More work than I'd anticipated

In the middle of our most recent heatwave, I started renovating the back garden bed that sits just outside my home office window.  While I'd been thinking of pulling out some of the succulents there for some time, I hadn't planned to tackle any renovation until late September or early October when the temperatures were lower.  But a branch of the tree-sized Leucadendron 'Pisa' in the bed was bent during Tropical Storm Hilary and required minor pruning.    As sometimes happens, one thing led to another.  I ended up severely pruning the large Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt' that occupies the same bed, as well as pulling up most of the Aeoniums that shared the space.

I'll start with a couple of before shots.

This photo of the bed in question (on the left) was taken in May.  There were already some holes there but it's the best before shot I have.

This photo was taken back in January 2021 but it shows the mass of mixed Aeonium arboreum and Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi' planted adjacent to the back patio when they were looking their best

 

I don't have a good "before" photo of Acacia 'Cousin Itt' but it's now a a shadow of its former self.

These Acacias produce new foliage atop masses of bare stems, dry twigs and dead foliage.  I removed the majority of the dry material when I cut this one back.  If this plant survives the experience, I may give the rest of my 'Cousin Itt' Acacias severe haircuts too.

 

I hadn't originally planned to take out eighty percent of the the Aeoniums but, when they grow as big as the plants in this bed did, pruning them halfway doesn't help their overall appearance much.

These are closeups of the Aeoniums (arboreum and 'Kiwi') on 3 sides of this bed before I set to work

 

I took a large number of presentable cuttings, more than I can possibly use.  Two-thirds or more of what I pulled up went directly into our green recycle bin.

These are some of the cuttings I saved.  As I don't expect to use the majority of them, I may offer them whatever I don't use to neighbors.

The bed is now half empty.  Still in place are the Acacia 'Cousin Itt', Leucadendron 'Pisa', Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata', a Hemerocallis (now nearly dormant), a handful of Hippeastrum 'Luna', several small variegated Lantanas, and a much smaller number of succulents.

The lifted "skirts" of the Acacia are evident in this photo.  The scattering of Aeonium arboreum in the middle foreground were cuttings I planted earlier this year in an initial effort to fill holes left when the tall stems of the surrounding Aeoniums collapsed under their own weight.  I'm not yet sure they'll remain there when I replant the area.

Even though I loved the wall of mixed Aeoniums I had running along the back patio's edge (as shown in the second "before" photo at the top of this post), I'm inclined to select low-growing groundcovers here to avoid crowding the nearby patio table

As the bed outside the lower frame of this photo is filled with succulents, I'm inclined to use at least some succulents here to connect the 2 areas.  At present, I'm planning to keep the 3 Agave lophantha 'Quadricolor' that are already there, even though the plants pup like crazy.  I removed 5 'Quadricolor' pups in the process of cleaning out the bed.

These photos show the empty spaces I'm most likely or fill with softer (non-succulent) plants

 

As indicated, my plans for the empty spaces are fuzzy.  I'll probably use some of my Aeonium cuttings in the bed but, at least at present, I'm thinking of leaving the area directly adjacent to the back patio succulent-free as the earlier planting intruded too much on the limited patio space.

 

Fortunately, planting up a succulent pot requires far less thought.

A friend gave me the pretty pale green pot shown here in May and I only just got around to planting it.  The pot contains a noID Kalanchoe with pale pink flowers, Sedum 'Little Missy', Crassula perforata 'Variegata', and Echeveria 'Violet'.

 

We're anticipating our current cooler temperatures in the mid-70sF (24C) to continue for roughly another week.  Fingers crossed.

 

Best wishes for a pleasant weekend.  As an aside, for those of you interested in drought-tolerant landscapes, you may wish to take a look at the short (one to 2 minute) videos relating to the gardens of Minack Theatre, an open air space situated on the Cornish cliffs in Penzance, UK.  I was surprised at how many of the plants featured there are present in my own garden.  I learned about the Minack Theatre from an episode of Gardener's World but I found the videos here.

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

 

In a Vase on Monday: Simpler is better (at least this week)

After several weeks of dodging the top-heavy hanging branches of the Leucadenron 'Pisa' growing next to our backyard patio, I decided it was time to get out my pruning shears.  I took off more than I'd anticipated when I started and, on a whim, decided to put out the most presentable pruned stems for neighbors with a note that they make a nice addition to flower arrangements.  I didn't expect many people to pick them up and was honestly surprised the next morning to find just one stem left in the water-filled bucket I'd left on the curb.  The bucket had contained two dozen or more stems.  I held back several stems for use in my own vases too of course.

I didn't take a "before" photo of the Leucadendron but this is the "after" shot

The Leucadendron's cones are silver with a purplish blush surrounded by chartreuse bracts so I looked for companion materials to play off those colors.  As usual, I went overboard.

