Hesperaloe 'Brake Lights'
When autumn rain is expected in Southern California, the typical gardener will be out frantically planting in anticipation. Nothing gets plants off to a better start here than rain water. After a serious planting binge--my effort barely shows.
Yes, I should buy bigger plants, but smaller ones seem to settle in better, cost less, and appear healthier in the long run. However..that's a lot of empty space, empty space that easily swallowed up two Yucca queretaroensis: (eventually ten feet tall and six wide), a Yucca rostrata, (four feet tall in ten years), Agave guiengola, (eventually four by six feet or more), Agave havardiana, (three by four), and two 'Blue Glow', (three by three feet each). I must leave room for them to grow, but it isn't readily apparent that anything got planted unless you squint.
Will squint for plants:
Temporary plantings will have to act as filler. The usual suspects: California Golden Poppy and Limonium perezii, and I think I'll try some Calandrinia grandiflora as well, and add dwarf Aloes (nobilis, brevifolia, and such), as they offset in other places in the garden. There's also Senecio mandraliscae, but that ends up being a lot of trimming. It is already encroaching on one of the 'Bright Star' Yuccas despite receiving very little water. On the other hand, it's blue. On yet another hand, it has really ugly flowers. Hand number four, the bees love those ugly flowers. Hand number five, your can just stick the trimmings in the ground and they root just like that. Sigh. If only Agave 'Blue Glow' or Yucca 'Bright Star' would do so!
I also got the Hesperaloe 'Brake Lights' and three Aloes into the ground in other spots. A chance of rain stimulates gardeners as well as gardens. At least after being out there for hours, the last rays of the sun set Yucca 'Color Guard' aglow, reminding me why I binge on plants.
After any binge, there are empties to deal with:
When autumn rain is expected in Southern California, the typical gardener will be out frantically planting in anticipation. Nothing gets plants off to a better start here than rain water. After a serious planting binge--my effort barely shows.
Yes, I should buy bigger plants, but smaller ones seem to settle in better, cost less, and appear healthier in the long run. However..that's a lot of empty space, empty space that easily swallowed up two Yucca queretaroensis: (eventually ten feet tall and six wide), a Yucca rostrata, (four feet tall in ten years), Agave guiengola, (eventually four by six feet or more), Agave havardiana, (three by four), and two 'Blue Glow', (three by three feet each). I must leave room for them to grow, but it isn't readily apparent that anything got planted unless you squint.
Will squint for plants:
Temporary plantings will have to act as filler. The usual suspects: California Golden Poppy and Limonium perezii, and I think I'll try some Calandrinia grandiflora as well, and add dwarf Aloes (nobilis, brevifolia, and such), as they offset in other places in the garden. There's also Senecio mandraliscae, but that ends up being a lot of trimming. It is already encroaching on one of the 'Bright Star' Yuccas despite receiving very little water. On the other hand, it's blue. On yet another hand, it has really ugly flowers. Hand number four, the bees love those ugly flowers. Hand number five, your can just stick the trimmings in the ground and they root just like that. Sigh. If only Agave 'Blue Glow' or Yucca 'Bright Star' would do so!
I also got the Hesperaloe 'Brake Lights' and three Aloes into the ground in other spots. A chance of rain stimulates gardeners as well as gardens. At least after being out there for hours, the last rays of the sun set Yucca 'Color Guard' aglow, reminding me why I binge on plants.
After any binge, there are empties to deal with:
I wonder would the appeal of Senecio mandraliscae dim for me if I could grow it year round? It just looks so lovely with the Yucca!
ReplyDeleteIt shows how different a plant can be depending on the climate, and how drawbacks (if they are so) can become apparent only after an extended period of time. A garden buddy who has quite a lot of it says trimming it is not so much the problem as the weight of the trimmings: a pile can weigh 100 lbs, which gets difficult to deal with!
ReplyDeleteLove the senecio, and thanks for the photos with the gorgeous yucca. I tore out all of my senecio- too much work for me. I will plant it again some day when I run out of money for the water bill.
ReplyDeleteWith the way water prices are rising, Renee, it may be sooner than you'd like. :(
ReplyDeleteYour garden is amazing. And yes you have to leave room to grow. They will look awesome in time!
ReplyDelete