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What are my chances?

May 20, 2015, 7:26 pm
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I have a seedless 'Red Flame' grapevine growing over an arbor at the back of my dry garden, near the steps to my back slope.  Last year, I took these pictures of the ripening grapes on June 11th.



One week later, I took these pictures:



I knew I was pushing my luck last year but there were so many grapes I thought that surely the critters wouldn't eat them all before they were ripe.  But they pretty much did.

This year, my grapes are still very green but, once again, there's a plentiful supply on the vines.



I've been trying to come up with something that might keep the birds and raccoons from picking the stems clean without the cumbersome process of netting the entire arbor.  Today, while shopping for groceries, I found some inexpensive, reusable net bags.  They're intended for use in keeping vegetables in the refrigerator but I picked them up on spec to see if they might be helpful in protecting my grapes.



My husband thinks my chances of success are low.  And I'd need to buy many more bags just to protect the largest clumps of grapes.



What do you think?  Is it worth a try?  Have you found ways to protect your fruit as it ripens?

I haven't even begun to think about what to do about the persimmons.



All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

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My favorite plant this week: Gazania 'Sunbathers Otomi'

May 22, 2015, 10:30 am
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Gazanias again?!  Where did my current fixation with Gazanias come from?  Prior to this year, I didn't give any member of this genus a second glance.  Part of the current attraction is the plants' heat and drought tolerance.  I'm completely obsessed with California's drought and its impact on the future of my garden at the moment so any plant that tolerates a degree of drought gets extra points straight out of the gate.  But there's more to it than that.  The new hybrids aren't my grandmother's Gazanias. (Not that either of my grandmothers were gardeners.)  They're floriferous eye-catchers.   I previously featuredGazania hybrids 'Kiss Frosty White Flame' and 'New Day Yellow' as favorite plant choices.  The only strike against them in my book was that the flowers close when the sunlight dims.  The new-to-me 'Sunbathers' Gazanias offer the advantage of remaining open even when the sun goes down.*

I discovered Gazania 'Sunbathers Otomi' at Terra Sol Garden Center in Santa Barbara a couple of weeks ago.  I was immediately smitten and brought home 3 plants.

'Sunbathers Otomi' in bloom at Terra Sol


A few Angelonia augustifolia, over-wintered from last year but no longer looking their best, were uprooted to make space for the new plants.  The flower color picks up the pink of the Cuphea ignea 'Starfire Pink' and the bronze of Phormium 'Dark Delight' behind them.

The new plants in place in the front of the backyard border


The new flowers look more red than pink to me when they first open but, as the photo at the top of this post shows, the petal color fades as the flower ages.

The same flower opening in stages over 3 days

Flowers on the same plant at different stages of bloom


The semi-double flowers have a crested center that becomes more bronze as the flower matures.  They're approximately 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter when fully open.  The plants have the attractive, strappy gray-green foliage of my other Gazanias.  They reportedly grow about 8 inches (20 cm) tall and wide.   Many growers classify them as half-hardy annuals but they should be short-lived perennials in my climate.  In addition to taking heat in stride, they're said to tolerate light frosts.



For other gardeners' favorite plants, check out Loree's monthly favorites wrap-up at danger garden next Friday.

*Update: Today was mostly cloudy and I noticed that, although the Gazania 'Sunbathers Otomi' flowers don't entirely close, the outer petals do curl around the flower's crested center.


All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
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In a Vase on Monday: Abelia Sets the Tone

May 25, 2015, 9:08 am
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I thought I'd do something with Agapanthus this week as they're in plentiful supply, although I was also drawn to the orange tones in my garden and found myself considering what I could do with those.  As it turned out, I didn't follow either of these directions.  I cut some Abelia x grandiflora and that dictated the color scheme for this week's vase, prepared in connection with the meme hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.


Rear view


Here's what I included:

  • Abelia x grandiflora (possibly A. 'Edward Goucher')
  • Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt'
  • Leucanthemum x superbum
  • Pelargonium peltatum (aka ivy geranium)
  • Rose 'Ebb Tide'
  • Trachelospermum jasminoides (aka Star Jasmine)


I inherited 2 large Abelia shrubs with the house, which I'm guessing may be A. 'Edward Goucher'

A year ago I would've considered it a sacrilege to cut stems from Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt' but the first 3 of the shrubs I planted have grown beyond my expectations

This ruffled form of Leucanthemum x superbum was a gift from a friend 2 years ago

The no ID magenta Pelargonium peltatum moved with me from my former garden but the Star Jasmine came with the house 

This 'Ebb Tide' rose is one of only 3 roses I've planted since moving here.  It hasn't bloomed much since I planted it 2 years ago but it responded well to our recent rains.


The short stems I had left over went into a small vase with a lighter pink double-flowered Pelargonium peltatum that didn't fit in the main vase.



I put the small vase on the mantle in the master bedroom but the light under our "May gray" skies made it too difficult to photograph.  The larger vase landed on the dining room table, where I can enjoy its delicious fragrance.

The fragrance of the 'Ebb Tide' rose and the Star Jasmine manage to mask the less attractive odor of the Leucanthemum


Visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to find more vases constructed from what's collected from the garden.  Best wishes to those of you in the US recognizing Memorial Day!


All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
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Falling off the wagon (again)

May 27, 2015, 8:29 pm
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No, I don't have a drinking problem but I have to accept that I am a plantaholic.  After our early heatwaves and notice of the new water restrictions to take effect in June, I told myself that I needed to forego any new planting until fall.  Then a friend and I arranged a trip to Santa Barbara Botanic Garden in early May.  The botanic garden has a native plant nursery on-site so I picked up a few things.  I told myself I was just doing my part to support the botanic garden.  However, on our way to lunch afterwards, we stopped off at the Terra Sol Garden Center.



