These photos were taken over the past few days. More things are coming into bloom like thalictrum, sanguisorba and dierama, but I’ll catch up with them later. The ground is pretty well covered, and shifting plants around will be minimal now with the end of the winter rains and beginning of the summer dry season. Standing back and watching the progression into summer is the order of the day.
Thalictrum ‘Elin’ tall as the porch overhang, foreground with large-leaved form of Bergenia ciliata in disused water meter tank. Tallest plant in left background near fence is Acacia pravissima. Hose is out. Even in this cool maritime climate the heat occasionally breaks through into the 90sF but is quickly vanquished by the marine layer and temps revert back to 70s/low 80s. Last rain was a couple weeks ago, and there’s lots of new planting to water on the east along the boardwalk (another post)
added recently to the tank, a compact dark-leaved Ligularia ‘Pandora’
to the right of the water meter tank grows Phygelius ‘Strawberry Blonde,’ an upright, non-flopping variety from Xera. Grew huge over winter and was cut down to maybe 2 feet in spring. (For the record, a nearby melianthus also grew tall over the mild winter but scraggly stems were cut back in spring for compactness and fresh growth)
Digitalis grandiflora just behind the Podocarpus macrophyllus ‘Mood Ring’
also growing along the east fence is a shrub form of x fatshedera ‘Yvonne’s Petticoat,’ one of the brightest greens in the garden
along the east fence, Parahebe perfoliata. I love how this digger’s speedwell grows in zone 8/9, upright and uniform in height. In zone 10 it was a sprawler. Same deal with phygelius, much better growth habits in zone 8/9
Parahebe perfoliata with Kniphofia thomsonii and Phlomis x margaritae. The original clump of kniphofia has now multiplied into approx five spread around the front and back garden
notwithstanding the occasional temps into the 90s, there might not be enough heat at the coast for this phlomis to bloom well. That’s ok, it’s worth growing for the leaves alone.
backed by the east fence, Penstemon ‘Mockingbird’ with phlomis in background. Pink flowers belong to the tall-growing Diascia personata. I try to be magnanimous with this diascia because I love its growth habits and structure, but try as I might, I just can’t live with that color. I may have found a source for an orange version ‘Coral Spires.’
Penstemon ‘Mockingbird’ was found last summer at Miller’s Manor Garden Nursery during a Cascadia Nursery Trail event. The penstemon was described by the proprietor as the best of the dark-flowering kinds, and it’s true. I have a ‘Raven’ near by for comparison, and there’s no comparison. Miller’s own find, ‘Mockingbird’ has tall dark stems, strong growth, vigorous after its first winter. I like the spacing of the flowers, not too congested.
still looking east, pots of cosmos seedlings on the retaining timbers
southeast corner. Acacia pravissima’s tallest branches were cut back last fall to reduce sail and wind-rock. Sinopanax formosanus on the lower right
in the center border Allium ‘Big Beauty.’ The recent heat wave, reaching 94F last Sunday, crisped poppies and cirsium thistle flowers, but coaxed others like this allium from the bud stage into bloom.
Allium ‘Big Beauty’ lacks intense color but is strong in line with relatively broad leaves for an allium. This allium is new to me, planted just weeks ago, already in bud.
Yucca linearifolia and strong but “clean” pink of Lychnis ‘Hill Grounds,’ a sterile hybrid
planting close to the garage and garden shed was scaled way down. Metapanax delavayi, Stipa gigantea, huge clump of dierama, Persicaria polymorpha — all the giants were removed or relocated last fall for easier access to the garage and shed and to bring views back over the garden looking from west to east
Gillenia trifoliata (old. name) and early-summer blooming Anemone ‘Dainty Swan’ are having such a sparkling conversation, both clothed in crisp summer whites with red accents on the petals speaking to the gillenia’s red stems. I love bringing up the common name of the gillenia to Marty, which he finds intriguing — Bowman’s Root. Do you think it was used for poison arrows, I ask? He looks at the plant now with respect. (But a quick search shows it’s named for Dr. John Bowman, 18th century physician and botanist who collected North American plants.)
the metal troughs are a lot of fun to plant with rock garden treasures. On the left with uncinia was planted last year and held up well over winter. With Centaurea simplicaulis, globularia and sedum
planted this spring with Androsace lanuginosa and a sweet little succulent from Missouri that goes by a lot of names, bought as Talinum calycinum, linear fleshy leaves on the right with tiny bright magenta cups on longish stems that open in sun. Instead of always falling for dark semps I opted for celadon green.
looking out from the porch overhang, light green lanceolate leaves are Lobelia tupa . Newly repaired fence section on right still needs paint. Besides blowing portions of our fence down, the strong winds last winter blew a piece of the roof off the local landmark WWII air ship hangar turned museum. Damage is too costly to repair what was the largest clear span wooden structure in the world.
a good year for eryngiums
first blooms on Eryngium guatamalense
growing at base of Lobelia tupa is Geranium robustum, clambering fine-cut silvery leaves
blue-flowered form of Parahebe cataractae is so much better than nepeta on the chilly coast for an early. but long-lasting haze of tiny blue flowers
a favorite sight of early summer, Silver Spike Grass starting to bloom. Achnatherum calamagrostis
the Dianthus ‘Sooty’ and Verbascum phlomoides planting with Sanguisorba ‘Red Thunder’ and bronze fennel in background
Cosmos ‘Cherry Chocolate’ wasn’t too impressive last summer and was left unprotected over winter. It’s been earlier to leaf out and flower than the unimproved Cosmos atrosanguineus, with strong tall stems. I’m now impressed! And that white spider has been hanging out all week.
One of a few Peucedanum verticillare seedlings that self-sowed. Wonderful red stems and towering energy from the so-called hog fennel
