Late to the Garden Party

Last week, I shared photos of a bed I'd recently replanted. Although the focus of that post was on my newest Australian plant introductions, another plant, Hibiscus trionum, vied for attention by flashing its flowers.

Hibiscus trionum, as seen last week photobombing Leucadendron 'Blush'

The plant is now flowering more heavily.

The flowers last only a day but they're very pretty, featuring cream-colored petals and deep burgundy centers. The question I face is: is it a lovely wildflower or a noxious weed?

I've had mixed feelings about this plant since I purchased it, on the fly, last March. I found it at my local botanic garden. I was familiar with the large-flowered shrub Hibiscus but not this species. I grabbed it up, not knowing what I was getting but reassured that anything offered for sale by the botanic garden must have the garden's stamp of approval. Then I looked up the plant on-line. The gardening community is divided on the subject of Hibiscus trionum, also known as flower-of-an-hour, bladder weed, modesty, shofly, and Venice mallow. It's native to the Eastern Mediterranean and was introduced as an ornamental in the US but has naturalized as a weed in many areas.

While Fine Gardening described it as a "perfect filler" plant, the opinions expressed by posters on Dave's Garden illustrate a range of strong opinions. Here are a few quotes from the critics:

"The only good is when the soybean aphids arrive, it is the first plant they attack."
"All it took was a little rain and a little sun and they invaded like Attila the Hun."
"This plant needs to be tacked up on the Post Office Bulletin Board."
"It is not just invasive...it is EVIL, bad, malo, muy malo, ..."
"Kill them early and kill them often...When you think of this plant, think INVASIVE, such as in 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers.'"

Even after reading the warnings, I haven't been able to bring myself to pull it out. It has attractive, spreading foliage, which forms a mass 1-3 feet (30-90 cm) tall and wide.

The flowers last only a day but it blooms profusely from early summer through fall. Mine was already blooming sporadically in March and has continued to do so, with heavier bloom following our recent spot of rain. The flowers open when the sun comes out. While some commentators contend that the flowers remain open only a short while, those on my plant appear to remain in bloom until the bed retreats into full shade in the late afternoon.

The plant prefers moist, well-drained soil. Under our dry conditions, I hope the plant will remain under control. It's obvious that it will self-sow freely. Each spent bloom opens to reveal seeds, which can reportedly survive for years, waiting for the right conditions to germinate.

Oops! There's a grass weed hiding beneath the Hibiscus I must pull

So what differentiates a weed from a flower? I think it's in the eye of the beholder. Many years ago my stepfather gave me a stitchery piece he'd made with me in mind, which I still have. Maybe he saw me as a weed sympathizer even then.

There are many plants I consider weeds in my garden, some of which I tolerate in small quantities, like Centranthus ruber, Geranium incanum, and Erigeron karvinskianus. Others, like the seedlings of Albizia julibrissin, I pull out at first sight, wherever I find them lurking.

One of 2 Albizia seedlings found hiding yesterday evening

The weed-suspect Hibiscus trionum, is my contribution to the favorite plant of the week meme hosted by Loree of danger garden. Whether it stays a favorite remains to be seen. Behavior will tell. Please visit Loree to see her favorite this week (which is definitely NOT a weed).

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

The seasonal change is in the air. After a miserable heatwave, temperatures here in Southern California have returned to more normal levels. It's possible to work outside without melting and to sleep at night without feeling as though you're roasting on a slow spit. Days are becoming noticeably shorter. Fall arrives in Los Angeles at 7:29pm PDT this evening. The garden is responding. Even the most robust of my summer flowers are tiring out while the first of my fall flowers are making an appearance. It seemed appropriate to note the change with this week's floral arrangement, created in connection with the weekly meme hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

Summer is represented by Eustoma grandiflorum 'Borealis Blue,' which has bloomed off and on since early June. Fall is represented by Plectranthus ciliatus 'Zulu Warrior,' which has just begun to bloom.

The Eustoma blooms are smaller now but just as pretty as they were at the start of the season

The delicate lavender-pink blooms of the Plectranthus are coming on in a rush now that the heat has abated

I added bits and pieces of other plants to add fullness to the arrangement, including:

Angelonia augustfolia (aka summer snapdragon)
Leucadendron 'Pisa'
Pseuderanthemum 'Texas Tri-star'
Salvia leucantha (aka Mexican bush sage), also just beginning to flower
Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum,' which bloomed all summer

An Angelonia stem is seen here poking out to the right of the Eustoma

The silvery Leucadendron is beautiful even without flowers

A Salvia stem can be seen above the variegated foliage of the Pseuderanthemum

Pipig resented the time I spent fussing over flowers, feeling that my time should be devoted to her. She watched me reproachfully during the photographic process until the vase was in place and she had my full attention.

She doesn't value plants unless she can chew them

Do you feel the change in the air? Visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see what she and other gardeners have put together to usher in the autumnal equinox.

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

My first planting bed facelift involved the bed formerly occupied by an unused wood-fired spa. Last week, I tackled my second facelift, the bed once occupied by a 60 foot Eucalyptus tree. I replanted the area in March 2013 after the tree was removed at the request of a neighbor. It looked fine for a short while but the combination of dry soil (made worse, not better by the addition of the woody remains of the Eucalyptus tree), high winds, drought, nightly digging operations by the neighborhood raccoons, and poor plant selections left it looking sad. The wood chips and shavings left after grinding down the tree stump had formed clumps with the consistency of dry cardboard and didn't hold water well. I cleared as much of the remnants of that debris as I could and added lots of soil amendment before replanting. My fingers are crossed that the new plants will fare better than the bed's previous occupants did.