My friend swears that she and I've been there before but I've no recollection of this whatsoever.  It's not a huge place but it was full of succulents, pottery and spring bloomers.

Some of the succulents and cacti on display

I have a soft spot for gargoyles, as well as cats and pigs, but I didn't feel compelled to buy any pottery

I didn't buy any bronze Gazania, even though they came with free bees


Maybe it was that I was lightheaded because we hadn't yet had lunch.  Maybe it was the unseasonably cool weather, or the fact that we'd had some rain and had reason to believe more might be more on the way.  Maybe it was that I'd already slipped up with my purchases at the botanic garden, or that I was surrounded by eager plant buyers.  In any case, when I saw the huge flowers on Gazania 'Sunbathers Otomi,' my will-power slipped away entirely.

Gazania hybrid 'Sunbathers Otomi,' which I featured as a favorite plant earlier this month


I left the garden center with 3 Gazania 'Sunbathers Otomi,' 3 Agastache 'Sunset,' and a Cuphea.  There may have been more.  It's all a blur.

We stopped for lunch in Carpinteria on our way back south.  Then my friend asked if I wanted to drop in at Seaside Gardens given that it was only a stone's throw away.  On this occasion, I didn't stroll Seaside's wonderful demonstration garden.  I didn't even take out my camera.  I shopped the sale tables.  They had Anagallis 'Wildcat Mandarin,' which I've never found anywhere else.  The plants I'd over-wintered from the prior year had been hit hard by our March heatwaves so it seemed a good idea to pick up a few more.  Why I also picked up a Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light' I'm not sure.  There may have been a couple more things - I'm afraid I don't have a clear recollection.

As we neared my friend's home, we felt we had to stop at Sperling Nursery.  After all, the property is for sale.  It could be my last opportunity to take advantage of their excellent selection of plants.  My friend picked up a Salvia leucantha with gray foliage and bright pink flowers we'd never seen before, labeled 'Danielle's Dream.' There was one more on the table, not yet blooming, but how could I leave it behind?  Yes, of course, I picked up a few more things - after all, I already had a cart to carry 'Danielle.'

My local botanic garden hosted a show and sale by the South Coast Geranium Society the following weekend.  My friend had been looking for some Geranium 'Rozanne' so I felt I should stop by on her behalf as the botanic garden is so close.  They didn't have 'Rozanne' (or any true geraniums) but they had some interesting Pelargoniums at very reasonable prices.  And Pelargoniums are drought tolerant.  I brought a few home.

Last weekend, I decided to stop by Roger's Garden in Orange County to hear a presentation on Mediterranean plants.  Roger's is easily a 2-hour round trip for me so it just made good sense to have a thorough look around while I was there.

This is the updated succulent demonstration bed near the front of the property, which you can contrast with the garden as it appeared in February below

For reference: My photos of the same demonstration bed in February

There were lots of other succulents on display too

Massed planting of Aeonium on view in the back parking lot


This passionflower vine wasn't for sale but it was worth admiring

From the left: Monrovia's new dwarf Jacaranda 'Blue Bonsai,' too pricey for my blood at $99, Mahonia 'Lionel Fortescue,' and purple Cotinus

Left to right: Roger's offering of plants grown by Annie's Annuals & Perennials, a vertical garden constructed using wooly pockets, and decorative pots


As some of the plants in my front beds were struggling, I thought I'd look for Artemisia to replace them, since those should be able to handle whatever summer throws at them.  I also thought I'd look for Eustoma grandiflorum 'Borealis Blue' as the plants I'd over-wintered weren't doing as well as I'd like and I hadn't found double-flowered blue Eustoma anywhere else this spring.  I found both.  You'd be amazed if I'd stopped with those purchases, wouldn't you?  I didn't.  My birthday is coming up, and birthdays are a good excuse to break one's rules.  No, I didn't take a photo of the trunk of my car as I've done in the past.  That would only have made me feel guilty.  But here are pictures of a selection of my new acquisitions from the various sources I've described.

Clockwise from top left: Gazania 'Sunbathers Otomi,' Agastache 'Summer Glow,' Aloe dorotheae, Anagallis 'Wildcat Mandarin,' Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Arizona Apricot,' Geum quellyon 'Blazing Sunset,' Pelargonium 'Rembrandt,' and Salvia vasquezii

Left to right: Astelia 'Silver Shadow,' Salvia leucantha 'Danielle's Dream,' and Vaccinium ovatum, a California native


In my defense, I bought a lot of plants in inexpensive 6-packs, including those shown below:

I added small rooted segments of Aeonium 'Kiwi' in the dry garden to extend the massed planting of this Aeonium I've already established.  The plants on the right, Calecephalus brownii (top) and Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi variegata 'Tricolor' (bottom) are new to me.


I've also been planting a lot of cuttings this season.

I've added Aeonium cuttings to an area left bare after the sudden demise of a large section of my Ceanothus hedge (with a goal of creating a mass of Aeoniums akin to those I saw at Roger's) and variegated Aptenia cordifolia cuttings to another area bordering my vegetable garden


I even have seedlings that have, thus far, survived the scourge of raccoons which continue to visit me on a regular basis.

Sprouted sunflower seeds and the first flowers on my Nasturtium seedlings


Yes, I admit I have a problem but I really think I've just about got it under control...


All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
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Favorite plants shared with the bees

May 29, 2015, 10:51 am
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One of the new plants I picked up recently was Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Arizona Apricot.' I passed by it a few times on my last visit to Roger's Gardens.  There was really no good reason for me to buy it as it looks remarkably like G. aristata 'Gallo Peach,' which I already have, but when I saw that the bees just couldn't leave it alone, the plant landed on my cart and, soon after, in my garden.

Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Arizona Apricot'


 I previously featured G. 'Gallo Peach' as one of my favorite plants, although I did so as part of a post-script to my February Bloom Day post so the plant received little special attention.  'Gallo Peach' is also a bee favorite.  The two plants are remarkably similar in color, although 'Arizona Apricot' appears to have slightly taller stems and an added trace of orange in the petals that 'Gallo Peach' lacks.

Gaillardia aristata 'Gallo Peach'


They're both eye-catching plants but somewhat less vivid that G. 'Goblin' and G. 'Arizona Sun,' which also have a place in my garden.

Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Goblin'


The bees don't discriminate.

Bees photographed yesterday enjoying (from left to right) G. 'Arizona Apricot,''Gallo Peach' and 'Goblin'


Gaillardias are heat and drought tolerant.  They re-seed freely and the bees love them.  All those factors make them welcome in my garden.  Despite their strong colors, they also mix well with other plants.

The newly planted G. 'Arizona Apricot' hasn't yet had a chance to really connect with Coleonema 'Sunset Gold' or Euphorbia 'Ascot Rainbow' in the backyard border

Gaillardia 'Gallo Peach' was made to order to combine with Solanum xanti

Gaillardia 'Goblin' and 'Arizona Sun' are happy mixing with Grevillea 'Superb,' Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' and a host of other plants


Visit Loree at danger garden to see her favorite plants wrap-up for the merry month of May.  You can see the Gazania I featured as my favorite plant earlier this month here.


All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
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In a Vase on Monday: Imitation of a Rose

June 1, 2015, 9:17 am
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I had such good luck with Eustoma grandiflorum last year, I had to pick up more when they became available in the garden centers this spring.  I found the double-flowered 'Echo Pink' variety in 6-packs and scattered them about in the middle of the backyard border, where I'd hoped they'd play up the pink in my Yucca 'Bright Star.' Their blooms turned out to be much paler than I'd expected so I won't use them in that spot again but they're still pretty in a vase.


Back view


The vase contains a couple of repeats from last week:

  • Abelia x grandiflora (probably 'Edward Goucher')
  • Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt'
  • Eustoma grandiflorum 'Echo Pink'
  • Pentas lanceolata 'Kaleidoscope Appleblossom'
  • Salvia 'Wendy's Wish'


The Abelia and Acacia performed so well in last week's vase I brought them back for a second run

The pink Eustoma may not be quite as dramatic as last year's 'Borealis Blue' variety but it's very pretty in its own right

It really does have a rose-like form

Pentas 'Kaleidoscope Appleblossom' is returning after a seasonal hiatus

Salvia 'Wendy's Wish' does a good job as a supporting player, echoing both the color at the base of the Pentas florets and the color at the center of the Eustoma


I placed the vase on the entryway table, where it got the attention of my curious cat.

That's Pipig's ear you see in the lower left of the frame, sitting on the table looking the picture of innocence after I caught her with her face in the middle of the arrangement


I'm also showing off a vase I created late last week for a visit by my sister-in-law and her husband.



This yellow and white concoction includes:

  • Abelia x grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope'
  • Argyranthemum frutescens 'Butterfly'
  • Jacobaea maritima
  • Leucanthemum x superbum


Abelia 'Kaleidoscope'

Agryrantemum 'Butterfly' with Jacobaea maritima

The fluffy form of Leucanthemum x superbum


I moved this arrangement from the entryway to the dining room table when I tossed out last week's creation (which, except for the roses, was still in good condition).  Pipig paid not lick of attention to this arrangement but, upon taking a photo of it in its new position, I discovered that she hadn't left the other one alone.



You can see my errant cat in the background of the frame above, on the right.  What was she doing?

She was disassembling my new flower arrangement


Rebuked, she was unrepentant.



Visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see what she's got in a vase this week and to find links to other gardeners' creations.


All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
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Wide Shots - June 2015

June 1, 2015, 9:07 pm
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With our new water restrictions assuming full force and effect today, it's going to be interesting (that's the polite term for it) to see what effects these have on my garden over the course of the summer.  My husband and I are still adapting to the the new requirements and the changes in our household routines.  Showers are shorter.  We wash fewer dishes by hand, relying more on our water-thrifty dishwasher.  We save shower water in buckets each day for use in topping off the recirculating fountain, dumping the rest into our 50-gallon rain barrel, now empty of rainwater, for use in the garden as needed.  The graywater collected from the kitchen is used to water pots.  Graywater from the washing machine waters the back slope.  The rainwater I collected last month in my 2 new ginormous rain barrels allows me to provide supplemental water to my newer plantings, although my supply is depleting faster than I'd like and there's little likelihood of rain until November.  When I discovered a valve leaking in the vegetable garden last week, I nearly had apoplexy.  How long had it been leaking?  How much water did we lose?  Every day, the Los Angeles Times seems to publish a story on the water nightmares of residential users so it's hard not to fall prey to a degree of anxiety on the subject.

I didn't plan on preparing a full set of wide shots of the garden this month but I came close so I'll post what I have, concentrating on the back, south side, and front areas.  In time, the photos may help me assess if and where I need to swap out my plant selections.  I started my rounds taking photos in the backyard under the "June gloom" characteristic of most mornings at this time of year.

Backyard view looking south

View from farther north - I still have to arrange removal of the remaining grass

View from still farther north

View from the south looking north toward the mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin), which will soon begin to bloom


Moving into the south side yard, I took some photos in the morning and others later in the afternoon after the sun had emerged.  The harbor remained hazy all day.

