Snow! February 26, 2011

Above, Ceanothus "Jula Phelps"


Above: South garden.

Above: Pool garden. Pots need redoing.


Above, Ceanothus "Dark Star." Front path.


An iconic daffodil.

Above: Pool garden, recent plantings.

The photos, taken just before and after sunrise Saturday morning, say it all.

I couldn't believe my eyes. Outside our bedroom window, everything was white! All the plants, the trees, the roofs, everything, except the concrete.

This is quite bizarre for us here, though not unheard of. I took my camera out and went around snapping the different views you see above. The snow has a monochromatic effect that I think helps me to see the shapes of things, the masses and lines. I'm trying to think about how to develop the gardens around the house, especially the south garden, where I think we could start now, building up a few mounds and defining beds with those red sonoma field rocks. And a water feature if I can figure out how to do one. It's not a new look, but I think it would look nice, and I need to keep the beds low and herbacious, for fire safety.

That being said, I saw a new coffeeberry volunteer in the south garden today, and my heart rejoiced.

I took a tour of the upper deck where my nursery graduates enjoy morning sun. From the crumpled soggy look of their foliage, I thought the Heuchera micrantha were frostbitten beyond recovery and maybe the Madia elegans and the thimbleberry, Rubus parviflorus too.


But I was wrong! What a nice surprise. They are so healthy looking.

The snow has all gone now. I can see it a little bit on Loma Prieta, at 3,790 feet.

And the weekend held more garden activity in store for Wood Rat and me. of which more, anon.

Trip Report: Native Plant Symposium

Last Saturday, Ms. Country Mouse and I were thrilled to have tickets to: California Gardens: Beauty and Sustainability With Native Plants, a symposium on native plant gardening and design. I'd very much looked forward to the event, with great speakers, and a plant sale and book sale it promised to be a lot of fun.

Living very close to the venue, Foothill College in Los Altos, I was, of course, almost late but made it just in time to pick up my badge, meet my friend, and find a seat. I was still a little hot from rushing up the steep stairs, but noticed far to soon that not all was well in the Smithwick Theater. Not only was this place cold, but cold air was being blown down on us by a clearly broken heating unit. Fortunately, I was wearing long undies, a sweatshirt, a jacket, warm socks, and a scarf so I settled in and enjoyed the first speaker, Bart O'Brien who talked about Year Round Beauty with California Native Plants. I found the over 100 slides a bit ambitious for 1 hour, but did enjoy the great information about the many plants the talk showcased. Some of my notes included:

• Redwoods are happiest with 60 inches of rain and might not do well with 20. 
• Quercus lobata needs to tie into the ground water table. 
• Cut back Muhlenbergia rigens in spring (April)
• Prune Mahonia like Nandina from bottom, don't prune at top. 
• Bart's favorite manzanita is Arctostaphylos australis (great size for my hedge!)
• Dudleya hassei is a nice ground cover, Dudleya 'Frank Reinelt is an easy dudleya
• Zauschneria 'Route 66' does not have the common 'floppy branches' problem. 
• Perityle incana might be a nice choice for the side garden where the tea tree is. 

I was slightly less thrilled with the next two speakers. Both did not actually address the topic of their talk, at least it did not feel that way to me. But I was also getting colder and crankier by the minute. I finally retrieved a blanket from the car and got a hot drink, but was very much ready for lunch. To my delight, the lunchbox was delicious! A Thai tofu wrap with freshly grated carrots and a tasty sauce, made even better when I heated it in the microwave. And more hot drinks. The world looked better and, while the heat never did get fixed, it was inspiring to see that about 90% of the symposium participants stayed for most of the day.

If native plant gardeners can show that much enthusiasm and endurance, we will persevere!

The four afternoon speakers were inspiring and knowledgeable and left me feeling hopeful and ready to go planting, and share their great ideas.

Bernard Trainor, originally from Australia, had the nerve to request that the lights be turned off so we could actually see the photos he had brought. And so, just once, we actually looked and listened instead of scribbling. The pictures he showed of large landscaping projects were sobering. The construction machinery completely strips a hillside while putting up houses, then his company comes in to design what he calls a 'contextual landscape'. He relies heavily on locally propagated plants. "...my aim is to create new ecologies and systems that bridge the connection between people and places." And the photos were amazing.

