My favorite plant this week: Bulbine frutescens

July 10, 2014, 8:22 am

≫ Next: In a Vase on Monday: Slim Pickings

≪ Previous: Mostly Wordless Wildlife Wednesday: The Scrub-Jay Rules (the fountain)

My favorite plant this week is a shrubby groundcover succulent, Bulbine frutescens. While it's not a plant that stops you in your tracks and causes you to gawk, it's a solid performer. Drought and heat tolerant, it didn't even notice our May heatwaves.

I bought 3 of the yellow-flowering species in 4-inch pots in early March for our new backyard border. The clumps, which spread by rhizomes, have expanded significantly, now measuring about one foot (30.5cm) in diameter, and they may double their size at maturity. My plants are currently under one foot tall but the flower spikes grow up to 2 feet (61cm) tall.

I picked up 2 of the somewhat smaller orange-flowered variety, 'Hallmark,' in late May to replace 2 shrimp plants (Justicia brandegeeana) pulverized by May's heat.

They grow in full sun to light shade. Despite their name, these are not bulbous plants. They hail from the coastal area of South Africa and are known by a variety of common names, including jelly burn plant, snake flower and cat's tail. The name "jelly burn plant" derives from the fact that the succulent foliage contains glycoproteins, like some Aloe, and can be used to treat burns, rashes and itches. They're reported to be hardy to 20F (-6.67C). At 10F (-12C), the foliage will die down to the ground but the plant can come back from its roots.

In very hot interior areas, the plant may stop blooming during summer months but should begin blooming again once the temperatures cool in the fall. Mine weren't bothered by the May heatwaves but June was relatively cool here and it remains to be seen whether or not they'll continue to bloom at the same rate through a sustained period of hot weather.

The plants provide a bright touch of color in the border and need very little in the way of care. Bulbine frutescens is my contribution to Loree's favorite plants meme at danger garden this week. Click here to see her favorite and to find links to other gardener's selections.

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In a Vase on Monday: Slim Pickings

July 14, 2014, 9:12 am

≫ Next: Bloom Day - July 2014

≪ Previous: My favorite plant this week: Bulbine frutescens

The flush of early summer blooms has waned and the flowers that really love the heat are just getting started, which left me with slim pickings for today's bouquet. As this is probably my last opportunity to construct a bouquet around my Agapanthus, I selected 2 fresh blooms to be the centerpiece of this week's vase, prepared in connection with Cathy's "In a Vase on Monday" meme at Rambling in the Garden. I picked pink and purple blooms to accompany them this week.

Front view

Back view

Here's what I included:

2 stems of Agapanthus (no ID)

2 stems of a late blooming Alstroemeria (no ID) and 4 stems of Cuphea ignea 'Starfire Pink'

2 stems of Pelargonium peltatum (no ID) and 1 stem of Cerinthe major

2 stems of Eustoma grandiflorum 'Echo Blue,' which is smaller than the 'Borealis Blue' previously featured

3 small stems of Sollya heterophylla (and one stem of Digitalis purpurea)

I love Sollya heterophylla but I've yet to find an effective way to use it in a vase. The flowers appear in small clusters here and there along twisting stems. I haven't grown this shrub in many years because it managed to strangle a young tree planted nearby in my former garden but there's no chance it can strangle the full-grown Ablizia julibrissin soaring above this one. However, now the stems are twining around themselves, making them difficult to cut and untangle. Perhaps I'll be better able to make use of the cut stems when the shrub reaches its mature size.

This week's bouquet ended up in the front foyer.

To see Cathy's composition this week and find other gardeners' arrangements, click here.

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Bloom Day - July 2014

July 15, 2014, 7:51 am

≫ Next: Favorite Foliage Affiliations

≪ Previous: In a Vase on Monday: Slim Pickings

It's a transitional period in my garden: most of the blooms of early summer have left the stage while the heat-loving plants of the later summer period are still standing in the wings. I've already cut back the majority of the Agapanthus that dominated my garden in May and June. There are still a few of the unidentified red-orange daylilies that grabbed attention last month but they're days away from concluding their tour and, although a few of the reblooming varieties have produced new flower spikes, they've yet to make an appearance in stage dress. By default, the starring role in my garden at present goes to Albizia julibrissin, a diva with a bad habit of littering.

Albizia julibrissin (aka mimosa tree) is the grand dame of my backyard

Her close-up

In the front yard, another arboreal diva, Magnolia grandiflora, commands attention. She also has a serious littering habit but cleaning up after her is easier and she doesn't try to force the entire garden to accept her progeny as Albizia does.

Magnolia grandiflora dominates the front lawn

The bees are big fans

Supporting players struggle to keep the audience's attention, although some of them are tiring out trying to carry the show by themselves.

Abelia x grandiflora is hanging out on the sidelines

Achillea 'Moonshine' has kept going with a little deadheading but Eustoma grandiflorum is poised in the wings to push her off the stage

Anagallis 'Wildcat Mandarin' continues to pump out her small orange flowers but she's showing signs of waning

Borago officinalis has been looking peaked but the bees demanded that she remain in the troupe for now

Cotula lineariloba 'Big Yellow Moon' has the stamina to keep on going

This stage wouldn't be the same without the presence of Cuphea x ignea 'Starfire Pink'

Grevillea 'Superb,' still relatively new on the scene, is a diva in training

Leucanthemum x superbum is always a crowd-pleaser

Osteospermum ecklonis '3D Silver' believe they're carrying the show in the side garden without much help from the Ageratum houstonianum 'Blue Horizon,' which have thus far failed to live up to their potential

Pentas 'Kaleidoscope Appleblossum,' currently performing in a bed near the garbage cans, deserves a better stage

Salvia 'Mystic Spires' performs best as part of a group

Sollya heterophylla would get more acclaim if he took better publicity photos

Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum' is a valuable bit player

Thymus serpyllum 'Minus' knits together a variety of cast members

Wahlenbergia 'Blue Cloud' is another solid performer that takes bad photos

A few plants, recently cut back, are making encore appearances.

