"It" Plants At The Getty

 The Getty's flower garden is a great place to see the latest cool plants--this year's or recent year's "It" plants--in a landscape.  A recent visit did not disappoint.

Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt'.  
I've killed it three times.  Or is it four times?  Still tempted to try again--its become a mystery I itch to solve.

 An Allium that will flower in Southern California has drawn attention lately.

 It is not the towering thing seen in colder climates

 The Alium is cool, but I'm not enthralled beyond the temptation to spray paint the dried out remnants silver or gold, and stick them in a vase, where they would probably look very stupid.  I did not get the talent for making projects of that nature look cool.  In my early gardening days like everyone else I tried Allium 'Globemaster', which grew some nice foliage but no flowers.  Needs chill.   

 Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer', among other Alstroemerias, is big in garden centers this spring
We wants it, precious!

 Anigozanthos have been popular the past few years. 

 I got one planted last year to survive to bloom again this spring, but it's not exactly pretty.  These are.

 Chartreuse Cotinus (I think).  Chartreuse has been trendy a while.  Cotinus, a bit.  They do better in a climate where they can get a good winter's rest, don't they?  The pairing of chartreuse with the dark bronze Phormium really works. 

 Coulter Bush, of the various botanical names
(Hymenolepis crithmifolia, Athanasia/H. parviflora/H. crithmoides)

I grew and enjoyed it for about three years.  It became huge, and is its beautiful best in its youth, like many of us are.  Golden variegated Lavender 'Meerlo' below the Hymenolepis is also Newish And Cool, along with one of the several sterile Euphorbias ('Diamond Frost', 'Super White', etc.) that bloom tiny white flowers in staggering numbers, in a hopeless attempt to set a seed.   Silver Helichrysum is not so Trendy, as it can get quite rampant. 

 Add a touch of red and some dabs of purple, and it all works.

 Echium cadicans with variegated foliage.  This year has been an outstanding Echium year.  They need more water than advertised, which this winter gave them. 

 California native Eriophyllum nevinii 'Canyon Silver' caught my eye, and I planted it last year.  The Getty's designer appears to have done likewise.  It's more stunning in bright sun.  The day was overcast, better for the photographer if not the photos.  I like 'Canyon Silver' with the creamier orange Euphorbia 'Sticks on Fire' has in the spring. 

 One of the Glauciums.  I've enjoyed mine, which produced a single flower when first purchased and hasn't bloomed since. The foliage is satisfying all by itself. 

 Leucandendron 'Jester', looking unsurprisingly lovely.

 Leucadendron 'Ebony' looking absolutely delicious.

  Perfect with red flowers nearby

 The Getty's Leucadendron argenteum, on the other hand, had only small tufts of silver silk foliage on the ends of bare stems.  
 Not so happy

Even within sight of the Pacific, SoCal is apparently a little too warm for it.  I would hope they would replace it with L. 'Pisa'.  Almost as pretty, with more likelihood of health in this climate.

I saw this Berzelia lanuginosa (ID thanks to agardeningobsession) for sale a few months ago.  I like the foliage.

 The Getty's Senecio candicans 'Senaw' marketing name 'Angel Wings' doesn't look much better than mine did.  Unlike mine, theirs is still alive.  

An ornamental Oxalis, as opposed to the weeds of the genus.  A trend I'm not going to indulge in.  Too much time spent yanking the weed versions.  

 Rhodocoma...capensis?  I just call them Restios if I can't figure out which one it is.  Masses of Chondropetalum are planted above the flower garden, along the zig zag path to it.

 This was also some sort of Restio(?), or grass(?), a couple of big billowy clumps of it, potted.  Haven't a clue.  Softly billowy froth anyway, against a backdrop of Phormium.

 Plenty more pictures from the Getty's flower garden, enough for a future post or two. 

I didn't include the Getty's Digiplexus 'Illumination Flame', of which there was one or two.  A memorable "It" plant of a few years back, which proved to be an expensive annual for a lot of us.  'Sweet Dreams' Coreopsis a few years before that.  You have to watch out for the "It" plants, (especially the 'Cousin Itt's).