Judith Larner Lowry's talk, "The Gift Keeps Moving: Gardening for Habitat / Backyard Restoration" owner of Larner Seeds, delighted us all by not taking herself too seriously. "Yes, I was planning on having a Coastal Bluff garden", she said,"But a third of a mile from the ocean is too far away." It was sobering to hear that even a true expert must live with what they have. "Be open to surprises!" she exhorted. She also talked about the Fostering Forbs Project, which is interested in a diverse layer of native groundcover plants. Her slide show, like the one before, had about 60 slides, much more digestible than the 100+ in the morning, and she ended with a delightful little video of quail huddling an taking dust baths in her garden.

Carol Borstein spoke from my heart when she said: "Although ... California native plants are frequently grouped in a low or no maintenance category, this simplification is often inaccurate and misleading. Using slides from private and public gardens, Carol talked about plant choices and many other aspects of sustainable gardening. I plan on a separate post based on her excellent handout.

Paul Kephart's talk about Large-Scale Applications of Living Architecture was, to me, the most inspiring an thought provoking. He talked about several of the projects his company, Rana Creek, had completed. It gave me hope to hear that the biodiversity of both plant species and insect species on the roof of the Academy of Sciences is so great. It made me smile that school children get involved in monitoring the roof of their school in Hillsborough. And I was glad to hear that by collecting storm runoff, using graywater, placing solar panels that pump the water near green surfaces for better efficiency, Rana Creek actually manages to save some money while doing the sustainable thing. Everything seemed possibly when one listened to Paul, and I left smiling, grateful to the organizers who had made this possible,  and very much looking forward to a hot bath.

Picture This! My garden Is My Special Place.

I have not participated in a Gardening Gone Wild photo contest for quite a while, but this time the topic was so intriguing, I just could not resist. The challenge, for those who choose to accept it, is to show off one photo that captures the spirit of a garden, ours or another special place in our heart.

I must admit I spent quite a bit of time outside, with both my old camera and my new camera, trying to get the perfect shot. And it's actually quite green and pretty, but with the remodel going on I found it very hard to frame a shot that did not have ladders or caution tape in it. So I went to the archives and tried to find that special shot there. Above my third choice, showing off Eriogonum arborescens, Triteleia in front of the sign, and a small manzanita and grasses further in the background. But no, this isn't it.

I like the more open feeling of this shot, with Eriogonum arborescens in the front, the grasses more prominent, and the bright green patch of coyote brush center stage. But the composition doesn't really work, with the chair right smack in the middle of the picture, so I had to search a little more.

Then I found this mid-summer picture, which finally fit the bill. I love the different shades of green, the wild grasses with the first of the morning light, and on the right the blue Wolly Blue Curl. The plants together say Californa Native Garden, and the chair says "Welcome, won't you rest for a bit?"

And now, I'm curious what other photos have been submitted, I'm sure they'll be outstanding!

Suddenly Stone Stairs!

Before:

After:


I've been putting off working on this slope until I could get the wall built. Well I finally realized the wall just isn't getting built. So I reduced my goal and with Rat working on my side, finished the project in maybe 5 hours. I decided that a two-rock-high layer at the bottom of the bank might be enough to stop the soil drifting into the road.

I wanted stairs here because I scramble up and down here fairly often. Also because Duncan already has a path here, and it's easiest to build his route into the landscaping. You can walk up the stairs, behind the cottage, and continue down to the corral, or turn right into the redwood grove path that my daughter and son-in-law made, or turn left into the "north garden" where Rat made the path last year.


And here are - the Stages In Between:

Rat has carved back the hill where the soil was drifting into the driveway. I've begun playing with stones, trying to figure out how to get them to stack. The best way was to cut into the hill where the upper row would go so that the second row felt very securely seated - and I tried to place them like bricks, i.e. the upper row offset by half a rock, for stability.


Rough layout of the stairs, which Rat cut out.

I've found this way of laying flat stone on a ledge of boulders works well. They all seem to bed in pretty well. We'll see how it goes. This is my second set of stairs. The first set is sturdy enough.