Argyranthemum frutescens 'Comet White Improved' lost one of her sisters but is carrying on

Provided that he gets periodic haircuts, Brachyscome 'Brasco Violet' continues to look good

Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame' is preparing to step back on the stage

Digitalis x mertonensis 'Polka Dot Pippa' is back but still looks tired

Helianthus annuus 'Valentine' looks better than her cohorts after having her head chopped off a few weeks ago

Lavandula multifida performs best in this particular setting

'Ebb Tide' rose lacks the stature to make major impact in her current company

Summer performers just beginning to make their presence known include:

Amaranthus cruentus 'Hopi Red Dye' is a real drama queen

Angelonia augustifolia may remain a bit player but she is attractive

Cerinthe major is a good collaborator

Coreopsis 'Big Bang Redshift' is preparing to take over the summer production in the backyard

Echeveria pulvinata 'Ruby' is new on the scene and a little fuzzy about her role

Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit' is already commanding attention in the backyard border, whether dressed in red...

or yellow

Eustoma grandiflorum 'Echo Blue' and her sisters demand attention despite their small size

Eustoma grandiflorum 'Echo White' isn't as flashy as her sister but she's still very pretty

Crassula exilis ssp. cooperi is a small player in a new venue

Zinnia 'Profusion Apricot' is heading the charge for her family

That's the cast for this month's Garden Blogger's Bloom Day production in my garden. Our impresario, Carol of May Dreams Gardens, can connect you with her garden stage and other stages all over the world.

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Favorite Foliage Affiliations

July 16, 2014, 8:42 am

≫ Next: My favorite plant this week: Pseuderanthemum 'Texas Tri-star'

≪ Previous: Bloom Day - July 2014

Pam of Digging hosts a monthly discussion of foliage to emphasize its importance to the overall appeal of our gardens and as a counterpoint to what is sometimes an excessive emphasis on a garden's floral elements. This month I thought I'd focus on a few of my favorite foliage combinations.

Some of these combinations came with the house, most notably the selection of the now mature trees that frame our backyard view. What's interesting about the following 2 pictures is that both feature pairs of the same tree; however, there heights are staggered. Did the gardener who planted them place them at different times or start with trees of different size, or did they simply grown at different rates? I don't know the answer but it adds another dimension to the view.

Agonis flexuosa (aka peppermint willow) trees overlooking the harbor

2 Arbutus 'Marina' that partially screen a neighbor's home on the northwest side of the house

I also inherited the mature Calliandra haematocephala that stands roughly in the middle of a bed that runs along our living and dining room windows but the rest of the plants there, all grown mainly for their foliage, are my own additions.

Calliandra haematocephala, grown mainly for its foliage, also screens the exterior view of the TV placed along the windows in the living room

Looking southeast, this narrow border includes Plectranthus ciliatus 'Zulu Warrior,' Pseuderanthemum 'Texas Tri-star,' Arthropodium cirratum, Ageratum corymbosum, Persicaria 'Red Dragon,' and the afore-mentioned Calliandra

This plant and 2 others were labeled as Pseuderanthemum 'Texas Tri-star'

However, this one, which appears to be the same plant, was labeled as Strobilanthes purpurea but, as best I've been able to determine, that's an erroneous classification

This section of the same bed, looking from the other direction toward the Calliandra, includes Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt' (in a pot), Plectranthus zuluensis, Liriope muscari, and another Arthropodium cirratum

I included a number of foliage plants in the border created in the southeast side yard last fall as well. The 2 plants with the most impact are Agonis flexuosa 'Nana' and Phormium 'Amazing Red.' There are 3 of each here.

View of the southeast side border looking toward the patio

View of the same border looking in the direction of the street - the reddish burgundy of Phormium 'Amazing Red' echos the foliage color of Coprosma 'Plum Hussey' and the trunk of the Arbutus 'Marina' in the background

A few of my other foliage combinations are still works in progress.

I like how the red stems and new growth of Leucandendron salignum 'Chief' in the dry garden picks up the red tips of the Leucadendron 'Ebony' in front of it and the foliage color of Coprosma 'Plum Hussey' behind it but the overall area is a mish-mash and needs both a clean-up and some reorganization to reach its potential

I like the bright green of the Pelargonium tomentosum with the green-flecked mostly red foliage of the Coprosma 'Plum Hussey' here but one of the 3 Coprosma is seriously stunted and I can't make up my mind how I feel about the mass of grey Helichrysum petiolare behind the Coprosma

Combinations in pots are much easier to control. I'm pleased by all of my summer-time foliage compositions.

3 varieties of coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides)

Pennisetum 'Puple Majesty' paired with lime green Alternanthera

Larger view of the same combination

Coleus 'Chocolate Splash' paired with Dichondra 'Emerald Falls'

For more foliage highlights, please visit Pam at Digging.

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My favorite plant this week: Pseuderanthemum 'Texas Tri-star'

July 17, 2014, 1:23 pm

≫ Next: Bird Behavior

≪ Previous: Favorite Foliage Affiliations

My favorite plant this week is a relatively demure variegated plant I've featured in a number of Foliage Follow-up posts, including the most recent one. It's saddled with a convoluted name that can be both difficult to spell and remember: Pseuderanthemum 'Texas Tri-star.' There's minimal information available about it on-line so most of what I know about this plant comes from personal experience, although I did find a brief mention of the genus in an old edition of "The Wise Garden Encyclopedia," which describes it simply as a "genus of shrubby tropical plants belonging to the Acanthaceae (Acanthus) Family."