View of replanted bed looking west

View of the same bed from the side yard patio

Two of the 3 original Coprosma 'Plum Hussey' remain in place along the bed's outer edge. The third, which was struggling to survive, was removed and replaced with a smaller plant of the same variety, moved from the side yard border.

The 2 original Coprosma 'Plum Hussey' bordered by Pelargonium tomentosum (peppermint geranium)

The smaller Coprosma, moved from a shadier bed, hasn't developed 'Plum Hussey's' striking red color yet

Grevillea 'Bonfire' replaced the sad Acer palmatum 'Purple Ghost,' which couldn't hold up to the winds that whip through this area most afternoons. The Japanese maple was moved to the vegetable garden, where I hope it has a chance to survive.

Newly planted Grevillea 'Bonfire'

Four Agave 'Blue Glow' and one Hesperaloe parviflora were installed both for their looks and the possibility that their prickly leaves will deter the raccoons from digging in the area in their relentless search for grubs.

Agave 'Blue Glow,' still relatively small

Hesperaloe parviflora (aka red yucca)

To complement the gray-foliage of the Hesperaloe, I added Festuca 'Elijah Blue,' tiny cuttings of succulent Senecio mandraliscae, and pink-flowering Cistus x scanbergii.

Cistus x skanbergii

We raised the height of the wall that borders one length of the bed to reduce its slope and support the additional soil amendments I added. I replaced the mass of gray Helichrysum petiolare that previously occupied that space with 5 Pennisetum setaceum 'Fireworks' and 2 varieties of Rhipsalis. The Helichrysum did well in the location but it wasn't particularly interesting.

Pennisetum setaceum 'Fireworks' is reputed to be smaller than the standard variety

Five plants line the top of the wall

This was labeled 'mistletoe cactus' - my best guess is that it's Rhipsalis baccifera aka spaghetti cactus

This one was labeled Rhipsalis salicornioides, aka dancing bones cactus

I moved 3 Hemerocallis 'Spanish Harlem' here from the front yard borders to pick up the red tones of the Coprosma and the Pennisetum. There's less late afternoon sun in this bed but I hope it will be sufficient to keep 'Spanish Harlem' blooming as I love this daylily's flowers.

These evergreen daylilies are a little sad at the moment as I cut them back prior to transplanting

Here's a reminder of what 'Spanish Harlem' looked like in full bloom

Unfortunately, the Agaves are still small and aren't yet up to the challenge of keeping the raccoons at bay. The little monsters dug up a few of the smaller plants and pawed around the base of the Grevillea. I've put down more animal repellent and temporarily caged the Grevillea for its own protection until it's well-rooted in its new location.

Grevillea wearing a tomato cage

Work continues on the denuded front lawn area, as well as a small bed dug out of the lawn in the backyard. My lawn removers left a lot of grass roots behind, as well as much of that nasty plastic netting embedded in the sod laid by the former owners. My husband and I are in the process of clearing out what we can before hauling in supplemental topsoil and soil amendments. It may be quite some time before I'm ready to plant the front area but, impatient as I am, those grass roots need to go and the soil, pure clay in one area and nothing more than decomposing rock in another, needs work.

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

I've thought of featuring Salvia microphylla 'Mesa Azure' as my favorite plant of the week several times but always passed it up in favor of something flashier and more photogenic. This plant has had a place in my garden since May 2011, our first year in our current house. I put in 3 plants in the border tucked into a corner of the front yard usually seen by no one other than myself. With the exception of a few foundation plants that came with the house, most of the plants in this border have been changed out over the past 3 years but this Salvia has remained in place. It always looks good, whether in flower or not; it tolerates our heat and drought; and it blooms at least half the year if regularly deadheaded.

Salvia 'Mesa Azure' seated next to Lomandra, Coprosma and Gaillardia in the front yard

I added another plant, purchased with a tag labeling it a "California friendly plant," in early June of this year. Despite my reduced watering schedule, it settled in just fine in the backyard border.

Salvia 'Mesa Azure' shortly after planting in the backyard border in June 2014

The foliage is evergreen. The flowers are relatively small and, despite its name, they're more violet-lavender, than blue.

A perennial shrub in my USDA zone 10b garden, I cut it back once a year when it stops flowering. It's reported to grow 18-24 inches (45-61 cm) tall and almost as wide. My oldest plants are just under 18 inches (45 cm) tall. It can be grown in full sun or light shade. My plants all get some shade until late morning or mid-day, after which they receive full sun.

If you're looking for a long-blooming, drought tolerant plant, this is one I'd recommend you try. Salvia microphylla 'Mesa Azure' is my contribution to Loree's favorite plant of the week meme at danger garden.

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

I have a few orchid plants of different types sitting alongside the window in my home office. They bloom sporadically despite receiving little attention. I usually water them when I dust my office (i.e. haphazardly and not nearly often enough). One plant, a gift from a friend following my mother's death last year, recently burst into bloom. Its yellow flowers and soft, sweet scent provide a welcome greeting every morning.

The orchid's most unusual feature may not be immediately noticeable. It's not the pretty flowers.

It's the leaves.

They're pleated

They unfurl from a cramped mass at the center of the plant

I'd assumed the accordion-pleated leaves were a normal characteristic of the plant. The orchid came without a label and, when I first noticed the funky leaves, I couldn't remember what the flowers looked like so I was at a loss to identify the genus. When the flower buds finally opened, I realized that the orchid is some variety of Miltonia. When I conducted an on-line search regarding pleated leaves on a Miltonia, I discovered a shameful fact: I've been guilty of orchid abuse. The Miltonia's leaves aren't supposed to start out crimped. This occurs as a result of dehydration. Experts recommend watering twice a week, raised humidity, and regular fertilizer.

