Another trip to Roger's Gardens

After an absence of more than a year, I've visited Roger's Gardens in Corona del Mar three times since April following my Covid-19 vaccination.  My most recent trip, just over a week ago, was prompted by an opportunity to connect with blogger friend Gerhard of Succulents & More.  He'd come to Southern California for the Inner City Cactus & Succulent Society Sale & Show and we arranged to meet at Roger's Farmhouse restaurant between stops on his whirlwind tour of local nurseries.  I arrived early to give myself time to walk around the exterior garden areas of the garden center I'd missed on my July trip.

I didn't have time to explore the entire exterior area so I focused on one end.  As one might expect in midsummer during an exceptionally dry year, the landscape was muted, with shrubs, grasses, and succulents carrying the show.  (More vibrant displays can be viewed here in posts from November 2016 and January 2019.)

The Leucadendrons (possibly 'Safari Sunset'), Grevillea 'Scarlet Sprite', and Westringia 'Morning Light' do a fine job of covering a slope here

Just a few feet away, there's a grouping of Leucadendron 'Ebony, a Grevillea in full flower ('Robyn Gordon' or 'Superb' perhaps), and more Westringia, which looks like it had been sheared to form a hedge

This display at the intersection of two large streets was my focus.  I was surprised by the shrub roses planted in front.

I think the low-growing grass in the foreground on the left is Seslaria, at least it bears a striking resemblance of the Sesleria 'Greenlee's Hybrid' growing in my own garden.  I can't identify the grass in the background.

The large Aloes and Agaves were here the last time I checked out the area in January 2019.  The Aloes are winter bloomers.

This is a closeup of the grass I wasn't able to identify.  A Miscanthus perhaps?  I photographed it from inside the gazebo with Leucadendrons and Grevilleas in the background.

Several very large hanging planters are attached to the gazebo's roof.  They're filled with Phormiums, Pelargoniums and what I think is Sedum.

These large clumps of Agave attenuata and Aloes were also here at the time of my last tour of the area

Chondropetalum tectorum (aka Small Cape Rush) is used extensively, including in the parkway area adjacent to the street.  Unlike the specimen fronting the street in my own garden, this one is a true dwarf.

A nice specimen of what I think is Agave vilmoriniana 'Stained Glass' identified as Agave salminana var ferox 'Medio Picta' with Aloes I can't identify

Although I'd shopped the garden center a month earlier, I still had to check the plants on sale to see if there was anything else I "needed."  I came home with a Dahlia 'Cafe au Lait' and an Agastache 'Kudos Mandarin' but there were a few other things that caught my eye.

I've been frustrated by the delayed blooms of my tuber-grown dahlias so I've been tempted to bring home plants already sporting buds.  This Dahlia 'Creme de Cassis' appealed to me but I decided a 'Cafe au Lait' with buds but not blooms was a better buy.  I was amused to see a number of dahlias with tomato cages to provide support.  I started using those a few years ago to support my own dahlias and now this seems to be a common practice.

This Leucanthemum x superbum 'Real Gold Cup' was new to me

This big but simple basket filled with a red-flowered Mandevilla was impressive

I've been enamored with Senecio ficoides 'Mount Everest' since my last visit and purposefully looked for plants for sale during this visit; however, the potted specimens ranged from $20-30.  I've ordered specimens in 3.5-inch pots from a mail order provider instead.

This octopus hanging from the ceiling in the indoor plant area captivated me for some reason.  My guess was that it's intended to become part of the Halloween display slated to open in early September.  There appears to be a price tag on its lower tentacles, though.  It'd be great in my lath house if that space were only taller and a whole lot larger.

Gerhard and I had a great lunch with lots of time to talk before I headed home mid-afternoon, just beating the commuter traffic that plagues our Southern California freeways.

All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: Dahlias, at last...