Pseuderanthemum 'Texas Tri-star' situated below Calliandra haematocephala

New growth is green with irregular cream-colored variegation. As the leaves age, they turn a reddish burgundy with pink variegation. The narrow leaves grow to between 2 and 3 inches (7.6 cm) in length. Left to their own devices, mine have grown into narrow plants about 2 feet (61 cm) tall, taking on a vase-like shape and becoming bare at the base. My most recent acquisition, found in a 1-gallon pot and mislabeled as Strobilanthes 'Purpurea,' is shorter and wider, about 1 foot (31 cm) tall and wide, which suggests that pinching and pruning would be useful in creating a denser plant. Still, my older, unpruned plants have knitted in well with the surrounding foliage.

P. 'Texas Tri-star' poking up through the leaves of Arthropodium cirratum

This P. Texas Tri-star' is mingling with Plectranthus ciliatus

The plants I've shown here all grow in a bed that receives morning sun and afternoon shade. The plants receive regular water on a drip irrigation system. I've tried P. 'Texas Tri-star' in beds getting morning shade and afternoon sun but they were stressed and didn't hold up well in the summer heat even when they received extra water. Those that survived were moved to the more hospitable bed outside our living room.

The plants remain evergreen in my USDA zone 10b garden. They didn't show any sign of die-back during our cooler months but then our winter temperatures haven't dipped below 35F (1.67C) during the 3 years we've lived here. The plants recently surprised me by producing a few lavender-pink flowers, which may be a response to the bout of humid air we've recently experienced.

The plant isn't particularly easy to find. They pop up in 4-inch pots here occasionally. In researching the plant on-line, I discovered that it has some interesting relatives, including a dark-leaved variety called 'Black Varnish,' which I'm now on a search to find locally.

Pseuderanthemum 'Texas Tri-star' is my contribution to Loree's favorite plant meme at danger garden. Visit her blog to see her current favorite and to find links to other gardeners' selections.

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Bird Behavior

July 19, 2014, 9:55 pm

≫ Next: In a Vase on Monday: Watching and Waiting

≪ Previous: My favorite plant this week: Pseuderanthemum 'Texas Tri-star'

Our backyard fountain is a source of a wildlife activity, especially during the summer months. Birds visit it daily and the raccoons visit it nightly. I haven't managed to capture a photo of the racoons but I routinely find evidence of their visits. The top tier of the fountain is filled with sea shells to give the birds a solid footing. The raccoons remove the sea shells and drop them into the lower tiers of the fountain or scatter them about the garden EVERY DAY.

Most of the birds come to drink or take a dip. Last week, I caught the Hooded Oriole thoroughly enjoying a bath in the fountain. He's usually quite elusive, flying off the moment I get close to the window with my camera. I've only managed to get a few shots of him. Here's a photo, taken in June, of him looking his usual sleek self.

And here he was last week when he thought no one was looking.

After a brief mid-air tussle, which I failed to capture, the second bird took off

He celebrated having the fountain to himself

And surfaced looking a bit scruffy

When he flew off, he wasn't well-coiffed but his joy at the dip in the fountain was evident

In contrast, every evening, after the fountain is turned off, a Mourning Dove appears and simply sits at the edge of the fountain. It remains there, alone, for long periods, just staring out across the garden.

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In a Vase on Monday: Watching and Waiting

July 21, 2014, 9:31 am

≫ Next: Wordless Wednesday: As Pretty as Stained Glass

≪ Previous: Bird Behavior

I've been watching and waiting for my Coreopsis 'Redshift' to start its bloom cycle. In my garden, these blooms take over as the blooms on the Agapanthus taper off. I have a total of 8 of these perennial plants in the back yard, 5 of which I added in March of this year. The buds began appearing a month or more ago but, at the time of my July Bloom Day post, only a few buds had opened. A day or two after Bloom Day, the 3 original plants were covered in blooms, making them a suitable choice to use "In a Vase on Monday," the meme sponsored by Cathy of Rambling in the Garden. As the Coreopsis are rather wispy, they needed a centerpiece with greater impact, which was provided by Helianthus annuus 'Valentine,' but the Coreopsis dictated the overall color scheme.

The bouquet includes:

2 stems of Amaranthus cruentus 'Hopi Red Dye'
5 stems of Coreopsis 'Big Bang Redshift'
1 stem of Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Goblin'
2 stems of Helianthus annuus 'Valentine'
3 stems of Persicaria microcephala 'Red Dragon'
1 stem of Solenostemon scutellarioides 'Coleus Inky Fingers'

As the following picture shows, the color of the Coreopsis varies. At the start of the bloom cycle in summer, the flowers open with butter yellow petals and a deep red halo around the center. The red streaks at the center gradually radiate to the tips of the petals. The flowers are temperature sensitive and, as the weather cools in the fall, the red color will dominate.

A fuzzy photo showing some of the color differences in the Coreopsis

I added the coleus at the last minute in an effort to lighten the heaviness created by the burgundy-colored annual Amaranthus.

While the daisy-like shape of the Gaillardia is similar to that of the tickseed and sunflower, the color was just a little off, so it ended up tucked into the back of the bouquet.

Other floral rejects - 2 stems of Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit,' 3 stems of Bulbine frutescens and a small piece of Coreopsis - ended up in a small vase consigned to the guest bathroom, where all my rejects seem to end up at present.

And the larger vase ended up in the front entry, as usual.

Go to Cathy's blog at Rambling in the Garden to see her creation this week. You'll also find links to photos of vases created by other participating gardeners.

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Wordless Wednesday: As Pretty as Stained Glass

July 23, 2014, 12:12 pm

≫ Next: My favorite plant this week: Coreopsis 'Redshift'

≪ Previous: In a Vase on Monday: Watching and Waiting

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My favorite plant this week: Coreopsis 'Redshift'

July 25, 2014, 8:41 am

≫ Next: In a Vase on Monday: Stargazer Lilies

≪ Previous: Wordless Wednesday: As Pretty as Stained Glass

I'm attracted to plants with yellow flowers. I've grown Coreopsis grandiflora with its prolific yellow flowers at periodic intervals but I was never really satisfied with it. It needed regular dead-heading to look good and, in my garden, it was prone to powdery mildew. I discovered the hybrid Coreopsis 'Redshift' in 2012 and it quickly became one of my favorite plants. My original 3 plants are currently blooming their hearts out in the backyard border along the hedge that separates our property from the neighbor below us. Five additional plants, added to the new backyard border we created as an extension of the small bed around our fountain in early spring, are just beginning to bloom.