I repotted my orchid in a slightly larger pot with new orchid bark, added a pebble tray to increase humidity, and have increased my watering schedule. This apparently won't help the pleated leaves - that damage is said to be irreversible. But future leaves should be fine.

Hopefully, the orchid will forgive me and reward me with blooms for years to come.

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

I'd planned to feature yellow roses in this week's vase, prepared in connection with the popular meme hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. One of my 'Buttercream' rose shrubs has been working hard to produce blooms since the weather cooled the weekend before last. But then temperatures heated up again before cooling once more this past weekend and the roses were left looking rather sad. So I went hunting for a substitute and ended up with a little of this and a little of that, creating a cheerful bouquet better suited to the start of autumn than the pale yellow roses.

This week, the back view of the vase is almost as pretty as the front view

The jumping off point for the new color scheme was Russelia equisetiformis 'Flamingo Park.'

Russelia 'Flamingo Park' is shown here in a close-up with Grevillea 'Superb'

Once I had my new color scheme, I was able to find a surprising number of complementary materials. This week's bouquet consists of:

Abelia grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope' (3 stems)
Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame' (2 stems)
Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Goblin' (4 stems)
Grevillea 'Superb' (1 stem)
Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' (3 stems)
Nandina domestica (1 stem)
Russelia equisetiformis 'Flamingo Park' (2 stems)
Solenostemon scutellarioides 'Honey Crisp Coleus'(1 stem)
Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum' (5 stems)

The Digiplexis is still producing sporadic blooms - shown here with Grevillea on one side, Gaillardia on the other, and a coleus leaf in the back

It's hard to pick a favorite when it comes to Leucadendron but 'Wilson's Wonder,' my 1st Leucadendron, is the one that most often causes me to stop in my tracks

The unripe berries of the Nandina were the perfect color for this bouquet

The vase is visible when you step through the front door, next to my favorite toad.

You can see Cathy's vase and those of other gardeners by visiting Rambling in the Garden.

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

I can't believe it's already October. People frequently talk about how time flies all but I rarely feel its passage as strongly as I do right now. Too many balls in the air perhaps, with one or more destined to land upon my head. Still, I value the record provided by the wide shot posts, inaugurated by Heather of Xericstyle, so I made time to take some quick shots of the garden to keep the chain going.

This month it's all about the front yard.

The front borders are largely devoid of color at the moment but at least they mask the dirt area formerly occupied by lawn

Since the lawn was brown and nearly dead to begin with, perhaps the neighbors haven't noticed that it's gone

The area to the left of the lawn area is unchanged - at least Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' is happy (the climbing 'Joseph's Coat' rose is NOT)

The area surrounding the front walkway will remain a dirt landscape for a while yet. My husband and I are hard at work removing grass roots, sod netting, and mountains and mountains of rocks from the soil. I know many horticulturists now recommend leaving the native soil alone to the degree possible but the beds we've created after digging out and screening the top foot of soil, then adding locally-obtained topsoil and amendments have done much better than those we've left alone. So we labor on. Only the area under the drip-line of the Magnolia tree will be left alone. I plan to weed that area by hand, then cover it with a Magnolia-friendly mulch.

The backyard still has most of the holes I lamented in last month's wide shots post, including a few new ones attributable to an extended September heatwave. I have 2 nursery treks planned and I hope to pick up some plants to begin filling the open spaces soon.

Usual view from the back door looking toward the Los Angeles harbor

Backyard viewed from the right side

View of the backyard from the left side, highlighting the poor condition of the remaining grass pathway. It'll probably come out next year.

The biggest change in the backyard is the addition of a new bed, dug out from the lawn, across from the "spa bed" I planted in early September. The new bed has already been screened (by my ever-helpful husband) but I have yet to add the amendments it needs prior to planting. I'm also still working on the bed's planting scheme, which, taking my cue from the "spa bed," will probably rely on more drought-tolerant Australian plants.

View of the "spa bed" and the new bed from the far side of the backyard looking southeast - did you notice the dead section of Ceanothus hedge behind the Arbutus? I need to do something about that too.

In the side yard, I replanted the bed once occupied by a large Eucalyptus tree as I discussed doing last month. I've also pulled out the sad Zinnias and other annuals and planted a Grevillea groundcover, still small, and some succulents. My ongoing battle with the resident raccoons over dominion of this area continues, complicating matters.

Usual view of the south side garden through the arbor looking toward the harbor

View of the side yard looking in the other direction toward the street showing one of the bare spots in the bed adjoining the patio (outside of view on the right)

View from the side yard patio - the tomato cage in the former "Eucalyptus bed" protects the Grevillea from raccoon intruders. I cleaned up after yet another overnight raccoon assault shortly before this photo was taken.

The vegetable garden is once again bare of vegetables - nothing did well this year. Too much heat and too little water. I did move the Acer palmatum 'Purple Ghost' from the south side garden to the bed along the garage in the vegetable garden but it remains to be seen if the tree will make it.

The vegetable garden is too depressing to discuss further, although the navel orange tree is already developing next year's crop

I cleaned up the dry garden in late August but bare spots remain throughout. My only new additions were a Leucadendron 'Blush' and a couple of Dorycinium hirsutum. They made it through the last heatwave so I count myself lucky there.

Still in need of serious work

That's it for this month's post. Maybe, just maybe, I'll make some progress in the front garden and other areas before November's post.

