Managing ornamental grasses

Last week, as I walked through my neighborhood, I snapped a couple photos of a front garden up the street.  The garden, installed last summer, has a simple palette, dominated by Nassella tenuissima (aka Mexican feather grass, fromerly classified as Stipa tenuissima), Senecio serpens (aka blue chalksticks), and white-flowered Lantana with Agaves tucked in here and there.

It's hard to make out many of the Agaves as they're hidden by the masses of feather grass

 

That garden was installed by a professional landscaping firm.  I saw some follow-up activity immediately after the installation but I haven't seen any maintenance activity since.  I wondered what kind of guidance the firm may have provided the homeowners, especially related to controlling the spread of the feather grass, which is known to be invasive in California.

I have the same feather grass in my back garden in several spots.  I love the way it dances in the wind, especially when it's in flower.  I didn't have any significant problems with it the first couple of years but more recently I've learned just how readily it self-seeds.  I've pulled some of it out and I actively monitor and manage the rest.

These are before and after shots of a section of feather grass in my backyard border.  I rake through each clump of grass by hand, pulling out the flowers, as well as any dead material.  It takes hours and, by the time I've finished all of them, it's usually time to take another pass.

Ridding the garden of tiny seedlings is an endless task, made more tedious and time-consuming when they root in between paving stones and amidst groundcovers.  This is a before and after shot of one small area.

 

I've been in spring cleanup mode for the past couple of weeks.  I've cut back all the bloomed-out Aeoniums - well, almost all.  I keep finding more.  I'm pulling gobs of weeds and deadheading spent flowers, as well as cutting back shrubs that may run counter to new regulations for managing fire risk.  (All properties in my high fire risk area are subject to evaluation by the local fire department beginning this month.)  Rain is a double-edged sword, something that's been easy to forget in recent years.  While admiring one of my backyard beds this morning, I realized how dramatically many of the trees I had pruned by professionals in mid-December had fleshed out.  I spent an hour yesterday trimming back the smaller of the two Arbutus 'Marina', only making a small dent in its growth.

View of the bed containing 2 Arbutus 'Marina' (aka strawberry trees).  The smaller tree has just about swallowed up the Melianthus major and has encroached on the surrounding plants, including a Leucadendron 'Jester', a Grevillea 'Ned Kelly' (currently invisible) and a Leucospermum "Royal Hawaiian Brandi'.  I discovered that I had gladiolas and lilies (also almost invisible) growing in there too.

This is a comparison of the smaller Arbutus after its pruning in mid-December and now (after I gave it a light pruning yesterday)

I didn't even try to do anything with the larger Arbutus.  This photo shows it immediately after it was pruned in December and now, 6 months later.

 

 

Work on my cutting garden is ongoing but I expect to have an update on that later this week.  We've had a few sunny days in a row now so there's no time to waste.

The fact that Pipig has voluntarily left her heating pad behind and retreated to her catio is proof that we've had warmer temperatures at last

All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

IAVOM and Bloom Day collide (again) - November 2021

In a Vase on Monday, hosted by Cathy of Rambling in the Garden, and Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, hosted by Carol of May Dreams Gardens, merged in February and March this year and the memes have converged once more this month.  Rather than creating two separate posts, I've wrapped them together. 

I'll start with IAVOM. 

Unlike many of my flowers, the bush violets (Barleria obtusa) stood up well against the late season heatwave that's plagued us since last Wednesday.  Included in this arrangement are: Barleria obtusa, Correa 'Ivory Bells', Osterospermum '4D Silver', and Westringia frutescens 'Morning Light'.

The flowers in this arrangement haven't handled the heat nearly as well.  It includes blooms of Angelonia, Bauhinia x blakeana (aka Hong Kong orchid tree), Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy' and Pelargonium peltatum, as well as foliage of Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata'. 

The Camellia sasanqua flowers are plentiful but inclined to shatter at the slightest touch, which made arranging them challenging.  I've noID for the Camellias but their companions are Pentas lanceolata and Coprosma 'Fire Burst'.  The manicured fingernails on the clasped hands that make up the vase (visible in the rear view on the upper right)  match the color of the Camellias almost perfectly.

For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden here.

Okay, let's move along to Bloom Day to show where the flowers in those vases came from, as well as what else I've got blooming in my garden.  I'll start with the flowers putting on the most impressive show this November.

Barleria obtusa, commonly known as bush violet, originates from South Africa.  I picked up a plant at my local botanic garden years ago and now have large clumps in several areas.  This one's in my front garden.

It's my most prolific bloomer this month.  To say it self-seeds readily is an understatement but the seedlings are easy to pull out when they're small.  This clump sits next to our backyard fountain.

