Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Monday, May 26, 2014
In a Vase on Monday: A Lopsided Arrangement
The flowers on 3 of my Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame' were past their prime. The bulk of the lower petals had dropped off, leaving just the tops of the tall bloom stalks intact. They needed to be cut back but the flower tips were still pretty so into a vase they went. The color of the flowers is relatively unusual so I had to scour the garden for the right accents.
I selected 3 stems of Leucadendron salignum 'Chief' as the foliage accent and several stems of Argyranthemum frutescens 'Madeira Red' as a floral accent. While the colors blended well, the combination of all those the red tones made the arrangement feel heavy, almost leaden. So, I moved the Argyranthemum to the back of the arrangement and tucked in Anagallis 'Wildcat Mandarin' and Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum' up front to brighten things a bit.
There's been something of a Digiplexis backlash here. Declared the "it" plant last year, within months it went from being hard to find to everywhere you look. Despite its overexposure, I have to say I like it a lot. The orange and pink of the flowers is undeniably pretty and it has proven heat-hardy in my garden thus far. Even when our temperatures hit record highs here, both flowers and foliage remained in great condition. I think I probably should have cut the central flower spikes back sooner to promote earlier side growth but that's a lesson I can act on next year.
While I like the color combinations in this bouquet, the heavy stems of the Leucadendron created a lopsided display. In retrospect, I think a more delicate foliage accent, like Abelia, would have been a better choice. I futzed with it for a while, then decided to let it be. This asymmetrical arrangement is my contribution to Cathy's meme at Rambling in the Garden, which celebrates flowers cut from materials on hand in one's own backyard (or front yard, as the case may be). Click here to see Cathy's floral concoction this week and to find links to other gardeners' floral creations.
I selected 3 stems of Leucadendron salignum 'Chief' as the foliage accent and several stems of Argyranthemum frutescens 'Madeira Red' as a floral accent. While the colors blended well, the combination of all those the red tones made the arrangement feel heavy, almost leaden. So, I moved the Argyranthemum to the back of the arrangement and tucked in Anagallis 'Wildcat Mandarin' and Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum' up front to brighten things a bit.
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| Close up showing Argyranthemum 'Madeira Red' and the stems of Leucadendron salignum 'Chief' |
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| Close up of Anagallis 'Wildcat Mandarin' and golden feverfew |
There's been something of a Digiplexis backlash here. Declared the "it" plant last year, within months it went from being hard to find to everywhere you look. Despite its overexposure, I have to say I like it a lot. The orange and pink of the flowers is undeniably pretty and it has proven heat-hardy in my garden thus far. Even when our temperatures hit record highs here, both flowers and foliage remained in great condition. I think I probably should have cut the central flower spikes back sooner to promote earlier side growth but that's a lesson I can act on next year.
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| Close up photo of Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame' |
While I like the color combinations in this bouquet, the heavy stems of the Leucadendron created a lopsided display. In retrospect, I think a more delicate foliage accent, like Abelia, would have been a better choice. I futzed with it for a while, then decided to let it be. This asymmetrical arrangement is my contribution to Cathy's meme at Rambling in the Garden, which celebrates flowers cut from materials on hand in one's own backyard (or front yard, as the case may be). Click here to see Cathy's floral concoction this week and to find links to other gardeners' floral creations.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
A Visit from a Flashy Dresser
We had a surprise visit from an attractive but unwelcome visitor late yesterday afternoon.
Yes, that's a peacock. He was quite large but, as his tail feathers were relatively short, I suspect he may be a juvenile, although I can't say I have much experience with peafowl. Apparently, male peacocks don't develop a full train of feathers until they're about 6 years of age. They also shed their tail feathers each summer but it seems early for completion of the molting process; however, I can't claim any personal knowledge of that process either.
My husband returned home and found the bird seated on our roof at the front of the house. He alerted me and I grabbed my camera and went looking for our visitor. I heard him squawk before I saw him. Peacocks can produce a blood-curdling screech but this one produced a sound more like a goose's honk.
I found him pacing nervously about the vegetable garden.
He didn't at all like being followed around so he flew up out of my way onto our garage roof, where he paced about some more before flying over the fence into my neighbor's yard..
Hopefully, he'll head back to his colony. He's very handsome and I certainly bear him no ill will but I'd prefer that he reside elsewhere. In addition to their capacity for ear-splitting shrieks, they've been known to wreak havoc in gardens. The peacocks, which are native to India, were brought into this area as a gift to a wealthy landowner in the 1920s. Their numbers increased and the surrounding community became quite divided about their presence. There are clear pro- and anti-peacock factions in the community.