Two of my tuber-grown dahlias were finally ready for prime-time coverage and I didn't even hesitate to cut them for In A Vase on Monday, the weekly meme hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.  Cathy encourages us to forage in our gardens for materials to put together arrangements.  When I first began participating in this meme I often had to resort to succulents to fill in for flowers when summer was at its peak.  Then, after creating a cutting garden out of an area formerly used to grow what my husband referred to as "very expensive vegetables," I began growing dahlias and zinnias.  I'd previously tried growing both in my garden borders but they need more water than the rest of my garden so putting them all in one place where I can give them the water they need without over-watering other plants made sense.  Dahlias don't make summer any less hot or dry but they've definitely added the color I was missing as the season drags on.

Although I planted my dahlia tubers earlier this year than last year, they were still late to reach bloom stage.  I put them in temporary pots to germinate while waiting for space to open up in my raised planters.  Maybe I planted the tubers too deeply; maybe I kept the pots too dry; or maybe the cooler than average temperatures in April and May simply delayed sprouting.  Whatever the reason, all were later to sprout this year than even last year when the pandemic delayed my planting schedule.  

The flowers of Dahlia 'Akita' are 8 inches in diameter, which may be why the buds took so very long to open fully.  Other than the two dahlia flowers (and one partially open bud), the only other flowers in this arrangement are those on a single stem of Eustoma grandiflorum (aka Lisianthus).

Back view: The other contents of the vase are all foliage plants

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold', Dahlia 'Akita', Eustoma grandiflorum, Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Pineapple', and Leucadendron salignum 'Chief'

I cut only one stem of the second dahlia but I'd nonetheless intended it to serve as the focal point for my second arrangement.  However, I think the white Amaryllis I selected to accompany it may have stolen the show.

Dahlia 'Cafe au Lait Royal' got pushed to the side by a very large bloom cluster of Amaryllis belladonna 'Alba'

Back view: I snipped a little of this and a little of that, including the only remaining foxglove stems that hadn't been scorched, to fill in between the larger blooms

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia grandiflora 'Edward Goucher', magenta and white Cosmos bipinnatus, Amaryllis belladonna 'Alba', Digitalis purpurea, Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata', Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Rose Pink', and Dahlia 'Cafe au Lait Royal'

I also combined leftover stems from one of last week's arrangements with two additional stems cut from the garden to fill the small vase on my kitchen island.

The white Lisianthus and stems of Abelia grandiflora 'Hopley's Variegated' are holdovers from last week.  I added one blue Lisianthus and a stem of our native aster, Symphyotrichum chilense. 

In addition to the two dahlias featured in this post and two single-petaled varieties I purchased as small plants that have bloomed on an infrequent basis, I have four more dahlias with buds.  But I also have nine plants that have yet to produce buds so it's too early to say whether this season will be a flop for my dahlia "crop."  I've been fertilizing all on a schedule recommended by a well-known grower and I'm hoping that'll make a difference.  Or, you may see a succulent arrangement later this summer...

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

All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Bloom Day - August 2021

To my eyes, the pickings look slim this Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.  However, after looking back at last year's mid-August post, I found that, with a few exceptions, most of what was blooming then is also blooming now, albeit in smaller quantities in many cases.  Both last year and this year, the dahlias and zinnias I rely on for color during the hot, dry summer were late in getting their bloom on.  This year, I made a point of planting my dahlia tubers earlier, using temporary pots, but even so they've been slower still to bloom this year.  I even purchased three dahlias as plants this summer without much impact on net flower production.

Dahlia 'Akita' is the first of the plants I grew from tubers to bloom this year.  The flowers, photographed late yesterday afternoon, still weren't fully open.

Dahlia 'Cafe au Lait Royal' is lagging just behind 'Akita'

I bought a Dahlia 'Dark Side of the Sun' plant by mail order in June but it's only produced a few flowers thus far, usually one at a time.  The same has been true of Dahlia 'Mystic Illusion', purchased at a local garden center in July.

I've organized the rest of my Bloom Day photos by color, presenting just one or two stars in each category, while lumping the rest of my photos into color-coordinated collages in the interest of brevity.  The white flowers are up first.