This clump in the backyard border is the largest

Senna bicapsularis, a host plant for cloudless sulphur butterflies (Phoebis sennae), looms large on the fence line in my north side garden.  I took this photo several days ago before our current heatwave knocked it back.

All four of my strawberry trees (Arbutus 'Marina') are dripping in flowers to the delight of our resident hummingbirds.  The trees are scheduled for pruning at the end of this month so the flowers will soon be greatly diminished.

I inherited several Camellia sasanqua with the garden.  While their petals are almost identical in color, they differ in form and growth habit; however, I don't have names for either of the two varieties.

The Australian fuchsias, Correa 'Ivory Bells' and C. pulchella 'Pink Eyre', are covered in blooms this month

Ocimum hybrid 'African Blue Basil' is still covered in bees

Osteospermum 'Double Moonglow' has bounced back from its post-summer trim much more quickly than the other Osteospermums in my garden

Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum' isn't quite as robust as in prior years.  I don't know if that's a reflection of the past year's woeful rain total or later-than-usual pruning.

As usual, the Grevilleas and Leucadendrons are also putting on a show.

Grevilleas 'Peaches & Cream' and 'Superb'

Leucadendrons 'Safari Sunset' and 'Blush' share space on the south end of the backyard border

I've replanted a large part of the back garden and some of those new plants are joining the floral parade this month.

Clockwise from the upper left: Didelta 'Silver Strand', Grindelia (species uncertain), Penstemon heterophyllus 'Blue Springs', Salvia 'Mysty', and Salvia 'White Flame'

I'll close this Bloom Day celebration as I usually do with the best of the rest organized in color collages.

Top row: Duranta repens, Felicia aethiopica, and Rotheca myricoides
Second row: Lavandula multifida, Lobelia erinus, and Vitex trifolia
Third row: noID Brachyscome, Pelargonium peltatum, and noID Phalaenopsis

Clockwise from upper left: Angelonia 'Archangel White', Eriocapitella hupehensis, Argyranthemum frutescens, Lantana 'Lucky White', and Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light'

Clockwise from upper left: Angelonia 'Archangel Pink', Antirrhinum majus, Arctotis 'Pink Sugar', Bauhinia x blakeana, Pelargonium peltatum, Pentas lanceolata, and Persicaria capitata

Top row: Chrysanthemum 'Rainbow Circus', noID Coreopsis, and Cyclamen 'Djix'
Second row: Gaillardia 'Copper Sun', Gomphrena Itsy Bitsy', and Pelargonium peltatum
Third row: Pelargonium sidoides, Phalaenopsis 'Balden's Kaleidoscope', and Stapelia grandiflora

Clockwise from upper left: Cuphea 'Vermillionaire', Lantana 'Irene', Xerochrysum bracteatum, Gazania 'Yellow Flame', Oncostele 'Wildcat Golden Red Star', and Zinnia 'Profusion Yellow'

For more Bloom Day posts, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens here.

All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Bloom Day - July 2021

Despite the horrible heat many areas of California and the western US are facing (not to speak of the large number of wildfires already burning), my area along the coast has enjoyed a relatively mild summer thus far.  We're still facing serious drought conditions and, like most of California, we've been asked to reduce our water consumption by 15%.  Even though the 2015 water conservation limits were lifted in 2016, I've continued to try to work within those original guidelines and I'm not sure how I can eke out another 15% reduction at this point.  My deliberations on that quandary continue but the subject of today's post is Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day so let's focus on that for the time being.

I'll start with what I consider my star blooms this month.

I've long believed that I can't grow lilies here but, last fall, I acted on a whim and purchased 6 lily bulbs.  The first variety, Oreinpet lily 'Pretty Woman', produced 5 blooms on 3 plants.  The scented flowers are larger than my hand.  Three more 'Purple Prince' lilies didn't quite make the Bloom Day cutoff but they're getting ready to bloom too.

My 4 strawberry trees (Arbutus 'Marina') are literally dripping with tiny coral flowers this month

Daucus carota 'Dara', grown from seed, is flowering like there's no tomorrow

The Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) seem to be off to a slow start but at least I finally have flowers in a variety of colors

I thought my daylily season was mostly over when Hemerocallis 'Spanish Harlem' finished up in late June but I've had a few other varieties throw out blooms this month.  Left to right are: 'Apollodorus', 'For Pete's Sake', and 'Persian Market'.

Lavandula angustifolia exploded like the Independence Day fireworks this month

The flowers of Leptospermum 'Copper Glow' aren't easy to photograph but they're particularly abundant this year

My favorite shaggy daisy, Leucanthemum x superbum, took off this month, seemingly blooming all at once

The interesting flowers of this small shrub, Melaleuca thymifolia, deserve more attention than they usually get near the rear of the backyard border

Next up are a few blooms that came as a surprise.

