Late Answer to an Unfortunate Exhibition

At this year's SF Flower and Garden Show, one exhibit stood by not featuring plants, but featuring opinions. "Wanted Weeds" had reams of paper for people to comment on an idea that wasn't so very new - summarized in their garden description like this:

This garden provokes and inspires conversation, questioning our values around European invaders. The garden will be mobile as beds of weeds roll around the expo floor. When we think of weeds, we think tenacious, invasive, opportunistic…all negative judgments. However these villains can be virtuous host plants, nectar sources, and medicinals. We place our natives on a pedestal; we have a somewhat pious attitude about what should survive and thrive. Do we desire a pure white nature? Perhaps this fantasy is not worth perpetuating? Maybe changing our attitude about weeds is the answer and the nature that we should look towards.

I found the collection of weeds that were chosen quite interesting. I seem to remember yarrow - well, why not. But there was also dandelion, which I could live without, and the dreaded Ivy, which likes to smother everything in its path. This odd combination of naturalized, relative benign exotics and a clearly invasive exotic high on the Don't Plant a Pest list made me wonder whether the folks who put in this "garden" really thought about this question before provoking others to think. The group, urbanhedgerow.com - a collection of instigators, fine artists, and inspirators (whatever that is) does mostly art projects and might shy away from science.

So, here's some suggested reading, friends:

• Invading Species Can Extinguish Native Plants Despite Recent Reports to the Contrary - see http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130109162030.htm
• Invasive Plant Species May Harm Native Grasslands by Changing Soil Composition - see http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121219092817.htm

(And, just as an aside, I also think a native habitat with its astonishing biodiversity and change over the season does look more attractive than an area of ivy - at least here in California. 

Joy of Bulbing

I almost titled this post "Why don't Bulbs Read Books" - because I'm actually breaking the number 1 rule for bulbs in my garden - plant in containers.
I have in a container:

• Colochortus luteus 'Golden Orb', the yellow Mariposa lily, above, which really does need perfect drainage. 
• Erythronium Pagoda, a 50% native trout lily, that really does need more water than my garden offers. I planted about 10, and most of them come up with shiny glossy leaves, but only the one in a pot, watered twice/week, blooms. 

The rest of my bulbs are in various places in the garden - some years they so spectacularly well, and others, well, they seem to at least survive. Most of them. Here's what we had this year.

Triteleia 'Queen Fabiola (above), which I planted mostly in the front garden, usually does spectacularly well. This year, though, it's been mostly dry since the big rainstorm in December. I got a decent amount of leaves, but very few flowers.

In contrast, Allium unifolium has outdone itself this year. Big flowerheads in several locations in the garden, starting an attractive light purple and still looking good when faded to white. I put these bulbs in 2 years ago and thought them a loss initially, but there they were, a delight for all.

Also quite impressive is Dichelostemma ida-maia 'Pink Diamond'. At least 1 1/2 feet tall and very attractive to hummingbirds - just a bit showier than its cousin the red and lime green species.

Also quite spectacular this year is Triteleia ixiodes 'Starlight' - I planted quite a few of these bulbs this year and have been delighted by their pretty faces popping up in different locations in the garden. Fairly long blooming, this is definitely a winner. What's even better is that nobody thinks they're Agapanthus - and I get that comment a lot for Queen Fabiola.

So, how can these bulbs do all right in my clay soil, with mostly pretty poor drainage?

• Where possible, I've planted them at a bit of a slope.
• More  importantly, I've planted them in areas with no summer water
• Finally, I've probably lost some, and there are good years and bad years for the different species

If you have a "normal" garden that receives regular water, I urge you to follow the advice of planting in pots. (One of the tips in Ms Country Mouse's last post.) On the other hand, if you have areas where your California natives grow happily without water, you might be fine planting in the ground. As for the critters, they seem to mostly go to my neighbors gardens, where fruit and vegetables are tasty treats (and they will not eat the Allium).

 Let's hope it stays that way...

Gardening with California Native Bulbs

Triteleia ixiodes 'Starlight' - Pretty Face in Town Mouse garden

Town Mouse is going to be posting about her garden bulbs so first we thought it would be good to share some general info about growing native California bulbs. Some of this material was published in an article I wrote for the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

Growing tips:
California native bulbs are easier to grow in containers than in the ground -- both because bulbs are tasty food for burrowing critters and slugs, and because the bulbs must be kept dry when dormant in summer. Most bulbs like to be in full sun to part shade.

