New sprinklers and romantic gestures

Who would have thought that a new set of ugly sprinklers could brighten my week?

I'd complained to my husband that the effort of manually watering the slope at the back of our property was taking a toll on my bad knee (in addition to being a pain in the neck).  Unfortunately, terracing the slope and laying a new drip irrigation system isn't in the budget.

I used a hose connected to an outlet next to the mimosa tree 15+ feet above, woven through a thicket of honeysuckle and ivy, to water the slope

Before I knew it, he was at work on a budget-friendly solution.  He uncovered an existing sprinkler system below the hedge that runs along the inside of our property line.  While that line delivered some water to the hedge, it wasn't constructed to water the beds I'd created along the slope last year (described in one of my first blog posts).  He dug a long trench in hard, uneven, rocky soil and laid new pipe.

New sprinkler line

He capped the old sprinkler heads and installed new sprinklers that will water both the hedge and my beds.  Yay!

New sprinkler system in action

The sprinklers aren't beautiful but they're practical.  Now I can focus on the plants along the slope rather than the time-consuming task of watering the space.  My husband may not be one for grand romantic gestures but he comes through where it really counts.

My favorite plant this week: Celosia argentea var. spicata

My favorite plant this week is a bit of a cheat.  It's an annual I picked up last week on one of my 2 recent trips to Roger's Gardens, an Orange County nursery.  I saw it on my first trip out there, passed it by, but kept thinking out how great it would look positioned in front of Hebe 'Wiri Blush' in my back border.  On my second trip last weekend, I brought along a piece of the Hebe to check whether the mix I saw in my mind would be as nice in reality.  It was, so I brought home 3 pots of Celosia argentea var. spicata, commonly called Pink Flamingo Feather Flower.

Newly planted Celosia argentea var. spicata (aka Pink Flamingo Feather Flower)

Frankly, I've always steered clear of Celosia, finding most of the genus too garish.  Although this one is undeniably a brightly colored attention-getter, it struck me as more garden-worthy.  The flower color and shape mirror the smaller flowers on the Hebe.

Close-up of Pink Flamingo Feather Flower

Hebe 'Wiri Blush' in bloom

Here's a picture of the Celosia and Hebe with the new Phormium 'Dark Delight,' purchased at the same time as the Celosia.  I like the combination of the 3 plants.  The Celosia is reputed to be a vigorous self-seeder so maybe it'll make a return visit next summer.

Celosia argentea var. spicata, Hebe 'Wiri Blush' and Phormium 'Dark Delight'

Pink Flamingo Feather Flower is expected to grow up to 18-24 inches tall and 12 inches wide.  It flowers summer through fall, likes heat, and needs full sun and average water.   This plant is my contribution to the favorite plants meme hosted by Loree of danger garden.  You can see Loree's favorite, a wonderful Saliva discolor I wish I could find locally, here, as well as links to favorites presented by other participating gardeners.

Wide Shot - October 2013

Last month, Heather of Xericstyle introduced a new meme focused on providing big picture views of bloggers' gardens.  I joined in, showing pictures of my backyard border.  I'll show another wide shot of that border in this post but, this month, I thought I'd also feature a wide shot of my side yard, which is currently undergoing a major overhaul.  This section of my garden changed dramatically in February, when we removed a 60 foot Eucalyptus tree at the request of a neighbor who said it blocked her view.  I wrote about that event here.

I've also featured pictures of the changes to my side yard garden on several occasions (see the posts here and here).  The side yard is my current obsession so it seemed fitting to share a big picture view of the progress, even if my fall planting effort is far from finished.  Here are a few pictures of the area taken from different viewpoints.

View of side yard looking out in the direction of the street

View from the side yard patio looking in the direction of the neighbor's house

View looking toward the harbor socked in with the usual morning haze

There's still a lot of empty ground to cover but I'm chipping away at it.  I'll show my most recent additions in a future post.

