on either side of the path to the front door are just starting to flower.

View from the front door looking southwest.  The 3 Epiphyllums on the right side of the bench under the Magnolia tree are there temporarily awaiting their return to the lath house.

Main bed on the south side of the front garden

The narrow path leading from the driveway to the front garden's lower level (occupied by the lath house)

The bed on the north side of the path leading to the front door.  Yes, the rectangular 'Sunset Gold' Coleonema is still there.  Replacing it hasn't yet risen to the top of my to-do list.

View on the northwest side for the front garden, adjacent to the garage.  I haven't pulled any of the larger self-seeded sweet pea shrubs (Polygala myrtifolia) and probably won't until I find plants to replace some of them later this fall.

The succulent bed next to the garage is slowly filling out

This is a view of the same succulent bed from a different angle

And this photo points east looking back at the house from the path we use to tote out our garbage and recycle bins each week.  The Xylosma hedge on the right lines the street with breaks for the driveway and the garbage path.

My cutting garden sits on the other side of the garage.

Nineteen of the 20 dahlia tubers I sprouted for my personal use are planted in the cutting garden, along with zinnias grown from seed.  I've pinched back all but one of the dahlias and installed cages to support the taller plants.  I've yet to find a dahlia bud but I think the plants are getting closer.

My dry garden sits on the other (northeast) side of the wood fence.  It appears we're going to leave the fence in place for the time being as an opportunity to piggyback a replacement using a neighbor's contractor has been delayed.

I plan to move a Phormium 'Apricot Queen' buried behind other plants in the background (not visible in this shot) next to the fence in the foreground on the left.  I'll plant the Agave 'Mateo' currently in the pot in the rear, roughly where it currently sits.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the very prickly Agave geminiflora in the square pot yet.

A concrete block stairway lies at the end of the gravel path shown in the prior photo, leading down to the bottom of the slope.  The area isn't looking its best.  Time permitting, I hope to put in some work down there during what passes for winter here.

I've given the back slope minimal support this year and it deserves better.  However, summer isn't the time to make any major adjustments there.  Among other things, I need to have my dearly departed Ceaonthus arboreus removed this fall. 

I'll end this post with a shot of the the street-side succulent bed.

This photo offers another look at the renovated lath house behind the succulent bed, awaiting the return of its pots 

That's it for July's overview.  I'll be back with another in October, when I hope fall planting will be well underway.  Best wishes for a pleasant weekend.

All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party