Duncan is in on the discovery of rodent nests in the rock and stone piles:


Lesson learned. We have to keep the areas around our house clear of clutter.


Below the project is nearly done.



I added a few of the river rocks we picked up from a friend at work who was giving them away. I used them to chink some places, and then also I liked the look of them so I added a few decoratively. I'm not sure if they'll stay in place even. Just mucking about trying things.



So - we hope that the bank is holding itself up well, and now we have barrier and a well-defined though lumpy and leaky edge, which I can also plant with - well, I'm open to ideas.

It's going to be a challenge establishing a garden here, because of all the weeds that I've never gotten on top of year after year. This is a last stronghold of the Oxalis pes caprae. The soil here is more clayey than in other parts of the property.

I want to plant lots of things here. There's quite a lot of Mexican sage already, which was here before we were, and is a stellar performer every year. There's Matilija poppy, which I cut back probably a bit late this year. And red-hot poker.

It might be fun to add a few more rocks to create planting shelves and nooks, almost a rock garden kind of look.

I will need to put rabbit fencing around the two planting areas, at least temporarily. That's not going to be fun. And I'll be spraying lots of deer repellent. Scary times, in the garden, when we put new plants out to survive on their own!

In my greenhouse, I have a lot of robust seedlings of naked buckwheat (Eriogonum nudum), California fuschia (Epilobium canum), golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum) and sticky monkeyflower (Mimulus aurantiacus), and I have foothill penstemon seed from nursery stock, though maybe it's a bit late to get going this year. So they can all go here. I'm thinking some summer water, but one area, near the Matilija poppy, will be a summer dry area.

I wonder what else to put here? Your ideas welcome!

A New Hedge

Until last Saturday, a mature boxwood hedge separated our sidestrip, planted with California natives, from the neighbor's front yard, planted mainly with trees. Then, sadly, we found out from PG&E that they needed to dig a 4 foot trench from the PG&E box on the neighbor's property to the junction box at the side of our house. We have underground electric cables, usually a great thing, but frustrating in this case. We had already removed a lot of concrete and some plants in the sidestrip, but the hedge had to go as well.

Our wonderful neighbors graciously agreed -- they cleverly had done their electric upgrade many years ago, but the former owners of our house never had. Of course I'm promising a replacement hedge. And, while I'll certainly plant boxwood if that's their heart's desire, I did say I wanted to suggest some fast-growing, drought-tolerant native shrubs that might work. So here, without further ado, my top three choices:

1. Manzanita. One of the best plants for a sunny spot, green year round, and pretty in winter and early spring with flowers, manzanita is a great choice for a hedge. It's the first choice in the Las Pilitas post on easy drought tolerant hedges. Several species grow fairly fast and it's easy to keep them at the desired height. I'd want to hand prune my side, but I've seen manzanita pruned with hedge trimmers and still blooming attractively (double-click the photo, which is from Las Pilitas, to see the whole hedge).

2. Ceanothus (California wild lilac). Nothing says spring like Ceanothus in bloom, and interestingly, this drought tolerant, sun loving shrub also makes a very fine hedge. A simple Google search for Ceanothus Hedge show many attractive options. Ceanothus is probably the fastest growing of the choices. Ceanothus have a reputation of being short-lived, but can last 20+ years or more if kept without summer water. Below, a Ceanothus 'Tilden Park' just 1 year old, in my front garden.

3. Mahonia (Berberis). Another plant that blooms in late winter or early spring, mahonia is tough, tolerates sun or shade, grows quickly, and is easy to keep as a hedge.

And here's what I think would really work well:

• Let's make a mixed hedge from different species of manzanita, or different species of ceanothus or, (even better)
• Let's make a mixed hedge with all three species.

I suggest a mixed hedge because of our experience with the previous hedge: One plant had died, there was a gaping hole in the hedge, and it didn't seem appealing to replace the dead plant because it would never catch up. If we start with a mixed hedge and one plant dies, we can replace it with a new plant (maybe a fast-growing ceanothus) and a certain difference in height won't be so jarring.

And now, I'm really curious what I'll be planting in a few weeks!