Coreopsis 'Redshift' bordered by a hedge on one side and a mix of shrubs and perennials on the other side

My only complaint about the plant is that the blooms tend to face the rising sun, which means that the 3 original plants don't show their faces to greatest advantage, a problem I complained about last year.*

The same 3 plants photographed from the path along the hedge, looking back across the garden toward the house

C. 'Redshift' is part of the "Big Bang" series bred by hybridizer Darrell Probst, who crossed 8 species of Coreopsis to create 'Redshift' and the other plants in this series. The plants are reportedly more winter-hardy than other varieties of Coreopsis and many, like 'Redshift' produce flowers with colors that vary with the temperature. According to most descriptions, the flowers open in summer with pale yellow petals and a dark red disk surrounding a yellow button center. Red streaks extend from the center along the petals of some flowers. When temperatures cool in the fall, the flowers may turn entirely red. In my own garden, the temperature fluctuations we experience in the fall, often punctuated by our worst heatwaves, seem to make flower color more unpredictable.

Photo taken earlier this week

Photograph taken for Bloom Day in August 2013

Photo taken in mid-September 2013, probably after an earlier shearing

The plants grow about 3 feet (1 meter) tall and 1.5-2 feet (46-61 cm) wide. They require little in the way of maintenance and have no serious disease or insect problems, although the crown can rot in moist, poorly-drained soil. With a late summer shearing, the plants will bloom through fall. They need full sun. They're heat tolerant and somewhat drought tolerant and they attract butterflies.

Predictions as to the plant's winter hardiness vary, with some sources stating that it can survive in USDA zone 4 but most claiming hardiness to zone 5. I can make no personal testimonials on the subject as we don't get freezes here. However, Allan Becker's discussion of the plant contains some interesting feedback from the breeder on both winter hardiness and how to produce sturdier stems and better flowering, which you can find here.

Coreopsis 'Redshift' is my contribution to Loree's favorite plants post, which you can find at danger garden. I'm sufficiently enthusiastic about the plant to be on the look out for other plants in the "Big Bang" series, most notably C. 'Cosmic Evolution' and 'Star Cluster.'

*My references to the location of the rising sun relative to my garden have created confusion on the part of readers of earlier posts so I thought I'd attempt an explanation here. Although I'm located on the West Coast and my backyard garden overlooks the Port of Los Angeles, the backyard actually faces roughly southeast. I live on a peninsula which juts into the South Bay. The ocean visible in some of my pictures is part of the bay, not the open ocean to the west. If it wasn't always so hazy, you could see Long Beach stretching along the distant side of the bay.

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In a Vase on Monday: Stargazer Lilies

July 28, 2014, 9:22 am

≫ Next: New Succulent Bed

≪ Previous: My favorite plant this week: Coreopsis 'Redshift'

I have only 2 varieties of lilies in my garden, one is an unnamed light pink variety that bloomed exceptionally early this year and the other is Lilium 'Stargazer,' which I planted from bulbs the first year we lived in our current house. In the border, the plants have a very formal appearance that make them look a bit out of place, which may explain why I'm not particularly hesitant about cutting them for a vase. I'd hoped that their bloom period would coincide with the appearance of white roses or white Lisianthus, but this didn't happen so I had to look further afield for suitable companions.

Here's what I used this week:

2 stems of Lilium 'Stargazer'
3 stems of Asparagus 'Sprengeri' (at least I think that's what it is)
3 stems of Cuphea ignea 'Starfire Pink'
2 stems of Pentas lanceolata 'Nova'
2 stems of Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum'
1 stem of Solenostemon scutellarioides 'Kong Jr. Green Halo'

The 'Stargazer' lilies are smaller this year than last - too little water perhaps

The asparagus fern I inherited with the house works well in bouquets if you can put up with its tiny thorns

Cuphea ignea 'Starfire Pink' has proven to be drought tolerant as well as pretty

Pentas 'Nova' grows taller than other varieties, although I think it wants more water than it has been getting

'Kong Jr. Green Halo' coleus is doing well in a pot in partial shade

My bouquet ended up on the dining room table this week, as part of a possibly fruitless effort to keep my cat from chewing on the asparagus fern. She doesn't jump on the dining room table (at least I've never seen her do so) but she does like to hang about in the foyer.

I had some floral rejects again this week, which ended up in my small pink glass vase. I cut more of the Amaranth I featured last week and, while it linked with the color of the lilies, it added a somber note to the combination that I didn't care for. The Amaranth was paired with 3 more stems of the Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit' and the 'Inky Fingers' coleus from last week, which was still in good condition. I placed it on the foyer table even though it's small in scale.

These are my contributions to Cathy's "In a Vase on Monday" meme at Rambling in the Garden. Visit her webpage to see what she's put together this week (while traveling) and to find links to other floral concoctions.

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New Succulent Bed

July 29, 2014, 10:00 am

≫ Next: Succulent Curb Appeal

≪ Previous: In a Vase on Monday: Stargazer Lilies

Some things look better viewed in close-up rather than from a distance. This can definitely be said of my new succulent bed. Although I bought what I thought were scads of succulents on a shopping trip with a friend last week, the space overwhelmed them and they look, well, puny in situ.

