Thanksgiving Color

As the year winds down, so do many of our gardens. At least in terms of flowering. And yet our late warm weather is convincing our gardens to keep going. With that in mind I attached my telephoto lens and went outside to photograph individual flowers that I can't normally get close enough to. Here then is a sampling of color via flower in my mid-November garden.

It's the time of year for cyclamen and I just brought home this pretty pink and white variety. 

For some reason I find that certain types of yellow primrose have the sweetest fragrance. This one certainly does, adding a bit of welcome scent to a late fall garden.

Azalea Court Jester. This accidental sport features mostly white flowers streaked with hot pink. It seems to be a fall bloomer, unusual for an azalea.

Say the word 'clover' and a horticulturist might look at you patiently, waiting for you to be more specific. That word is used for all manner of plants but the genus Trifolium is the most accurate genus for this plant much beloved by bees. Here's my T. 'Coco Mint', featuring dark foliage. Lovely!

Carnations may be common but Dianthus (botanical name) is in fact an amazingly varied genus. The foliage can vary in both form and color and of course the flowers come in nearly every color imaginable, though a great many are pink (leading to another of its common names 'pinks').

Agastache aurantiacum Coronado. Love the color on this highly fragrant hummingbird mint. 

Speaking of 'mints' and delicious fragrances, this Coyote mint (Monardella odoratissima) has both in spades. Plus lovely violet flowers.

Erica canaliculata Rosea. One of my favorite heathers and a surprisingly long bloomer.

I've shared several photos of my amazing Asclepias cancellata in bloom. Here's another one, with a bee on the right side harvesting nectar. The single plant literally produced close to 1000 flowers!

I've shared some nice photos of this Bouvardia ternifolia over the years. I had to move the pot to a much shadier spot in the spring and because of that it got leggy reaching for more sun. Once back in the sun I cut it back hard and within weeks it sprouted new leaves and within a month produced its first small tubular red flowers.

Lastly here are two shots of my Canarina canariensis. This late fall/early winter bloomer has begun to produce its first nodding coral-red flowers. Love them. Below one can see its somewhat scandent habit.

Fall photos

I've had a bit of a break but am back with not one but two new posts. This first is more the usual order, photos of plants in my garden, accompanied by comments. The second will be a posting of an upcoming Chronicle column on Large Non-Spiny dry garden plants.
Without further adieu, here are the photos.

Cornus florida. Most dogwoods offer great fall color and mine is one of those. 

Agave tricolor. A new addition to my garden. Thorny but oh so beautiful. 

Two Billbergias, adding texture even when not in bloom.

A friend gave me this bluebird door knocker and I decided the fence was a better (and more visible) location. 

There are summer oxalis and winter oxalis. Here's one of the latter, with its mint green leaves and white flowers.

Some Moraea flowers are extravagant, such as the Peacock Moraea. This M. polystacha's flowers are simpler but still a very pretty dusky purple. 

My Asclepias cancellata went bonkers in the blooming dept this year. Literally thousands of tiny white flowers. I knew the butterflies would like the flowers but the big surprise is how much the bees love them.

My sunny front bed is still sporting lots of color. There's the red Digiplexis, a red mimulus and a yellow, the CA Fuchsia (Epilobium) pinkish-red flowers to the right and not quite visible another wonderful milkweed - Tweedia - with its sky blue flowers.

Aloe arborescens variegata. One of the 'soft' aloes, it is gradually maturing. No flowers yet but they will come in time.

Echeveria gibbiflora. This species of Echeveria is noteworthy for its dramatically fluted leaves. 

Correa is one of my favorite shrubs. This Aussie native can thrive in sun or some shade, in good soil or poor, with regular water or dry conditions. This is a new variety simply called 'Orange.'

Agastache is truly an amazing plant. This hummingbird mint always seems to be in bloom!  Plus the fragrant leaves, the regular visits by not just hummers but bees as well.

Tillandsia tectorum. My favorite 'air plant.' That's mostly for the exquisite silvery foliage and the way it has clustered out. 

Big event this week was my 2 year old Plectranthus chirindensis FINALLY blooming! You can see why I'm excited. Electric blue flowers that are unlike nearly any other plant. It's huge too, easily 8' tall now.

