Mostly Foliage

The heat switch has been stuck in the "on" position for over a week but we're expecting to move back into the 80s starting today.  I haven't been doing much more than watering the garden during the past week but, as I wandered about in the morning hours checking for evidence of heat stress, I took my camera with me.  After a Bloom Day glut of flowers, I focused most of my attention on foliage.  I thought I'd share some of what looks good, as well as a few recent losses.

After focusing my camera on the Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' in the center of this shot, I pulled back for a wider view of the area, which may be the greenest section of my garden at present

When it's really hot I pay more attention to the plants that provide shade.  My initial focus was the peppermint willows, Agonis flexuosa.  There are six of these trees in the garden, four of which filter the sun on the west side, providing a lacy curtain.

I was trying to get a good shot of the wispy Agonis leaves here but the trunk of the strawberry tree, Arbutus 'Marina', ended up front and center

I couldn't ignore that flashy bark even though I showed the bark of another Arbutus in a July post

I had the peppermint willows in the front garden cut back last year.  I may leave them alone during this fall's pruning cycle to get a better curtain next year.

The only annoying thing about these trees is that two of them are planted in the middle of the path that leads from the lower level of the front garden to the driveway

I have to squeeze along the path but, combined with the Xylosma hedge, the trees do a good job of screening us from the street

This peppermint willow stands on the northwest side of the property.  It was thinned last year too but I'll leave it alone this year as well.

Relatives of the peppermint willow trees, Agonis flexuosa 'Nana' provides some privacy on the south side of the house, although the dwarf shrubs offer little in the way of shade.  However, an overgrown Coprosma adjacent to the patio has helped out a bit in that regard.

I cut the three shrubs down to nearly a foot tall this past winter.  They're less than half the height they once more but they recovered well.

Pulling down the shades in our living room (in an effort to keep the house from heating up) allowed me to get a halfway decent shot of this Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey'.  It's an exceptionally pretty mirror plant with glossy leaves that range from lime green to burgundy.  I frequently use the stems in floral arrangements.

Grasses and grass-like plants also caught my attention.

I love this Pennistum advena 'Rubrum' combined with Centaurea 'Silver Feathers', especially when the grass sports its graceful plumes as it's doing now

This is Lomandra 'Platinum Beauty', shown in two different areas of my garden.  Lomandra isn't a true grass but it creates the effect of one.

I admire foliage that adds color to the garden when my flowering plants start to take a step back.

I've previously grown Caladium in pots here but this year I planted the bulbs in the ground in semi-shaded areas by the front door.  The plant on the left is 'Creamsicle' and the one on the right is 'Debutante'.

This plant goes by the cumbersome name of Pseuderanthemum 'Texas Tri-star'.  It develops a tall, woody stem as it ages, even when periodically cut back.  I usually replace it when it gets this tall but my nursery rounds have been drastically curtailed this year and I haven't found starter plants.  When it's cooler, I'll try taking cuttings.

Other foliage stood out on account of its sheer resilience against the heat.

I've actively worked at ridding my garden of Asparagus densiflorus 'Myers' and its thick masses of bulbous roots but I'm somewhat more favorably disposed to this 'Sprengeri'. The stems have an attractive foxtail form and it doesn't seem quite as invasive as 'Myers'.  It's also the only plant that's survived in this extremely dry spot, where even succulents struggle.

This is Phormium 'Tom Thumb', shown here mingling with Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt' on the left and Cordyline 'Renegade' on the right.

Of course, not all is well.  Late yesterday afternoon, I noticed that one of my Helichysum 'Icicles' has suddenly turned a sickly beige, although the others look fine.  Heat contributed to the demise of a couple other plants as well.

This was Echium wildpretii.  I planted it in early February and it was looking good until about 2 weeks ago.  It was probably too dry for it here even though I made an extra effort to give it extra water.

Phylica pubescens (aka featherhead) has been in this bed for two and a half years, although I can't say it ever really thrived 

I don't think the heat had anything to do with the loss of the tree-sized Toyon, Heteromeles artbutifolia, on the south end of the garden but there's no longer any denying that it's dead.  The only question is whether I can continue to put off dealing with it until the fall when I usually have a tree-trimming service in for our annual pruning exercise.

It turns out that Toyons are sensitive to the same pathogen that causes sudden oak death.  It was a rapid transition from first notice that it was in trouble to this state of red-leafed suspended animation.

To conclude on a more positive note, I'm including a photo of my Yucca 'Bright Star'.  These plants get a lot of coverage in this blog and I hadn't planned to share another photo this month, until I noticed a new development.

The Yucca on the right bloomed months ago and now the largest of the trio planted in this area has a flower spike too

And, even though I intended to focus this post on foliage, I'm closing with photos of the latest dahlias to make an appearance in my cutting garden because I simply can't stop myself from doing so.

