Foliage Follow-up - August 2017

Most of my posts probably scream "flower addict" but foliage is really the dominant feature of my garden.  That's clearest during the mid-to-late summer months when flowers retreat from view.

There are still a few flowers in the front garden but I think this photo shows the importance of foliage here.  The swaths of chartreuse color are provided by Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold' and Duranta repens.  The red tones of Leptospermum 'Copper Glow' are echoed in Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum' and Coprosma 'Fireburst'.  Phormium 'Maori Queen' marries the chartreuse and red colors, helping to tie everything together.

The large clumps of red fountain grass are more visible in this photo.  The magenta seedpods of Cercis occidentalis and the red color of selected succulents on the front-facing slope pick up the red color of the grasses.

The Coprosma 'Fireburst' shown in this photo in front of Phormium 'Maori Queen' and Euphorbia characias 'Black Pearl' was added recently to replace a Grevillea 'Pink Midget' which found this area a bit too dry.  There are 2 other 'Fireburst' shrubs in the same bed already.

Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' provides more red/orange color in this section of the front garden closer to the south end of the house.  Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' contributes a softer version of the same warm tones elsewhere in the bed and there are more red echoes in the distance, provided by Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' and Pennisetum 'Fireworks'.  The Leucadendron also echoes the chartreuse of the large Duranta behind it.

There were a few individual foliage stand-outs elsewhere I want to highlight this month as well.

After nearly 4 years in this bed in the backyard, 2 of my Agave lophantha 'Quadicolor' have finally produced pups

I planted this Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light' in just the right spot near the front of the long border in the back garden.  I'm planning to move 2 others forward this fall so they can also shine.

Artemisia ludoviciana seedlings planted themselves in various areas of the garden.  Unsure as to what they were, I moved them to this area in the cutting garden.  They've become a bit tall for the space but their placement has been useful as I frequently include the foliage in floral arrangements as a filler.  I also like how the foliage captures the late afternoon sun.

Pam at Digging hosts Foliage Follow-up each month after Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.  To see her August foliage picks and those of other gardeners, click here.


All material © 2012-2017 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Not that I needed an excuse to buy plants...

South Coast Botanic Garden (which I previously wrote about here) held its annual Fall Plant Sale today.  Purchases benefit the garden's foundation.  As a new member of the botanic garden, I qualified for both preview access and a 10% discount.   As I'd signed up for the "family plan," I was able to bring a friend along to shop with the same privileges.  In addition, now that a large section of grass has been cleared from our side yard and prepared for planting, I actually need plants to fill the new space.  I couldn't have had more excuses for plant shopping, could I?

The outside courtyard just inside the entrance of the garden was occupied by a variety of local vendors, offering succulents, tropical selections, and drought-tolerant plants.

I almost bought the Salvia clevelandii 'Wilfred Gilman' (2nd from the right on the table)

More healthy selections from the same vendor

I passed on the Plumerias  - I have to see if I can keep the one I've got alive before picking up another

The prices on the vendor offerings, while pretty good, generally ran  higher than the plants on display in the main auditorium.  My impression is that volunteers supply many of the plants offered for sale in this area but San Marcos and Native Son nurseries also provided donations.

An Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt' - do you see that price?!

Agave 'Blue Glow' - a wonderful plant but not as good a price as I've found elsewhere for its size

I spent 10 minutes debating the purchase of this beautiful ornamental banana ($20!)

Beschorneria yuccoides 

There were a variety of Cuphea, a genus that does well in my SoCal garden

An unidentified variety of Plectranthus - I love the genus but this variety looked rangy

Strobilanthes anisophyllus 'Purpurea' (aka Mexican petunia)

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy had an entire room dedicated to California natives.

This plant looked interesting but the common name put me off

Melica imperfecta, a low-growing, drought-tolerant grass

None of the plants on display fit into my current plan for the side yard.  Nonetheless, I didn't walk out empty handed.

My purchases

Here's what I got:

• Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt' (yes, I already have 3 of them but, at $15 for a beautiful plant priced at $40 by the local nurseries, I could hardly take a pass)
• Beschorneria yuccoides 
• Cuphea ignea 'Alba'
• Aeonium simsii hybrid
• Agave lophantha 'Quadricolor' 

My total expenditure was a very reasonable $36.90.  So does it matter that I have a specific spot identified for just one of these plants?