View from the pathway through the side garden looking back toward the backyard

View from the path behind the backyard border looking west in the direction of the arbor

View from the south side patio

View through the arbor looking east toward the harbor


The front garden continues to fill in nicely.  Contrary to my earlier plans to halt any further planting until fall, I continued to add new plants in the front throughout May, especially on the far right (southwest) end of the garden.

View looking toward the front door from one of my 2 remaining patches of lawn

View of the left (north) side of the front pathway

View of the area to the right (south) of the pathway to the front door

View of the same area looking north


I did a little work down in the area I call the "glen," which sits below the main level of the front garden, adjacent to the street.  I lost a large section of Ceanothus hedge in March and, without a clear plan for the sloped area, I resorted to planting Aeonium cuttings in the hope that, in time, these will form a mass like those I saw during a recent visit to an Orange County garden center.

The larger clumps of Aeonium formed from cuttings planted last year - most of the single rosettes are newly planted cuttings

With 2 of the Auranticarpa (Pittosporum) rhombifolia shrubs gone in the street-side bed and the subsequent loss of a portion of the Ceanothus hedge, this side of the garden looks bare and exposed to me but I haven't found the replacement Xylosma hedge material I've been looking for


The last area I'll show with this post is the dry garden.  After 2 rainstorms in May, it's looking pretty good.

I've planted more Aeonium 'Kiwi' on both sides of the path to continue the massed planting I started from cuttings 2 years ago

View from the rear of the dry garden looking back to the patio area - the 160-gallon rain tank, now partially emptied is on the right side of the patio


I've reviewed the "water budget" posted on-line for our property by our water provider.  The budget for our area calls for a 36% reduction vis-a-vis our 2013 usage level but as we reduced our use substantially last year in response to the call for a voluntary 25% reduction, we don't have too large a leap this year.  If last year's usage patterns hold this year, I think we should be okay, although the data suggests we could have an issue in October.  Why our water use seems to spike in October wasn't immediately clear to me but, as this generally marks the end of our hottest, driest weather, as well as the start of our fall planting season, perhaps it makes sense.  Our rainy season doesn't usually get rolling until November.  There are theories that we may have an unusually wet winter this year, courtesy of El Niño, but there's never a guarantee that such predictions will come to fruition.

That's it for this month's wide shots.  My thanks, as usual, to Heather of Xericstyle for starting me on this monthly exercise.


All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
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Wordless Wednesday: Glowing in the Sun

June 3, 2015, 1:20 pm
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My favorite plant this week is another weed

June 5, 2015, 11:48 am
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I could have presented Echeveria 'Afterglow' as my favorite plant this week instead of as the focus of my Wordless Wednesday post but the Echeveria lost out to another plant that I've been watching for the past few weeks, Trifolium repens, also known as white clover.



Yes, I know it's often thought of as a weed but it isn't common to my eyes - I can't remember seeing it pop up in any of my gardens.  Unlike the weed I featured as a favorite plant last year, Hibiscus trionum*, I didn't plant the clover.  My guess is that seeds hitchhiked in with the additional topsoil we brought in last year after digging out our front lawn and that our recent rains caused these seeds to sprout.



I was struck by its pretty leaves before the flowers appeared (even though I was unsuccessful in discovering a four-leaved clover within either of the 2 clumps growing along the path).




The bees, already spending time feeding happily on the flowering thyme and geranium in the front garden, also seem pleased with the clover, even though they defied my efforts to get a photo of them on the clover this morning.

Bee on Geranium x cantabrigiense 'Biokovo'

Bee absorbed by Thymus serphyllum 'Minus'


According to my western garden guide, the clover needs regular water so I don't expect it'll survive our long, dry summer.  It therefore seemed appropriate to acknowledge its presence in my garden, however brief that may be.  After all, it's helping my garden by drawing nitrogen from the air and fixing it in the soil.  It may not be the most exciting plant I've proposed as a favorite but I appreciate the common members of the plant community as much as the exotic ones.



Loree of danger garden features a favorite plant wrap-up on the last Friday of each month.  You can see her May summary here.

*Contrary to the dire predictions posted on-line concerning Hibiscus trionum, it hasn't proven at all invasive in my climate.


All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
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In a Vase on Monday: Strange Bedfellows

June 8, 2015, 9:24 am
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In creating this week's vase, I knew I wanted to use the beautiful Agastache I picked up on one of the recent plant shopping binges I'd promised myself I was going to avoid this spring.  However, I had no notion as to what to pair with it.  In the end, I made a bold color choice (by my personal standards anyway) and chose flowers that picked up the color of the calyx surrounding the Agastache's flowers, as well as some that played up the warm tones of the flowers themselves.  I'm happy with it but I apologize if the combination scorches your eyeballs.


Back view (with another photobomb by Pipig, who seems to be very jealous of flowers)


Here's what I included:

  • Agastache 'Summer Glow'
  • Agonis flexuosa 'Nana'
  • Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Arizona Apricot'
  • Hebe 'Wiri Blush'
  • Pelargonium x domesticum 'Rembrandt' 


This beautiful Agastache 'Summer Glow' with its lemon yellow flowers and purplish calyxes was new to me but I couldn't pass it up when I saw it (even if I struggled to find spots for the 2 plants I brought home)

With its wavy stems and bronze-tinged leaves, Agonis flexuosa 'Nana' makes a great foliage accent

Although Gaillardia 'Arizona Apricot' is taller than G. 'Gallo Peach,' its stems are still relatively short 

I understand that many of Hebe have been reclassified as Veronica but 'Wiri Blush' is a hybrid whose parentage I've yet to discover so I don't know if it's still a Hebe or now a Veronica.  Whichever it is, the flower color picks up the purplish hue of the Agastache's calyxes.  