This was what I put together after cruising through my garden on Sunday morning

After staring at the arrangement for awhile, I decided it looked too busy.  I removed the chartreuse kangaroo paws (Anigozanthos) and many of the asters, deciding for once that a simpler combination would be better.

This is version #2, featuring the first lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) my garden has produced this season

Back view: I tucked a few of the remaining asters (Symphyotrichum chilennse) here with blue throatwort (Trachelium caeruleum)

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Eustoma grandiflorum, Leucadendron 'Pisa', Trachelium caeruleum, Nigella papillosa, and Symphyotrichum chilense (aka California aster)

Even with the changes to my first arrangement, I prefer my second one this week.

This arrangement is simpler still, consisting of just four elements and two floral colors

Back view

Top view

Clockwise from the top: Leucanthemum x superbum, Centaurea 'Silver Feather', Polygala fruticosa, and Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata'

The leftover elements went into a small arrangement for our kitchen island.

More Leucadendron 'Pisa', noID Anigozanthos, and Symphyotricum chilense

The first vase sits on the dining room table and the second one in the front entry

After a turbulent start and still more infuriating actions on the part of the occupant of our White House last week, the protests in the US have continued spread throughout the country, drawing large numbers of diverse participants.  The vast majority have been peaceful.  I continue to worry about their impact in spreading the coronavirus but I admire those who've joined the cause, which I also support.  That what's happened in the US has struck a chord all over the world, spurring marches based on the same concerns, carries a powerful message that we share something other than a virus.  It creates hope that we will come out of the challenges we currently face as better people.

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


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

In a Vase on Monday: Something a little different

Last week, we fast-forwarded into summer without any kind of transition.  On Friday, our temperature peaked at 95F (35C).  All the tender new foliage and recent spring blooms struggled, and some collapsed.  Saturday and Sunday were a little better as temperatures here dropped back into the mid-to-upper 80s.  Fog in the area may have provided natural air conditioning of a sort as it periodically does during our hot summer months.  Although it was clear at our elevation, fog hugged the harbor throughout the weekend.

This is what I saw when I looked at the harbor from our back door on Saturday morning

The fog below us never entirely cleared.  By late afternoon, you could see the shipping cranes again but fog lingered around their footings and the cruise ships (which I can assure you are still sitting out the pandemic there in the bay) remained invisible. 

For my vases this week, I focused on plants I'm afraid may throw in the towel early in response to the heat.  The backbone of my first vase, stems of Leucadendron 'Pisa', is a tough plant but the other two ingredients may be more sensitive to temperature extremes.

Alstroemeria 'Claire' took a starring role, backed up by the luminescent Leucadendron with its silver cones

Back view: I filled in with Nigella 'Transformer', which just began blooming late last week

Top view

Clockwise from the top: Alstroemeria 'Claire', Leucadendron 'Pisa', and Nigella orientalis 'Transformer'

I set myself a challenge with my second vase when I cut several stems of Salvia lanceolata, a South African native.  The colors in the Salvia's flowers is what presented the challenge.

The flowers combine colors I can only describe as a mix of yellowish-green and peachy-mauve

Like the Leucadendron, the Salvia can handle heat but foxgloves and Centranthus are less tolerant.

The peach foxgloves were already singed blown in spots

Back view: The Centranthus looks fine at the moment but I'm concerned about the effects of an extended heatwave

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi Verde', noID Alstroemeria, white and pink Centranthus ruber. Pelargonium 'White Lady', Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', Digitalis 'Dalmatian Peach' and, in the center, Salvia lanceolata

The ingredients in the third arrangement cried out for rescue from the heat.   I kicked this arrangement off with the larkspur (Consolida ajacis), which only just began blooming as the heatwave hit.  I planted the larkspur from seed in November and was beginning to wonder if it was ever going to bloom.

The grayish-purple larkspur was a bit disappointing.  It's outshone here by the purple foxgloves. Like the peach foxgloves, the sweet peas were singed.

As it turned out, I liked this side of the arrangement better

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Digitalis purpurea, Consolida ajacis 'Earl Grey', Orlaya grandiflora, a mix of Lathyrus odoratus, Pelargonium 'Lady Plymouth, and Oxalis triangularis

So that's this week's collection.  This morning, the fog's enveloped the entire house so it may be cooler today; however, we're expecting another temperature spike mid-week.  My Anemones and Dutch Iris have already bit the dust but I hope the sweet peas, foxgloves, and Nigella can tough it out awhile.  We shall see.  For other IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