I didn't expect any Hippeastrum blooms this late in the year.  Appropriately perhaps, this variety is called 'Zombie'.  The large bloom is held up by a 3-inch stem.

I sowed seeds of Nigella damascena 'Albion Green Pod' months after I'd sown my Nigella papillosa seeds and, when cilantro came up instead of the Nigella, I assumed I wasn't going to see any flowers from 'Albion Green Pod'.  This delicate flower made its first appearance shortly after I pulled the cilantro.

The flowers of the shrub Rotheca myricoides (syn. Clerodendrum ugandense) must be viewed in closeup to explain its common name of blue butterfly bush (not to be confused with anything in the Buddleia genus)

Every garden has its reliable workhorses and here are some of mine.

Cuphea hybrids 'Starfire Pink' and 'Vermillionaire' bloom year round but the floral display is heaviest during the summer months

With the exception of 'Scarlet Sprite' (lower left), these Grevilleas also bloom year-round.  Clockwise from the upper left are: Grevillea 'Superb' (first 2 photos), 'Ned Kelly', 'Peaches & Cream', and 'Scarlet Sprite'.

Salvia canariensis var candidissima doesn't bloom year round but the colorful calyces that hold the lavender-pink blooms extend the show it provides

Creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum) regularly gets stepped on and it still blooms each year

I also have a host of plants that are coming to the end of their bloom season after putting on a good show in late spring/early summer.

I've already cut down 2-3 dozen spent bloom stalks of Agapanthus.  The rest are getting straggly and most will probably go by the end of the month.  

Like most of the Agapanthus, Hemerocallis 'Sammy Russell' is one of the few perennials that came with the garden.  Those in the back garden are almost done and I expect those in the front will follow within the next couple of weeks.

I've belatedly started to deadhead Monarda 'Peter's Purple' in the hope of getting another flush of flowers

Osteospermum generally goes into hiding during the summer months but this mix of '4D Silver' and 'Violet Ice' has hung on longer than expected

The bright blue flowers of Salvia clevelandii 'Winnifred Gilman' are fading fast

There are a handful of recent additions to my garden I'd like to share too.

I wish I'd bought 2 more of this Agastache 'Sunset Orange' for this bed

This bedding Dahlia 'Dark Side of the Sun' is the first and only dahlia blooming in my garden at the moment.  This one arrived as a mail order plant, while all the rest were planted as tubers.

I was delighted to stumble upon this California native Solanum xanti in a local garden center 2 weeks ago.  I've grown it before and was very pleased with it.

Venidium fastuosum 'Orange Prince' (syn. Arctotis fastuosa) is my latest plant crush.  I purchased 3 plants by mail order in early June and wish I had more.

This is my latest attempt to grow dwarf Verbena bonariensis 'Lollipop'.  The rabbits mowed down 2 plants in the front garden but thus far have left the 3 in the back garden alone.

I'll close as I usually do with color collages capturing the best of the rest of what's in bloom this month.

Top row: Fuchsia 'Deep Purple', buds of Globularia x indubia, and Hebe 'Grace Kelly'
Middle row: Plectranthus neochilus, Polygala fruticosa, and Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Deep Blue'
Bottom row: noID Scaevola, Trachelium caerulea, and Trichostema 'Midnight Magic'

Top row: Cistus skanbergii, C. 'Sunset', and Fuchsia 'Miss California'
Middle row: Hebe 'Wiri Blush', Lantana camara 'Irene', and Rosa 'Pink Meidiland'
bottom row: Nemesia 'Banana Swirl', noID Pelargonium, and Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Rose Pink'

Top row: Abelia grandiflora 'Edward Goucher', Angelonia 'Archangel White', and Cosmos bipinnatus
Middle row: noID gauva, Magnolia grandiflora, and Myrtus communis 'Compacta'
Bottow row: noID Phalaenopsis, Phyla nodiflora, and Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum'

Top row: noID Anigozanthos, Lantana 'Lucky Yellow', and Zinnia 'Profusion'
Middle row: Cotyledon orbiculata and Hesperaloe parviflora 'Brakelights'
Bottom row: Leonotis leonurus and Epilobium californica

Top row: Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer', Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun', and Lobelia laxiflora
Middle row: Cosmos bipinnatus and Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy'
Bottom row: Pelargonium peltatum and P. sidoides

Congratulations, you made it to the end of my very long July Bloom Day post!  To catch up with what's blooming elsewhere in the country and the world, check in with Carol at May Dream Gardens.

All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party