Not much to look at

In addition to the one major project I've undertaken since our seasonal shift began last month, I've been chipping away at a host of smaller garden projects and tasks.  They're not much to look at, at least not at this stage but, for my own record as much as anything else, I'm going to inventory them here.

There's a relatively good-sized area sandwiched between the newly renovated succulent bed in front of our garage, the trees and shrubbery in the northwest corner of our property, and the neighbor's driveway that I've largely ignored for the 6+ years we've lived here.  When we hauled in topsoil to create berms for the succulent bed, I used some of it to do the same in the neglected area after first clearing it of weeds and the one poor shrub I planted when we moved in, which had stubbornly refused to grow.  As it's a semi-shady location, I decided to use it for part of my burgeoning bromeliad collection.  It's by no means done but I've made a start.

Left, the area after it'd been cleared and soil was added.  Right, after soil amendments, rocks and the first plants were added.

I'd originally planted this Aechmea lueddemanniana 'Mend' in a pot and placed it in what I thought was a sufficiently shaded location but it got singed.  In the 2 weeks since I moved it to is new location, it's pink variegation has become much more vibrant.

I surrounded 'Mend' with plants I felt would complement it.  Clockwise from the upper left, these include: a Neoregelia hybrid, the pup of another Neoregelia that appears to have similar parentage to the first, Peperomia caperata 'Rosso', a pup of Nidularium wittrokia leopardinum, and a pup of Vriesea ospinae var gruberi.  As accents, I've planted an asparagus fern and Pelargonium peltatum 'Pink Blizzard'.  Thus far, all seem to be doing well, although I'm still giving the Peperomia only a 50-50 chance of surviving there.

I see this area, not large enough to be called a secret garden, as a surprise pocket garden.  Before I do more planting, I want to add a flagstone path to minimize the risk that anyone, myself included, will trod on the plants.  I'm planning to use grasses and grass-like plants, probably Seslaria 'Greenlee's Hybrid' and Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nanus' (dwarf mondo grass) to soften the areas around the stepping stones and the bromeliads.  I'll probably add shade-tolerant succulents too, like the Manfreda maculosa I need to move to make way for my future lath/shade house.

Mini-project #2 was tackled on roughly the same schedule as the bromeliad bed.  I used some of that imported topsoil to raise the soil level and improve drainage in the garden on the northeast side of the house.  Digging out a mass of germander (Teucrium chamaedrys) and Geranium incanum in the area was the toughest part of the job.  After getting started on replanting, I wasn't able to get the Barleria obtusa I wanted to fill in the remaining empty spaces so it appears I'm going to have to propagate the plants I need myself.

The new plants here are Melinus nerviglumis (ruby crystal grass), Grevillea lanigera 'Jade Mound', and Vitex agnus-castus.  Behind the new plants are 3 Grevillea 'Scarlet Sprite' (2 of which I added last fall), Globularia x indubia (globe daisy), Salvia clevelandii and self-planted Dorycnium hirsutum (hairy Canary clover).

I've been replanting areas of another large bed in front of the garage too.  Many of the plants I put in during the first quarter of 2016 needed more shade than that location provided.  I've been gradually swapping them out with plants that enjoy more sun.

The most recent additions are 4 varieties of daylilies, all in pale yellow or purple shades.  I've also planted Hebe andersonii 'Variegata' and Polygala fruitcosa 'Petite Butterfly'.  The Arthropodium cirratum I planted more than a year ago from divisions is still there and I'm hoping it will beef up into sizable clumps with this year's winter rains. Oh, and I also added lots of bulbs here, including Freesia and Dutch Iris.

Next, I tackled a problem location in the back garden, an area that quickly killed off anything I planted there, even succulents.  The soil in this area is especially sandy and the soil amendments I added seemed to wash away from the area which sits on the upper edge of the back slope.  I added rocks to help hold the new topsoil and soil amendments I dug in here and filled in with bulbs and a few plants.  I'm trying to find more Lantana camara 'Irene' so I can tie the area just beyond it.

The bulbs, Sparaxis and several daffodils, are of course invisible at the moment.  The visible additions include Euphorbia 'Ascot Rainbow', Lantana 'Samantha', and Hunnemannia furmarifolia 'Sunlite'.  The asparagus fern has been there since we moved in and to this point is the only plant that's been happy there.

The moderate west-facing slope got a clean-up, a couple of new plants, and some bulbs.

I cleared out some Shasta daisies and Agapanthus that were never happy here, relocated a couple of bearded Iris and added more Lantana, a Yucca gloriosa 'Variegata, and a Phylica pubescens.  More daffodils and Sparaxis bulbs also went in here.

Although I didn't previously have any luck planting Phylica pubescens in the ground, I found this healthy specimen on sale for $10 and couldn't pass up trying it again.  All of a sudden, this plant is everywhere at fairly reasonable prices (by current standards), which is hilarious given that the first one I saw several years was priced at $400.

In addition to these projects, I made a few quick fixes this week.

I pulled the blueberry plants that previously occupied these pots for years several weeks ago.  I'd neglected the plants, which should have probably been pulled up and root pruned before replanting in fresh potting mix a year or 2 ago.  I replaced the plants this week with varieties geared to pot culture, 'Pink Icing' and 'Bountiful Blue'.