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

As I was accumulating photos for this post, it suddenly occurred to me that I might have already featured this week's choice, Agave 'Blue Glow,' as my favorite plant of the week. It's a plant I've been obsessed with for some time and, by my most recent count, I now have a baker's dozen spread around my garden. I discovered that, not only have I not featured A. 'Blue Glow,' I've never featured an Agave of any variety in a favorites post. How can that be?! I can almost hear Loree, the sponsor of the favorite plants meme, saying "tsk, tsk."

Backlighting shows off this Agave's red and yellow leaf margins (as well as a spider web I didn't see when I was out and about with my camera)

There were no Agaves of any kind in my former garden. It was too shady and tiny to support their needs. On the other hand, my current half-acre hot, dry, sunny garden is the perfect place for them. I inherited two large specimens of Agave attenuata with the house and I've acquired many more Agave of various kinds in the in the 3.75 years we've lived here - I think the current total is well over 30 plants. Most are still relatively small in size. None are represented in greater number than A. 'Blue Glow.' In addition to the plant's obvious good looks and relatively small size at maturity, I was able to find small plants at a reasonable price - for a time. That changed as their popularity increased; however, I recently picked up 2 more small specimens, grown by Monterey Bay Nursery, at Roger's Gardens in Orange County.

My thanks to Monterey Bay Nursery and Roger's Gardens for enabling my addiction

These plants are generally characterized as slow growers. I agree that's the case with those in pots but some of those I've planted in the ground have surprised me. The amount of water they receive seems to make a difference. Although they have low water needs like all Agave, those that receive ample water on a regular basis have grown faster in my garden than those that receive less water. At maturity, they can reach 2 feet (60 cm) tall and 3 feet (1 meter) wide.

This specimen, in very dry soil on a miserly drip system, hasn't grown much since it was planted 6 months ago

I've freed all but 2 of my A. 'Blue Glow' from pots. I may not be able to give them a lot of water but I can at least allow their roots to spread as no winter protection is needed here. San Marcos Growers says they're hardy to 20-25F (minus 6.7 to minus 3.9C).

This was my first 'Blue Glow' - I doubt I could get this one out of its pot without breaking the pot into pieces

Generally grown in full sun, some sites recommend a little shade in areas where scorching hot temperatures are prevalent. Most of mine get a touch of shade during some portion of the day.

This specimen was recently sprung from a pot and planted in the side yard, in part in the hope that its terminal spines would deter raccoon visitors but that hasn't worked...

Agave 'Blue Glow' is a hybrid of A. attenuata and A. ocahui, although it doesn't bear an obvious similarity to either on first inspection. It was bred by Kelly Griffin, who has created many interesting succulent varieties. You can view a tour of Griffin's own succulent garden, filmed by Debra Lee Baldwin, here:

I look forward to acquiring more Agave in the future but, this week, Agave 'Blue Glow' is my favorite. Please visit Loree at danger garden to see her current favorite and to find links to other gardeners' top picks.

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

I was up at dawn this morning. The heat ratcheted up again this week, making it difficult to work outside except early in the morning and very late in the afternoon. So I got up early to get a head start on the day and was able to capture sunrise over the Los Angeles Harbor.

The temperature was already 76F (24C) at 6:15am.

Homer wrote of the "rosy fingers of dawn." No rosy fingers here! As the sun rose over Long Beach in the distance, dawn more closely resembled the eruption of a volcano.

Sunrise officially occurred at 6:50am.

Temperatures are expected to peak today, although it's 92F (33C) now and it was 99F (37C) at this time yesterday so maybe the forecasters overestimated today's heat. I hope so. Wherever you are, I hope you're enjoying the beauty of the day.

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

I'd hoped I might have Camellia sasanqua to use in my vase this week. When the weather cooled a week ago, a few of these flowers began to appear in a shady area adjacent to my vegetable garden. I also had a back-up plan: if there were too few Camellias, I could use stems of Tagetes lemmonii, which had also started to bloom in earnest. Then, we got another heatwave. The Camellias shriveled and even the moderately drought tolerant Tagetes, buffeted by the Santa Ana winds (aka "devil winds") that accompanied the heat, looked worse for the wear and tear. So the search for flowers and foliage to fill this week's vase, prepared in connection with the meme sponsored by Cathy of Rambling in the Garden, became another scavenger hunt. The resulting vase is a mix of flowers that survived the heat and a few plants that love the heat, including one recent acquisition.

If this composition has a focal point, I suppose it's the Bougainvillea, a heat-loving plant. Our red Bougainvillea, inherited with the house, has never been a vigorous grower but, it it were, my husband probably would have removed it by now as he considers this an "evil" plant. This stems from the fact that the Bougainvillea at our former house grew about a foot a week and scratched his beloved electric car, which he'd lovingly converted from gas-power. Removing those plants with their vicious thorns was a monumental exercise he isn't likely to forget. However, this Bougainvillea isn't anywhere near as ambitious - it gets by with an annual trim (which I handle as I wouldn't trust my husband not to get carried away).

The Bougainvillea picks up the color of the single stem of Asclepias tucked in against it

The other elements in this week's vase include:

Asclepias curassavica 'Silky Red'
Gomphrena (no ID), probably G. haageana, picked up on a whim on a recent swing through a garden center
Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder,' repeating last week's performance
Pennisetum setaceum 'Fireworks'
Persicaria microcephala 'Red Dragon'
Tagetes lemmonii (aka Copper Canyon Daisy)
Zinnia (no ID), one of the few seedlings which survived on nominal infusions of water this summer

The new Gomphrena came in red and orange so I got a few of each

The red-tinged bracts of Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' almost look like flowers

The furry flowers of Pennisetum 'Fireworks' appeared with the heat

I picked the least scrappy looking Copper Canyon daisies to add a whiff of their delicious scent to the vase

I cut one of the few remaining Zinnia in my garden

I cut a variety of other floral and foliage survivors that didn't make the final cut, including Leonotis leonurus (aka lion's tail) and Bulbine frutescens 'Hallmark' (aka snake flower and cat's tail). These ended up in another vase with single stems of coleus and the yellow form of Russelia equisetiformis.