This space runs along the street on the southeast side of our property. Those spindly shrubs you may be able to make out in the photo above are Pittosporum rhombifolium (I think). They were in horrible shape when we moved in 3 years ago. After years of being sheared from the top and sides, they were a thicket of dead wood with chlorotic leaves. I cut one back last year and, when it responded by putting out healthy new growth, I cut them all back hard in January of this year. Two were beyond saving and were removed. The remainder have been slow to fill in. I may eventually pull more - or possibly all - of them out as they don't match the Xylosma hedge that surrounds the rest of the property but, at present, I'm trying to work with what remains. I cleared the weeds and thinned out the small-flowered ice plant at the base of the shrubs, leaving a lot of bare soil exposed. As this is a relatively dry, sunny area, I thought planting it with succulents would be a good idea, especially given our worsening drought conditions. (My wonderful husband is helping out by installing a new drip irrigation system here so we can eliminate all risk of sprinkler runoff.

I finished planting my newly purchased succulents on Sunday but there's still a lot of bare soil.

3 Agave 'Blue Glow,' Calandrinia spectabilis (aka Cistanthe grandiflora), Portulacaria afra and miscellaneous small succulent cuttings are planted here with 3 struggling Chondropetalum tectorum (aka Cape Rush)

Agave Impressa is surrounded by Dudleya (noID) and Senecio cuttings here

Agave desmettiana provides the centerpiece among Aeonium 'Kiwi,' Aeonium 'Sunburst,' Aeonium nobile, cuttings of the noID Aeonium given to me by a friend, and more Portulacaria afra

Agave 'Blue Flame' is surrounded by Aloe (noID), Sanseveriera (noID), Graptopetalum paraguayense, my noID Aeonium, and another noID succulent

While the slow-growing succulents will get larger over time, I think I need more to fill in some of the emptier spots. Before I undertake another shopping expedition, however, I'm going to see what I can do with succulent cuttings from elsewhere in my garden.

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Succulent Curb Appeal

July 30, 2014, 10:48 am

≫ Next: My favorite plant this week: x Graptoveria 'Fred Ives'

≪ Previous: New Succulent Bed

My friend Lynda and I have made a few trips in search of succulents over the past few months. While my own objectives on these occasions were relatively ill-defined, Lynda was very focused. She'd decided to pull out the shrubs, perennials and annuals from the brick planters that serve as her front garden and replace them with succulents. She became enamored with (a better term than "addicted to," don't you think?) succulents after replacing the herbaceous plants in the window boxes on the upper level of her townhome with these heat and drought tolerant plants. An artist, she loved their sculptural qualities, which she's also featured in her canvases. However, like me, she discovered that it took a lot of succulents to fill an area, even when she bought good-sized specimens to start with.

Photo of the back of Lynda's SUV after our nursery trip to OC Succulents and Roger's Gardens at the end of May

Photo of the cargo area after our most recent trip to OC Succulents this month (before we stopped by Roger's Gardens)

I recently visited her place to see how her succulent garden was coming along. It looks great already!

The large bed at the front of the house, photographed from the house's second level

The partially shaded bed directly behind the one in depicted above, also photographed from upstairs

Photograph of the same area from the street level looking toward the house

Side bed, photographed from above

A segment of the same bed, photographed from the driveway

Here are some close-ups of her choicest selections:

Aloe cameronii surrounded by Euphorbia 'Sticks on Fire' and Dyckia

Agave parryi, which is producing pups like crazy

Echeveria subrigida

Close-up of a portion of the side yard bed showing Agave desmettiana, more Euphorbia 'Sticks on Fire,' Dudleya, Graptoveria 'Fred Ives' and an assortment of other succulents

The Abelia x grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope,' which have different watering requirements, will probably be coming out of these beds to make room for more succulents. That means we have more trips to the nursery in store for us, which is great as I also have spaces to fill in my new succulent bed.

I failed to get a shot of Lynda's window boxes but I did get a few photos of the pots she has along the stairway leading up to her front door. They look great too and, as she has LOTS of steps, she's got plenty of room for more pots, which of course will support still more trips to the nursery. (Lynda, if you show this post to Dave, be sure to remind him that none of this shopping is my fault.)

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My favorite plant this week: x Graptoveria 'Fred Ives'

July 31, 2014, 11:55 am

≫ Next: Wide Shots - August 2014

≪ Previous: Succulent Curb Appeal

As I seem to be fixated on succulents this week, it's only appropriate that I feature a succulent as my favorite plant of the week. Since planting a new succulent bed last weekend, I've had my eyes open for succulents elsewhere in my garden that I might use to provide cuttings to fill in some of the bed's empty spaces. I quickly fixated on x Graptoveria 'Fred Ives,' a hybrid mix of Graptopetalum paraguayense and Echeveria gibbiflora. I've got 'Fred Ives' in at least 4 pots, as well as my backyard border.

A single rosette in the decorative pot I picked up at the Spring Garden Show at South Coast Plaza

2 rosettes in a pot marking the transition from the side yard to the backyard

A clump of 'Fred Ives' in the backyard border

After looking into 'Fred Ives' parentage, I realized that I also have the parent plants in my garden.

This Graptopetalum paraguayense was part of a 6-pack I planted in my new succulent border

I believe this is an Echeveria gibbiflora, although it didn't have a label when I purchased it

I love the various hues 'Fred Ives' takes on based under different growing conditions. It can handle anything from full sun to partial shade. In semi-shady spots, like the one occupied by the pot in the picture at the top of the post, grayish-green and turquoise tones dominate but, in sunnier settings, like those shown in the second and third photos, pinkish-bronze tones appear.

Most of my plants are between 6 and 8 inches (15-20 cm) tall but one, in a large pot receiving morning shade and afternoon sun, is more than a foot (30.5 cm) tall and wide.

I discovered that this plant had produced an elongated stem that reached down behind the pot. It detached easily when I tugged it upward. Even by succulent standards, the plant has a reputation for easy reproduction. The piece I removed already had lots of hairy pink roots.

I was more surprised to find a tiny plant developing on a shriveled leaf that had fallen off the plant in the backyard border.

The succulent flowers too. My largest plant produced sprays of small yellow flowers on long stems earlier this year.

