Neighborhood Standouts

I've resumed my regular neighborhood walks, at least when our temperatures don't soar into the stratosphere as they did yesterday and as we expect them to do again today.  When that happens, we pull down all the indoor shades and let the air conditioning take over.

On Thursday, our afternoon temperature topped out at 102.2F (39C), which was higher than was forecasted for our area

When I walk the neighborhood, I snap photos whenever I see something I like or that intrigues me.  While cloistered in the house during the current heatwave I pulled together a collection of those photos and thought I'd share them.  All but two were taken using my mobile phone's camera.  Those of us living along the California coast have mostly avoided extreme high temperatures this summer while people living in our inland areas have baked.  The inland valley I grew up in experienced temperatures over 115F (43C) yesterday and get even hotter today.  When I was in high school (a LONG time ago) no one spoke about global warming but, even back then, I swore that every summer got worse and worse.  Now there's plenty of evidence of that (not that all politicians acknowledge the fact and fewer still are prepared to address it).  As a whole, California had its hottest July on record and worldwide it's clear that global warming is a factor in one disaster after another.  Ignoring it isn't going to make things better.

But let me move on the what's looking good in the neighborhood!

For the first 10+ years I lived here, the front slope of this home was covered in a lumpy "rug" of fake turf.  It looks so much better now!

The narrow profile of this red-flowered crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia) grabbed my attention as I'd like to add one of these trees to my garden but was concerned about their girth 

I love the structure of this noID cycad

Located in the same garden, my phone's plant ID app identified this as a Mexican blue palm (Brahea armata)

I don't often see aloes blooming in late summer but this garden's aloes put on a good show every summer.  I'm not certain of the ID.

We inherited several Hibiscus in our former garden but the plants were covered in woolly aphids every year and I eventually removed them.  This one always looks great.

I took this photo of the beautiful Bougainvilleas in our south-side neighbors' garden from my back slope as their home is set back from the street and the plants aren't visible from that vantage point

Our north-side neighbor's home and garden are also set back from the street but leaves of one giant bird of paradise (Strelitzia nicolai) routinely pushes through the fence between us.  I photographed it from our side.

I love the wild blue morning glory (Ipomoea sp.) but I'm glad it's rambling through someone else's front garden

The same neighbor has Plumbagos winding through his front and back gardens (both visible from different sections of the street)

For a couple of weeks, I watered selected plants for neighbors who were out of town.  I snapped photos now and then in the process.

I don't have a solid ID for this magnificent Agave

My neighbor has Calandrinia spectabilis roaming through various areas of her garden.  I was surprised and delighted when I spotted what appeared to be a large mass of Tradescantia mundula variegata 'Tricolor' in the background, partially hidden by other plants.

This neighbor uses large and small succulents throughout her garden.  Many of the small ones are shown off in pots.

In this neighborhood, many, if not most of us, have slopes to deal with.  This neighbor has impressive stacked-stone walls to cope with them, all planted with succulents and other drought tolerant plants. 

No stacked-stone walls here but this multi-tiered structure provides spots for lounging and more plants 

I took one long distance shot from our driveway of palm trees growing alongside a house outside my neighborhood.

I must admit that I don't like palm trees, especially the tall ones that drop their fronds from great heights onto whatever lies below - they made a mess of the backyard of my childhood home and they can be dangerous.  However, this group across the canyon is always kept well-groomed and I admire the vignette (from a distance).

I've made inroads cleaning up my garden recently but there's still a lot left to do.  My efforts came to an abrupt halt when this "heat dome" settled over California.  It's expected to last through the weekend and I expect there'll be even more plants that need cleaning up - or throwing out - afterwards but I look forward to getting back to work next week.  Whether any of the dahlias in my cutting garden will be left to fill my vases is another matter.  Best wishes for a pleasant weekend, whatever you weather conditions!

All material © 2012-2024 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

The scruffy side of summer

As mentioned in my last post, my garden has slid into the summer doldrums, taking the gardener with it.  There's no better symbol of the reasons for that than the Agapanthus.  They bloomed later than usual this year and arrived en masse.  In mid-July they were looking pretty good.

This was the collage of Agapanthus photos I included in my July Bloom Day post

This photo was taken around the same time, showing off the blue Agapanthus in one segment of my back garden border

 

As the month progressed and heat intensified, the flowers that bloomed together began to rapidly die off together.

Here's what that same area of the back garden border looked like on July 31st

Some of the Agapanthus closest to the driveway in the front garden died off even earlier

 

I cut down the scruffy stems in the front garden last week, although the blooms shown in the background of the prior shot have declined since that photo was taken and they still need to be removed.  However, I tackled the scruffy collection in the back garden yesterday.  I'd estimate that I cut down over one hundred stems.  I still have more to remove but I put the rest off when the temperature climbed into the upper 80sF.

This is the area of the back garden border I cleared.  I left 2 presentable blooms in place and stripped the flowers and seedpods from 16 other stems to provide interest.