To quote Foghorn Leghorn from the Bugs Bunny show "I say, I say, I say HOLD ON THERE son!" That would be a suitable directive for dwarf conifer species in a bowl, where the plan is to sort of bonzai them. 

I came acroos this rare shrub Trochetiopsis ebenus. Thought to have gone extinct, it's been preserved in the horticulture trade.

Lastly, 3 new additions to my succulent collection - Echeveria variety on the left, Aeonium Sunburst up top and Sempervivum tectorum Greenii on the right.

Got Dry Shade?

As we become more and more conscious of our water use, there is an emphasis on planting drought tolerant plants. And that includes for shady spots. Curiously, people tend to be more familiar with drought tolerant plants for sun than those for shade. I recently gave a talk out at Annie's Annuals on this very topic and in preparing for the talk I made an outline. Yesterday, it occurred to me that while this is indeed only a summary/outline, it might still prove helpful to some of those who follow this blog. Two things to note about the plants listed. First, since this was a talk at Annie's I naturally focused on plants they sell. And second, somewhat related to the first point, I did not include any trees and very few shrubs. They too would be good choices.
So, here it is, in its unvarnished glory. Hope it's helpful!

4 Kinds of Shade

1. Full morning sun (MS)
2. Two to three hours of morning sun (PS)
3. No direct sun but bright shade (BS)
4. Dark shade (DS)

Oakland Shade vs Fresno Shade

Interpreting what books say about shade or sun depending on where you live. Adjusting up ½ a sun factor for the milder zones.

The list below is divided into groups per type of plant. They are designated by the most amount of shade they will prosper in. Thus, a plant designated BS (for bright shade) will also handle PS and MS unless noted. Selections with a CN are California natives. All plants listed are perennial with the exception of Nicotiana, which often reseeds.

Planting Shade Perennials

1. Planting by season.
2. Watering to establish then cutting back.
3. Mulching to save water
4. Slugs & snails. More prevalent in shady areas. Treatments.
5. Deer. Most of the selections here are either deer proof or will discourage them.
6. Maintaining shady areas. When to cut back. When to remove.

Shrubs (Planting foundation plants first)

Plectranthus (BS) – best plant for shade, all heights, leaf textures

Arctostaphylos (BS) CN – good foundation plant; RPBG selections

Sarcococca (DS) – Winter box offers fragrant late winter flowers, handles deep shade

Mahonia (BS) CN – tough & durable, yellow flowers, all sizes

Perennials (For adding texture and color)

Francoa (PS) – tough, clumps out, summer bloomer

Hellebores (BS) – cut back foliage to ground in late fall; treating white flies

Heuchera maxima (BS) CN – year round appeal, largest Coral bells

Nicotianas (PS) – many different types, colors, heights, fragrant

Ground covers (For filling in bare spots or as a natural weed control)

Asarum caudatum (BS) CN – tough, heart-shaped shiny leaves, curious flowers

Rubus (BS) – rough textured leaves, tenacious, beautiful, prostrate

Ajuga (PS) – light or dark leaves, establishes easily, wants a little water

Geranium Rozanne (PS) – one of many true geraniums that spreads, showy flowers

Tellima grandiflora (BS) CN – charming heuchera-like flowers, stays neat

Epimedium (BS) – tenacious, 1-2' tall, charming small flowers of different colors

Ferns (There are several choices for adding that special look that only ferns give)

Leatherleaf fern (Rumohra adiantiformis) (BS) – survives dry spells but better with H2O

Western Sword fern (Polystichum munitum) (BS) CN – one of our toughest ferns!

Grasses (Good choices for areas that get light traffic)

Carex pansa (MS) – tough evergreen grass that can even handle light foot traffic

Ophiopogon planiscapus (BS) – black mondo grass, provides great color, adaptable

Succulents (Succulents go well with grasses or phormiums)

Aeoniums (BS) – large leaves, some colorful, prefers some shade; frost damage

Sedum Angelina (PS) – fast spreading ground cover; more golden in sun

Phormiums/Cordylines (PS) – tough plants for adding leaf texture and color

Vines (Though most popular vines like sun there are plenty for shade)

Jasminum Pepita (PS) – smaller variety of pink jasmine, fragrant, establishes easily

Solanum Navidad (PS) – one of the showiest potato vines (purple flowers), tenacious

Bulbs (Though not as well known there are bulbs that prefer a bit of shade)

Brodiaea 'Rudy' (MS) CN – naturalizes easily, purple flowers, early summer blooms

Iris douglasiana (BS) CN – most resilient of all irises, spring bloom, colonizes

Iris confusa (BS) – pretty white or lavender (Chengdu) flowers, sun or shade, any soil

Who's Zoomin' Who?