Although I've seen them on the road a few miles from here, I've never before seen them in our neighborhood. Our community has an ordinance prohibiting residents from feeding them and offers a laundry list of recommendations to deter them from moving in and settling down. Dogs are the primary deterrent but our neighborhood coyotes are unlikely to permit long-time residence either. A city website offers a helpful list of plants disliked by peacocks, which one is encouraged to use, and plants that the peacocks particularly like, which one is warned to avoid. Luckily, I have a lot of plants on the "dislike" list but the "like" list contains a general reference to "tender young plants," which is problematic.
As of this morning, there's no sign of our visitor. I hope he left of his own volition and not as dinner for one of the neighborhood coyotes.
Yes, that's a peacock. He was quite large but, as his tail feathers were relatively short, I suspect he may be a juvenile, although I can't say I have much experience with peafowl. Apparently, male peacocks don't develop a full train of feathers until they're about 6 years of age. They also shed their tail feathers each summer but it seems early for completion of the molting process; however, I can't claim any personal knowledge of that process either.
My husband returned home and found the bird seated on our roof at the front of the house. He alerted me and I grabbed my camera and went looking for our visitor. I heard him squawk before I saw him. Peacocks can produce a blood-curdling screech but this one produced a sound more like a goose's honk.
I found him pacing nervously about the vegetable garden.
He didn't at all like being followed around so he flew up out of my way onto our garage roof, where he paced about some more before flying over the fence into my neighbor's yard..
Hopefully, he'll head back to his colony. He's very handsome and I certainly bear him no ill will but I'd prefer that he reside elsewhere. In addition to their capacity for ear-splitting shrieks, they've been known to wreak havoc in gardens. The peacocks, which are native to India, were brought into this area as a gift to a wealthy landowner in the 1920s. Their numbers increased and the surrounding community became quite divided about their presence. There are clear pro- and anti-peacock factions in the community.
Although I've seen them on the road a few miles from here, I've never before seen them in our neighborhood. Our community has an ordinance prohibiting residents from feeding them and offers a laundry list of recommendations to deter them from moving in and settling down. Dogs are the primary deterrent but our neighborhood coyotes are unlikely to permit long-time residence either. A city website offers a helpful list of plants disliked by peacocks, which one is encouraged to use, and plants that the peacocks particularly like, which one is warned to avoid. Luckily, I have a lot of plants on the "dislike" list but the "like" list contains a general reference to "tender young plants," which is problematic.
As of this morning, there's no sign of our visitor. I hope he left of his own volition and not as dinner for one of the neighborhood coyotes.
Friday, May 23, 2014
My favorite plant this week: Hebe 'Wiri Blush'
My favorite plant this week is another one that came through our recent heatwaves unscathed, Hebe 'Wiri Blush.' This is not classified as a drought tolerant plant but it is considered heat tolerant. Specifically, it's suited to AHS heat zones 7-12, which means it can tolerate conditions in which it's exposed to heat of 86F (30C) or greater for more than 210 days per year.* When our temperature exceeded 104F (40C) last week, the plant didn't wilt, the flowers didn't shrivel, and the leaves didn't burn or drop. The plant looked as good this week as it did at the end of April - better, perhaps, in that the heat seems to have prompted blooms that are normally associated with summer.
This is another plant I bought principally for its foliage. The narrow leaves are a glossy green, edged in magenta. The undersides of new leaves and the plant's stems have the same magenta color. The plant is evergreen and grows 3-4 feet (90-120 cm) tall by 4 feet (120 cm) wide. It seems to be a relatively fast grower - mine, planted in January 2013 from a 1 gallon pot, has already reached its mature size. Its compact form is easily maintained with a little light pruning.
It grows in full to partial sun and normally blooms in summer through fall. The flowers are a bright pink color. They're also attractive to bees.
This New Zealand native requires good drainage and regular water. Dry summer heat is said to shorten its life span. As that's what it receives in my garden, we'll have to see how it does in the long haul but I'm very pleased with it thus far. So pleased in fact, that I recently picked up another one for placement in my "red bed." For those of you in cooler climates, this Hebe is said to handle low temperatures in the range of 0 to 10F (-18 to 12C).
Hebe 'Wiri Blush' is my contribution this week to the favorite plants meme hosted by Loree at danger garden. Click here to see Loree's favorite of the week and to find links to other gardeners' selections.
