Planted!


Abutilon 'Victor Reiter' went into a place where it will get some irrigation, enough sun to help it flower, and enough shade to keep it from toasting.

Casuarina glauca 'Cousin It' went where it can drape over...
 ...this retaining wall. 

 I moved the other Salvia 'Blast', the one that was unhappy.  Perhaps it will be happier in this spot. 
 Cordyline 'Festival Grass' went in 'Blast's former spot, where it too can drape over a retaining wall. 

 Doing the same thing again and expecting a different result is the definition of stupidity (and insanity).  I will do a different thing and hopefully get a different result. 
The west slope was too dry for this Cordyline 'Festival Grass'.

Obviously
To achieve a different result with the same plant in the same place,  I added a circled drip tube to provide more water.   I also left the Cordyline in its nursery pot for several months before planting it in the ground, to give the root system more time to develop.  This is a plant that develops a saleable amount of top growth with a pitiful root system.  Looks great as a potted plant for sale at the garden center, but planted in the ground, it can't seem to survive with said pitiful root system. 

 I hope my changes produce a different, happier result.
 This is the view that Cordyline has.  How could it not like that?
The Lomandra 'Plantinum Beauty' replaced Rosa 'Disneyland',  a rose that was very pleasing its first few years here, but which has been in decline a good long while.  The Chilli Thrips plague was also a consideration in its removal. 
 Here's the first Lomandra that I planted last November.  It has grown considerably so it must like the spot, which is across the path from the newly planted one. 
 Here it was when newly planted in November 2017.  It's a steady, not-too-fast, not-too-slow grower.  I like that. 
 Hah!  To the upper right of the Lomandra is the Salvia 'Blast' that I moved to the spot that I just moved it out of for the 'Festival Grass' that is also in the photo.   That Salvia has been around.   

Grevillea 'Kings Fire' has disappointed.  Such gorgeous flowers, but it has turned brown and dropped a lot of leaves.  Soil was getting moisture, drainage was good.  Looked awful. Heave ho!

Hmm.  Not much of a root system.  Grevilleas don't really have much of a root system anyway, but this was pretty small.  The roots appeared to be in good shape.  Not rotted, not dried, just not plentiful, and new roots not developing.  I may have pulled it too early, but the decline has been steady. 
 Leucospermum 'Scarlet Ribbon' got the spot, with new soil, just in case.   Spring-planted Leucospermum 'Blanche Ito', about 3m (~9') away, with the same soil, irrigation, and sun exposure, is doing very well.
There is another 'Kings Fire' on the other side of the driveway.  It doesn't look all that great either, but its not quite as bad off as the other, perhaps because it is smaller.  It will get the fall and winter to improve or fail.
Nearby, the Grevillea juniperina 'Lava Cascade' got a hot dry spot where the Dymondia struggles in summer.  There was some dampness left in the soil watered two days ago, so it may be enough for this tough groundcover Grevillea, which survived in a pot in the sun all summer.   It's also been in bloom since purchase, although summer is not its bloom season.   I'll remove some of the unhappy Dymondia as/when/if the Grevillea spreads out. 
Cute flowers
 In this same west-of-the-driveway area Leucodendron 'Reverse Polarity has been slowly growing lately.  Looks good.  Slow is okay.  Turning brown and dropping foliage isn't. 
Here it is in the foreground right, at planting two years ago  
Looking back at the old post on that plant, I noted it was supposed to have yellow bracts and red cones, hence the name 'Reverse Polarity', but it doesn't.  Red around yellow, not yellow around red.  Hmm.  Mislabeled?  Oh well--it's healthy. 

Also in that area, a month or two ago I planted the Aloe capitata quartziticola 'Yellow Hoodie'.  It had spent nearly a year waiting in a pot, in the heat of this summer in full shade under the patio cover.  
It had turned a sad dull green in full shade.  Back in the sun, it quickly redeveloped incredible blue-lavender color, with red marginal teeth.  Sweeeet!
What's left to plant?  The Arctostaphylos 'Louis Edmund' and the 'Purely Purple' Lagerstroemia.  The Arctostaphylos will involve some moving of other plants, but a reasonable spot seems to exist.  The Lagerstroemia can get potted up one size larger for the winter and if the remaining 'Kings Fire' Grevillea doesn't survive, the Lagerstroemia can go there.  

Progress!  Not ready for any new purchases yet, not without surveying the garden to see what empty spaces there are. 

Comments

  1. Lovely weather we've been having, isn't it? I like the pots you planted as well. Rebar?

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    1. I almost felt the need at one point early in the morning to put on a light sweater. Heaven!

      Rebar???

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    2. What's holding the pots together? What kind of stick?

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    3. Jane I am sorry, I never even thought of the pot towers in the photo. My bad! I use those plastic-coated metal things sold as nursery stakes at the big box stores. I can keep planter pots easily at hand, out of the way, and create a sort of sculptural element all at the same time.

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  2. Grevillea juniperina 'Lava Cascade'... a plant we both grow in the ground! Well I used to. I moved it and it didn’t like the move. I must get another.

