Tackling small projects as a bigger one looms ahead

The crew set to remove the plants I've selected to address the "defensible space ordinance" enacted earlier this year by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to address fire risk in selected areas will be here bright and early Monday morning to take out the plants I've  identified as questionable.  In advance, I've been working on some smaller projects in need of tending.

The biggest project is one I've put off for far too long.  I'd meant to tackle the Aeoniums' takeover of one flagstone path in the back garden last year when I discovered that I could only walk through the area by placing one foot directly in front of another as if I were demonstrating my sobriety.  This spring I found that I was no longer able to walk through the area at all.

This was what the area looked like last week before I got started

Mid-way through the process, the path was visible once again, if not readily passable

This is where things currently stand.  The Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi' that encroached on the path on the left side has been removed.  I've pulled a lot of the 'Kiwi' on the right as well, in addition to cutting back a good many Aeonium arboreum rosettes on the right.  As the larger Aeonium looks awkward with its legs showing, I may end up pulling the rest of it before replanting that area using cuttings.

This is the "after" view from the other side of the same path

I saved a lot of 'Kiwi' cuttings for use in edging the same area once Monday's project is done.  Others will either be used elsewhere in my garden or given away.  I uncovered many 'Blue Elf' Aloes (shown on the lower right) buried under the masses of 'Kiwi'.  'Blue Elf' pups like crazy and all the smaller pieces landed in the trash.  It's a low-growing variety that needs a drier setting with more sun than it was getting.

I also did a little work in the cutting garden.

Because the rain was so light this year I never sowed California poppy seeds (Eschscholzia californica) but I snapped up seedlings at the garden center when I saw them offered in 6-packs.  They're doing well since I amended the soil under the citrus trees and kept them well-watered for a few weeks.  I'm going to let them go to seed in the hope they'll show up again next year. 

The Anemone coronaria growing in the middle raised planter finished their bloom cycle.  I pulled up many of the corms to replant elsewhere and cleared the area they'd occupied, supplementing the soil with amendments to prepare the area for dahlia tubers.  I sowed Zinnia seeds around a handful of foxglove plants on the left side of the bed.  The Zinnias are just starting to germinate and a small number of larkspur (Consolida ajacis) I'd given up on have made a belated appearance.

I've planted 17 dahlia tubers in temporary pots, and one other in a barrel.  Seven of the tubers are new and the rest were saved when I dug up last year's crop.  I've given half a dozen tubers to a neighbor and hope to pass on others to friends, should they sprout.  I still have several more tubers I'm hoping to pot up this weekend.

Meanwhile, my husband focused on removing a wood arbor adjacent to the south side of our house.  It'd been installed by a prior owner and it'd begun to tilt a few years ago, which annoyed my husband to no end.  The new ordinance simply gave him another excuse for removing it.

The arbor had been installed using a large amount of concrete on both ends.  My husband was able to get the concrete mass on one side up but elected to leave the mass on the side next to the house alone, after cutting the wood flush with the soil.  That mass of concrete is more than a foot high.

I used soil from my compost heap and some soil amendment to fill the hole left behind

I replanted a few 'Jack Catlin' Aeoniums after filling the hole.  I've left the Clematis terniflora in place unsupported, hoping that it'll weave itself into the Cistus and Cotinus coggygria planted in the same area.

I'd resisted the idea of removing the arbor because I thought I'd miss it but I'm not sure I will.  These photos provide a before and after comparison looking west.  The before photo on the left was taken in March and the one on the right was taken this week after the arbor was taken down.

This is another comparison looking eastward from the front garden.  The before shot on the left was taken in January and the one on the right was taken this week.

I've taken a few steps to clear the way for the Monday crew in the interest of limiting collateral damage.

In addition to removing breakable decorative items near the affected plants and taking cuttings of a Salvia lanceolata targeted for removal (because it's growing up underneath a large Acacia 'Cousin Itt'), I dug up a Helleborus 'Phoebe' growing under another plant slated for removal.  There's a second 'Phoebe' nearby but I'm hoping it's far enough away from the targeted plant to survive its removal.

Although the crew does its best to prevent collateral damage, I've no illusions there won't be any.  Cleaning up the damage and taking stock of the work ahead of me to address the empty areas will probably preoccupy me for a couple of weeks at least.  On the positive side, a few of the late spring bloomers in my cutting garden are finally getting started.

I'd just about given up on my sweet peas (Lathyrus annuus) when the vines finally started climbing.  I've encouraged them by tying the vines against supports and at least 2 varieties have produced a few flowers.  The one on the left is 'April in Paris' but I can't identify the blue variety as I planted several.  I also can't identify the Nigella papillosa on the right.

Hopefully, the new blooms will continue to divert my attention in the coming weeks.  Best wishes for a pleasant weekend.  Fingers are crossed that the tide is turning and that May will be better than the last two months have been!

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