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