This week's projects

This week, while temperatures were still on the cooler side, I tackled a project I've been dreading for a long time.  I dug up two plants in one of my back garden borders, the native California asters (Symphyotrichum chilense) I'd planted in 2016 and the Liriope spicata I'd planted in 2014.  Both were rampant spreaders.  I can't claim I wasn't warned in either case.  However, particularly in the case of the aster, I thought low-water conditions would keep the plants in the manageable range.  What I didn't factor into the mix was the extent to which even one year with significant rainfall could cause the plants to take off - or how awful the aster might look when our drought conditions returned with a vengeance.

The problem wasn't evident in this wide shot taken in late June

This closeup photo, taken in early June, does a better job at illustrating the problem.  The mass of aster stems can be seen swallowing up plants, including a white-flowered Alstroemeria, my dwarf Jacaranda, and even the troublesome Liriope growing along the edge of the pathway.

This photo, also taken in early June, shows the aster's march across the breadth of the border.  The aster's stems had already started to move across the flagstone path in search of new territory in the border on the east side of the garden.  However, as everything was still green, it was easier to tolerate.

The asters start flowering in July and reach their peak in August.  They looked better in 2019 (as shown here) than they've looked in subsequent years.

This is what the area looked like in early September.  The aster stems on this side of the border looked as though they'd been torched.

The problem is that the aster's rhizomatous underground stems spread everywhere, including under other plants.  Removing those stems meant digging up a lot of other plants in the process. 

I ended up taking out far more plants then I'd hoped to in the process of getting out the aster and Liriope roots.  The Lirope wasn't ugly like the burned out aster stems but it's intrusion on other plants has been a problem for a long time and, as the aster and Liriope were intertwined, it made sense to deal with both at the same time.

Both plants had engulfed the dwarf Jacaranda 'Blue Bonsai' so I had to work very carefully in the area surrounding it to avoid damaging the tree's roots.  I had a similar problem in the area around the fountain, where a lot of Dutch Iris bulbs are planted.  Did I get all the aster and Liriope stems?  That's unlikely but I hope I've at least halted their advance and that careful monitoring will allow me to manage future appearances as they arise.

In addition to losing other plants in the process, I turned up a lot of bulbs that I hope to replant soon.

I couldn't avoid upturning the small Freesia bulbs (left) but I managed to avoid unearthing all but a few of the more deeply planted Iris bulbs (right)

I've already bought a few plants to fill the empty spots in that bed, and I have a trip to a couple of my favorite garden centers to the north planned for early this month.  Next week, I have a truckload of mulch scheduled for delivery too.

My recent purchases include Lomandra 'Platinum Beauty' and Phylica pubescens (aka featherhead).  I couldn't pass them up as they were more reasonably priced than I've seen in the past.

My other project this week was much simpler and more pleasant.  It involved potting up some new - and not so new - plants.

I received four new Mangaves I'd ordered by mail this week.  Two of them are included here, both in blue pots to coordinate with the large succulent bowl I put together three weeks ago.  An Aloe and another Mangave I purchased earlier as a pup joined this collection outside the back door.

Clockwise from the upper left: Aloe 'Marsha Leyhew',  and xMangave 'Aztec King', 'Black Magic' (pup), and tiny 'Praying Hands'.  'Praying Hands' is a hot ticket right now and hard to find in anything but a small size.  You can see a mature specimen here.

I put together another collection of pots on the small south side patio.  Two more of the mail order Mangaves were included here, as well as one I recently received from a friend.  I also cleaned up and repotted a Cryptanthus.

Clockwise from the upper left: Cryptanthus bivittatus (aka earthstar) and xMangave 'Crazy Cowlick', 'Frosted Elegance', and 'My Dog Spot'.  I'm a little in love with 'Frosted Elegance' at the moment because it glows.

It's turned hot again here.  I sweated (literally) through the process of carefully extricating the underground aster stems in the area surrounding the fountain yesterday morning when our temperature jumped more than 10 degrees Fahrenheit over the previous day's temperature.  It's expected to remain on the excessively warm side for at the next several days at least.   When the truck arrives with my mulch delivery next Wednesday, I'm hoping it'll be cool enough to work in the garden but that remains to be seen.  In the meantime, I'll be focusing on indoor activities.

Enjoy your weekend!

All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party