I finally replaced the Coleonema that died in my front border with 3 Lavandula stoechas 'Silver Anouk'.  At maturity, I'm hoping they'll look as good as the specimen shown on the right, shown blooming in April elsewhere in my front garden.

Finally, I replaced the desiccated succulents in the circle pot on my back patio table with fresh plants.  While I once again used cuttings of Aeonium arboreum and Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi', the focal point is Graptosedum 'California Sunset'.  With a bit of stress and plenty of sun, it should eventually take on the delicious orange color shown in the photo on the right.

There's still a lot to do but another heatwave arrived today and, after a brief cool down early next week, we're expecting yet another blast so I'm holding off any any more planting or transplanting until the temperatures cool again.

Best wishes for a peaceful weekend after what's been a very troubling week.


All material © 2012-2017 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Wordless Wednesday: The Joys April Brings

Agapanthus (no ID)

Cistus 'Sunset'

Unidentified Hippeastrum

Artichokes

'Bountiful Blue' blueberries

Carpenteria californica 'Elizabeth' (Bush Anemone)

Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame' with Anagallis 'Wildcat Mandarin'

Graptoveria 'Fred Ives' in bloom

Hemerocallis 'Elizabeth Salter'

Hemerocallis 'For Pete's Sake'

Hemerocallis 'Spanish Harlem'

Lathyrus odoratus 'Perfume Delight' in pink!

Osteospermum 'Serenity Peach Magic'

Pelargonium 'Georgia Peach'

Scabiosa hybrid 'Giant Blue'

Tagetes lemmonii 'Compacta' (dwarf Copper Canyon daisy)

Fall Foliage Envy

I've been enviously admiring all the wonderful fall foliage photos posted by other bloggers over the past month.  The color changes that accompany colder weather and shorter daylight hours in northern areas aren't as prevalent in southern California.  However, as I sat on a stationary bike running through my morning exercise routine earlier this week, a mirror in the room caught the reflection of colored leaves outside.  I'd almost forgotten that, in addition to colorful fruit, the persimmon trees on the northwest side of the house produced rather pretty fall foliage.

This is Persimmon 'Fuyu':

The leaves on Persimmon 'Hachiya' are running a little behind 'Fuyu' but the color changes are just as pretty.

The foliage on our Japanese maple (Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku') is rapidly turning from yellow to brown.

The ornamental pear (Pyrus calleryana) is just beginning to take on some color but there's little in the way of leaf drop yet.

The toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) is also producing masses of bright red berries, another hallmark of fall here.  This tall evergreen shrub, also known as California holly, was designated as the official plant of Los Angeles last year.  Yes, Los Angeles has its own official plant (as you can read about here).  We lost one toyon as collateral damage when the Eucalyptus tree was removed from the side yard earlier this year but there's another very tall specimen at the border of our property.

I also found some small-scale color changes:

'Bountiful Blue' blueberry

The color change on this Euphorbia 'Dean's Hybrid' may be due to transplant shock rather than a seasonal change but it's pretty nonetheless

Trachelospermum jasminoides

This is fall, southern California style.

Grapes!

For an extended period this spring, I was preoccupied with family concerns and paid little attention to my garden.  In that period, certain things got away from me.  My fruits and vegetables probably suffered the most from my inattention.  Despite my neglect, the 'Red Flame Seedless' grape seems to be doing just fine.

The grapevine has overwhelmed the trellis my husband constructed for me last year

I should have tied the vines up against the top of the trellis as they lengthened but I wasn't paying attention

Still, the grapes are looking pretty happy, aren't they?

The grapes are nowhere near ripe yet but, given the volume of fruit, I'm hoping that at least some of these will make it to our table this year.  Last year, the birds and other critters got what little fruit there was.  I've tied "scare tape" to the trellis in a possibly vain attempt to discourage the birds this year.

I haven't had much luck so far keeping critters away from other fruit in the garden.

I think this squirrel knows I've caught him in the act

And he doesn't care one bit!

This ballsy squirrel didn't run off until I came within 2 feet of him this morning.  But the blueberries are producing heavily right now so there was enough for both his breakfast and mine - today, anyway.

What do you suppose will happen to the strawberries when they ripen?

Or the few plums the 'Santa Rosa' tree has managed to produce?

I've asked my engineer/scientist husband to put his creative talents to work to devise a system to protect my fruits and vegetables that isn't hideous; however, he's also been preoccupied with other concerns so I don't expect anything in the way of a solution from him in the near term.  I'd like to construct a screened framework all around the vegetable garden but that's probably not practical.  The former owner of our property wrapped the fruit trees in netting but, after rescuing a trapped hummingbird from that mess last year, I pulled it all out.   In my view, it detracted from the beauty of the garden, as well as making it difficult to harvest anything.  Any ideas?  What's worked for you?

Thieving Squirrels

When I noticed that my 3 potted blueberry bushes were full of ripe berries, I suspected that the squirrels would soon shift their attention from the bird feeders they usually focus on (as previously described here) to the blueberry pots.

Sure enough, I caught one in the act soon afterward.

Too bad he isn't willing to work for his berries by pulling some of the weeds between the paving stones.  After his snack, he returned to the bird feeder for his main meal.  Is he smirking?

And he chewed me out from the safety of the tree when I sent him scattering.

But I got the last word.