As I reported here, I lost a number of plants in the backyard border in late summer - or, more accurately, I finally held wakes for these plants in September.  This weekend, I filled in a few of the holes, although many gaps remain.  Here are some updated views:

View of back border looking toward harbor (mid-morning)

View of border from left side where the Mexican Bush Sage is now blooming (late afternoon)

View of border from the right side which, other than the loss of a couple of plants, hasn't changed much since last month (late afternoon)

Plants recently added to the left side of the back border include:

Argyranthemum frutescens 'Comet Pink'

Phormium 'Dark Delight'

Savia greggii

As the biggest draw of the backyard is still the view, I thought I'd throw in a long shot of the harbor.  The cruise ships are back for the fall/winter season.

Cruise ship (no ID!) passing through the LA harbor out toward open ocean

That's it for my October wide shots.  Please visit Heather's Xericstyle blog for her view this month, plus links to other gardeners' contributions.

Summer Losses

Overall, our summer temperatures were relatively mild.  Yes, temperatures exceeded the 100 degree mark on some occasions but, with the exception of one 3 week heatwave, we didn't have the sustained periods of high temperatures experienced in other parts of the country.  However, as usual, we haven't had any measurable rain since winter ended.  As even the winter rains were lighter than average again this year, our summer has been dry, Dry, DRY.  Our water bill reached a ridiculous level last month and, by comparison with last year, I've been stingy with the water I use to supplement my twice a week sprinkler coverage during our "warm" season.

The upshot of all this is that I've lost some plants.  I attribute most of these losses to the combination of our last heatwave and my miserly water usage.  One of my saddest losses was Loropetalum chinense 'Sizzling Pink.'

Loropetalum chinese 'Sizzling Pink' in early June

Loropetalum today

As this is the second Loropetalum I've lost in the backyard border, I'm guessing that something about this location is inhospitable.  Maybe the loss is attributable to a sprinkler coverage problem or something is funky with the soil in this area but I'm going to replace the Loropetalum with a different plant this time.

A vigorous Cuphea aff. Aequipetala died quite suddenly and unexpectedly after nearly 2 years in the garden.  This plant had been a rampant spreader and I'd considered removing it but, without an immediate replacement, I'd let it be, cutting it back when its size got out of bounds.  Perhaps the last haircut was ill-timed or a touch too severe?

Cuphea aff. Aequipetala in January

Dead Cuphea this week

A small seedling is visible at the lower left side of the plant in the above picture.  I may allow it to stay - or I may relocate it to an area where its mature size won't present an issue.

In addition to some annuals that expired quickly as the heat turned up, my other losses in the back border were smaller-sized perennials such as the 2 shown below.

Mostly dead Fuchsia thymifolia, foolishly planted in a spot that got too much sun

Osteospermum 'Zion Copper Amethyst,' dead even though 4 others in the same area survived

Some plants are hanging on for dear life.  The question I ask every time I see one of them is: should I put it out of it's misery?  The most disappointing of these is Phormium cookianum 'Cream Delight.'

Transfer to rehab clinic pending

The plant's condition is disappointing because it's pretty clearly my fault.  I moved it from one spot to another in my dry garden earlier this year.  It didn't get the water or attention it needed after transplantation and it hasn't recovered since I put it on life support a month ago.  I think I'm going to move this one to a pot and make one more try to revive it.

When the 60 foot Eucalyptus tree was removed from our side year in February, the surrounding area was transformed from a mostly shady bed to a full sun area.  Among other plants, I had 3 Acanthus mollis in that area, which I was concerned would fry when summer hit.  Amazingly, one of these thrived, blooming continuously.  I suspect this variety is Acanthus mollis 'Summer Beauty,' which is said to be more sun tolerant.

However, a second, purchased at the same time and possessing the same leaf shape, has fared less well.  I'm nonetheless keeping it in the same area for now.  The third, shown below, has had a harder time.  This past weekend, I moved it to a shadier area, where I hope it'll be happier.

Acanthus mollis with sunburn

The same Acanthus mollis, looking happier already

Plant losses always hurt but, looking on the brighter side, they can provide insights into cultural needs for future reference, as well as opportunities to try out different plants.  It's too bad, though, that the heat and drought doesn't take out more weeds...

