Grow A Pair

Above:  Leucadendron 'Ebony' in a sea of Westringia, possibly 'Morning Light'.  

Below:   A mass of Aeonium 'Jack Caitlin' and turfgrass
Heat-loving Evolvulus and nice hot concrete
  Two different Kniphofias, from the 'Popsicle' series
 Dasylirion longissumum and Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset'
 Protea 'Pink Ice' with pink-stemmed Eucalyptus 'Moon Lagoon'

Cabernet grapes and support
 Coprosma and Boxwood
Agave ovatifolia 'Vanzie' and bunch grass

Rose and Assassin Bug

 Plants have friends, too.  

Comments

  1. My favorite is Heat-loving Evolvulus and nice hot concrete

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    1. Heat-lovers have virtues in summertime, don't they?

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  2. Nice combinations, although the pairing of the lone Leucadendron 'Ebony' and all that variegated Westringia looks a little off to me - or were there more 'Ebony' scattered about in that sea?

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    1. Yes there were many more. Roger's street side slope planting out on San Joaquin Hills Rd.

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    1. I'm trying to learn how. Helps to study what is out there.

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  4. Unusual but wonderful combinations of colours and textures.

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    1. A good combination makes each plant even better, don't you think?

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  5. Hi I was looking up Com. De Provence rose ( I recently purchased) & ended up on your blog ☺️ Such an awesome garden u have!! We just moved onto 3 acres. I have many roses to plant & some already in ground.my goal is to turn most of the yard into one huge garden! I would die to live in Cali!! It's so hard to grow roses here Bc it's super hot & even more humid. Black spot- leaf spot & Mildews are always plaguing my roses without any spray! Even all my earth kind roses get it so bad ): I enjoy the work but it gets overwhelming at times I cry & feel like giving up. I heard Cali doesn't get BS bad and is a much better state to grow roses in. I told my hubby I want to move out of state! I think any states better to grow roses in Bc there's nematodes in the soil here :( I'm sure ur very busy but do u have any advice for someone who's still learning & new to rose gardening?? I've only been doing this for 3 1/2 yrs & need all the help I can get !!

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    1. Well established roses are much more mildew resistant. Until they establish it may be helpful to give them a hard, light spray with the hose early in the morning to knock off the mildew spores.

      Don't give up; divide garden (at least mentally) into specific sections. Work on one section at a time, get it looking pretty good, then go onto another section. Then after a few years, it will be time to go back to that first section--to make it better. Your knowledge will have increased so that you will have the ability to make it better. Repeat through the garden through the years.

      Talk to a local authority about the nematode problem and different approaches to dealing with.

      There are roses for every climate; they are not all the same roses! Find what works well for YOUR climate. If there are any local rose shows, go and talk to people and see what they are growing.

      Read, read, look around your area for great gardens and look them over and figure out what you like and don't like, what is good and what is not, join the best local garden club you can find, research, and it will get easier. But always enjoy and have fun!

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  6. Your Ebony looks strong and healthy, unlike the one I pulled from the garden last week. My takeaway is to give leucadendrons lots of breathing room. When I think back on successes, my leucs were always planted on the edge of a path, and that's where I planted another Ebony recently. I know you have lots of room, it's probably the angle that makes it look under siege by westringia. And I could be entirely wrong with my crowd theory anyway. Loved all the photos!

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    1. Loose soil, water, water. I don't even water enough. Look at the ones up north, 10X better.

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  7. "Plants have friends, too."

    I'm their friend, LOL!

    These are some killer combos. I love that Eucalyptus 'Moon Lagoon'. I still haven't found one for sale. Jo O'Connell had brought one up for her presentation at the UC Berekeley Botanical Garden, but somebody else snapped it up.

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    1. Yes you are!

      My plant was mail order from Jo, matter of fact. She had it mail order available today (shipping is $$!) Perhaps you could ask her to reserve one next time you come south.

      San Marcos lists it and I thought I saw it in a Monrovia pot at Roger's yesterday. Two alternate sources you might check...

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  8. That first combo is divine ! I found E.Moon Lagoon at Seaside Gardens when I was down there in April. I stare at it daily, though I stare at Lobelia tupa more intently.

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    1. Either way, eye candy! :)

      'Moon Lagoon' cold hardy for you? I guess it would come back from the lignotuber if frost affected it?

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  9. Beautiful plants but it's the photography that has my attention. Fabulous!

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  10. Lovely combinations, and some of them completely new to me as usual :-) …but that’s just reflecting how different gardening climate we have, you and I. Over here in London we finally got summer last week, and it is set to last for another 10 days. After rain and miserable weather since early February it is about time!

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    1. The same for me...it is fascinating for me to see how plants grow in your climate, so very different from here. No sunburnt trees, no sunburnt rose canes, no toasted Fuchsias. Only along the northern coast of CA or the PNW is the climate at all similar to yours. Enjoy your summer! Here a few weeks of summer would be quite sufficient.

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