Neighbor's Mature Survivor Toyon. Her Mow-Blow Guy Talked Her Out of Cutting it Down.
Our neighborhood, because of its hilly nature, is fortunate to have retained a few native plant species that have grown and thrived here for thousands of years. Heteromeles arbutifolia (common name: Toyon) is one of those species. Over the years I've come to greatly appreciate them. Most often those in the neighborhood are never cared for, and so are awkward, ragged, half-dead. Given even modest trimming and shaping, they are dense, low-care, native wildlife-sustaining, no irrigation required beauties.
Baby Toyon:
I've been slowly developing an all Toyon screen in the back gully. Planted as tiny volunteer seedlings several years ago, moved from where I've found them, our rainy winter has boosted them. In a few years they'll be an excellent no-irrigation screen. Hopefully. I planted one between every 'Marjorie Channon' Pittosporum along one area in the back gully. As the Toyons grow, the 'Marjorie's can be removed.
Chopped in preparation for removal last November:
Our glorious winter boosted the 'Marjorie's even more than the Toyons, but long term, Toyons are the wise, most sustainable choice. I sadly expect the beautiful rebirth of the 'Marjorie's won't last beyond one or two extreme summer heat waves. Love love love 'Marjorie Channon', but they can't take extreme heat.
What the glorious rain did, but it won't last: Speaking of glorious, the Matthiola is done--I cut the stems to admire in a vase for a few days. Perhaps grown in a dry, hot winter they'd have been pathetic. I happened to plant them in the right year.
We got rain last week (0.62"!) and it snapped off most all of the towering Bachelor's Button plants. I saved the flowers, what few there were:
Again on the subject of glorious, at this moment the garden has never ever looked so. Nothing I did--this was a collaboration between the plants and the rain.Okay, I did throw some fertilizer around:
The Agaves are clean--no dusty coating!
24" of rain did not hurt them:
It's a joy to see all the plants looking so very, very happy. So not dried out. So not heat scorched. So not struggling. Happy. It's painful to know there will be terrible drought ahead. But not at this moment. At this moment, just glorious.
Glorious indeed. The garden is spectacular. You seem to have missed a lot of the damage from all the rain. Can't imaging 24". Wish we were getting that as currently our province is on fire it is so dry. One of those special years where everything comes together to create what every gardener dreams of- 'perfect conditions'. Savour and enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI saw Alberta on fire...not good. :( We might be in that shape come autumn...hope not.
DeleteYes it's a particularly special year. One to remember! Even better because unexpected.
It is amazing what rain will do for a garden. It all looks stunning, especially the wide views. I'm not familiar with toyon. In the sixth photo up from the bottom, the one with the pink rose - what is the orange strap-like leaves in the pot? An agave?
ReplyDeleteHere it works miracles!
DeleteToyon more than you ever want to know: https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/shrub/hetarb/all.html#FIRE%20ECOLOGY
Thats Aechmea blanchetiana 'Orangeade'. A bromeliad.
Glorious! *I think you did have a little something to do with it ;).
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wonder!
DeleteThose agaves are definitely happy!
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to see them so.
DeleteIt's clever and proactive of you not to be blinded by the glorious spring you are having. Enjoy it, yes, but plan - as you do - for the hotter times to come. I love that you selected Toyon and nurture it in such a purposeful way.
ReplyDeleteThe orang bromeliads are so beautifully placed!
Chavli
I didn't appreciate Toyon at first--familiarity has bred admiration in this case. Did not realize how well they respond to light tipping back. Also watching a flock of cedar waxwings or robins strip all the berries is quite fun!
DeleteThe large leaves on the Brom seemed to make a good contrast with all the small foliage of the other plants.
Toyons are a great choice. I still mourn the loss of the large one that formerly occupied the south end of my garden until the sudden oak death pathogen put an abrupt end to it. As much as I'd love to put another in there, I'm afraid it would also succumb but, if I can clear some ivy on the south end of the slope, maybe I can plant one there - it might be able to hold its own against the relentless progress of the ivy creeping over the property line.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is looking fantastic. My rain total to date is 21.55 inches so not too far behind. I've even had a 'Medallion' rose make an appearance after a year-plus absence so maybe it'll get to stay awhile longer.
P.S. I love the gnome watering can!
I have seedlings coming up all over. I potted some up.
DeleteThanks as does yours! 'Medallion' is a lovely rose, I grew it for quite a while.
That watering can actually works quite well, besides being fun. Often the decorative kind don't function well but that shape works.
You might look around for the yellow berried cultivar of toyon, the berries show up better at a distance than the common red type. A neighbor has one of each planted in their front yard, and in November and December the difference is very noticable, the red one just fades into the background while the yellow berried one shines like a beacon. You might try calling the Theodore Payne Foundation nursery, or maybe the Santa Ana Botanical Garden's nursery to see if they have any in stock. I think the yellow cultivar is named 'Davis'.
ReplyDeleteInteresting idea! I did know about the yellow berried version it is H. a. var. cerina.
DeleteYour garden just shines. But as for "nothing [you] did"? Nice try. You are the set designer who has mapped out every location of every thing; the casting agent who has chosen every character in the show; and the director who made the elements come together -- all, with your incredible eye and hard-earned knowledge of what works, and what doesn't. That ain't nothin'. Well done. It's just gorgeous. Elizabeth
ReplyDeleteGlorious barely describes the condition of your garden at the moment. One could just pile on the adjectives. I particularly like the pink rose combined with the soft yellow sedum with the pink edges. An inspired pairing.
ReplyDeleteThank you! That's 'Ambridge Rose' with a highly vigorous Aeonium 'Kiwi'. Accidental.
DeleteI always pillage my neighbor's toyon for its red berries for holiday wreaths -- they don't mind the needed pruning! Wonderful May garden!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Here birds stripped the neighbor's Toyon of its berries faster than I could.
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