Yucca 'Bright Star' surprised me with a bloom stalk this month

Top row: Abelia grandiflora 'Edward Goucher', A. 'Kaleidoscope', and Amaryllis belladonna 'Alba'
Middle row: Angelonia 'Archangel White', Centranthus ruber 'Albus', and Cosmos bipinnatus
Bottom row: Crassula pubescens, Eustoma grandiflora (aka Lisianthus), and Gaura lindheimeri

Top row: Magnolia grandiflora and Myrtus communis 'Compacta'
Middle row: Osteospermum '4D Silver', Pandorea jasminoides, and Penstemon 'Opal & Pearls'
Bottom row: noID Phalaenopsis, Phyla nodiflora, and Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum'

There's an ample variety of blue flowers, although the quantity of each species isn't large in most cases.

The flowers of native California aster, Symphyotrichum chilense, are plentiful but a lot of the flower stems turn brown and crispy before blooming due to inadequate water.  I'm trying to keep my water use as low as possible in response to calls to conserve water during California's severe drought.  The rain water I collected earlier is long gone and realistically we can't expect rain again until late October or November.

Clockwise from the upper left: Duranta 'Sapphire Showers', blue and lavender Eustoma grandiflorum, the last of the Limonium perezii for the year, Salvia 'Mystic Spires', Rotheca myricoides, noID Scaevola, and Trichostemma 'Midnight Magic'

Top row: Calibrachoa 'Calitastic Ice Blue', Convolvulus sabatius, and Lycianthes rantonnetii 'Variegata'
Middle row: Nierembergia, Ocimum 'African Blue Basil', and Osteospermum 'Violet Ice'
Bottom row: Pelargonium peltatum, Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Deep Blue', and Verbena bonariensis 'Lollipop'

The pinks are up next.

Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid' produced a massive flush of peachy-pink blooms virtually overnight earlier this month.  A stretch of temperatures in the low to mid-90sF turned the flowers a pale tan color in less than a week.

The leaf-less bloom stalks of Amaryllis belladonna (aka naked lady lilies) have popped up throughout the backyard border, although there seem to be fewer blooms than last year

Top row: Cistus skanbergii, C. 'Sunset', and Cuphea 'Starfire Pink'
Middle row: Eustoma grandiflorum, Hoya carnosa, and Lycoris squamigera
Bottom row: noID miniature Phalaenopsis, Rosa 'Pink Meidiland', and Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Rose Pink'

There were a couple surprises in the red category.

Hemerocallis 'Spanish Harlem' finished up its bloom cycle in early June - or so I thought.  One plant produced a new bloom spike this month and has been offering me new blooms every other day or so.  This is a reblooming variety but I don't usually see the second round until late fall.

Stapelia grandiflora (aka starfish cactus and carrion plant) blooms on an irregular schedule and usually catches me by surprise.  The flower's odor attracts flies.  There are at least two more buds.

Top row: Crassula perfoliata falcata, Gaillardia 'Amazon Sun', and Penstemon mexicali 'Mini-bells Red'
Middle row: Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy', Zinnia 'Profusion Red', and Z. elegans 'Queen Red Lime'
Bottom row: Cosmos bipinnatus, Daucus carota 'Dara', and Pelargonium sidiodes

The orange category contains a few new favorites as well as some old standbys.

Intergeneric hybrid Echibeckia 'Summerina Orange' is new to me.  Regrettably, it's requiring a surprising amount of water.

Top row: Agastache 'Sunrise Orange', Cotyledon orbiculata, and noID Gazania
Middle row: Grevillea 'Superb', Hesperaloe parviflora, and Leonotis leonurus
Bottom row: Xerochrysum bracteatum and 2 incarnations of Zinnia elegans 'Queen Lime Orange'

Last up are the yellow flowers, headlined by one of my favorite year-round bloomers.