The flowers are shown in this picture taken in late April

Like most succulents, it's drought-tolerant, although some on-line sources claim that it grows faster with extra water. It's said to handle over-watering well, which allows it to be combined with plants with greater water needs, as in the case of the plant in my backyard border. According to San Marcos Growers, it tolerates low temperatures in the 25-30F (-3.9 to -1C) range.

x Graptoveria 'Fred Ives,' a native of Mexico, is my contribution to the favorite plants meme hosted by Loree of danger garden.

All material © 2012-2014 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

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Wide Shots - August 2014

August 1, 2014, 12:43 pm

≫ Next: In a Vase on Monday: Itsy Bitsy Bouquets

≪ Previous: My favorite plant this week: x Graptoveria 'Fred Ives'

It's the "dog days of summer" here. Although our daytime temperatures haven't soared above 95F (35C) since May, it has been unusually muggy, which has made the heat more uncomfortable. It cools down most nights, which helps, but my garden still looks somewhat ragged, probably because I've continued to restrict my water usage in response to our drought. Careful as we're trying to be about managing our water usage, it was upsetting to hear about the water main break in West Los Angeles that flooded the campus of UCLA and the surrounding area with 20 million gallons of water earlier this week (and infuriating that the media seems more interested in the impact on UCLA's basketball season than the state's ability to manage its water issues). In addition, the Bay Area uncovered a water leak that has caused the loss of 25 gallons of water per minute over the past 4 years. Clearly, individual homeowners aren't the only ones that need to work on their water delivery infrastructures.

My monthly wide shots, undertaken in connection with the meme started by Heather at Xericstyle, continue to be useful to track the changes I've made to my garden, as well as in assisting me in planning future changes. As usual, I'll start with the back garden, which is looking subdued now that the Agapanthus and the red-orange daylilies have finished blooming.

Back garden, photographed from the back door

A shot of the back garden from the left side, showing the lawn heading into dormancy

This photograph of the back garden from the right side shows the mimosa tree, still in bloom and dropping floral debris everywhere

In the side yard, much of the color is supplied by foliage.

Side yard, photographed from the dirt path running behind the backyard's main border, where Coreopsis 'Redshift' is putting on a show

Zinnias, some planted from seed and some from a pony-pack, provide some floral color but they're struggling

The Amaranth in the middle background provide a pop of red color, mirroring the foliage of Coprosma 'Plum Hussey" on the right and Phormium 'Amazing Red' in the foreground of this photo taken from the side yard patio

Side yard, photographed from the front lawn area looking toward the hazy harbor view

In the front yard, the Magnolia is still blooming in the middle of the dormant lawn and the Bauhinia, barely visible on the left, has few leaves but lots of flowers.

In the vegetable garden, the sunflowers have withered and the corn is struggling despite regular water. However, the pole beans and the herbs are doing fine.

Vegetable garden, photographed from the driveway

My husband did some work on the irrigation system in the dry garden in July and I've begun removing plants that didn't perform well this year, both of which have left holes in this area of the garden. However, I'm looking forward to adding more drought-tolerant plants, like Leucadendron salignum 'Blush,' in the fall.

Dry garden, photographed from the entrance to the gravel path looking toward the stairway that leads down the slope

Dry garden photographed from the backyard lawn

The lower portion of the slope looks truly awful. The drought-tolerant plants I put in down there clearly aren't drought-tolerant enough. The area needs a major overall.

Ugh!

While waiting for the cooler days of fall, I'm laying down more mulch to keep the soil as cool and moist as possible. My husband has replaced the sprinkler system along one street side boundary with drip irrigation and we have future plans to convert other areas of the garden to drip irrigation as well. I also plan to remove more lawn, starting with a section in the front yard. And, I've got a running list of plant swaps I want to make in the fall on the assumption that this drought will be with us for awhile. Meanwhile, the birds have no problems with the garden as long as the fountain's running...

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In a Vase on Monday: Itsy Bitsy Bouquets

August 4, 2014, 7:46 am

≫ Next: Wordless Wednesday - Is It Fall Yet?

≪ Previous: Wide Shots - August 2014

Before any discussion of floral bouquets, itsy bitsy or otherwise, I want to report that, this past weekend, we actually got a bit of rain out of the monsoonal moisture that has hung over the area for weeks now. It was by no means a drought-ending deluge but it was certainly a great improvement over the 3-minute drizzle we got several weeks ago. Maybe I could learn to put up with the miserable humidity if we could just get a little rain out of it on occasion - those of you in the sub-tropical areas of the US south and southeast that contend with this humidity year after year have my utmost respect. In any case, the rain felt like a minor miracle and has put me in a much more positive frame of mind. On to the subject of this week's floral arrangement...

Other than tickseed and feverfew, my garden doesn't have much to offer in terms of flowers for cutting right now, at least not for a conventionally sized vase. My response to the challenge to create a vase for Cathy's "In a Vase on Monday" meme at Rambling in the Garden was to go small. Yes, I could have stopped at one itsy bitsy bouquet but I didn't - I filled all 3 of my tiny colored glass vases (all roughly 4-inches/10 cm tall and 2-inches/5 cm wide).

Here's the first, which is my favorite, although it may have the shortest shelf life:

The centerpiece is Hemerocallis 'Cordon Rouge,' but the bouquet also includes one of the last stems of Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame,' flowering stems of Abelia 'Kaleidoscope,'Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum' (golden feverfew), and 2 varieties of Zinnia.

Hemerocallis 'Cordon Rouge,' a reblooming daylily variety, recently started its 2nd bloom cycle

Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame' appears to have bloomed out but it may surprise me yet again

Eustoma grandiflorum 'Echo Blue' is the focal point of the second bouquet. The flowers aren't quite as full as those of Eustoma grandiflorum 'Borealis Blue' but they're still gorgeous.