*On a separate but related topic, looking at the heat tolerance of this plant led me to a closer examination of the American Horticultural Society's Heat Zone Map. Unlike the USDA cold hardiness zones, I wasn't able to find a tool that linked heat zone directly to postal zip code. I was left to deduce my zone based on my own possibly questionable reading of the AHS color-coded state map. My reading of the 1997 map suggests that I reside in heat zone 6 or below, although average temperature data for downtown Los Angeles, which normally tracks our local temperature fairly closely, suggests that a zone 7 classification may be more accurate. However, I have to wonder whether either estimate reflects the warming trend. I'm also unsure whether this heat index helps me in assessing a plant's resilience in handling abrupt temperature fluctuations, such as those we've been experiencing. Have you made use of the AHS heat tolerance index? Do you find it of value in making plant selections?
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| Hebe 'Wiri Blush' sits in my backyard border in front of one Phormium 'Dark Delight' and alongside 2 others |
This is another plant I bought principally for its foliage. The narrow leaves are a glossy green, edged in magenta. The undersides of new leaves and the plant's stems have the same magenta color. The plant is evergreen and grows 3-4 feet (90-120 cm) tall by 4 feet (120 cm) wide. It seems to be a relatively fast grower - mine, planted in January 2013 from a 1 gallon pot, has already reached its mature size. Its compact form is easily maintained with a little light pruning.
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| This foliage close-up shows the magenta undersides of the stems and the new growth |
It grows in full to partial sun and normally blooms in summer through fall. The flowers are a bright pink color. They're also attractive to bees.
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| The flower spikes are about 3 inches long and hold up surprisingly well in cut flower arrangements |
This New Zealand native requires good drainage and regular water. Dry summer heat is said to shorten its life span. As that's what it receives in my garden, we'll have to see how it does in the long haul but I'm very pleased with it thus far. So pleased in fact, that I recently picked up another one for placement in my "red bed." For those of you in cooler climates, this Hebe is said to handle low temperatures in the range of 0 to 10F (-18 to 12C).
Hebe 'Wiri Blush' is my contribution this week to the favorite plants meme hosted by Loree at danger garden. Click here to see Loree's favorite of the week and to find links to other gardeners' selections.
*On a separate but related topic, looking at the heat tolerance of this plant led me to a closer examination of the American Horticultural Society's Heat Zone Map. Unlike the USDA cold hardiness zones, I wasn't able to find a tool that linked heat zone directly to postal zip code. I was left to deduce my zone based on my own possibly questionable reading of the AHS color-coded state map. My reading of the 1997 map suggests that I reside in heat zone 6 or below, although average temperature data for downtown Los Angeles, which normally tracks our local temperature fairly closely, suggests that a zone 7 classification may be more accurate. However, I have to wonder whether either estimate reflects the warming trend. I'm also unsure whether this heat index helps me in assessing a plant's resilience in handling abrupt temperature fluctuations, such as those we've been experiencing. Have you made use of the AHS heat tolerance index? Do you find it of value in making plant selections?
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Monday, May 19, 2014
In a Vase on Monday: Agapanthus takes the lead
Blooming Agapanthus dominate my garden at the moment, both in sheer numbers and in the perfection of their flowers. These plants came through our two May heatwaves completely unscathed, which cannot be said for the majority of plants in my garden. They were the obvious selection to go "In a Vase on Monday" as my contribution to the weekly meme hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
I inherited dozens of clumps of Agapanthus (presumably A. praecox orientalis) with the house. The majority are a medium blue but some are light blue and there are a few white ones. I picked 2 stalks of the medium blue variety and one pale blue. I accented these with a few stems of Arthropodium cirratum (aka Renga Lily), which I used in my bouquet 2 weeks ago. A good many of these flowers dried up in the heat and wind last week so I thought I'd best use them while I can. Other accents included 2 varieties of Leucanthemum x superbum (aka Shasta Daisy), Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum' (aka golden feverfew), and Phlomis fruticosa (aka Jerusalem Sage).
The blooms of the Phlomis peaked in mid-April. There are only a few of these Dr. Seuss-like blooms left in the garden now. I wanted a punch of yellow to complement the blue and white of the other flowers but I wasn't sure these fuzzy flowers would fit the bill; however, I liked the whimsy they added to the arrangement.
The Leucanthemum x superbum 'Snow Lady' shown with the Phlomis in the picture above have relatively short stems but I liked the way they complemented the Jerusalem Sage better than the taller, ruffled variety of Shasta Daisy I cut first. The ruffled variety was relegated to the back of the arrangement with the golden feverfew.
I inherited dozens of clumps of Agapanthus (presumably A. praecox orientalis) with the house. The majority are a medium blue but some are light blue and there are a few white ones. I picked 2 stalks of the medium blue variety and one pale blue. I accented these with a few stems of Arthropodium cirratum (aka Renga Lily), which I used in my bouquet 2 weeks ago. A good many of these flowers dried up in the heat and wind last week so I thought I'd best use them while I can. Other accents included 2 varieties of Leucanthemum x superbum (aka Shasta Daisy), Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum' (aka golden feverfew), and Phlomis fruticosa (aka Jerusalem Sage).