Frankly, the bare stems don't show up well against the green hedge behind them.  I'm not going to spray paint them but perhaps I'll use the stems in another floral arrangement before I remove them (assuming the gardeners don't beat me to that.)

 

There are still isolated stems producing new blooms but we're on the trailing end of the season for the Agapanthus.

Agapanthus 'Elaine', planted 2-3 years ago from a 4-inch pot, is always late to bloom.  It's notable for its inky blue color.

 

Earlier in July, I tackled another plant that needed pruning.

This was the Helichrysum thianschanicum 'Icicles' I highlighted in my June Bloom Day post.  I usually don't allow it to bloom at all but I decided I liked the pale yellow flowers against the silvery foliage.

The flowers eventually turned a mustard brown I didn't much care for.  In addition, the plant grew so wide I couldn't walk along the flagstone path except by stepping into the bed on the right so I used the battery-operated pruner my husband gave me for my birthday and cut it down to size.

 

Meanwhile, the daylilies are throwing in the towel; the flowers of the Salvia clevelandii are rapidly transitioning from bright blue to brown; and the Argyranthemums in the back garden look like they've been toasted.

Argyranthemum frutescens (aka marguerite daisy) is a short-lived perennial in my climate.  It often comes back for a second year but that doesn't look likely in the case of the 'White Butterfly' variety in the center of this shot.  The smaller 'Yellow Grandaisy' in front of it looks only slightly more promising and I've already tossed out the 'Red Grandaisy' in my cutting garden. 

 

Even some succulents in my cutting garden have been scorched.

Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi' generally holds up well in full sun even during its summer dormancy but the plants at the front of the display (left) burned up - I've never seen that happen before.  I pulled the scorched plants out but left the self-seeded purslane weed (Portulaca oleracea) where it was.  Also known as "tasty weed", purslane is edible.  If I'd noticed the scorched Aeoniums earlier, I'd have transplanted the purslane I pulled elsewhere to fill in this area.

 

It's hard to find joy in my garden right now.  The dahlias will no doubt change my outlook when they arrive - I'm finding more buds on the plants every day - but for now I'll share this bright spot.

I don't remember planting Dieties grandiflora (aka fortnight lily and African iris) but, if I did, it was years ago and it disappeared until this year's rain resurrected it

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

What season is it???

The current pandemic and the stay-at-home order that followed it have upended my usual activities and thrown my schedule into total disarray.  Like many people I know, I find myself struggling to remember what day it is sometimes.  Rapid changes in the weather have also left me wondering what season it is.  The calendar says it's spring but, in the middle of our second heatwave of the year, it feels like summer.  Meanwhile, some of my trees are making it look like fall.

This is the Hong Kong orchid tree (Bauhinia x blakeana) in our front garden.  After blooming for months, it dropped all its flowers and, since this photo was taken following our first heatwave, most of its leaves.

The ornamental pear (Pyrus calleryana) also went into fall mode but it still held onto two-thirds of its leaves despite creating a fall-like mess of leaf litter

The noID Guava also lost a lot of its leaves in response to the heat but managed to quickly sprout replacement leaves since this photo was taken last week.  Cleaning leaf litter covering the spiky agaves below hasn't been a lot of fun, though.

The Auranticarpa rhombifolium in the middle here has been showing signs of decline for some time but the last heatwave sealed the deal.  Although the tall shrub on its right is the same species and looks fantastic (if perhaps in need of pruning), these shrubs in general haven't done well here.  A neighbor told me that these shrubs originally formed a hedge along the street but quickly began dying and were replaced by Xylosma except for one stretch in this area.  We've pulled 3 of them since we moved in and now I'm planning to take out both the dead one and the other one on its left.

Sudden heat stress probably accounts for the behavior of the trees shown above but some trees in my garden are still firmly in spring mode.

Dwarf Acer palmatum 'Mikawa Yatsubusa' is looking great in partial shade

Acer palmatum 'Sango Kuku'  is also doing fine with morning sun and afternoon shade

The persimmons also look great.  'Hachiya' is on the left and 'Fuyu' is on the right.

However, the mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin) says it's clearly early summer, time to leaf out those bare limbs at last.

It'll probably be several weeks yet before it has a full canopy

A lizard I met in my cutting garden this morning, as the temperature reached into the 80s, said the answer to my question is obvious: "It's lizard season!"

As oracles are known to do, he ignored me for awhile

Before turning in my direction, giving me an answer and suggesting I leave the garden to those that can really take the heat

I hope you're doing better than I am keeping the days of the week - and your seasons - straight!  At one o'clock, we've just passed the 90F mark.  Tomorrow is expected to be hotter still.


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

Welcoming the Summer Solstice

Today marks the the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.  Summer can be unpleasant here so this isn't something we normally celebrate.  This summer may live up to its negative reputation with more of the horrific heatwaves that have become increasingly common in recent years but, given that the day started out with a touch of rain, unseasonably pleasant temperatures, and a smog-free horizon, I'm feeling good about our prospects at the moment.  Even with jackhammers ringing in the background, the season started off on a positive note.