You can plant (or replant) bulbs in the fall, at a depth of three times the length or width of the bulb, whichever is greater. Or - generally three to six inches. Root end down!

A recommended potting mix is: 40% potting soil, 40% sand, 20% loam. Use pots that are at least eight inches deep.

Allow to dry between watering (as needed only) during the wet season, and keep dry during the dry summer season.

Fairy lanterns, Calochortus albus - gorgeous! Unpredictable in the garden.

It’s also useful to know that native bulbs do not like to grow among tall plants. In the vast wild-flower meadows of former days, they evolved along with grazing herds of antelope and elk that kept the vegetation low.

(Native people also used controlled burns to promote the growth of edible bulbs and for other reasons to do with support of their lifestyle (as we would say today). Because of native peoples' land management techniques, California had a lot more flower meadow/prairie landscapes than we see today, and they were rich with interesting and diverse life. Those prairies have been steadily closing in with shrubs and woodlands (or being converted to ag. uses). But that's another story.)

One flower in an umbel of Fremont's Star Lily, Toxicoscordion fremontii - they grow in the chaparral here, and also are common in our coastal prairies such as those near the UC Santa Cruz campus.

After blooming and seed set - gather seeds for sharing, and remove dried stalks for appearance sake. Bulbs in the ground disappear while dormant in the dry season, so keep that in mind when designing your garden plantings.

One bulb that is fairly easy to grow in the garden, though, is Meadow onion (Allium unifolium),

Meadow onion, Allium unifolium, starting to go to seed (sorry this photo has the wrong file name btw)

Meadow onion is not so readily eaten by animals, though gophers may snack on it, and it will spread -- if not irrigated in summer. Plant in sun to part shade in lean soil.

Soap Plant - usually pollinated by moths in the evening

Soap root plant (Chlorogalum pomeridianum), is another easy-to-grow bulb that can survive in the ground. Its tall spikes of small white flowers bloom from May to August and open in the late afternoon for pollination by moths. Soap root bulbs were used by native Americans to make brushes (using the fibers surrounding the bulb), for soap, and also to stun fish.

Ithuriel's spear, Triteleia laxa - kind of an odd color, maybe to do with the camera

Other native bulbs you can try in containers include these:  

• Elegant brodiaea, Brodiaea elegans
• Blue dicks, Dichelostemma capitatum (ex. D. pulchellum) - blue. I had a few of these pop up unexpectedly in my garden this year! Why? I don't know!
• Ookow, Dichelostemma congestum, bluish/purple - stalks can be three feet tall.White triteleia, Triteleia hyacinthina
• Pretty face, Triteleia ixioides, a lovely creamy color (see first photo)
• Ithuriel's spear, Triteleia laxa,  generally blue/violet
• Marsh Triteleia (also known as long-rayed broodier) Triteleia peduncularis
• Other Calochortus genus bulbs - can be tricky but are very showy

Calochortus blooming in Town Mouse garden - maybe Ms T Mouse can let us know which species?

I've also grown local native bulbs: Fremont's Star Lily,  Toxicoscordon fremontii,  Fairy Lanterns, and (through sheer luck) Fritillaria affinis, checker lily. 

Checker lily, Fritillaria affinis, in a Country Mouse paw!

Wishing you fun with native bulbs! Through spring you can enjoy their blooms - and plan for more plantings in the fall.

References:
CNPS Grow Natives blog post on bulbs

Wild Suburbia bulb post

Pacific Bulb Society - pages on each species are especially helpful.

You can also use our blog label "bulbs" to find more of our posts.

May Flowers in the Country Mouse Estate - Reseeding, Resprouting

I've been enjoying a few blooms in particular lately. Most of them are blooms of plants that I propagated from local wild. And most of them are in the sunny pool garden...

Poppies golden poppies, Symbol of our state!! From purchased seed. Here with ornamental sage, and local native Stipa cernua, nodding needle grass in the background. Poppies are growing everywhere this year.

I've been harvesting the copious seeds of the nodding needlegrass, and also Stipa lepida, foothill needlegrass - another locally native needlegrass, with shorter awns. I'm leaving plenty for the birds. I think next year I'll grow more S. lepida, the foothill needlegrass.

I grew four different kinds of locally native bulbs from wild gathered seed, with varying success. My fault entirely - I forgot to feed the bulbs in the bulb boxes after harvesting the bigger ones, and the ones I planted out - probably didn't get enough water, or got eaten by gophers. Of the ones planted out - Fairy Lanterns, Calochortus albus did very well - as shown above, seed pods developing. Fremont's star lily - not so much. One plant grew, of the bulbs I planted out. And one fritillary, Fritillaria affinis (I was glad to get an ID on that one!) Soap root plant is doing great though. 