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

May: Glory Days in the Garden

March, April and May are the very best months in my garden; however, March is usually the month that I experience my twirl-in-the-garden reaction to the wonders of Spring.  I didn't feel that moment in March this year, nor April either.  That may have been a reaction to the pathetically low rainfall we received during our winter rainy season and apprehension about what the summer would bring.   Flowers bloomed but less profusely than last year and prior years in general.  Fruit trees failed to produce buds.  The mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin) has failed to leaf out at all and shows all the signs of infestation by the shot hole borer killing trees throughout Southern California.  The mimosa tree still looks like a goner but a long, nearly continuous stretch of "May Gray" weather has provided relief.  The drizzle that's accompanied it on some days even racked up a total of 8/100ths of an inch of precipitation in this location, 3/100ths of that this morning alone.  That's admittedly not a lot but, when your annual rain total (for the rain year beginning October 1, 2017) stands at 3.78 inches, it's appreciated nonetheless.  So mid-May finally brought that feeling of utter joy I associate with Spring.  I'm celebrating it by sharing a few wide shots of my garden and belatedly joining Chloris of The Blooming Garden in sharing my top 10 blooms for the month of May.

Since I returned from the Austin Garden Bloggers' Fling in early May, there have been only 2 truly sunny days.  This photo of the back garden taken last Friday morning facing the entrance to the Los Angeles Harbor was one of them.  Most days, we get at least a couple of hours of clearing by late afternoon but we've occasionally been socked in all day.

This is the view of the back garden looking north from the main patio area.

Two of my favorite May bloomers, both members of the Protea family, are visible here

The first is Leucadendron 'Pisa'.  Its "flowers" are actually bracts surrounding cones.  They literally glow against the tree-like shrub's silvery foliage.

The blooms of Leucospermum 'Royal Hawaiian Brandi' are still relatively sparse but as this is the first year the plant has bloomed since I planted it in March 2016, I'm thrilled

The views of the back garden looking south reveal other favorites.

The moderate gloom on the morning I took this photo was generally great for photographs, although the yellow flowers of Achillea 'Moonshine' blend in with the foliage of Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold' here

The Achillea shows up better in this photo, taken early yesterday evening

Favorite flowering plants in this area include the following:

Achillea 'Moonshine' lights up the back border in late Spring/early Summer and balances the blue of the Agapanthus, which are just now beginning their bloom cycle

A few Alstroemeria are still blooming but 'Indian Summer' is the most vibrant.  I draws my eye even when I'm inside the house.  Its dark foliage gives is extra zing.

I had the devil of a time time reducing my favorite blooming plants to 10 but Ozothamnus diomifolius (aka rice flower) made the cut.  It looked terrible last year and I debated pulling it out entirely before cutting it back dramatically.  It's made a great comeback.

The front garden is also looking lush.

Leptospermum 'Copper Glow' is living up to its name right now, showing off nicely against the chartreuse foliage scattered about

Dorycnium hirsutum (aka Hairy Canary Clover) is doing a nice job as a ground cover along the edge of the driveway.

Hairy Canary Clover is attractive in and out of bloom.  The flowers are drawing bees now.  The plant self-seeds but it isn't a pest and I've used it widely throughout the garden in areas that are particularly dry.

Looking southward at the front garden from a different angle brings another of this month's favorite blooming plants into view.

The flower spires of Echium candicans 'Star of Madeira'  are just visible behind Leptospermum 'Copper Glow' on the right

Variegated 'Star of Madeira' is blooming about one month later this year than it did last year and well behind Echium webbii in the back garden.  Luckily for the bees, as the flowers on the latter shrub fade, they've been able to move to the fresh flowers on 'Star of Madeira'.

From the south end of the front garden looking north back toward the driveway, you can see not only the Echium but also one of my favorite Pelargoniums.

Pelargonium 'Oldbury Duet' is scattered to the left of the path

'Oldbury Duet' is flowering especially well this year.  In contrast, Eustoma grandiflorum (Lisianthus), also shown in this photo, seem reluctant to bloom at all.  Although Lisianthus has over-wintered for me in prior years, most of last year's plants failed this winter, possibly due to our paltry rain.  I've added lots of new plugs this year but, thus far, I've had just a couple blooms.

The wide shots I shared above hid only 2 of the blooming plants on my top 10 list for May.

Planted in the front garden on the far south side outside the cat's screened porch, I love Salvia lanceolata (aka Rocky Mountain Sage), a South African native, for its quirky flowers.  Its gray foliage has a lovely satin texture.

Pelargonium peltatum (aka ivy geranium) is a very common plant here but it's never sold as the climber it's shown itself to be in my garden.  I brought this plant from my former garden and planted it as a ground cover at the base of an existing vine (Pandorea jasminoides 'Alba') in what's now my cutting garden.  I cut it back hard last year but it's climbed right back this year.

Visit Chloris at The Blooming Garden to see her top 10 list for May and to find links to other top 10 choices.


All material © 2012-2018 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party