Weed, thriving in the hot sun with no water

A case of mistaken identity?

I swung by the local garden center last week to pick up some planting compost and, as I usually do, cruised the plant aisles to see if there was anything new and exciting.  I came upon a Leucadendron with exceptionally dark foliage.  It looked like L. 'Ebony' but it was labeled as L. 'Safari Sunset.'  The tag also didn't reflect the going rate for 'Ebony,' which I've seen priced at nearly $150.

I nearly picked it up right then but the dimensions shown on the pot put me off.  I wasn't sure I had a sunny spot large enough for a plant the tag claimed would grow 8-10 feet tall and 6-8 feet wide.  At $40, I didn't want to bring it home only to find myself challenged as to what to do with it.  When I got home, I pulled up on-line references to L. 'Safari Sunset' and, true to my recollections, these showed a plant with foliage that was more green than the purplish-black of the plants I'd seen.  I was fairly certain that the plants I saw were Leucadendron 'Ebony' masquerading as their parent, L. 'Safari Sunset.'

I finally got back to the garden center late this afternoon.  The plants were still there so I brought one home.

Leucadendron 'Ebony' found labeled as 'Safari Sunset'

Closer look at the foliage

What do you think?  Am I mistaken as to the plant's identity, or did the nursery mislabel it?  In either case, it's a handsome plant.  Assuming that it gets no more than 4 feet tall and 3-5 feet wide, I have 2 prospective spots for it.  And I can do a lot with that $110 price differential.

My favorite plant this week: Plectranthus ciliatus 'Zulu Warrior'

I almost presented Plectranthus ciliatus 'Zulu Warrior' last week as my favorite plant in the on-line exhibition sponsored by Loree of danger garden.  I held off because I thought it still had a way to go before it reached its peak.  Even today, I can see a lot more bloom spikes developing so next week it may look better still - then again, there's always the possibility that another heatwave or Santa Ana winds could take a swipe at it.  So, here it is:

Plectranthus ciliatus 'Zulu Warrior'

Close-up showing the flower spikes

Another flower close-up

I've shown this evergreen plant before in Foliage Follow-up posts but I think this is the first time I've shown it in bloom.  Like the Prostanthera ovalifolia I presented last week, this isn't an in-your-face beauty.  Its attractions are more subtle, requiring a closer look.  The toothed leaves are quilted.  Their tops are deep green but the undersides are a purplish burgundy.  The stems and veins are the same purplish burgundy.  In the fall, the plant produces graceful lavender flower spikes.  If you brush the leaves, they produce a pleasant, soft herbal scent.

I brought this plant with me from my former garden as a cutting, which I rooted in water.  It roots easily - in my old, shady garden, I've even grown it by simply sticking a piece in the soil.  It spreads easily if the soil is sufficiently moist but a mature plant will tolerate some drought.  Estimates of its size vary.  In my old garden it got close to 3 feet tall and spread about 5 feet; however, in its current site, it's closer to 1 foot tall and 3 feet wide.  It prefers partial shade - mine gets morning sun but shade during the hottest period of the day.

I'd been perplexed as to the name of the variety as I didn't have any record of my original purchase, 15 or more years ago.  However, some diligent on-line research suggests that the variety is 'Zulu Warrior,' aka Lush Lavender Spur Flower.  It's reportedly native to the Cape region of South Africa and widely used as a perennial groundcover in Europe, Australia and California.   I think it's more attractive than Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender,' which is currently much more widely found in nurseries.  The foliage can be damaged by insects but I found that product that treats both snails and worms effectively manages the problem.  It's hardy in USDA zones 9-10 (Sunset zones 22-24 and H2) but it can be over-wintered indoors or cultivated as an indoor plant.

Plectranthus ciliatus 'Zulu Warrior' is my contribution to Loree's collection of current favorites, which you can view here.