The plant that's captivated me this year is Eriophyllum confertiflorum, golden yarrow - not a true yarrow.  It brightens up so many spots around our property. Does best around here with a little shade, and some water - but it also grows on the arid and sunny chaparral slope down near the road. It's a perennial - just cut it back a bit for the next season.

Also I've been very happy to see that the hairy honeysuckle, Lonicera hispidula, that's growing through the golden yarrow here is doing so well. I grew this plant and others like it from local wild seed several years ago, and I'm enjoying how they sprawl around the edges of the garden and clamber up the fence here and there (they're not very tenacious climbers).

And I'm very happy to see that lupines large and small are reseeding all over the place. They are just starting to bloom. I'll be curious to see if these Lupinus arboreus pack it in after one year, as they did last year, or if they will be perennial as advertised. I also have seen a lot of the little annual lupine,  L. bicolor. 

Alum root, Heuchera micrantha, second year in its pot there. Just lovely! They are returning where I planted them - doing better with a little shade and water than in sunnier areas. 

Over in the shady bed, things are looking interesting - and a bit chaotic. Right now Mimulus guttatus, seep monkey flower, is bursting out all over. I really love them - but if they dry out in the sun, they really wither big time.

The Verbena lilacena "De La Mina" is coming back after being pruned back hard last year. This is a nursery bought native that the butterflies love.

And here is a butterfly to prove it - The Variable Checkerspot or Chalcedon Checkerspot (Euphydryas chalcedona). It's been wonderful seeing their caterpillars and pupae too.

Well, that's it for now - I just wanted to share these native California blooms that make me feel so very happy. I'll be writing about a special garden bed I'm putting in, next time. Apart from enjoying the reseeding plants, I've mostly been weeding like crazy everywhere I can. But today - I was overjoyed to see that I've got seeds of local wild western columbine, Aquilegia formosa finally germinating - the first time I've had success with them - I hope I can bring them on!

Instructions for the House Sitter

I'm planning several trips these summer, but I'm lucky to have Mr. Mouse or a house sitter here at all times. A lot of my garden is on Techline drip, and the front garden can get by for a few weeks without watering. But the pots, both inside the house and outside, need a little attention periodically.

1. In the house:

• Water upstairs twice a week, 2 small watering cans full. 
• Water downstairs twice a week, 2-3 small watering cans full, or use the large green watering can maybe 1/2 full. 

2. Outside:

2.1 The succulents in the terracotta pots need water once every week at the most. They are tough, and prefer to be dry.  Consider adding some water to the hanging birdbath when you're there, the birds will appreciate it greatly, and it's fun to watch them drink and bathe.

I tried tomatoes in these pots once, and I'm sooooo happy I've replace them with succulents.
 

2.2 The black pots and the two planters with the mini Japanese maples need water twice a week.

It always feels funny to me to water more in the shade than in the sun. But the CA natives that I have in the shade (and the Japanese maples) are from habitats where they get more water.

Ferns like moisture, and Rudbekia California, in the background, is from mountain meadows and streambanks. I really enjoyed the big yellow flowers, so it's worth the extra water - and I actually never use very much. My new Italian spray head (shown in the first picture) has served me well - I can adjust the volume at the top, the spray density at the other end, and lock and release the flow. It cost a bit more, but I think it will be worth it. And the nice lady from Lee Valley Tools who was selling it at the SF Flower and Garden Store said I can return it if it breaks down really quickly. So far, though, I've been very impressed.

When you're in that area, add a little water to the bird bath, and to the small pot in the flower bed right across from the sunroom.

2.3 Before you turn off the hose, water all the blue pots at the side of the house. These also need water about twice a week because they're shade plants that get a little midday sun.

Finally, water the succulents that hang on the fence in the pockets and the green wall contraption.

I'm not yet completely sure whether they need water that often, but it doesn't hurt to give them some, and it takes very little time.

And that's all, really. When I'm here, I might spray a little water over the other ferns or the ginger. But these are all California natives, so the worst that can happen is that they go summer dormant, only to start over green and beautiful when the rains start again in the fall.

You can't fault Gerald Weber - Geology at Point Año Nuevo

Sedimentary, my dear Watson!

