Sigh. Doesn't look much like the design drawing...
A dozen (or more) 'Blue Glow' Agaves, seven 'Bright Star' Yucca, three Cordyline 'Festival Grass' (which will get almost 6' wide (1.5 M) each), and three Russelia equisetiformis look lost in space right now.
The silvery green, feathery blobs are California poppies. Along with the three volunteer Lupins, they are meant to add a little color and interest until the Agaves and other plants grow larger.
I'm a bit sad. It doesn't impress. I had to remind myself of what the front slope looked like at the start:
Repeat after me: the plants will grow, the plants will grow...
Leaving that slope aside, around the corner is a slope planted within the past four or five years--very simple and effective, though smaller than our west slope--just Agave attenuata and (bad!) invasive Pennisetum setaceum, so I won't envy it, I won't, I won't...
I'm not sure the Pennisetum was intended. It may have invaded on its own. Next door to that slope is another interesting treatment on a nearly vertical slope. The homeowners added a synthetic "rock" wall made of reinforced concrete to match the real rock. The real rock is on the left and the added concrete is on the right:
Can you see the difference? I marked the seam in red:
Not bad! There are two added planting cups in the synthetic portion, each with an irrigation line. I drew a red line just under the irrigation line so you could see it better:
Good solution to stabilize a vertical slope.
Nearby that is a plant new to me, a California native very similar in look to plants known to gardeners by the common name "Dusty Miller" (of which so named are several different plants of multiple genus and species). I think this is Constancea nevinii, aka Eriophyllum nevinii. Cool, and very xeric. This particular plant is shaded by a nearby Schinus. In fuller sun it would be much more white/silver:
I think I want that plant--maybe there's a place on that too empty slope...Oh, there I go again. All the years and trouble of thought, work and planning to have a large area with a cohesive "design" of plants, and I'm ready to add random plants to it. No! No! No!
Are you yelling at me?!?
No, not you, Boris. Well, at least the slope is mulched and planted. It's time to move onto the next project. I'll add in small areas of succulent groundcover, like Sedum 'Coppertone', which is what the design intends, as the poppies and lupines die off, but I'm officially calling the painfully prolonged Fall 2012 Project DONE.
I think it already looks good and that it will look great! I, too, believe in starting plants small whenever possible but I also suffer from deferred gratification syndrome and must (constantly) fight the inclination to fill in. I try to restrict those breaches to annuals and other "temporary" plants but I admit to all too frequent lapses.
ReplyDeleteI think your neighbor's synthetic rock is pretty impressive as well, even though I could detect the difference before I viewed your annotated photo. I wish I could find someone who'd manufacture look-alike Palo Verde stone (inexpensively, of course).
Thanks!
DeleteFor me, not the deferred gratification thing--I can wait--its that I buy plants willy-nilly and need a place to put them. Must stop that!
It's good to have the project declared finished and move on to the next one. They will grow, They will grow and fill in! Plants grow fast in CA. Resist the call to add a random plant. I went through this when we landscaped the front and now I'm so glad I limited the plant choices and left spaces. We have had to remove a few, mostly those plants originally added to make the initial planting look more "finished".
ReplyDeleteI like that Eriophyllum nevinii quite a lot. You could find another spot for it.
I did the wise, non-fun thing by refraining from the Constancea/Eriophyllum. Your front garden looks fabulous--it shows the virtues of restraint. I need to work on that more.
DeleteIt looks great and a year from now you'll be sharing photos and wondering if they are too close (okay probably not because you really thought this through, but hopefully you get my meaning). I don't care for the rock at all. The real is fine but I got the fake right away. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteI don't disagree about the rock at all--here during the real estate bubble everyone was putting in pools surrounded by those fake rocks which I thought looked horrid--but in that particular instance, where it was do something to shore up the hillside, or let the front yard fall into the road, I thought they did a decent job.
DeleteI had to squint looking at the rock face, very impressed with incorporating the synthetic one! Looking good and the bank will fill up in no time at all
ReplyDeleteI thought considering the limitations, they did a good job on the fake rock. When driving by at normal speed, to a casual glance it looks pretty natural.
DeleteThe slope will look amazing before you know it, with some nice, big plants. You can be proud of this project even now though!
ReplyDeleteThanks. I'm so happy I can leave it alone for a while, and agonize/obsess over something new.
DeleteCongratulations on another section bedded down and ready to grow. Your older agaves are amazing, so I'm sure this new area will take the same leap forward.
ReplyDeleteThat faux stone wall with the embedded, irrigated "pots" for plants is such a great idea, and so well done! I would have never thought to look twice!
Thanks! I'm hoping when the poppies are finished and the agaves have grown a bit, I can get a better sense of how it will turn out. Visualizing isn't my talent.
DeleteI know exactly what you mean. Since I'm constantly working on things, my garden appears to be stuck permanently in that "newly finished project" stage. But your west slope *will* be amazing. I can see it my mind's eye. And adding plants that weren't part of the original design is part of the fun. Let's face it, we're not typical homeowners, we're plant collectors, and those plants need a home.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you can see the eventual look of that slope--I sure can't! That is true, all those plants need a good home--we're only being unselfish.
DeleteIt turned out great Hoov..just vision the full sizes -and you accomplishments..all that mulch!
ReplyDeleteThank you, kayess. All that mulch. So glad that's done!
DeleteLooks fabulous!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThe slope looks great already dear Hoover, you have been working hard. Yes, the plants will grow and fill in the empty spaces, I like what I think is an Aloe with citrus yellow flowers in image #5 next to your second black circle from the left. Boris looks adorable, no-one could yell at him.
ReplyDeleteThe concrete rock face looks good, quite a good match for the real thing.
xoxoxo ♡
That was my Aloe arborescens 'Yellow Torch'. I had to take it out because of Aloe Gall Mite. Someday perhaps I'll find another. It is hard to yell at Boris when he looks that cute, yes.
DeleteHope you are feeling better--is your surgery still on schedule? Take good care of yourself so you can get 100% well.
Such a shame that the Aloe was attacked by gall mite, I love the bright yellow. Yes, Boris is certainly cute and Natasha is very pretty.
DeleteMy surgery was brought forward to last Tuesday, 24th after I had completed the many heart tests. There were a few unforeseen problems, such as the size of the gallbladder and the fact that it was gangrenous, so it had to come out. I am still in a lot of pain but looking forward to recovering and feeling better than before. Thank you dear Hoover, it is good to be home amongst the trees, birds and the scent of the bushland.
xoxoxo ♡
I am so glad you are through the surgery! Now just focus on getting well. The beauty of birds and plants will help.
DeleteAnyone who can devise a plan and stick to it has myt admiration. So here's to you!
ReplyDeleteMaybe announcing a project on the blog shames me into (eventually) finishing! I think this finished project will help me focus a bit more--or so I hope...
Delete