The main vase landed in the foyer.

These are my contributions to Cathy's popular weekly meme focused on flowers gathered from one's own garden. Please visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see her creation and to find links to posts by other contributing gardeners.

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

Looking out my home office window one morning recently I saw this:

Then, when I took photos of my backyard for my wide shots post on October 1st, I saw this:

The beautiful - and dying - pine trees aren't on our property. They belong to the next door neighbor, whose property extends beneath ours. The neighbor visited us last Friday to let us know that 2 of his 4 pine trees in our line-of-sight will be coming out. One is almost dead due to an attack by a pine beetle and the other is susceptible to the same scourge. At the same time, the neighbor wants to cut back the oleander shrubs that align his driveway and, possibly, cut down the Yucca elephantipes that serves as a fence of sorts between his backyard and ours.

It turns out that the oleander officially belongs to us, which came as a surprise as it's largely invisible from the inside of our property. Another shrub backs the oleander on our side, mostly screening it from view. I'd assumed that this marked the edge of our property but the oleanders, which can only be accessed from the neighbor's driveway, are ours. Why someone installed a hedge within a hedge here, I don't understand. I also don't understand why the dividing line between the properties was designed in this fashion but, as the houses were built in the 1950s and the original owners are long gone, there's no one to provide an explanation.

View of the oleander shrubs from our side

View of the same oleanders from our neighbor's driveway

Ownership of the Yucca is unclear. Both my neighbor and my husband would like it cut down because the plant is out of control. Everywhere a branch touches the ground, it roots. What was once a single plant is now a 20+ foot tall Yucca forest running down the slope, intersecting both properties.

View of the Yucca elephantipes from our backyard

View of the Yucca from the back slope after my husband cut it back in June

We're still waiting for an estimate on the Yucca's removal but the initial off-the-cuff estimate the neighbor received was very high as the plant must be hauled away in pieces - apparently, the wood is too dense to grind on-site. Given it's placement along a relatively steep slope, we also can't get heavy equipment in to assist with the removal and the stump can't be ground - it would probably have to be poisoned. How we'll create a separation between the 2 properties post-removal is also a question. All I can say is ugh!

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

My favorite plant this week is an old standby, Pelargonium tomentosum, commonly known as peppermint geranium. What's not to love? It's soft and velvety - very touchable. It has a delightful scent. It spreads to form a lovely groundcover but it's not aggressive. It roots easily, allowing me to establish new plants when I need them. It tolerates a degree of dryness in the shade. It even flowers.

I have the plant scattered in various spots on the south side of the house. Although I've tried it in full sun, it does better in partial shade here, where it can get very hot during the summer months. In its native habitat in South Africa it flourishes in moist sandy soil but I've found it to be moderately drought tolerant here.

It's a low-growing spreader, reaching 1-2 feet (30-60 cm) tall and 3-4 feet (0.9-1.2 m) wide at maturity but it's easy to keep smaller with some judicious trimming. I've propagated it using softwood cuttings but it's also easy to root in water. It grows quickly and requires little in the way of maintenance but it's considered to be hardy only to 32F (0C), which means that it requires over-wintering indoors in colder climates than mine.

It's bright emerald color meshes well with other plants.

Here it mixes with Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata,' thyme, and Euphorbia 'Dean's Hybrid'

Here it borders Coprosma 'Plum Hussey' with the dwarf form of Helichrysum petiolare popping up in places

Pelargonium tomentosum is my contribution to Loree's weekly favorite plants post at danger garden. Visit her 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

I haven't complained about my raccoon adversaries in one of my own posts for quite awhile. For a time, my furry visitors did relatively little damage. They didn't cease their visits - the fact that the shells in the top tier of the fountain are redistributed throughout the backyard most nights is a sure sign on their ongoing presence. But they tempered the fury associated with their endless pursuit of grubs. Maybe they found another food source for a time. However, the brief detente is over. Once I replanted the bed formerly occupied by the eucalyptus tree, apparently their favorite grub-hunting ground, their claws came out.

This was the evidence left behind after a visit sometime during the night of October 8th

I've done a number of things to deter them. I put out a non-poisonous animal repellent. I planted the bed with prickly Agaves. I buried clay pot shards, points up, just below the soil's surface throughout the bed. I added Euphorbia after Alison at Bonney Lassie said her local raccoons avoided it. I initiated late night pre-bedtime patrols with a flashlight. For a short while, I thought my approach was working. There was evidence of digging but none of the plant-tossing and broad-scale digging shown above. After cleaning up that incident, I added more tomato cages, replanted my plant shards, and refreshed my animal repellent. All was calm - for one night. Then this:

This was the scene on Saturday morning, October 11th - it didn't look too bad at first glance

On closer inspection, it looked worse

2 of the 3 new Euphorbia rigida were left with their roots exposed - too small perhaps to have any impact as a deterrent

Things looked worse when I viewed the bed from the other direction

I'm glad my new silver Leucadendron was protected by a tomato cage

As was the Grevillea

Everything has been replanted - again. The holes have been filled and tamped down. Clay shards have been replaced. I've given up on the repellent - I think the raccoons have become immune to it, or perhaps now believe that it signals the presence of grubs. I've added more tomato cages and picked up gopher cages, inverting them and pinning them into the ground. It remains to be seen whether that'll have an effect.