Aretha Franklin fans will catch the title of this blogpost but for me it's about the matter of today's photos. Today I used my zoom lens to take close-ups of flowers. Ironically, a lens that's usually used for long distance shots turns out to be good for photographing smaller flowers. And now that I have a body that supports Auto-focus, it can focus itself, rather than me relying on a steady hand.
So, that said, here are some mid-October photos showing that yes, it's still late summer, no matter what the calendar says.

Azalea Court Jester. This sport is from Kenny at Moraga Garden Center. The flowers can be all different, one from the other, with some showing more orchid pink streaking and others less.

Hibiscus trionum. Still one of gardening's best kept secrets. This lovely, herbaceous hibiscus is a prolific bloomer, with buds seeming to develop overnight. Though there's just the one color - a creamy white with burgundy centers - they bloom over a long season in summer and fall.

I think some people naming varieties of plants must be doing so after fasting. So many food names. Here's another one - Justicia Fruit Cocktail. It too is a prolific bloomer. Love the chartreuse bracts!

Nerine humilis.This South African bulb has the prettiest coral flowers.

Opuntia species. Still have yet to nail down the species or variety of this prickly pear cactus and am still waiting for it to bloom.

You need a zoom to catch the petite charms of the small Evolvulus flowers. One of the truest blues and for me a reliable and long blooming perennial.

There are summer oxalis and winter oxalis. Here's a winter blooming type that's come up a bit early. Love the contrast of the white flowers against the mint green leaves.

Monardella odoratissima. This long blooming Coyote mint has been a real standout in my garden. Seemingly always in bloom, it attracts a variety of butterflies and moths.

Agastache Blue Fortune. This Hummingbird mint also attracts bees (as do most of my Agastache). I seem to be in a purple phase these days.

Santolina Lemon Fizz. This diminutive herb/ornamental has its own charm, from its petite form, to the bright chartreuse color to its scent (which some like and others do not).

My Mandevilla Apricot is late to bloom this year (as are many things in my garden). Here's its first flower of the year. Incidentally that streak of white on the right side is sap from the towering Asclepias cancellata above it. I'd snapped off a couple of leaves for a less obstructed view and they bled onto the flower.

Digiplexis Illumination Flame. I seem to alternate between good years and bad for this plant. This year's been a good one and I'm sure there's plenty more flowers to come.

Cussonia natalensis is considered a caudiciform and here's evidence of that. This fattening trunk still holds some gnarly charm.

This Hibiscus Adonis Pearl is part of the HibisQs line, a new hybrid of Hibiscus whose flowers stay open much longer than traditional Hibiscus (5-6 days as opposed to 1-2 days).

My Sphaeralcea Newleaze Coral has been nothing short of amazing. In bloom continuously since February, it just keeps pumping out these sweet half inch coral-red blooms.

I'm thinking of naming this Freylinia 'Shelley', after the Sesame Street turtle. That's because it's one of the slowest growing plants I've ever had in my garden. Month to month this Aussie native hardly seems changed.

My Tecoma x smithii is the opposite to the Freylinia. Quick to grow, quick to take over an area, quick to bloom. Which is all good for me as it can't escape anywhere. Here's a close-up of its richly colored flowers.

A zoom lens is needed to do justice to the tiny but oh so blue flowers of Ceratostigma plumbaginoides. The low growing form of Plumbago, it adds tints of red to its leaves in winter.

Emilia. This annual offers up the orangest flowers going, even if they're tiny. Here my auto=focus couldn't quite get it right so not a perfect shot.

My Begonias are all late this year, including my Irene Nuss. Here's a late spray of its signature two tone pink flowers.

My Angelwings begonia is also late and in need of repotting but still has enough beauty to photograph.