The rain scrubbed the air clean and left the horizon clear of its usual gray-brown tinge

 

View looking across my front garden

Although the clouds moved in as evening fell, the chance of more overnight rain evaporated; however, the morning marine layer is expected to keep us cool for the next several days at least

 

I hope your summer is off to a good start too.


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

Breaking the rules (again)

Every year, I impose a rule against planting anything other than succulents during the summer months.  And pretty much, every year I break it.  I'd already reinterpreted my own rule to include an exclusion for bromeliads as well as succulents but late last week, on a trip to my local garden center, I just ignored it entirely.

I went to the garden center to pick up additional mulch but I came home with more than just mulch.  However, I'd like to note that one of the plants I brought home is a succulent.

This is Aloe labworana, a stemless aloe that grows just 1-2 feet tall bearing yellow flowers in the fall.  I've planted it on the west facing slope in the front garden.

I also brought home three Gomphrena.  Now this particular Gomphrena is an annual.  When I think about it, my rule should have had a special proviso addressing annuals.  They're not expected to last more than a season so, as long as the annual in question is heat tolerant, I should've had a summer-planting exception for that.

Gomphrena 'Pinball Snowtip Lavender' is heat and drought tolerant.  I planted it in the bed fronting our garage.

But my third purchase can't be justified as easily.  In my defense, I've been looking for reasonably priced specimens of the plant in question for a year now.  Last year, it was new to the local garden centers and pricey.  I bought one and have looked for more ever since.  They haven't been widely available here and, when I've found them, the price has made me choke.  So, when I found one-gallon containers for what I considered a very reasonable price, I had to bring home three.

This is Lomandra 'Platinum Beauty'.  The one I bought last year has done well in partial shade with very little water.  They'll get a little more sun here but the soil should also hold moisture better.

Of course, none of these justifications can be used to explain this:

This mail order delivery arrived yesterday afternoon

Oh well.  Rules are made to be broken, aren't they?  I usually wait until September to blatantly ignore my self-imposed rule but I got an early start this year.  Between winter's pitiful rainfall and July's nuclear heat blast, it's been a tough year for the garden and it's hard not to want to step in to "fix" it.

There are 3 Erigeron glaucus 'Wayne Roderick' in front.  In the back row, left to right are: Epiphyllum 'Monastery Garden', Cordyline 'Design-a-Line Burgundy', and Plectranthus lanuginosa.  I've got spots identified for all of them.  The Erigeron and Epiphyllum were already on my fall planting list.  The other 2 plants were spur-of-the-moment selections to round out the order.

I'll be doing planting my new arrivals this weekend as well as potting up some rampant seedlings, which is a fine way to spend my time.  However you spend the extended holiday weekend, I hope you enjoy it!


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

The Front Porch Gets Dressed Up

As summer sets in here in Southern California, it becomes more and more ridiculous to continue planting.  If a heatwave hits, new plantings frequently die, even if they get extra water.  Every year I make a vow to stop planting between June and October.  And every year I break my vow, although my purchases do taper off a bit.  This year, the month of June has been relatively pleasant, at least by comparison to the miserable May we had, but July is seldom pleasant so I've tried to shift my attention to activities that don't amount to throwing money away.  This year, those activities involved replanting the pots on the front porch (which can always be moved if the heat gets too intense).

I didn't take any "before" photos so the following picture, taken last December showing one side of the porch, is the best one I can provide to show what I started with.  The pots shown in this photo weren't looking nearly this good earlier this month.

The front pots were originally created to adorn the front of my mother-in-law's house when we prepared it for sale but I moved them to our house after the sale.  The ivy geranium (Pelargonium peltatum 'Pink Blizzard') took the sunny setting in stride but the Cordyline 'Renegade' struggled and the Calibrachoa eventually died off.  One of the Cordyline has been repotted and placed in a shadier location and the Pelargonium have been moved elsewhere.  The back pots were intended as temporary holiday decorations and they were definitely past their prime.

The ceramic pots, benches and bench cushions remain but I changed out the pillows and swapped out most of the contents of the pots to create a sunnier front entry.

The two sides of the front entryway are near mirror images of one another.

Bench #1

Side view of bench #1 with a close up of the replanted blue pot, which now contains Pennisetum 'Purple Majesty,' Abelia x grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope,' Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit,' Calibrachoa 'Peach' and 'Papaya,' Lotus berthelototii, Zinnia 'Profusion Apricot,' and leftover lime Alternanthera

Bench #2

Close up of one of the 2 back pots, which contain 3 varieties of coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) and yellow Calibrachoa

I'm planning to stick to succulents for any further planting I do between now and October - or at least September.  Probably.  It's a real possibility.  Well, it's a goal anyway.