Upside-down wire basket designed to protect plants from gophers

Every morning, I check my plant bed - and the entire garden - with great trepidation. What's really galling? There's a wide expanse of freshly-turned dirt nearby, where my husband and I continue to clear the former lawn area of grass roots, sod netting, and rocks. The raccoons ignore it.

Freshly turned, dig-able dirt, mere feet away - untouched!

My husband ignores my rants. So does my cat.

Pipig doesn't care a whit about the raccoons

She just wants to be left alone to nap

Next up: the purchase of a motion-activated sprinkler. It gets mixed reviews, especially with respect to raccoons, but I'm desperate. I also bought milky spores to add to the soil to inhibit the development of the next generation of grubs - whether or not that works, it could take a year or more to determine. If none of these things work, I may cover the entire area with rock boulders.

If you have a solution that's worked for you, please share.

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

Since the start of summer, I've wondered every week what I can possibly come up with to include in a vase for the post linked to the "In a Vase on Monday" meme hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. For the last 2 weeks I featured bright red-orange-coral hues and I didn't want to do that again even though Grevillea 'Superb' is overachieving in the bloom department at the moment. And, while the cooler temperatures have prompted a few Camellia sasanqua to bloom, there weren't enough to make a splash. However, the Plectranthus ciliatus 'Zulu Warrior' by the back door has flowers aplenty so it was the obvious choice, even though I had no clue what to combine with it. But, strolling through the garden turned up all the elements this simple bouquet needed.

Front view

Back view (I can't explain why I didn't trim that one sky-high Salvia stem before I started taking pictures except to say I had no more time to fuss)

In addition to the Plectranthus, I included:

Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold,' aka Breath of Heaven
Pentas lanceolata 'Kaleidoscope Appleblossom'
Salvia leucantha, aka Mexican bush sage

I grow Plectranthus 'Zulu Warrior' mainly for the foliage but, in fall, the flowers offer an added bonus

I also grow Coleonema 'Sunset Gold' mainly for the foliage but it does produce tiny pink flowers and the scent, when you run your hand along the foliage, is indeed heavenly

Pentas 'Kaleidoscope Appleblossom' has suddenly produced a healthy flush of bloom, although the flowers are somewhat smaller than they were earlier in the year

I added Salvia leucantha to accentuate the purplish tones of the Plectanthus

The flowers sit on the dining room table in a vase I think I picked up during my college days.

Please visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see her creation this week. A lot of other gardeners are joining in to flaunt their flora so, if you have a vase created from materials in your garden, link up!

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

The monthly floral celebration that is Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, hosted by Carol of May Dreams Gardens, has sneaked up on me yet again. With most of my available time absorbed in preparing the former lawn area in the front yard for planting, I've given very little attention to tidying up my garden, which makes picture-taking more difficult. In addition, almost one month into the fall season, I'd normally have refreshed my garden beds but there's been no time for much of that either.

I took a look at last year's October Bloom Day post and, while some of the same plants are blooming for me on schedule this year, others are no-shows. In some cases, as with my Coreopsis, Eustoma, and Osteospermum, my plants have already exhausted themselves (although I think the Eustoma is gearing up for a return visit). Other plants, like my Acanthus mollis 'Summer Beauty' and Argyrantemum, haven't made an appearance since spring, which I attribute to the reduced irrigation associated with our drought. Still others, like Centranthus ruber and Agapanthus appear disinclined to make the unseasonably early appearances they made last year.

With those disclaimers, here are the plants currently blooming in my garden, listed alphabetically by genus.

Ageratum houstonianium 'Blue Horizon' has perked up since the weather began to cool

Anigozanthos 'Bush Gem Yellow' is still blooming

I recently discovered that this Bougainvillea, on the back side of the hedge I thought represented our property line, is officially on our property

Camellia sasanqua has produced just a few tentative blooms thus far

Cuphea ignea 'Starfire Pink' and Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold' have been in bloom most of the year

Duranta erecta, in a pot, has responded to haphazard watering by blooming more this year

Flowers produced by an Echeveria (no record of variety)

Gazania 'New Day Yellow' blooming at the feet of Mexican feather grass

One of my most recent acquisitions, red and orange Gomphrena haageana

Grevillea 'Superb,' seated in front of Nandina domestica, is suddenly producing abundant blooms

Hebe 'Wiri Blush,' sitting in front of Phormium 'Dark Delight,' has produced a new flush of flowers

I'd planned to move this Hemerocallis 'Spanish Harlem' but it won't stop blooming - it's on it's 3rd cycle this year

An unidentified Hoya I've had forever is blooming again despite repeated aphid infestattions

Lavandula multifida (aka fernleaf lavender) is hard to photograph but so are skipper butterflies

Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl' dried up a bit in the last heatwave

The flowers of Nandina domestica have been replaced by orange berries, which will gradually turn red (ignore the ugly air conditioning unit behind the shrub)

Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' is doing its best to hide the bare dirt formerly covered by lawn behind it

Pentas lanceolata 'Kaleidoscope Appleblossom' has also produced a new flush of bloom

Plectranthus ciliatus 'Zulu Warrior' celebrates every October by bursting into bloom (although its foliage gets a little ratty)

Prostrate rosemary, almost always in bloom, plays host to bees all day

Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy' handled the recent heatwaves better than the rest of my Rubeckia, although the foliage on most of my plants doesn't look as good as this

Salvia leucantha (aka Mexican bush sage) is another reliable October bloomer

Salvia 'Mesa Azure' looks better in person than it does in this photo

If dead-headed every 2-4 weeks, Salvia 'Mystic Spires' keeps on blooming

This dwarf Tagetes lemmonii (aka Copper Canyon Daisy) has lost its bushy shape and flopped over but I still love the sweet-smelling flowers

That's it for this month's bloom wrap-up from my little corner of coastal Southern California. Carol at May Dreams Gardens can connect you with other gardeners from all over the world with blooms to share.

