Wild & Weedy Wednesday: Tolerable weeds

I'm joining Cathy of Words and Herbs this week for her "Wild and Weedy Wednesday" meme.  I've got a multitude of true weeds in my garden this year.  If there's a positive side to a prolonged drought, it's that there's fewer weeds to pull.  This year we've had more than five times the amount of rain we had in the prior water year (21.69 inches versus 4.12 inches in 2022) and it seems I spend a quarter of my time in the garden pulling weeds.  If I factor in the time I spend thinning out the more decorative, albeit weedy, plants I tolerate in my garden, it's probably more like half my time. 

This post focuses on my five favorite "tolerable weeds."  None of these plants are native to coastal Southern California but all have naturalized here.  One has been officially designated as invasive in California but all are aggressive spreaders.  In spite of this, all are commonly sold by local garden centers.

The first is Centranthus ruber (aka Jupiter's beard), arguably the most vigorous and the most decorative of the lot.  Native to the Mediterranean area, it's been found in wild areas in various western states of the US, including California.  According to Wikipedia, it tolerates alkaline soil and is often found in rocky areas below 200 meters in elevation.  It isn't classified as invasive but I see it along the roadsides here and I've noticed it popping up in many of my neighbors' front gardens.

I didn't introduce it to my garden.  I found it growing in my northeast side garden when we moved in.

However, I did transplant several divisions from that area to my back slope, which was relatively empty before I began developing it in the early years of our residence.  It took off with a vengeance despite very little irrigation.

In my climate, Centranthus prefers our cool spring season.  As temperatures rise, the plants quickly go to seed as shown here at the bottom of my back slope.  I can't deadhead them fast enough.  I need to get down there to cut the flower stalks to the ground but fear of the fire ants has led me to put off that chore.

 

Erigeron karvinskianus (aka Mexican fleabane and Santa Barbara daisy) is native to Mexico and parts of Central America.  It's not officially classified as invasive but the Plant Right site rated it a moderate potential risk in California, especially if it receives moderate water.  It was here when we moved in and it readily moves itself around without any help from me.

In my northeastern side garden, it's intermingled with English ivy (a plant that is classified as invasive in California), making it more difficult to manage

It's a lovely graceful plant when it's getting sufficient water but it starts to look sad and weedy once the rain stops (as shown on the left).  The plant on the right, mingling with a Teucrium aroarium, is doing better in partial shade.

 

Geranium incanum (aka carpet geranium) is a South African native that has naturalized in California.  Like the Erigeron, it moves itself around, although in my garden it's most prevalent in the same areas preferred by Centranthus ruber.  It's not classified as invasive but it's said to get by without irrigation in coastal areas.

In this photo, it's sharing space with Erigeron karvinskianus

The Geranium most often "hides" under taller plants, slowly making its way into the sunlight before it blooms.  In the photo on the left, it's growing up through a mass of rosemary.  In the photo on the right, it's growing up through ivy on the upper edge of the back slope.

 

Unlike the other plants covered in this post, Lobularia maritima (aka sweet alyssum) is classified as invasive by the California Invasive Plant Council.  It's native to the Mediterranean basin but it's naturalized here.  It's said to like sandy soil like mine.  I'm not sure I've every visited a local garden center that didn't have six-packs of this plant in stock year-round.  I admit that I've often purchased it for use as a filler in planted containers.

I don't go out of my way to photograph the ever-present alyssum but this wide shot taken of my back garden in early May provides a good idea of how widespread it is in the landscape.  All of the alyssum shown here was self-planted.

The foreground of this shot, taken at the bottom of the back slope, provides an idea of how much space it covered there.  Pulling it up isn't simple.  The plants have solid taproots and their side roots often extend over a good foot or more.

One of the few closeup photos I've ever taken of the plant.  They love to self-seed between and around flagstones.

 

The last of my attractive weeds is Oenothera speciosa (aka pink evening primrose).  Native to areas of the Midwest, Texas, and northeastern Mexico, it's naturalized in 48 US states but it's not considered invasive, although I've heard many gardeners complain about its spread.  I didn't introduce it here.  It spreads itself around more lightly than the other plants described here.  To date, it prefers my northeast side garden and back slope.

The top photo on the left shows the flowers in my northeast side bed.  The group shown on the lower left was photographed at the bottom of the slope.

It even self-seeds in densely packed gravel

 

Visit Cathy at Words and Herbs to see which wild and weedy plants she's featuring this week.

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

Wednesday Vignette: Coming Attractions

Although we've been enjoying some comfortably cool weather (low 70sF), the signs of the approaching summer are evident in the garden.  Almost overnight, the Agapanthus produced a legion of bloom stalks.  I've yet to find one full-blown bloom but we're getting close.

Almost there!

I have several dozen clumps of Agapanthus like this one so you know I'm not kidding about the imminent arrival of a legion of blooms

I thought the Agapanthus were a bit early this year but, looking back at prior posts (like the one here), I found that, at best, we're about a week ahead of schedule.

Other summer bloomers are on their way as well.

Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun' (and a snail that I didn't see until I took a close look at this photo - the raccoons are falling down on their one and only non-destructive job!)

The Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum x superbum) also are full of buds - here's one of the first to bloom

And the Magnolia grandiflora is already producing blooms, to the delight of the bees

The pink evening primroses (Oenothera speciosa) have already arrived.  I'm not sure how long the flowers will last but they deserve a moment in the spotlight this week as well.

Pink evening primrose has a reputation for being invasive in some areas but in my garden it mingles companionably with other plants, which here includes weedy Centranthus ruber and succulent Oscularia deltoides 

I'm offering these coming attractions as my Wednesday Vignette.  Visit Anna at Flutter & Hum to find the images that grabbed her attention and that of other gardeners this week.


All material © 2012-2016 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

The Garden as a Refuge

It's been a tough week.  Someone I love landed in the hospital quite unexpectedly.  Things are looking up now and I'm grateful for that.

When I'm worried and feel unable to do anything to put things right, I find myself pulled into the garden.  Not that I'm able to exercise a lot of control there either, much as I might try.  Nature makes the rules and we have to work with them.  But, despite the fact that much of what happens in the garden is outside my control, being there focuses my attention and forces me to adapt to the circumstances facing me.  This week, with temperatures jumping into the 90s and the humidity plummeting to 1% according to my little garden weather station, the emphasis was on getting plants the water they need to cope with those conditions.

The slope at the back of our property doesn't have an automated irrigation system.  All watering is done by hand.  Although I've used drought tolerant plants there, most have been in the ground no more than a year so the area needs help when temperatures climb and our Santa Ana winds blow.  That area got attention first.   Even at 9AM, the area was already sun scalded and dry.

View from the top section of the slope looking down

Centranthus ruber, Oenothera speciosa, and Euphorbia 'Dean's Hybrid' surround a fig tree

View from the bottom of the slope looking back up

Half of my "dry garden" at the top of the slope also has no irrigation system so that was the next priority.

Top of the stairway heading back into the dry garden

Guava tree surrounded by more Centranthus ruber, more Oenothera speciosa, and Phormiums

View of the pathway that leads through the dry garden down to the stairway that bisects the slope

I managed a few hours in the garden just watering and dead-heading flowers.  Yet that small amount of time helped to center me.  An old sign I've had for some 20+ years carries a reminder of the important role the garden plays in my life.