As does the color of the vibrant and aptly-named Pelargonium 'Rembrandt,' another relatively recent acquisition


I placed the new arrangement in the entryway, displacing last week's arrangement.  As that arrangement was still in very good condition, I moved it to the living room.


Pipig still seems obsessed with this arrangement but at least she hasn't tried to pull it apart again (yet)


I had a group of friends over this weekend and created a splashy, loose bouquet to decorate the dining table, which I'll also share.

The bright white of the Eustoma made taking a good photograph of this vase difficult

It photographed better from the back


I included:

  • Agapanthus, blue and white forms
  • Eustoma grandiflorum, blue and white varieties
  • Jacobaeus maritima (formerly known as Senecio cineraria and commonly known here as dusty miller)
  • Prostanthera ovalifolia (aka mint bush)


The Agapanthus were meant to be the stars of this arrangement but I think the Eustoma, particularly the white form, usurped the other elements.  The blue Eustoma are holdovers from last year but their flowers are much smaller this time around.  The white Eustoma is also a holdover but its placement in partial shade appears to have allowed it to return with more vigor this season. 

Cool temperatures and persistent "June gloom" on Saturday led me to move lunch from the outside patio to the dining room at the last minute, side-lining the vase to the kitchen counter during our party so my guests didn't have to peer around it to see each other.

However, the vase returned to the dining table when the party was over

"In a Vase on Monday" is hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.  You can see what she's put in a vase - and find links to other participants' creations - here.


All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
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Tropical Tuesday

June 9, 2015, 9:36 pm
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After over a month of unseasonably cool weather, our daytime temperature shot up to 93F (34C) on Monday, signifying a major shift.  That morning, I noticed unusual agitation on the part of the crow population as a flock of the birds swooped through the neighborhood, crying raucously.  It was hot, muggy and miserable.  Forecasters gave Los Angeles a 20% chance of rain for Tuesday but Weather Underground, the service I rely on for local forecasts, indicated that rain was unlikely.  When I awoke, the pavement was damp but what little drizzle there was barely registered on my new weather station, a birthday gift from my husband.  However, 2 hours later, things changed as the drizzle became light rain, courtesy of tropical storm Blanca.  I used the brief downpour to collect what water I could.

A LOT of rain comes down the rain chain off the back of the house even in a short downpour

Rain also poured into my collection tanks (the 50-gallon tank is shown on the left and the 265-gallon tank on the right)

I estimate that my 50-gallon tank is about 70% full.  My 160-gallon tank, its supply down to 45 gallons before the rain, is now back up close to 80 gallons.  My 265-gallon tank looks as though it may now be full.  And, dropping our rain chain into plastic trugs, I managed to fill those and most of my watering cans.  This water all came off our house and garage roofs with only a total of 0.14 inches (3.6 mm) of rain.



Drizzle continued off and on throughout the day but the weather station total didn't move and no water poured down the rain chain as it had that morning.  Still, the evening temperature and humidity made it feel as though I was in Hawaii rather than Los Angeles.

View of the LA harbor in early evening



The finches didn't mind the muggy conditions.



And neither did the cat.

She only resents having her rest disturbed


As for my part, I'm hoping for a bit more rain this evening to fill the rest of my 160-gallon rain tank.  Summer rain is unusual in Los Angeles but very, very welcome.


All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
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Wednesday Vignette: I couldn't pick just one

June 10, 2015, 4:41 pm
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I'm joining Anna of Flutter & Hum again this week in presenting a Wednesday Vignette, an image that's power is provided by the combination of its individual elements.  The problem is that I couldn't decide between two images that caught my fancy so, rather than choose, I'm sharing both.

The first one features plants in a bed just outside my home office window.  I love the mix of purple, silver and green elements.

This bed features Solanum xanti, Salvia 'Amistad', and Leucadendron 'Pisa'

More photos of the same area, as I couldn't stop at one


The second image is excerpted from my backyard border.  In early spring, I planted pink Eustoma grandiflorum from 6-packs to echo the pink in my Yucca 'Bright Star'.  Initially, I wasn't happy with it as the flowers of the Eustoma are very pale in color when they first open, which didn't create the effect I was seeking.  But the flowers deepen in color as they age.

I like the mix of soft and sharp in this image, as well as the color echo


Visit Anna at Flutter & Hum to find her Wednesday Vignette, as well as links to other bloggers' contributions.


All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

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My favorite plant this week: Magnolia grandiflora

June 12, 2015, 7:21 pm
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My favorite plant this week is a Magnolia grandiflora we inherited with the house.  It sits in the middle of what used to be our front lawn.  When we removed the lawn and excavated the area around the tree last year one of the things that worried me most was whether we might harm the tree as its root system was extensive and ran close to the surface of the soil.  To the degree possible, we limited our cuts to the tree's roots to the area outside its drip line but the impact was still significant, or at least it seemed so to me.  Rainfall has been low for 4 years now and we've reduced irrigation in response to calls for water conservation, further stressing the tree.  In addition, in response to a neighbor's complaint about obstruction of her view by our trees, I thinned the tree's canopy this year.  However, despite all these stressors, the tree seems to be doing fine.

Wood mulch rather than scraggly lawn now covers the area below the Magnolia tree


My best guess is that our tree is Magnolia grandiflora 'Majestic Beauty', which is known for its pyramidal shape and its exceptionally large flowers.  We estimate that the tree is 35-40 feet tall, which is in line with the projection for a mature tree of this cultivar.

We're generally unable to view the flowers except from a distance as most grow well above our heads.  Dropped petals and humming bees are the usual clues to flowers above but, even craning my neck, I get no more than a partial glimpse of the flowers.