Close-up of Eustoma grandiflorum 'Echo Blue'

This bouquet also features Catananche caerulea (aka Cupid's Dart), one stem of Veronica 'Vernique Dark Blue' (recently purchased to occupy a pot), more feverfew, and a few pieces of flowering thyme.

Close-up of Catananche caerulea

The star of the third bouquet should be the Echinaceas, 'Magnus' and 'Cheyenne Spirit,' but I think Pentas 'Kaleidoscope Appleblossom' upstages them. This bouquet also includes Pentas 'Nova,'Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold,'Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum,' and, again, feverfew.

Close-up of Pentas 'Kaleidoscope Appleblossom' photobombed by Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit'

The plumes of Pennisetum setaceum Rubrum look almost like fur

You may have noticed that I usually photograph my vases in the kitchen. I haven't found a better backdrop. The surfaces are white; it has lots of natural light as well as numerous pot lights; and the counters are usually clear (except when my husband is cooking). This week one of my vases found a place to stay in the kitchen while the other 2 migrated to other areas of the house.

The pig in the kitchen (which holds tea bags rather than cookies) approves of the Lisianthus

The toad prefers daylilies

The pink vase landed on a living room side table, where I hope those Pennisetum blooms will not prove too tempting for Pipig the cat to ignore

What have you got in a vase this week? Go to Cathy's site to see her composition and to find other gardeners' creations.

All material © 2012-2014 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

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Wordless Wednesday - Is It Fall Yet?

August 6, 2014, 3:37 pm

≫ Next: My favorite plant of the week: Coleus 'Chocolate Splash'

≪ Previous: In a Vase on Monday: Itsy Bitsy Bouquets

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My favorite plant of the week: Coleus 'Chocolate Splash'

August 7, 2014, 12:27 pm

≫ Next: The Fountain Bed Re-examined

≪ Previous: Wordless Wednesday - Is It Fall Yet?

Is it banal to feature a humble coleus, properly classified as Solenostemon scuttelarioides, as my favorite plant of the week? I considered other, more exotic choices but, truthfully, I find myself admiring this plant every time I walk in or out the door to the backyard. I picked it up on a whim in early July, along with the pot it's tucked into.

Coleus 'Chocolate Splash' shortly after planting

The variety is new to me. I love the counterpoint of the bright lime color and the deep reddish brown splotches.

Current photo, taken roughly 1 month after the one above

It keeps trying to produce flowers, which I keep pinching off in the interest of prolonging the plant's beauty. Unlike most coleus of my acquaintance, the mature flowers aren't so much blue as white with a touch of black. I don't have any pictures of a fully-developed flower (because I pinch them off as soon as I see them) but they are rather pretty.

I had no intention of buying any coleus this year but I seem to have succumbed to their annual allure. In my frost-free area, the plant is technically a perennial but it looks best when grown as an annual, even here in USDA zone 10b (Sunset zone 23/24). They do best in at least partial shade. 'Chocolate Splash' gets morning sun and afternoon shade. The mixture of coleus in the pots by our front door get morning shade but some late afternoon sun. They're pretty spectacular too, especially the oddly named variety, 'Kong Jr. Green Halo,' which has grown quickly, leaving its pot-mates in the dust.

The yellow and green coleus 'Kong Jr. Green Halo' has entirely hidden one of the trio of coleus in this pot

Coleus 'Kong Jr. Green Halo' is doing a better job of cohabiting with 'Fire Fingers' and ' Honey Crisp' in this pot

Solenostemon scuttellarioides 'Chocolate Splash' is my contribution to Loree's favorite plants meme at danger garden this week. You can see Loree's favorite and find links to other gardeners' favorites here.

All material © 2012-2014 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

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The Fountain Bed Re-examined

August 9, 2014, 12:45 pm

≫ Next: In a Vase on Monday: Exotic Blooms

≪ Previous: My favorite plant of the week: Coleus 'Chocolate Splash'

In March of this year, we finished an extension of the small bed that surrounded our backyard fountain, linking it to the border we'd created along the southeast side patio last fall. I did the bulk of my planting in early spring, although there were small additions here and there later on. As the cooler weather of fall is (hopefully) just around the corner, it's time to evaluate what I have and identify the changes I'd like to make during the prime fall planting period.

As context, here's a wide shot of the extended fountain border from early July when there was still a lot in bloom:

The fountain border in July, looking south

The border looking north

The red-orange daylilies, still blooming in early July, are finished now, as is the Anagallis 'Wildcat Mandarin' that added the splash of orange color in the second picture above. I recently pulled the burned-out remnants of the Borage I grew from seed, and I'm not sure I'll grow it again next year (although I'll probably be pulling seedlings for years to come). In August, the border is looking more subdued with little floral color beyond that provided by Coreopsis 'Redshift' but Phormium 'Amazing Red,'Uncinia uncinata 'Rubra,' and Carex testacea continue to add bright spots of foliage color.

Current photo of the bed, again looking south

Recent photo of the south segment of the fountain border where it merges with the side garden

Overall, I'm pleased with what I planted. Notable exceptions include:

Mecardonia 'Magic Carpet Yellow,' a pretty groundcover described as very heat tolerant, must need a lot more water than I gave it - my 3 plants fried and turned black

Nicotiana 'Hot Chocolate' did better than its lime-colored cousin but, even in full flower, it looked scraggly to me - I cut it back but I'm too unhappy with it to extend its stay into fall

Only half the Scorzonera hispanica plants bloomed and the foliage has nothing to distinguish it (I think there's a weed hiding behind what's left of this one)

There are also a few ratty-looking Nepeta I didn't bother to photograph, which I will pull - the neighborhood cats have left only traces of it. In addition, I've got some plants on my watch list. I'm not quite ready to pull them out but they have yet to prove their value.

Acorus gramineus 'Ogon': I was wary of this plant as I'd understood it needs ample water but the tag said otherwise and I decided to give it a try. Was I misled? It's already looking a little sorry, despite the fact that I've continued to give it what I think is ample water to get it started.

