Pre-Rain Typical Gardener

  When rain is imminent, buckets, tubs and barrels are placed into position to collect precious water.  Moving work is frantic, so plants moved get a soaking in their new location and some cool overcast to help them make the transition.  I've been waiting, waiting waiting for rain so I could do this sort of work.  The past couple of days, it was time. 

Rose removed (crown gall yet again), other plants moved, and an Agave ovatifolia and Centaurea ragusina planted.

I chose A. ovatifolia in hopes it will look striking against the stucco wall behind it.  A mature ovatifolia under the Oak tree illustrates its elegance:
They'll grow fast enough:
The Aloe vera (
Aloe barbadensis var. chinensis) moved to this hot dry place adjacent to the street, where offsets can be easily removed.  A different Agave ovatifolia next to it was planted several months ago.  In all-day sun its muted grey-blue color turned a pure pale aqua.  I hope the newly planted one does the same. 
Another rose removed,  'Altissimo'.  Adored the flower, loathed the plant.  The roots had entwined with an irrigation pipe.  That needs to be fixed, but because of the rain the irrigation will be shut off for a while, so I have time. 
The replacement will likely be a small Crepe Myrtle, which I did not have time to move before darkness fell.  


Was Not Happy with the Butterfly Amaryllis (Hippeastrum papilio) nearby.  Fabulous flowers, very short bloom season, but the bulb I'd planted just a couple of years ago had formed a massive chaotic clump.  Not Happy with it in such a prominent spot.  I'll try it in a pot that can be shoved somewhere inconspicuous when it is out of flower. 

Agave stricta(?)'s life was complete.  One of my first Agave purchases back around 2008.  It popped out of the ground with only a couple of shovel-shoves--the root system was dried and gone.  The final diameter of the plant was 3' (1 meter) and the flower stem was a little over 9' (3 meters) tall.  I really like this solitary, non-bulbil producing Agave and would grow it again.   A. stricta and A. striata are somewhat hard to tell apart.  Mine was sold by a reliable, knowledgeable nursery (Yucca Do, now closed) and was labeled stricta nana.

A 'Blue Glow' got stricta's spot.  I thought about pulling off an offset from the nearby A. titanota 'White Ice' to place there instead...but...'Blue Glow' was, I confess, easier. 

  
Oooh!  How'd I miss that?  Could that be a shipment of new plants?
No missing this little ice plant, purchased about the same time as Agave stricta.  Flowers so bright it can probably be seen from space. 
And a Leucandendron cone.  But enough distractions...

...back to work.  I waited on moving this 'Endless Summer' hydrangea while it continued to flower.  As dormant as it was going to get, and with the rain coming, it was time.  Surprisingly tough to dig out.  There were some Acer roots extending into the Hydrangea root ball. 

Its intended place was here, a formerly raised bed that once upon a time had been a nursery bed to root succulents.  Adjacent 'Cara Cara' orange's rapid growth quickly shaded the bed completely.  I took the bed apart and used some of the soil to fill in the hydrangea's hole.
Ultimately I decided the spot was also too shady even for a hydrangea, so the hydrangea went nearby instead, near the other 'Endless Summer' moved last year, by the Iochroma.  It will get a little morning sun, which it needs for flowering. 

Finally, Fatsia japonica 'Spider's Web' got a place in the ground, in the shade of the Acer, but where there are fewer Acer roots.  I placed an empty container as temporary shade in front of it.  This location will give it a few hours of early morning winter sun when the Acer is out of leaf, dappled all day shade when the Acer is in foliage.  Hopefully it can handle that. 

Oh, hey--Hellebore seedlings!  How 'bout that?  They are all invariably plain greenish-white flowers, but they make a tidy, rich green tuft of foliage all spring, all summer, most of autumn, and about have the winter. 

There is probably some room for a few more in the Acer bed. 
There's the current status of the Acer bed.  Itoh Peony (strangled by Acer roots), two Mangaves, and the Hydrangea all moved elsewhere, where hopefully they will be happier; the Fatsia planted.  The Hakone grass still wait to be transplanted in--not sure quite where to place it yet.  The addition of rocks as a kind of Asian-inspired focal point are still a question mark.  The trio available seem too small in proportion to the space.  Placement still to be decided.  Should one of the Abutilons move here?  More Hellebores?  Should one of the Aechmea imperialis get the Hydrangea's spot?  Still to be decided.  