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

Summer here in Southern California takes its toll. At this time of year, most of my plants are looking a little worse for the wear. That's especially true this year as we're in a severe drought and, like many people, I've reduced my supplemental irrigation in response to pleas to conserve water. 2013 was our driest year on record and 2014 isn't shaping up to be much better. Under these conditions, it's the perfect time to celebrate succulents, which generally get by with very little water or attention. So, for this month's foliage follow-up, an event posted by Pam at Digging, I'm focusing on a few of my ever-expanding succulent collections.

I had very few succulents at my former house - all I can recall is a scattered planting of Aeonium 'Kiwi' and Calandrinia grandiflora (aka Cistanthe grandiflora) along the driveway. Now I have succulents in pots large and small, as well as borders.

I put this first planter together 2 years ago this month, using a container that formerly functioned as a friend's fountain, and it remains one of my favorites to this day:

This planter contains Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi,' Aloe 'Delta Delight,' Crassula 'Ivory Pagoda,' Dyckia 'Burgundy Ice,' Echeveria 'Violet Queen,' Graptoveria 'Fred Ives,' and Senecio radicans glauca

This next pot, which sits on the same patio, was planted in March of this year:

It contains Aloe deltoidonta, Cotyledon orbiculata (aka Pig's Ear), Senecio vitalis and 2 other succulents for which I have no record

Another, assembled that same month, sits along a path on the other side of the house:

This pot, and its twin on the other side of the path, contains Euphorbia 'Dean's Hybrid' (not a succulent), Graptoveria 'Fred Ives,' Portulacaria afra, and Rhipsalis ewaldiana

My biggest succulent planting effort yet is a long street-side border. It's still a work in progress - there's a lot of blank space yet to fill. I'll provide an update soon but I thought I'd highlight one recent addition, an Agave desmettiana 'Variegata,' acquired at a very reasonable price of $20 complete with 11 usable pups! In these parts, that's what we call a bargain.

The mother plant is surrounded on the left and right sides by 2 of her pups

My thanks to Pam for hosting this celebration of foliage plants. Visit her blog page to see what foliage is grabbing her attention right now and to find links to other gardeners' foliage picks.

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

This week I actually had a floral feature in mind in advance for the vase prepared in connection with the celebration sponsored each Monday by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. Mid-month, just after Bloom Day (of course), I noticed that my Senna bicapsularis 'Worley's Butter Cream' had begun blooming. There are only blooms on a few branches but I was glad to see them. I initially thought I'd accent them with Tagetes lemmonii but I didn't like the mix so round and round the garden I went, searching for appropriate plants to complement the pale yellow Senna. Once again, I ended up with more than I'd expected.

Back view

While the Senna makes its first appearance this year, most of the other elements have shown up earlier in one vase or another. In addition to the Senna, there is:

Abelia x grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope'
Asparagus densiflorus 'Spengeri' (at least that's what I think it is)
Gomphrena haageana
Grevillea 'Superb'
Nandina domestica (berries)
Rusellia equisetiformis

Senna bicapsularis is also know as Christmas Senna for its habit of blooming late in the year

The asparagus fern has suddenly produced zillions of tiny white flowers

The unidentified Gomphrena I picked up a few weeks ago was definitely worth the purchase - the flowers have a long vase life (I briefly considered reusing the blooms I picked for my vase 2 weeks ago but these are freshly cut)

Grevillea 'Superb' has more blooms than ever before - it appears to like our cooler temperatures

The Nandina berries pick up the oranges tones of the variegated Abelia 'Kaleidoscope'

The yellow form of Russelia equisetiformis was a last minute addition - the coral form also would have worked

I think it turned out rather well. It took its place opposite the front door, where it provides a cheery welcome.

My post was delayed a bit this morning as my husband and I discovered that our cat, Pipig, was missing, throwing me, if not him, into a panic. She's recently taken to streaking out of the house but she's never stealthy about it so she's quickly collected and tucked back inside but, last night, she apparently managed an undetected escape when I stepped outside around 9pm to water a plant just outside the door. Much to her surprise - as well as mine - she ended up spending the night outside. After a frantic search outside early this morning, I finally heard mewing and found her perched on the top of the grape arbor, looking nearly as upset as I was. It took both my husband and I to get her down. Luckily for both of us, she managed to avoid being eaten by one of the neighborhood coyotes or squirted by one of the skunks that wandered the garden last night. After a hearty breakfast and a good wash, she's fast asleep in her own bed.

Pipig having a good rest after her great escape and eventual recapture

Please visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see what she's got in her vase this week. You'll also find links to other gardeners' creations.

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

A friend and I made the rounds of 6 nurseries in San Diego County on Saturday. As all were relatively small and freeway close, it wasn't as daunting a trip as it might seem. There are some larger, inland nurseries we'd like to see but we left those for another day.

Our first stop was Shore Gardens in San Clemente, selected mainly to provide us an opportunity to stop and stretch our legs after more than an hour on the road. It appeared to cater to the needs of the surrounding neighborhood, offering a general range of plants but, as proved characteristic of all our stops, there was a good selection of drought tolerant plants, as well as some of the tropical plants you expect to find along the coast.