Clockwise from the top are Dahlias 'Labyrinth', 'Loverboy' and 'Enchantress'

I'm looking forward to cooler temperatures but poor air quality, the product of the mass of wildfires that have sprung up all over California, may still limit my time outside.  It looks like we're in store for another difficult summer season after all.

Best wishes for a safe and peaceful weekend.

All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: The new arrivals

Two of my long-awaited dahlias finally bloomed last week.  Although the supply of dahlias available for cutting is still very small, there was no question about what I'd use in my vases this week.  The only issue was what I had available to pair with them.

Dahlia 'Sellwood Glory', front and center here, was the first to produce buds and the first to bloom in my cutting garden.  It was described as purple but it reads on the pink end of the purple spectrum rather than the blue end, which made it harder for me to find suitable companions.

Back view: Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy' is trying to steal the show in this vase I think.  The plant literally blooms year-round but I'm not sure I've used it much, if at all, this year so it may be making up for lost time.

Top view: Cuphea 'Starfire Pink', selected as a filler, shows up best in this overhead view 

Clockwise from the upper left: Dahlia 'Sellwood Glory', Cosmos bipinnatus, Cuphea 'Starfire Pink', Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy', Pelargonium peltatum in burgundy and lavender, and Pentas lanceolata

'Sellwood Glory' (which always sounds to me like it should be the name of a thoroughbred race horse) beat out 'Mr Optimist' by less than a day.  Finding a companion for 'Mr Optimist' was easier as my first gladiolas arrived on its heels.

'Mr Optimist' was meant to be the star of this arrangement but Gladiolus 'Green Star' may be eclipsing it 

Back view: I'm disappointed by this view.  The small red Penstemon stems can't hold their own here.  I probably should have added another gladiola stem or maybe more Coreopsis.

Top view: I was pleased with how well the foliage of Coprosma 'Plum Hussey' balanced the gladiolas, however

Clockwise from the upper left: Dahlia 'Mr Optimist', Coreopsis 'Redshift', Gladiolus 'Green Star', Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey', and Penstemon mexicali 'Mini-Bells Red'

Last week's vases held up well.  I tossed the contents of last week's first vase on Sunday but the second vase consisting primarily of foliage looks almost as fresh as it did last Sunday so it moved to the kitchen island.

The two new vases took pride of place in the front entry and dining room table respectively.

Six more dahlias have buds, including a second 'Mr Optimist'.  Seven other dahlias sprouted and continue to grow but have yet to produce buds.  Yesterday afternoon, I noticed that one of the purple gladiolas was blooming and that a few of my seed-grown zinnias have produced flowers.  While things in my cutting garden are looking up, I'd say it's still running a month or more behind last year's garden.  Cooler summer conditions may be a factor but most of the delay lays squarely on my shoulders.  I planted most of my dahlia tubers between late April and early May this year instead of early March.  I sowed zinnia seeds even later, and I've pinched back both the developing dahlias and zinnias on a more routine basis than I've done in the past.  Hopefully, I've just pushed my peak flower season forward rather than reducing its duration but we'll see.

To see more vases created from materials contributors have on hand in their own gardens, visit Cathy in Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Foliage in context

As we move reluctantly into summer here, I thought a look at some of the foliage that provides the backbone of my garden was in order.  The difficulty taking photos under the glare of the sun with our second heatwave of the summer baring down on me kept the number of photos suitable for publication down to a reasonable number.  To limit the focus further, I've concentrated on foliage elements that enhance or play off the foliage surrounding them.

Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt' is one of the mainstays of my garden.  I have 7 of them and, over time, they've gotten very large.  This one, planted beneath tree-sized Leucadendron 'Pisa', plays off the texture of succulent Aeonium arboreum outside my office window.

Another 3 'Cousin Itt' fill a broad space under a peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa) in the back border.  This one spills down the slight slope that flattens into a dirt path running between the back border and the Xylosma congestum hedge that borders the entire back garden.  This one is also mingling with succulents and Leucadendrons.

The 3 dwarf Agonis flexuosa 'Nana' I cut back hard in December have fleshed out nicely.  The Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi' bordering the bed picks up the color of its foliage.  The red stems of the Agonis also play off the Coprosma 'Plum Hussey' in the background on the left and the Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset' in the distance on the right.  (The upturned plastic flats underneath the shrubs are protecting newly sown sunflower and zinnia seeds.)

Here's a closer look at Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey'

The Coprosma and this metal screen are both supporting the one and only passionflower vine (Passiflora parritae) I've been able to keep alive.  Planted in a pot in 2 years ago, it's yet to bloom.

This is a closer look at Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset', growing next to another noID Leucadendron, with Agave attenuata 'Raea's Gold' below and the mass of Acacia 'Cousin Itt' in the background

Maybe you also noted the 3 Agave bracteosa (squid agave) in the foreground of the preceding photo.  This photo provides a closer look.  There are also 2 Agave 'Joe Hoak' in the background on the right.

