'Ebony' Leucadendron in the Proteana garden has never been very happy--until this year:
'Icee Blue' Podocarpus contrasting with trees in the background and roses in the foreground. The new growth is lime green:
I walked into the gully one early morning, accidentally slammed the gate, and the noise caused a dozen or so startled hummers to simultaneously rocket out of 'Spring Fire's interior. The tree is still flowering in spots, providing hummers with the hummer version of the morning's first cup of coffee.
Last autumn the struggle to chop back the trio of Pittosporums along the east side of the veggie/cutting garden was worth it. Lucked out getting a rainy winter. They have lots of fresh new growth which I've been tipping back to encourage a dense growth habit:
Leucadendron galpinii against a background of Aechmea blanchetiana:
Hakonechloa macra with Dichondra argentea:
Podocarpus 'Icee Blue' has beautiful colors, Ditto Aloe capitata ssp. quartzicola: Wow.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I don't grow 'dangerous' plants in my garden, I appreciate your stunning Alluadia procera, particularly with the light blue Dasylirion (?) in the background and soft light illuminating its thorns.
Startling "a dozen or so... hummers" must have been a sight. As territorial as they are, they must be more tolerant of a group setting at night, when they go into a state of torpor.
Chavli
The Alluadia is located where everyone including me has a hard time getting anywhere near it. :)
DeleteYucca queretaroensis is the background foliage.
The hummer explosion--have never seen that before. It was gobsmacking!
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Wow, everything looks like it's grown with protection. It's so perfectly lush. I will say I'm enjoying the softer weather as much as the plants are. The capitata has such a gorgeous glow, like even your finger touching would leave a mark. Beautiful!!!
ReplyDeleteThe May-Gray/June-Gloom we get is a form of "protection". Most everything looks so happy at this time of year.
DeleteI think touching the capitata might leave marks--I try never to touch the leaves. It's hard to imagine leaves that color--but there they are.
It's interesting to see the response of all these dry loving plants to your abundant rain. I guess even in a moisture starved environment an occasional indulgence is appreciated. It certainly has made your garden look very lush. Some lovely foliage colours and partnerships. In our droughty spring-into-summer weather every little bit of moisture we get is very much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI hope the weather pattern shifts enough to give you some relief from drought. Having experienced it for so long we don't wish it on anyone.
DeleteMany of the plants here love rain--they can just do without it longer than others. As we must.
I was admiring some of my foliage this week too, thinking it may be time for a foliage post, although I don't think mine looks as good as yours. My 'Blue Flame' Agaves have become overgrown clumps that I need to divide and my Metrosideros 'Springfire' looks anemic. I didn't realize you had a Alluaudia procera - it's a cool plant but its mature size scares me.
ReplyDeleteThe marine layer for so long made almost all the plants very happy except of course the zinnia seedlings. 'Blue Flame' is beautiful but their mature size--oh boy they are heavy. That will be a project for you.
DeleteThe Alluaudia is in an extremely dry location without any irrigation except rain, so it has been slow and is not that tall as yet. Also it is very much out of the way, so has not been a problem. Seeing some film of it in its Madagascar, it is breathtaking as a forest. Sadly disappearing because the impoverished people use it for fuel.
All the plants look very happy. 'Icee Blue' Podocarpus and Leucadendron 'Blush' really caught my eye. But everything looks great. As the other commenters have mentioned, the plants all look so lush! It seems our precipitation trends are switched this season, although the Midwest finally got some needed rain so maybe the drought is done. Fingers crossed. Beautiful post!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Sorry for delay in answering--been gardening a whole lot, still. Happy to hear the Midwest got some needed rain. I hope your weather has improved.
DeleteBeautiful, happy plants!
ReplyDeleteThanks for having a look!
DeleteThat's some gorgeous foliage! Oh and my foliage is doing well, thanks for asking.
ReplyDeleteHopefully a far better summer for your garden than that rough winter!
DeleteIt is like visiting another planet seeing your plants ! So gorgeous .. that first perfect photo of the agave and then scrolling slowly through to the assorted succulents reminded me of a coral reef .. all of them so pretty and so unusual. We do have a nearly common plant , abelia .. I have "Sweet Emotion"
ReplyDeleteI am a foliage gardener .. yes I have "flowers" but it is really all about the foliage for me in the end . I think it is because you can count on foliage more often than getting just the right flower to cooperate ?
You have an amazing garden !
Likewise--many plants like Hosta, Astilbe, Aruncus--complete exotics to a SoCal gardener. Foliage wonderful but I do love the intensity and ephemeral quality of flowers. Each has it's own "moment".
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