Fall Planting Season

Although spring arrives early in southern California, fall usually arrives late.  For that reason, I didn't plan to start my fall planting until mid-October at earliest but, once again, I couldn't stop myself.  My husband and I began working on the side yard mid-summer, tearing out the beat-up lawn and adding a major extension to the existing flagstone walkway.  I posted about the planting I did around the walkway earlier this month.  This weekend, when cooler temperatures returned following a heat wave, my itch to begin planting the large open space in the side yard returned.

Side yard area after lawn was removed and new top soil was added

So, I went shopping.  I focused on finding the largest plants in my scheme.  I'd plotted a prospective plan for the side yard earlier but I knew that, once I had the plants on hand, I would probably make adjustments.  I figured that putting the largest plants in place would help me flesh out my other plant choices.  Here's what I got:

• 3 Agonis flexuosa 'Nana'
• 3 Coprosma 'Plum Hussey'
• 2 Phormium 'Amazing Red'
• 3 Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum'

I also picked up a few small plants to provide some fall/winter color and moved quite a few plants in the adjacent border.  There's still a lot of open space to fill but it's a start.

View from backyard lawn

View looking toward patio

View from inside the house

Believe it or not, the chair cushions provided the jumping off point for the plant choices.  The new growth on Agonis flexuosa 'Nana'  is a red/orange color.  The color of the stems also picks up on the bark of the Arbutus 'Marina' on the other side of the open area.

Agonis flexuosa 'Nana' (aka Dwarf Peppermint Tree)

I wanted a dark-toned Phormium to complement the Agonis.  After passing on P. 'Dark Delight' and P. 'Pratt's Black,' I ended up with Phormium 'Amazing Red.'

Phormium 'Amazing Red'

This appears to be shorter than the varieties I'd originally considered, although internet sources are divided on its size with estimates ranging from 2 feet to as tall as 4-6 feet.  However, operating on the assumption that it'll stay fairly short, I moved the positions of the 2 I bought from the placements I'd originally planned.

I wanted to add more Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey' to connect the space with the nearby bed created after the removal of our large Eucalyptus tree.  The red tones in this plant play nicely with the Phormium and the Agonis but I need to add a deep green groundcover of some kind to highlight the variegation in the plants - that's still to come.

Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey'

For fall color, I added a Cuphea melvillea 'Candy Corn,' which mirrors the colors in my patio pillows.  It gets only 2 feet tall by 1.5 feet wide so I may get more.

Cuphea melvillea 'Candy Corn'

For additional color, I put in an orange Anigozanthos (aka Kangaroo Paws) and 3 Ursinia anthemoides 'Solar Flare,' which I'd previously admired.  According to Annie's Annuals & Perennials, the latter plant should bloom soon after planting.

Anigozanthos (no ID as to variety)

Ursinia anthemoides 'Solar Fire,' a self-seeding annual, which reportedly can be grown year-round in zone 10, and which produces orange/gold flowers with a burgundy ring

I pulled 3 annual Pennisetum glaucum 'Purple Baron,' out of the back border, where their red-toned color had clashed with surrounding plants, and popped them into a large pot, which now anchors an empty area of the new bed.

Pennisetum glaucum 'Purple Baron,' an ornamental millet

One side of the new area is now partially filled but the other side is still relatively empty as I reconsider some of my original choices.  I did add 3 Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' from 1-gallon pots, as well as a 6-pack of Echinacea 'Magnus;' however, it's going to be a while before those plants gain a real presence in the garden.

Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' and Echinacea 'Magnus'

More choices need to be made.  I'm ordering some daylilies for a few spots.  I also need to add more flagstone to provide a pathway across the new space.  Ideally, I'd like to add a decorative element like a sundial or a peace pole in the middle but I may have to put that on my Christmas list.

I feel that I've made a good (if early) start.  I predict that there are many more visits to the local nurseries in my immediate future as I chip away at bare earth.  Fall is the best time to plant in this area of the country and I intend to take advantage of it.  The days are still warm, the nights are cool but never really cold, and rain is, hopefully, on the horizon.