Rosmarinus 'GoldDust': I thought this dwarf might make a good, drought tolerant edging plant but it already looks too woody to me

Salvia Mystic Spires': I like the blue flowers but it has a scruffy look about it despite regular dead-heading

There are a couple of plants I may move elsewhere:

Lupinus chamissionis: The plant seems happy enough here but it looks out of proportion with the nearby Japanese maple so I may move it elsewhere if I can find another spot that will support its needs

Plectranthus ciliatus 'Zulu Warrior': My cuttings have taken but I think they're getting too much sun in this spot

Plants I'm especially happy with include:

Abelia x grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope' and Lomandra 'Breeze'

Bulbine frutescens

Coreopsis 'Redshift' and Stipa tenuissima

Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame,' Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum' and Anagallis 'Wildcat Mandarin' - I've cut the Anagallis back in the hope that it will act as a perennial here in zone 10

Euphorbia 'Blue Lagoon'

Liriope spicata (although I hope it doesn't spread like crazy)

Phormium 'Amazing Red,' Leucadendron 'Rising Sun" (sited just behind the Phormium), and Grevillea alpinia x rosmarinifolia (which is blending into the plants around it in this picture)

Uncinia uncinata 'Rubra'

There's admittedly a LOT of yellow and chartreuse in this border. I think it needs more blue/lavender, burgundy and orange touches. Plants I'm considering adding this fall to replace those I pull or relocate include:

Agastache - blue and/or orange varieties
Aloe - perhaps 'Blue Elf' or nobilis
Aster x frikartii 'Monch'
Calendula officinalis 'Bronzed Beauty'
Crocosmia - perhaps the 'Emily McKenzie'described by Alison of Bonny Lassie
Erigeron glaucus
Phormium 'Amazing Red' or another smaller-sized variety

Do you have any suggestions for me? Ideally, the plants should be drought tolerant and not too tall. (My husband gets annoyed if my garden blocks "his" view from the house.)

All material © 2012-2014 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

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In a Vase on Monday: Exotic Blooms

August 11, 2014, 9:03 am

≫ Next: My favorite plant this week: Adenium obesum

≪ Previous: The Fountain Bed Re-examined

Notice to readers of TexasOutdoorsmen.com: If you are reading this post on that entity's site, I'd like you to be aware that I have not authorized or consented to re-blogging of this post or any of my prior posts. I have made numerous attempts to reach owners and representatives of this site to request termination of the feed from my blog without success to date. While I'm flattered that whomever is running this site likes my posts, I prefer to choose which parties I attend. I may be Late to the Garden Party but I think I have a right to choose my own dance partners. TexasOutdoorsmen, let me go.

With apologies for the commercial interruption, let's talk flowers. Right now, there are relatively few available for cutting in my garden, which isn't particularly unusual for mid-summer in Southern California. I've featured much of what is available before so, going the extra mile to make a contribution to Cathy's weekly meme at Rambling in the Garden, I got out a stepping stool and cut a couple of stems from our Bauhinia x blakeana, otherwise known as a Hong Kong orchid tree.

The flowers are beautiful but I have no idea how they and their woody stems will do in a vase. Each stem bears 8 or more buds of varying size, which open at staggered intervals.

New bloom of Bauhinia x blakeana

A fading flower with unopened buds arrayed above

In addition to Bauhinia, the bouquet contains:

3 stems of Cuphea ignea 'Starfire Pink'
2 stems of Leucanthemum x superbum
2 stems of Pelargonium peltatum
2 small stems of Pentas 'Kaleidoscope Appleblossom'
2 stems of unidentified roses, one white and one lavender-pink

Close-up of the ruffled petals of this Leucanthemum x superbum

Pelargonium peltatum

Pentas "Kaleidoscope Appleblossom' and the fading bloom and unopened buds of the lavender-pink rose, possibly 'Angel Face'

Close-up of the creamy white unidentified rose

I tried out the bouquet in various locations but it ended up on the foyer table, as so many others have.

Please check in at Rambling in the Garden to see Cathy's bouquet and find links to the creations of other gardeners.

All material © 2012-2014 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

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My favorite plant this week: Adenium obesum

August 14, 2014, 11:46 am

≫ Next: Bloom Day - August 2014

≪ Previous: In a Vase on Monday: Exotic Blooms

Notice to readers of TexasOutdoorsmen.com: If you are reading this post on that entity's site, I'd like you to be aware that I have not authorized or consented to re-blogging of this post or any of my prior posts. TexasOutdoorsmen, you - or at least, your agents - promised to let me go. Please honor your commitment like gentlemen.

My favorite plant this week, Adenium obesum, was given to me as a birthday present a few months ago. Although I'd seen it at succulent shows, I had no personal experience growing it. It was in bloom when I received it and, although it lost those blooms after I transplanted it, it quickly produced new buds and has bloomed continuously ever since. In fact, at the moment, it's one of the few plants in bloom in my garden.

According to Wikipedia, Adenium obesum is native to the tropical and subtropical areas of eastern and southern Africa and Arabia. It goes by a variety of common names, including mock azalea and impala lily, but it's most frequently called a desert rose. Mine is the first desert rose I've seen with double flowers.

It's an evergreen succulent shrub but it will lose its leaves in response to drought. The leaves are less like the fleshy succulent foliage I'm used to and more like leaves you'd find on a tree.

It's most distinctive feature is its trunk and swollen basal caudex, which always makes me think of a fat-bellied alien.

It can reportedly grow 4-6 feet (1.2-1.8 meters) tall. It needs full sun and is suited to USDA zones 10a-11. On-line sources suggest regular watering during its growing season in summer and protection from temperatures below 50F (10C). It's said to be bothered by mites and mealy bugs but mine appears to be bothered by nothing at the moment.

Adenium obesum is my contribution to Loree's favorite plants meme at danger garden this week. Visit her blog to see her favorite this week and to find links to other gardeners' selections.

All material © 2012-2014 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

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