The long-awaited rain arrived at sunset.  We got an inch (25 mm) of the good stuff overnight, and several showers today.  

Oh, wait.  What was in that box on the doorstep?  Verbena 'De La Mina', Echium gentianoides 'Tajinaste', and two roses--'Golden Celebration'. 
Yeah, yeah, I know.  Digging out roses, whining about rose problems, then I buy some more.  Typical gardener! 



Comments

  1. But Golden Celebration is totally worth it.

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    1. I have one GC in the back...one has proven to be not enough! :)

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  2. You got a whole lot accomplished. Admit to being jealous of your Iochroma. I brought mine inside under lights but it is very unhappy and only has growth on it's tips. Can you cut these back so they come from lower down? What's a garden without roses? Good choices.

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    1. Well, take this with a block of salt because mine is in the ground, a different thing from being in a pot, but I cut mine back to a bare trunk at least every other year, sometimes every year depending on the generosity of winter rains. It was actually cut back hard in October 2020 and it's all grown out again lush. Probably could be cut to the ground and it would come back from there, but I like the trunk, because when the plant grows tall enough it shades two of the dining room windows in the summer. That keeps the house a little cooler !

      Would not be my garden without roses!

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  3. I've been following your example and spending time both cleaning up and moving plants I already have, as well as using cuttings to fill vacancies, of which there are many. It's good to know that I'm not the only person resorting to mail ordering new plants too ; )

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    1. It's been a good idea, to take a break from purchasing. Paying more attention to what's already here is paying off. Reassessment.

      Oh, you ordered some plants too!?!? ;^)

      Just wiser, at this point, to continue to be patient and continue to stay home. My immune-compromised-essential-worker nephew got his second dose of Pfizer this week...his arm was slightly sore on the 2nd dose, but no other issues.

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  4. Hello dear Hoover Boo,
    How wonderful it is to see your garden. I love the color of the Iochroma. It amazes me how happy you are when the so much wanted rain is coming. How different it is in Holland at the moment because I am wondering when will the rain stop. (fun). I wish you a lot of flowers in your new roses.
    Have a wonderful weekend ahead.
    Rosehugs Marijke

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    Replies
    1. We depend on just a few storms to give us our rain for the whole year, so it's always a delight when it happens. Or maybe I just love rain. :)

      'Golden Celebration' is a magnificent rose, so I'm hoping. Thanks!

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  5. It looks like you did a lot of work. Your plants will most appreciate it. Lovely rain. I wish my buckets would fill up like that. Happy day...

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    1. They look so clean and perky today. Happy plants, happy gardener!

      Hope you have a great weekend, Lisa.

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  6. I feel your pain about roses. For lots of reasons I decided to wean myself off an intense rose habit and it's still a struggle sometimes. They are so photogenic and the scent on some like nothing else. You have lots of walls and suitable places for them, so they work beautifully for you. And good choice with 'Golden Celebration.'

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    1. Its the fragrance I love. Daily aromatherapy. Easy to let go of the ones without scent. The fragrant ones, agony. Still, mixed feelings. The Chili Thrips are a nightmare.

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  7. Did I read somewhere there is snow forecast for SoCal? Crikey. Hope it's brief!

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    1. Yes, SoCal got a good bit of snow, but that was at places above 6,000 feet elevation.

      We're at about four hundred feet elevation. The big news was that enough hail fell at El Porto beach to make it look like it had snowed at the beach. Here it hailed about 20 seconds mixed in with rain, which the rain promptly melted.

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    2. A lookup says 472 feet. Still safe!

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  8. Glad you got a decent downpour, much needed to get your new plantings settled in quick.

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  9. So nice to know I'm not the only one who mooches around the garden all summer only to fly into frenzied action at the promise of rain (not that former applies to you, that's all me). Love that there are blogs like yours teaching gardeners new to CA things like fall planting as opposed to spring!

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    1. Grousing in the summer, marathon gardening in the winter. That's what you are supposed to do here. Also complaining about the heat and the water bill all summer is highly recommended. ;^)

      Happy California gardening!

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