I didn't buy anything, although I did give a moment's thought to purchasing this, thinking that maybe the neighborhood raccoons would respect the newcomer's territorial rights:

Our next stop was Barrels & Branches in Encinitas. Another general garden center, it specializes in selling barrels (for planting and water storage), as well as plants. A large area was dedicated to succulents and other drought tolerant plants. I heard the owner tell another visitor that she was making the garden available for special events, like weddings, too.

This beautiful variegated agave wasn't identified

But this one was: Agave celsii

The garden mascot (picture taken by my friend)

I took home a few plants but nothing unusual.

My purchases included 3 Lomandra 'Breeze,' obtained at a good price and 1 Pentas lanceolata (not shown)

We hit another nursery, Cordova, on our way to lunch. It specialized in succulents, pottery, garden furniture and indoor plants. The small succulents were very well priced and we spent quite awhile reviewing the large range of varieties available.

Cordova also had a greeter, a 31 year old female parrot named "Paco" who called hello but otherwise refused to speak

I left there with a dozen small succulents, already planted in my street-side succulent border, and an Anigozanthos, sold for a very reasonable price.

After lunch, we visited Solana Succulents, which is owned and operated by Jeff Moore, an expert in the creation of undersea-style succulent gardens and the author of a new book entitled "Under the Spell of Succulents." You can find an article on him, written by Debra Lee Baldwin, herself an author of a few books on succulents, here. His nursery requires exploration, as plants are crammed in everywhere. Many were unlabeled but he was happy to identify them when asked.

Solana also had a mascot, Lucy - my friend captured this photo of her front half

But I got my own photo of her back half

Of course, I bought a few things at Solana Succulents, including Moore's new book. The following plants came home with me:

Moore wasn't positive of the ID on this agave but he thinks it's A. applanata

This one is Dyckia marnier-lapostellii

And this one, which I've already planted in my street-side border, is Senecio amaniensis

From Solana Succulents, we headed back north, stopping at Glorious Gardens in Encinitas. This is a retail off-shoot of a landscaping business run by 2 women. The retail store is very small but was packed with interesting plants and decorative items.

The truck at the front of the store has a driver in seasonally appropriate attire

The store includes a miniature art gallery

I believe these photographs were taken by one of the owners

An interesting take on a plant hanger

Constrained by my checkbook and the space in my friend's car, I took home just one plant from Glorious Gardens but it's one I've been looking for:

Furcraea foetida 'Mediopicta' - the agave look-alike was in a one-gallon pot for $18 so how could I pass it up?

There was a wholesale succulent seller next door to Glorious so we popped in there before heading home. If the seller's establishment had a name, I didn't see it. Advertised as a veteran-owned business, the owner and his 2 dogs were very low-key. He checked a reference list to identify the plants he sold me.

The plant on the right is Kalanchoe orgyalis (aka copper spoons) but the seller identified the plant on the left as Echeveria pulv-oliver but I don't think that's correct as it doesn't have fuzzy leaves - can anyone identify it for me?

That was it for our trip to San Diego. My friend is already planning our next expedition, however, I'd like to get what I've already purchased planted and complete my preparation of the new planting areas at the front of the house first. Still, there's a fall plant sale at the local South Coast Botanic Garden this weekend that I don't intend to miss...

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

I've developed a keener interest in ornamental grasses since we moved into our current house almost 4 years ago. My most recent acquisition is Pennisetum 'Fireworks,' a sport of P. setaceum and P. macrostachys. While it would be premature for me to make any predictions concerning its long-term performance after just 2 months in my garden, I'm pleased with it thus far. I bought it mainly for the vibrant red-pink foliage but also because it's said to stay smaller than the P. setaceum 'Rubrum' that came with the garden.

Estimates of its mature size vary from source to source ranging from as small as 1 foot (30 cm) tall and wide to 4 feet (1.2 m) tall and wide. Mine are placed along the edge of one wall and at the front of another bed so, in this case, I'm hoping they stay at the smaller end of the range.

The variegation is said to be unstable, especially when the plant is grown in full sun. All of mine get late afternoon shade so I hope they'll retain their current bright color.

The flowers are very similar to those on P. setaceum 'Rubrum,' although I've noted that a lot of 'Fireworks' plumes develop a crimp at the end. The flowers are long-lasting when used in floral arrangements.

This grass is hardy to 25F (minus 3.9C) and, according to San Marcos Growers, it has proven to be root hardy to 20F. Most sources claim it has low water needs once established. Mine, still in the process of developing their root systems, currently get watered twice a week.

Pennisetum 'Fireworks' is my favorite plant this week. Please visit Loree at danger garden, the host for this weekly review, to see her favorite and to find links to other gardeners' selections.

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

Wordless Wednesday: A Clean Slate

My favorite plant this week is a weed?

In a Vase on Monday: The Old and the New

Planting Bed Facelift #2

My favorite plant this week: Salvia 'Mesa Azure'

Pleated Leaves

In a Vase on Monday: A Substitute for Roses

Wide Shots - October 2014

My favorite plant this week: Agave 'Blue Glow'

The Best Way to Start a Hot Day

In a Vase on Monday: Survivor Story

Unplanned Changes

My favorite plant this week: Pelargonium tomentosum

Back with a Vengeance

In a Vase on Monday: There's Always Something

Bloom Day - October 2014

Foliage Follow-up - Celebrating Succulents

In a Vase on Monday: The Old & the New

Nursery hopping in San Diego County

My favorite plant this week: Pennisetum 'Fireworks'