The usual view of flowers on our Magnolia tree

You get a glimpse of the bees at work in this photo - normally we just hear them

Until recently, this was the best picture of a Magnolia flower I'd managed to capture


So, this week, I was delighted to see that a bud had formed on a relatively low-growing branch.  I was able to watch the bud swell and open.  Better yet, I got a chance to stick my nose up to the open bloom and smell its perfume.

These photos show the bud opening over a 3-day period - the unfurled flower measured over a foot (30 cm) in diameter


The blooms are a bright white, which fade to a buff color before the petals drop to the ground.



The evergreen tree has large, stiff leaves with glossy green tops and brown undersides.  The leaves drop in profusion this time of year but they're easily cleaned up.  Birds and squirrels will eat the red seeds contained in the tree's cones.  But this year I found a secondary use for the cones when the critters were done with them.

A portion of the cones I started collecting in late January


I distributed the cones in the barest sections of my garden beds.  It may look weird but it's not intended to serve a decorative purpose.  This is my raccoon defense system.



Perhaps, I'm deluding myself but I swear this has worked.  I haven't had any major damage to my garden beds since I installed these cones in early spring.  And it's not as if the raccoons have stopped visiting.  As mentioned in a post earlier this week, I collected rain in garden trugs.  As the trugs were uncovered and I didn't want mosquitoes to proliferate, I used the water as soon as possible in the garden.  Afterwards, in the dirt film at the bottom of each emptied trug, I found the distinctive claw prints of my furry visitors.



You have to admit my Magnolia has a multitude of uses!  It provides shade, which is especially valuable during our hot summers; it feeds the birds and the bees; and it provides tools to thwart my garden's #1 pest - all while adding beauty to my garden.  What more can you ask of a plant?



This post is a contribution to the favorite plants meme hosted by Loree of danger garden.  You can find Loree's monthly favorite plants wrap-up on her blog on the last Friday of each month.


All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
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Bloom Day - June 2015

June 15, 2015, 9:00 am
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With early heatwaves in March followed by unusually cool weather through early June, my garden is mixed up this year.  Some summer bloomers, like the Agapanthus, got off to an early start but others, like the dormant Hemerocallis 'Sammy Russell' have been slow to get going.  The late rain we received, little as it was, also made a difference, encouraging some flowers, like the Osteospermum, to return for a repeat performance.  This is a long-winded way of saying: the garden is full of flowers this June.

The flowers I'm most excited about are a mixed group, some old favorites and others new introductions.

I can't help but be impressed, as I am each year, by the legion of Agapanthus in bloom

After disappointing results from Agastache in prior years, I've fallen in love with the 2 varieties shown here: A. 'Summer Glow' and A. 'Sunset'

While some of the Hemerocallis have been slow to get started, there are still a lot of them to add interest - clockwise from the top left: 'For Pete's Sake', 'Dallas Star', 'Frank Gladney', 'Indian Giver', 'Persian Market', 'Russian Rhapsody', 'Spanish Harlem' and 'Sammy Russell'

This noID bearded Iris is exciting mainly because it's the only one in my garden that has bloomed this year

I'm very happy with the exuberant Lotus berthelotii in a pot - it's almost uncontrollable here when planted in the ground

Melaleuca thymifolia is putting on a fine show this year, its second in my back border

I love the cerulean blue of this Salvia macrophylla but it's very hard to photograph

Solanum xanti, a California native, shown here with Leucadendron 'Pisa' and Salvia 'Amistad', continues to be one of my favorite plants


Some plant genera are making big shows throughout the garden:

The Cupheas: 'Carribean Sunset', 'Strybing Sunset' and 'Starfire Pink'

The Gazanias: (clockwise from upper left) 'New Day Yellow', unspecified orange from the 'Flame' series, 'Sunbathers Otomi' and 'Kiss Me White Flame'

There are buds but no blooms on Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream' this month but those that are blooming include G. alpina x rosmarinifolia, G. 'Ned Kelly' and G. 'Superb'

I have a few Fuchsia: F. thymifolia, 'Neon & White Windchimes', and 'Swingtime'

The Eustoma grandiflorum are just getting started but the white and pink forms are already making a splash

Lantana of various types are adding summer color

The Nasturium (Tropaeolum) I grew from seed bloomed - these are the only seeds that make it past the raccoons in the garden beds

The cooler weather in May brought back the Osteospermum for another run

The ever-present Pelargoniums are blooming in earnest

Even the succulents have joined in


But that's not all!  Here are a few more, organized by color:

Top row: Achillea 'Moonshine', Anigozanthos (noID), and Argyranthmum 'Butterfly'
Middle row: Cotula 'Big Yellow Moon', Cotula 'Tiffendell Gold' and a Cymbidium (noID)
Bottom row: Euphorbia 'Dean's Hybrid', Halimium x pauanum, and Jacobaeus maritima


Clockwise from top left: Anagallis 'Wildcat Mandarin', Bignonia capreolata, Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame' and Russelia equisetiformis

Top row: Albizia julibrissin, Alstromeria (noID), and Arctotis 'Pink Sugar'
Middle row: Centranthus ruber, Hebe 'Wiri Blush', and Heuchera (noID)
Bottom row: California poppies, 'Pink Meidiland' rose and Salvia 'Wendy's Wish'

Top row: Arthropodium cirratum, Gaura lindheimeri, and Geranium 'Biokovo'
Middle row: Lagurus ovatus and Leucanthemum x superbum (2 forms)
Bottom row: Magnolia grandiflora, Trifolium repens, and Hoya 'Shooting Star'

Top row: Ageratum corybosum, Aster frikartii, and Duranta (noID)
Middle row: Geranium 'Tiny Monster', Pericallis stellata, and rosemary
Bottom row: Teucrium x lucidrys, Tulbaghia violacea, and Wahlenbergia with Nierembergia