No matter what your focus as a naturalist -- plants, birds, animals, whatever -- understanding the geology of the place where those things exist is, well, foundational.

I've wanted to want to like geology for a long time, and with recent encounters with local experts -- including Gary Griggs, distinguished professor and author of the Santa Cruz Sentinel column Our Ocean Backyard -- I'm coming pretty darn close to actually enjoying it!

On Saturday, I explored some coastal features along with my classmates in the California Naturalist Program, which is hosted in our area by the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum.  Our able and witty leaders were Gerald (Jerry) Weber, geologic consultant, and Hilde Schwartz, senior lecturer at University of California, Santa Cruz.

Gerald Weber -- I believe that's the Año Nuevo Creek fault line behind his right shoulder.

At Point Año Nuevo, Jerry told us how he discovered an active fault in the late 1960s when studying for his PhD -- and thus prevented PG&E from building a a nuclear power plant at Point Año Nuevo, where elephant seals come to breed each year. Other factors played into the decision but still, Jerry saved the day, in my book. PG&E had sent geologists to inspect the area earlier, and they totally missed the signs that Jerry had spotted that day. (As he told us with just a little professional glee.) I'll try to convey what Jerry told us those signs were as we stood near the place where Año Nuevo Creek flows to the sea.

For one thing, you can see uptilting strata that are being dragged up by the earth's movement along the fault.

Hilde Schwartz shows us the evidence for the Frijoles fault that Jerry discovered.

Here are those rising strata in fluvial deposits that are only around 10K years old, indicating the fault is active.

You can also see that the layers of rock - Purisima formation at this point - are offset on either side of this creek mouth area. (We could see these areas of offset but I don't have pictures.)

Grapic showing the Frijoles fault and the Año Nuevo Creek fault

The same area, with classmates clustered around a fault line.

And here you can see how the river backfilled its channel when sea levels changed - the fluvial deposits.

Jerry and Hilde show us where the Purisima formation meets the rubbly material that flowed in from the river

This was but the last fact-filled stop on our field trip. I cannot remember now if the fluvial deposits occurred because the land rose or the sea fell or vice versa, or what it had to tell us about the fault activity. I may have some of the other details a bit muddled too - I'm sorry if so. Even the tip of the iceberg of what there is to know, which is all the dynamic duo were presenting really, was causing my brain to erupt with facts like a volcano! But now I'm motivated to learn more.

For some other accounts of similar field trips with Jerry, here is a link to an NPR article and here is an account of a Sierra Club field trip.

The main point Jerry Weber wanted to leave us with was this: Here in the San Francisco Bay Area and adjacent Central Coast region, we think of ourselves living between fault lines which shift and cause earthquakes. Instead, Jerry wants us to realize that this whole area is a wide borderland between two tectonic plates,  a mishmash of stressed and fractured rock squished between the Pacific and North American plates.

Oh dear! To repurpose the old Chinese curse - may you live in interesting places!

In another post I'll show you toilet bowls. Not real ones - rock formations of course! And more about marine terraces... and maybe even the coastal prairie habitat that exists on them. But it's time to get ready and go to Hilde's lecture tonight, part of the California Naturalist Program. She'll talk about fossils ... and even without trying, everybody loves fossils, right?

Seeing the Garden Through Someone Else's Eyes

I so enjoy seeing my garden through the lens of someone else's photos and writing. Imagine my delight when I found that Ryan of Dry Stone Garden did a post about his visit to the garden on garden tour day. It was especially wonderful because I hadn't thought to do photos or do a write-up myself.

It was also a nice counterpoint to a post that Rebecca of Gossip in the Garden had done a few years ago.  Wow, I had actually forgotten how many photos were in that post...

Meanwhile, I've done more hiking -- more about that some other time.

Best traffic circle ever

During a recent walk at Steven's Creek Trail, I couldn't quite believe my eyes when I saw the amazing plantings that the City of Mountain View had put in at a traffic circle near the Rengstorff House.

The eye catching ceanothus - I think that's Dark Star in the back, and a groundcover ceanothus toward the front - drew me in right away.

Coming closer, I also saw some tall mallows and salvias, just starting to bloom. Happy bees and bumblebees were enjoying the feast.

 

And I'm quite sure that this planting saves the city some water. What I appreciate is that the city plants more traditional annuals and perennials in the traffic circle downtown, where I'm sure people prefer the bolder colors and rotation of plants. But here, close to places for walking and biking, it's a great idea to use plants that are attractive, drought tolerant, and good for wildlife. It just made me smile.