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    1. Grevilleas and other Proteas don't seem to handle transplanting. Sensitive root system?

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  3. You really need to get out there and survey for empty spaces as it is so exciting to be planting again. That VIEW. Wow. I love those red tile roofs. They remind me of Italy or certain areas in France. I love that Aloe with the red teeth. I think cousin it will be so attractive draping over the wall. I have a whipchord arborvitea that I just love. I hope it grows up to look similar to your cousin it only I don't have a wall for it to drape over.

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    1. Tile roofs very common here. I like them, too. At first I was chary about gardening on a property with many slopes, but there are advantages, draping plants one of them, excellent drainage, another.

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  4. I don't now if they were directed at me or not, but those recommendations for cordyline are a big help. I will follow your suggestions and plant it in a larger pot until it develops a root system. Plus, it is so hard to dig a hole here, I would hate to go through all that effort for nothing! I like the angular corner of the retaining wall where you have planted it, too.

    And, holy schnitzel! That is quite the view from up there! I had no idea that you had such a difference in elevation in your garden. I especially like the use of the low walls to divide the garden. Something like that would be very useful here to protect young plants from the sun and wind. Now you've got me thinking…

    Anyway, congrats on getting everything planted. Now you can go shopping again!

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    1. No, not directed at anyone. Others have commented on a quick demise of that particular Cordyline. I noticed the ones that did well had been sitting in pots and had eventually stuffed the pots full of roots; the ones that died had almost no root system. Hence my repeat attempt.

      Our previous home was on a solid granite hill, so planting anything involved using a pick to make a hole in the granite. So I know what you mean about difficulty in digging holes!

      Yes nice view up there. I have thought about building another little wall and sticking a bench up there, so I could admire it in comfort.

      The walls have several functions, as terracing, as fire break, as gopher barrier.

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  5. You've been busy. It always feels good to get things out of pots and into the ground. Your aloe's red teeth are amazing. What a great addition to your garden.

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    1. It feels awesome to get plants out of pots and into the ground. I feel like a bad plant-mommy when they are forced to languish in a pot.

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  6. My Louis Edmund peeled his bark for the first time this summer! When we didn't get any rain from that recent storm, I gave him a little water -- probably all he's had all summer, growing in stiff clay in the front garden. Good luck with yours and all the new plantings. Yes, it's all about the root systems, isn't it?

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    1. How do you like 'Louis'? I do not remember it in your garden. My 'Austin Griffiths' is doing good--better than I expected, and 'Emerald Carpet' after struggling for several years finally got a firm grip on life and looks good.

      Yep, what is hidden is as important as the pretty part.

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  7. You've been busy, not that I'm at all surprised. I love that aloe 'Yellow Hoodie'. I'll have to look for Grevillea 'Lava Cascade' too as I could use a groundcover variety with something other than pink and white flowers. I've done a bit of planting too but mostly small stuff, some of which my raccoon "friends" dug up again last night. Apparently, I'm back on their regular tour schedule.

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    1. The Monterey Bay website says ‘Molonglo’ is better than 'Lava Cascade', so maybe consider that one, too. Golden (non pink) flowers.

      http://montereybaynsy.com/G.htm

      Might be awesome on your slope in the back once the goats eat the ivy. ;^)

      Raccoon "friends" indeed. Grrr! I read one thing you can try is leaving rags soaked in ammonia here and there. They don't like the smell of ammonia.

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  8. What an amazing view! I wonder what it is about some plants and their root systems. I have an Echianthus that had been in the ground for several years. I dug it up to put it in a large pot instead, and found to my amazement that it hardly had any roots at all - they were puny! Still, it puts on one hell of a show each spring. I'm still wondering how it does it...

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    1. Yes, nice view...wish it was that nice from inside the house too! That is interesting about the Echianthus. Unfamiliar with it--I looked it up; beautiful shrub for zones that get some winter chill. The flowers remind me of Arbutus or Arctostaphylos.

      Here the Limonium perezii is like that. About an 18" round ball of foliage that blooms constantly for several years, on one or two thready roots about 3" long. How?!?

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  9. Only two plants left to go in the ground. Are you sure you're not ready for new purchases yet? The pot ghetto must be feeling very empty. I hope the festival grass enjoys the view and if not, I'd be happy to be planted there:)

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    1. We'll see how long the virtue lasts. I know where one of those two at least is going, so I'm still working on that. It is a relief not to feel guilty by seeing a pot ghetto. I decided there should be specific identifiable empty spots to fill before any shopping--weird idea.

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  10. There is no sweeter feeling than a day's worth of plants in the ground. I agree about the versatility of slopes and retaining walls are the perfect things for draping.
    I am done. Every plant in the ground that can be. I can hardly believe it. Definitely not gloating though. Especially as there is yet one more plant sale before the season ends..

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    1. Yes getting plants into the ground is a delight, when it is done, and after a hot bath and a couple of aspirin. Congratulations on your successful effort. Now on to that plant sale!

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