You'll find even more blooms by visiting Carol at May Dreams Gardens, the host of the monthly event that is Bloom Day.  As it's Monday, it's also the day to put forward a bouquet for "In a vase on Monday," the popular meme hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.  Here's mine:

A hasty construction of blooms from a recently purchased Digiplexis 'Berry Canary' accompanied by Abelia x grandiflora, Eustoma grandiflorum 'Echo Pink', Pentas 'Kaleidoscope Appleblossom' and Salvia 'Wendy's Wish' (photographed with my ceramic frog sprouting Rhipsalis)

All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

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Foliage Follow-up: Back-lit Beauties

June 16, 2015, 10:38 am
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One thing that becomes especially clear to me every Bloom Day is that, despite my intention to put increased emphasis on foliage when renovating my garden, I'm still a flower fanatic.  Foliage Follow-up, sponsored by Pam at Digging, is a helpful kick-in-the-pants reminder of the value of striking a balance between flowers and foliage.  I need regular reminders.

This month, as I was taking last-minute photos of some flowering plants, I also snapped a few foliage shots.  The most striking of these were the ones in which the sun back-lit the plants' leaves.

A mature clump of Agave attenuata sits near the boundary I share with a neighbor

My relatively small Agave ovatifolia makes the trailing Lantana next to it in my dry garden look more striking

Leucadendron 'Chief' taking on its summer color in my dry garden is shown here catching the last of the afternoon sun

Leucadendron 'Ebony' shows a touch of red when back-lit

Leucadendron 'Jester' pairs prettily here with Melianthus major and Phormium 'Amazing Red'

Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' remains one of my all-time favorite plants - this one, still small, was added to my front garden late last year but it already has a presence in the garden

Is it coincidental that many of these photos featured Leucadendrons?  Perhaps.  I do have a LOT of them.  But these plants also have a stained glass quality that never ceases to draw my attention.

Visit Pam at Digging for more ideas in using foliage.


All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
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Wednesday Vignette: Tone on tone

June 17, 2015, 4:31 pm
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I was passing under the ornamental pear tree (Pyrus calleryana) headed to the trash bin when I thought I saw the tree twitch.  I happened to have my camera in my pocket so I zoomed in.



My subject froze in place, trusting in his (or her) invisibility.



The eye can be fooled but the camera cannot.

He shifted his head to keep his eye on me


My close encounter with this Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) is my contribution to the Wednesday Vignette meme sponsored by Anna at Flutter & Hum.  Also known as a blue-belly, the lizard was careful to keep his stomach pressed flat to the tree's trunk so as not to give himself away.


All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
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On the road again (!)

June 19, 2015, 8:53 pm
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Okay, I now admit that my announced intention not to plant anything more from May until fall was a delusion.  My friends and family knew that from the outset but they nodded patiently in response to my pronouncements and said nothing.  Even after I'd fallen off the wagon once, my friends only smiled when, upon receiving two nursery gift cards for my birthday, I declared that I'd hold onto them until September.  When one friend asked me what I wanted to do for a belated birthday celebration last weekend, I proposed visiting a nursery recommended by a neighbor earlier this year - only in the interest of research, of course.  My friend suggested that we stop by a couple other Orange Country nurseries while we were out.  It was like putting a cake in front of a dieter.  Fortunately, we called it a day after visiting just two nurseries - one of my gift cards is still intact.

Our first stop was the new-to-me Village Nursery in Huntington Beach.  It caters to landscapers but it's open to retail traffic as well.  The sign at the front gate gave us a moment's pause.



The vine hanging over the cashier's office and the container section also seemed a trifle ominous.

I meant to ask what this plant was before we left but I neglected to do so

I didn't notice the plants it seemed to swallow up, pots and all, until I looked at my photos on-line


I decided I really didn't need any new pots and focused on the plants.  The grounds weren't fancy but the nursery was well-stocked.  All the major growers were represented.

Monrovia had its own section right up front

As did Sunset

I became preoccupied with Coprosmas of all types for awhile but I eventually broke free of their spell (left to right: C. 'Marble King', C. 'Pina Colada' and C. 'Roy's Red')

There was a large selection of true Geraniums (in addition to Pelargoniums)

And Grevilleas

And Phormium


There were plants I've never seen before.

Like this dwarf Bougainvillea called 'Sunvillea Rose'


And plants I'm still thinking about (for my fall planting scheme).

On the left, more of the dwarf Jacaranda 'Blue Bonsai
On the top right: Grevillea 'Austraflora Fanfare' (is it supposed to have that wonderful variegated foliage?) and Alstroemeria 'Inticancha Bryce'
Right, bottom row: Leucadendron galpinii and Eremophila hygrophana

I don't "need" more Agapanthus but look at that dark-flowered variety! (no ID)


In an exercise of extreme restraint, I left with only two plants.

A variegated Caryopteris (without a tag) and Perovskia atriplicifolia 'Crazy Blue'


I'd like to say that I was as restrained when we arrived at Roger's Gardens but that would be untruthful.  I did start off just taking photos.

Succulent bed adjacent to the parking lot

A wonderful vertical display containing Acanthus, bromeliads, ferns and ivy

A collection of dahlias, including some of the huge "dinner-plate" varieties

Succulents in pots, baskets, drift wood and rock


But look at all the succulents in 6-packs.  No other garden center in my area provides such a range of inexpensive options.



So I got a cart.  In addition to the 6-packs of succulents, I picked up some Salvias.

Salvia 'Love & Wishes' and S. pachyphylla

Poof!  There went the gift card (and then some).  I did leave some choice plants behind, though.  Maybe they'll still be available this fall.