Blooms in February (Country Mouse)

One of the perils of co-blogging is trouncing each other's posts occasionally. Please don't let me trounce Town Mouse's lovely February offering. I'll put the link again at the end of my post.

Like Town Mouse, I'm cheating a little. Today is foggy and rainy. Sunday and last weekend - in fact all of February - we've had mild, sunny weather that has brought out the blooms.


The woodland side of the garden, with Fuschia-Flowered Gooseberry, Ribes speciosum, is aglow. I love these amazing shrubs. But beware the prickers!



In that same area is Ribes aureum, golden currant.

At first the deer wouldn't leave it alone. Now they don't seem to bother it. Needs pruning, but I didn't think it was going to even make it.


Here they are together:


Below is a small geranium I planted some time back in this woodland area, and now I can't get rid of it. Beware the ornamentals! Pretty though.


Just down the road from us is a Western redbud I love to watch each spring. We walk Duncan past it every day.

Meanwhile back in the garden, but on the chaparral side, some planted sprawling Ceanothus.


Our local wild manzanita, Arctostophylos crustacea tomentosa, or is it the other way around...
Lovely lovely lovely.

Here's Ceanothus 'Dark Star' with its tiny leaves and dramatically deep blue blossoms.



Salvia 'Bee's Bliss' which is a marvelous spreading salvia. Lasting for years. Others are nice too, Dara's Choice for example.


In the pool garden, recently planted Verbena lilacina 'De la Mina"


I can never remember the names of these plants, is it a Grevillea from Australia? I'll have to look it up. Cute blossoms, especially for its first year.



Down in the lower chaparral, Fremontodendron californica, California Flannel Bush, puts out its first flower of the year. What a beaut.


We have an unfortunate cluster of flowering fruit trees that has rarely been pruned. Just coming into blossom now.


Can't resist another couple shots of ceanothus 'Dark Star'



And last but not least - my Aristolochia Californica is finally starting to blossom, for the first time. Only one or two blossoms right now but maybe we'll get more later.

Well, that's a lot of photos. I have other blooms I missed too: daffodils, and Salvia spathacea, hummingbird sage, Mexican sage, cape honeysuckle, regular honeysuckls, maybe something else. It's been a vibrant February to be sure and I hope you enjoyed these native California blooms.

Now please continue on to view Town Mouse's lovely February offering. And thanks, Carol at May Dreams Gardens, for continuing to host Bloom Day. I'll be visiting shortly!

Blooms in February (Town Mouse)

OK, I admit it. This month I'm cheating a bit and I'm showing off some photos that are maybe a week old. But there's so much to see, and I want to share it all. Above, Arctostaphylos pajaroensis (Pajaro manzanita) is blooming its little heart out, with happy bees and hummingbirds coming to visit. Here a close-up.

And manzanita could well be the theme flower for this month. In addition to the pink blooming Pajaro manzanita, I also have Arctostaphylos 'Emerald Carpet', a groundcover manzanita that manages to get by with much less water than the garden books say.

And Arctostaphylos edmunsii, a new arrival the garden just planted last fall with large white blossoms and dark green leaves.

Blooming nicely for the first time this year is Mahonia aquifolium 'Skylark', bought in October 2009 but not quite ready for a good show in 2010. I love how the yellow flowers contrast with the purple Hardenbergia (not a native, but a reliably bloomer in January and February. 

 

And, speaking of yellow, Venegasia carpesioides (canyon sunflower) has really been blooming almost through the winter, as advertised. I planted it in a low-lying spot hoping it will receive enough moisture there. The photo below shows it together with Heuchera maxima, the first coral bell to bloom.

 

And here is a close-up. I'll have to get the pruners out to keep this Southern California native in check, but who can argue with year-round flowers?

A wonderful surprise has been Sidalcea malvaeflora (checkerbloom), which had a little trouble waking up from summer dormancy but is finally back with beautiful pink flowers.

And I'm also delighted to find Salvia spatacea (hummingbird sage) is tentatively putting out a few blossoms, no doubt because the last few weeks have been quite mild.

But a special treat is the first plum blossom, which really did open up just yesterday, announcing that spring can't be far away.

And now I'm going to visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens, our hostess for several years of bloom days (can you believe it?). Won't you join in the Bloom Day Celebration?