The blooms of the Phlomis peaked in mid-April. There are only a few of these Dr. Seuss-like blooms left in the garden now. I wanted a punch of yellow to complement the blue and white of the other flowers but I wasn't sure these fuzzy flowers would fit the bill; however, I liked the whimsy they added to the arrangement.
The Leucanthemum x superbum 'Snow Lady' shown with the Phlomis in the picture above have relatively short stems but I liked the way they complemented the Jerusalem Sage better than the taller, ruffled variety of Shasta Daisy I cut first. The ruffled variety was relegated to the back of the arrangement with the golden feverfew.
The arrangement sits on the dining room table, where I enjoyed it while eating breakfast.
If you have a bouquet from your garden you're enjoying this Monday, post a picture on your blog and link in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. You can find her composition here, along with links to other contributing gardeners.
Saturday, May 17, 2014
My favorite plant this week: Dorycinium hirsutum
My favorite plant this week, Dorycinium hirsutum, isn't flashy like last week's selection but as it performs exceptionally well under hot, dry conditions, it's one I value highly. I acquired my first plant early in 2011 because I liked the soft gray, fuzzy foliage and, based on the label, I thought it might do well in my dry garden. It grew, spread, and flowered with little attention and sparse irrigation. I was so impressed that I picked up 2 more this past January.
It's said to grow 1-2 feet (30-60 cm) tall and 2-3 (60 cm-1 meter) wide. My 3 year-old plant is somewhat shorter, yet nearly the projected breadth. It's currently covered in flowers, which the bees love. It's common name, Hairy Canary Clover, can be attributed to the clover-like white and pink flowers it produces.
It's native to Portugal and other areas within the Northern Mediterranean region. Despite its name it isn't indigenous to the Canary Islands, although apparently other varieties of Dorycinium hail from those islands. Reports of its hardiness vary. San Marcos Growers contends that it's cold hardy to 15-20F (-9 to -6.7C). As my plants haven't been exposed to temperatures anywhere near those levels, I can't offer any personal testimonials as to its cold hardiness; however, I can tell you that the plant sailed through 2 heatwaves just this month, as well as extreme heat spells in 2011, 2012 and 2013 without any noticeable ill effects. All 3 of my plants are in an area with no automated irrigation. I provide water somewhat haphazardly, approximately every 4-6 weeks in the absence of rain (of which we've had very little this year).
After flowering, the plant produces a multitude of brown seedpods, which are easy to harvest. I tried sowing some last fall in the dry garden with no luck; however, in researching the plant for this post, I discovered that the seeds can take up to one year to germinate so maybe I'll get a plant out of them yet.
This heat and drought tolerant plant is my contribution this week to Loree's favorite plant meme at danger garden. Please visit her there to see her favorite this week.
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| One of the newer acquisitions, not yet in bloom |
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| My oldest Dorycinium hirsutum, currently in bloom |
It's said to grow 1-2 feet (30-60 cm) tall and 2-3 (60 cm-1 meter) wide. My 3 year-old plant is somewhat shorter, yet nearly the projected breadth. It's currently covered in flowers, which the bees love. It's common name, Hairy Canary Clover, can be attributed to the clover-like white and pink flowers it produces.
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| Here's a closer look at the flowers |
It's native to Portugal and other areas within the Northern Mediterranean region. Despite its name it isn't indigenous to the Canary Islands, although apparently other varieties of Dorycinium hail from those islands. Reports of its hardiness vary. San Marcos Growers contends that it's cold hardy to 15-20F (-9 to -6.7C). As my plants haven't been exposed to temperatures anywhere near those levels, I can't offer any personal testimonials as to its cold hardiness; however, I can tell you that the plant sailed through 2 heatwaves just this month, as well as extreme heat spells in 2011, 2012 and 2013 without any noticeable ill effects. All 3 of my plants are in an area with no automated irrigation. I provide water somewhat haphazardly, approximately every 4-6 weeks in the absence of rain (of which we've had very little this year).
After flowering, the plant produces a multitude of brown seedpods, which are easy to harvest. I tried sowing some last fall in the dry garden with no luck; however, in researching the plant for this post, I discovered that the seeds can take up to one year to germinate so maybe I'll get a plant out of them yet.
This heat and drought tolerant plant is my contribution this week to Loree's favorite plant meme at danger garden. Please visit her there to see her favorite this week.
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