The same plants viewed in the other direction against a backdrop of Yucca 'Bright Star'

I was afraid I went too far when I cut Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' nearly to the ground.  I was thrilled to see it's also jumped into gear.  There's another, smaller Coprosma 'Plum Hussey' alongside it, picking up the red color of the smoke bush's foliage.

Melianthus major is another plant I cut nearly to the ground in late winter.  It benefits from the shade of the Arbutus 'Marina' under which it's planted.  It's red flowers pick up the color of the tree's bark, as well as the color in variegated Leucadendron 'Jester'.

I'll close this post with foliage I've come to have a love-hate relationship with, the masses of Stipa tenuissima (aka Mexican feather grass) I have in my garden.  I've 8 mass plantings of this grass, each consisting of 3 to 5 clumps.  It self-seeds widely at this time of year and, since out drought became more persistent and the soil has hardened, those seedlings have become more difficult to pull out in some areas.

This grass mixes well with everything but keeping it tidy is a chore at this time of year.  These are the before (left) and after (right) photos of one expanse of these plants in the back border.  Many gardeners cut these down to a couple of inches but the plants look ugly for a few months afterwards and that approach doesn't eliminate the dead growth at their base.  I comb the dead foliage out by hand.

This is the before and after shot of yet another section.  The combing process takes a long time and the stress of the repetitive activity caused the ganglion cyst in my wrist to flare up again this week.

With all the Mexican feather grass tided up (at least for a month, after which they'll need another pass) and the heat backing off, I'm looking forward to more pleasant hours in the garden this weekend.  I know a nasty polar vortex is expected to effect a broad area of the US this weekend and, in advance, I offer my condolences and send hope that it won't be too cold, too damaging, or remain around too long.


All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: Something a little different

The cool-season flowers in my cutting garden got a late start and most are nowhere near bloom-stage yet.  While I still have plenty of the flowers I've featured in recent weeks, anything I did with them would likely be a repeat of what I've done before so instead I focused on succulents.  I've used succulents before but, as best I can recall, I haven't used them as centerpieces in an arrangement this year.  With succulent cuttings as my springboard, I filled in with plants suitable to the season.

I used the heavy green and red onyx vase, which doesn't hold water well.  The succulent cuttings don't need water and, after seeing Leucadendron used to create wreaths at an Orange County garden center earlier this month, I decided to test its staying power in a dry vase. 

Back view: I did use water-filled floral tubes to hold the Coprosma and berries I included

Top view: The red flower-like stems of Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset' and 'Blush' ended up taking center stage away from the succulents

Clockwise from the upper left: Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi', A. haworthii 'Kiwi Verde', Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey', berries of a noID self-planted Cotoneaster, Leucadendron salignum 'Blush', L. salignum 'Chief' and, in the center, Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset'

I didn't create a second vase this week.  I'm holding aside more of the blooming Hippeastrum I featured two weeks ago to create an arrangement for a holiday gathering this coming Saturday.  This week's new arrangement replaced the last vase I created with the same Amaryllis, while last week's purple mix moved to the kitchen island when Christmas decorations filled the front entry.

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


All material © 2012-2019 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: Sprinting to the finish line

I had a different kind of vase in mind this week but the dahlias in my cutting garden wouldn't be denied.  Although I still hope I'll have them around for a few weeks yet, it feels as though they're putting on their final push looking toward the end of their season.

Dahlia 'Citron du Cap' was the starting point for this vase but 2 other dahlia varieties quickly got on board

I hadn't planned on using the stiff  Pittosporum foliage either but yesterday morning my husband went crazy trimming it to clear space for the painters we expect to start work on the outside of the house this week so it ended up here

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Dahlias 'Citron du Cap', 'Labyrinth' and 'Terracotta', noID white Cosmos, Pittosporum tobira 'Variegata', and Tanacetum parthenium

One vase containing dahlias wasn't enough so here's another one.

I was cutting Abelia for inclusion in the first vase when I decided it'd look even better with Dahlia 'Enchantress'

Again, 2 additional dahlias jumped on board, along with a few foxglove stems.  I pulled most of my remaining foxgloves 2 weeks ago but the 2 plants I left in place are still flowering.

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Dahlias 'Enchantress', 'Diva' and 'Hollyhill Karen Lee', Abelia grandiflora ' Hopley's Variegated', and Digitalis purpurea

Even after filling 2 vases, I had leftovers that landed in a third vase.

One of Dahlia 'Punkin Spice's' stems took a nose dive and I couldn't just leave her hanging

The Coprosma was originally intended for the first vase but it got booted by the Pittosporum

Clockwise from the left: Dahlia 'Punkin Spice', Zinnia elegans, and Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey'

For more Monday vases, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2019 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party