Axial View Lesson Learned

 

I've been working now and then to better plant-dress the above blue obelisk, to draw and lure the eye.  Last autumn, a first attempt: planting sweet pea seeds around the obelisk and blue Dutch Iris in front of the sweet peas.  An existing lavender in front of the Iris would come into flower after the sweet peas and Iris were spent.  

An axial view of sorts at the front of the house.  Viewed from up by the Fuerte avocado tree:  

Spring arrived.   The Dutch Iris flowered.  Their deep blue purple color was hard to make out from a distance.  The sweet pea seeds planted around the obelisk sprouted and were eating by--something.  I had spare plants growing in pots, and planted those.  Most were also eaten.  More spare plants planted, that were slow to flower.  They grew but bad weather (heat waves) set them back.  They are just now blooming:

The dark red color of the sweet peas don't show up at a distance, either.  I'll try again this fall for the following  spring:   move the Iris, and plant white garden Hippeastrums (big! bright!) and perhaps a white rose that oozes out from inside the obelisk. There's the 'Ducher' rose, new last year, that may be able to do that, and there's also always 'Iceberg', the no-brainer winner of white roses for Southern California.  

White I know will work, because the 'Sombrueil' rose growing several feet beyond the obelisk...

...catches the eye even from far away:

So, that's a plan for next year.  

Not a great year for sweet peas because of the short but intense heat waves we had just as they started to flower.  This group managed to improve the past several days--there's hope yet for some sweet pea sweetness before it's too late.  

Sweet pea 'April in Paris' has rather overwhelmed Clematis 'Perle d'Azur', thought the Clematis has managed to peak through here and there:  

I tried and failed several years to grow sweet peas in this area.  Either they barely grew, or the rabbits ate them.  This year, more attention and protection brought lavish growth, so lavish as to out-compete the Clematis. 

Careful planning doesn't always work.  Ironic that no planning at all besides a desire to keep a plant alive can have interesting results:  Silver Dichondra argentea with chartreuse Hakonechloa and Sedum 'Angelina'.  I never would have done this, save for a desire to give the Hakone grass a shadier, moister location.

Another accidental success was Trachelium sprouting from spaces between the concrete wall blocks.  Cool!

The Trachelium's idea, not mine: 

Speaking of Clematis...'Etoile Violette' is looking good:

A different 'Perle d'Azur' , without sweet pea surround, is more visible:

Other floral and foliage highlights of the moment are...

The newish 'Superb's are finally getting around to flowering.  A hummingbird can be seen fueling up on the lower right:

The quartet of unknown (possibly hybrid) Dudleyas nearly killed themselves blooming last spring, with huge flower stems that dwarfed the plants.  Two  recovered over the winter and are set to flower again.  The other two I moved to a recovery location.  They are looking pretty good again and can try killing themselves flowering next year. 

Flowers now open on Aloe pseudorubroviolacea:

Surprise:  Billbegia 'Darth Vader' bloomed.  

Grapes are developing on the 'Suffolk Red' vine.  A way to protect the fruit from birds and rodents must be found before they start to ripen:

The grape's companion on the arch, Trachelospermum jasminoides, is now in flower. 

TB Iris 'Thorn Bird':

The fabulous foliage of Echeveria harmsii 'Ruby Slippers':

Rose 'Queen of Elegance':

A few more purchases, and plants that need planting. 

A big box store Leucospermum hybrid:  

'Easy Spirit' rose is still waiting, though I have a place picked out.  'Indian Summer' Alstroemeria, too.  In the meantime, the rose is well protected from rabbits:

Teucrium 'Ackermanii'.  'Ackermanii' sounds like a species name, but I read this is not a recognized species.  Artemisia 'David's Choice', a California native.  Teucrium on the right, Artemisia on the left:

A red Pentas purchased at a club sale.  I hope it's not one of the dwarf-sized ones.  Time will tell:

That's what's up in the garden here this week.