As we move reluctantly into summer here, I thought a look at some of the foliage that provides the backbone of my garden was in order. The difficulty taking photos under the glare of the sun with our second heatwave of the summer baring down on me kept the number of photos suitable for publication down to a reasonable number. To limit the focus further, I've concentrated on foliage elements that enhance or play off the foliage surrounding them.
![]() |
| Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt' is one of the mainstays of my garden. I have 7 of them and, over time, they've gotten very large. This one, planted beneath tree-sized Leucadendron 'Pisa', plays off the texture of succulent Aeonium arboreum outside my office window. |
![]() |
| Another 3 'Cousin Itt' fill a broad space under a peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa) in the back border. This one spills down the slight slope that flattens into a dirt path running between the back border and the Xylosma congestum hedge that borders the entire back garden. This one is also mingling with succulents and Leucadendrons. |
![]() |
| The 3 dwarf Agonis flexuosa 'Nana' I cut back hard in December have fleshed out nicely. The Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi' bordering the bed picks up the color of its foliage. The red stems of the Agonis also play off the Coprosma 'Plum Hussey' in the background on the left and the Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset' in the distance on the right. (The upturned plastic flats underneath the shrubs are protecting newly sown sunflower and zinnia seeds.) |
![]() |
| Here's a closer look at Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey' |
![]() |
| The Coprosma and this metal screen are both supporting the one and only passionflower vine (Passiflora parritae) I've been able to keep alive. Planted in a pot in 2 years ago, it's yet to bloom. |
![]() |
| This is a closer look at Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset', growing next to another noID Leucadendron, with Agave attenuata 'Raea's Gold' below and the mass of Acacia 'Cousin Itt' in the background |
![]() |
| Maybe you also noted the 3 Agave bracteosa (squid agave) in the foreground of the preceding photo. This photo provides a closer look. There are also 2 Agave 'Joe Hoak' in the background on the right. |
![]() |
| The same plants viewed in the other direction against a backdrop of Yucca 'Bright Star' |
![]() |
| I was afraid I went too far when I cut Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' nearly to the ground. I was thrilled to see it's also jumped into gear. There's another, smaller Coprosma 'Plum Hussey' alongside it, picking up the red color of the smoke bush's foliage. |
![]() |
| Melianthus major is another plant I cut nearly to the ground in late winter. It benefits from the shade of the Arbutus 'Marina'under which it's planted. It's red flowers pick up the color of the tree's bark, as well as the color in variegated Leucadendron 'Jester'. |
I'll close this post with foliage I've come to have a love-hate relationship with, the masses of
Stipa tenuissima (aka Mexican feather grass) I have in my garden. I've 8 mass plantings of this grass, each consisting of 3 to 5 clumps. It self-seeds widely at this time of year and, since out drought became more persistent and the soil has hardened, those seedlings have become more difficult to pull out in some areas.
![]() |
| This grass mixes well with everything but keeping it tidy is a chore at this time of year. These are the before (left) and after (right) photos of one expanse of these plants in the back border. Many gardeners cut these down to a couple of inches but the plants look ugly for a few months afterwards and that approach doesn't eliminate the dead growth at their base. I comb the dead foliage out by hand. |
![]() |
| This is the before and after shot of yet another section. The combing process takes a long time and the stress of the repetitive activity caused the ganglion cyst in my wrist to flare up again this week. |
With all the Mexican feather grass tided up (at least for a month, after which they'll need another pass) and the heat backing off, I'm looking forward to more pleasant hours in the garden this weekend. I know a nasty polar vortex is expected to effect a broad area of the US this weekend and, in advance, I offer my condolences and send hope that it won't be too cold, too damaging, or remain around too long.
All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