In addition to blooming year-round, Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream' is beloved by bees and hummingbirds

Clockwise from the upper left: Alstroemeria 'Inca Vienna', Coreopsis 'Big Bang Redshift', noID miniature Phalaenopsis, Zinnia 'Profusion Yellow', Phlomis fruticosa, and Lantana mix

That's it for my August Bloom Day wrap up.  Hopefully, I'll have more dahlias - and zinnias - to share in September.  My post is one day ahead of schedule this month but you can visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens for more GBBD posts on August 15th.  Best wishes for a pleasant weekend!

All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Wednesday Vignette: Staying put awhile

I rarely sit down in my own garden to relax.  Neither do the resident hummingbirds.  Their constant movement makes it virtually impossible to catch a good photo of one.  However, as I was chatting with a friend on the phone, I glanced out my office window and noticed a hummingbird, just sitting on a branch of Leucadendron 'Pisa' and preening.  She came back to the same place shortly after I finished my call.  I had time to attach a telephoto lends to my camera and click several shots before she took off to chase a rival who dared to set down on another branch a few feet away.

I'm assuming the hummingbird is a female but it's possible it's an immature male.  Based on the presence of some rusty-colored feathers and the lack of any touches of pink feathers around the throat, I'm guessing it's an Allen's hummingbird.  Both Allen's and Anna's hummingbirds have a year-round presence here.

Preening in process

Her coloring blended well with the Leucadendron's silvery-green foliage.  The tall shrub's cones are almost the same size as the bird.

Even when resting, these birds are constantly alert to their surroundings

Maybe I need to follow the hummingbird's example and take the time to sit awhile myself and simply observe my surroundings.  Preening optional.

For more Wednesday Vignettes, visit Anna at Flutter & Hum.  FYI, Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day falls on Sunday this month.  At present, my plan is to publish that post on Saturday, August 14th.

All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: Splashes of color

There are still flowers here and there in my garden but their numbers have dwindled and the dahlias haven't yet filled the breach, although the first buds are in the process of opening.  I can't entirely explain why the dahlias have been so slow to develop this year but I'm glad to see that at least my "crop" isn't going to be a complete bust.  If I'm lucky, maybe some will bloom well into October.  In the meantime, I took advantage of some of the most recent arrivals in my back garden borders to fill two vases this week.

New flower stalks of Amaryllis belladonna continue to appear.  They look gawky where their leaf-less stalks aren't hidden by other plants so I've little reluctance to cut them, especially as the blooms have a relatively long vase life.

I kept the to a relatively simple color mix of pink, burgundy and white

Back view: Daucus carota 'Dara' is gradually finishing up it's long bloom season

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Angelonia 'Archangel White', Centranthus ruber, Coleonema album, Amaryllis belladonna, pink and white Eustoma grandiflorum (aka Lisianthus), Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', Plectanthus scutellarioides 'Vino' (aka coleus), and Daucus carota 'Dara'

After a few years of well-mannered behavior, my native California aster, Symphyotrichum chilense, spread throughout one entire bed following the comparatively heavy rainfall we had during our 2018-2019 "water year."  This year, despite very low rainfall, flower stems have popped up all over again; however, many are rapidly turning a crispy brown without flowering but, even with the die-off, there are enough stems with blooms to cut.  I'm considering digging out as much of the aster as I can this fall when it finishes its bloom period to replace it with something more manageable but I intend to enjoy the flowers I have this year.

The yellow Phlomis fruitcosa (aka Jeruselem sage) was a surprise find.  This shrub normally blooms in spring.  While I discovered a few stray blooms on it once before, this is the latest in the year I've had blooms yet.

Back view: I added the last presentable Agapanthus bloom I had to the mix, as well as the last of the ruffled Shasta daisies

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia grandiflora 'Hopley's Variegated', noID Agapanthus. Eustoma grandiflorum, Leucanthemum x superbum (aka Shasta daisy), Phlomis fruticosa, and Symphyotrichum chilense 'Purple Haze'

Maybe next week I'll have a dahlia bloom or two to share.  For other IAVOM creations, visit Cathy in Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party