Clockwise from the left: Raphiolepis indica 'Fiesta', Cotyledon orbiculata var. oblonga and Sanvitalia 'Sunbini'


Best wishes for a wonderful weekend.


All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
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In a Vase on Monday: Orchids Demand Center Stage

June 22, 2015, 8:46 am
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Although last week's heat made it impossible to deny that summer has arrived, there's still a lot in bloom, even if some flowers are starting to look a little worse for the wear.  Agapanthus were the most obvious choice for this week's vase but I couldn't think of anything inspiring to do with them.  Instead I fixated on the yellow Cymbidiums that sit in pots in a neglected area of my garden.  Their foliage is scorched so I haven't hauled the pots close to the house where the flowers could be admired.  Cutting stems for a vase seemed the obvious solution; however, selecting flowers to complement them presents a challenge.  I cut other flowers and foliage with similar colors but, in the end, I used just a single foliage element to accompany the orchids - they don't like to share center stage.


Don't the Cymbidiums look as though they're laughing at the very idea they'd consort with other flowers?

Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', a plant that can add grace to any vase


The rest of what I'd cut, plus some ornamental grass, went into a second vase.  A photo of the 2 bouquets together shows their incompatibility.

You can almost see the vase on the left emanating disdain for the one on the right

The second vase contains (clockwise from upper left): Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Goblin' and 'Arizona Sun', Leucadendron 'Blush', Leucadendron 'Chief', and Pennisetuma setaceum 'Rubrum' with Jacobaeus maritima


The Cymbidiums landed in the front entryway and the second vase took a place on the console table in the dining area.




Visit Cathy, the host of the "In a Vase on Monday" meme, at Rambling in the Garden to see what she's come up with this week and to find links to other contributors' creations.


All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
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Wednesday Vignette: Lace and Power Puffs

June 24, 2015, 9:32 am
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As those who've read my posts for some time know, I have a love-hate relationship with Albizia julibrissin (aka the mimosa or silk tree).  I inherited one of these trees with the garden and it occupies a prominent place in my backyard border.  For a brief period in late June or early July, it's a gorgeous confection of lacy green foliage and pink powder-puff flowers.  We're approaching that moment now.

The pretty pink blooms shine against the delicate green foliage

And the blue afternoon skies provide a perfect backdrop

The tree itself lends structure to my backyard border


The tree's allure is temporary, ending almost as soon as it begins, with both foliage and flowers dropping to produce a massive amount of litter.  Although the flowers aren't sticky like those of the Jacaranda, the dying flowers form ugly brown clumps as the flowers age.  And, beginning in late July, seedpods begin to fall, a process that continues until new flowers form the following year.  The brittle pods deposit seeds everywhere.  I have no statistics to demonstrate the viability of those seeds but I wouldn't be surprised if half of them produce seedlings.  I find them everywhere and live in fear of waking up one morning in a dense mimosa forest.

With trees like this looming above me (photo taken on my back slope looking upward toward the backyard border)


I pull the seedlings as soon as I see them but it wouldn't be hard to miss one, would it?

Nope!  This one is already 2 feet tall - and it's planted itself near the property line, on my neighbor's side...


This post is my contribution to the Wednesday Vignette hosted by Anna at Flutter & Hum.  Visit Anna to see what images she's found to capture your attention this week.


All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
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My favorite plant this week: Leptospermum 'Copper Glow'

June 26, 2015, 10:27 am
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My favorite plant this week was purchased as Leptospermum 'Copper Glow'.  In researching the plant on line I found two species of 'Copper Glow'.  One was L. petersonii and the other was L. polygalifolium.  Although I liked the idea that we might share a name, my guess is that my plants are L. polygalifolium.  L. petersonii is described as a lemon-scented shrub with foliage that's copper when new and green at maturity but I can't detect any lemony fragrance in the leaves of mine and the foliage is more bronze than green.

Whatever its species, it's a beautiful, graceful shrub.  I planted 2 of these shrubs late last year, both in front garden.

Both shrubs are shown here, one in the foreground on the left and the other in the background on the far right


Their form is more like that of Agonis flexuosa 'Nana' than that of the traditional tea tree, L. scoparium.

A closer look at the shrub on the north side of the front walkway

and the shrub on the south side of the walkway


According to the tag on the pot, my plants should grow 5-6 feet (1.5-1.8 meters) tall and 6-7 feet (1.8-2.1 meters) wide; however, on-line sources predict 2-3 meters (6.5-9.8 feet) tall and wide.  The plants are responsive to pruning, though, and I'm hoping to keep mine within the bounds shown on the tag.

The plants are reportedly drought and frost tolerant.  Predictions of frost tolerance varied widely. One source contended that they will tolerate minus 4C, while another said minus 10C (or 25F versus 14F).  Still another source said the shrubs were suited to US zones 8b-11.  As frost isn't an issue in my area of southern California, I can't make any personal assertions as to its winter hardiness.

The shrubs are supposed to flower in spring but mine produced no flowers this year, which is fine with me.  I bought them for their foliage, which I fell in love with at first sight.

I've cut these stems several times to add to floral arrangements (most recently as shown here)


The shrubs will handle full or partial sun.  One of mine gets the former and the other the latter.  The one that receives full sun appears slightly more robust but that may be due to having received more pruning.  There are also slight color differences in foliage color.

The foliage of the plant receiving full sun, shown on the left, is a deeper copper red


Loree of danger garden presents a wrap-up of her favorite plants on the last Friday of the month - you can see her June favorites here.  Earlier this month I introduced 2 other favorites, plants that couldn't have been more different from one another, although the distinction wasn't intentional on my part.  You can find my posts on these 2 plants here and here.

Trifolium repens is shown on the left and Magnolia grandiflora on the right


All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
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