Aloidendron 'Hercules' rising above billowing Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' and the orange leaves of Aechmea blanchetiana
Dribs and drabs of rain lately--a quarter
inch here, a quarter inch there. It's all positive, though a let down
compared to last years wealth of rain.
The weather is cool enough and the soil is moistened enough: ideal time to move plants that need moving and plant new ones waiting in pots. A Cuphea purpurea underperforming in a too-shady place moved to a sunny spot near the koi pond. It replaces an aged Salvia.
Rooted cuttings from the Salvia await planting somewhere else. A Cuphea 'Vermillionaire' by the koi pond moved. It's too big for the space, plus I want the area to be largely pink, blue, and white flowers. Pink rose 'Silas Marner' will get the empty place. Some volunteer Matthiola seedlings added here and there as well.
Another non-pink/blue/white plant from the same area, semi-dormant 'Little Missy' Hemerocallis in the yellow/orange/bronze color range I moved out front near other plants in the same range. An attempt to make the garden look a little more planned. An attempt to make the gardener appear to know what she's doing. As if!
The Cuphea went out front (red arrow) replacing a patch of burgundy TB Iris that badly needed a rehab. An 'East Friesland' Salvia (white arrow) moved forward a bit so it won't be overwhelmed by the Cuphea.
Funny surprise in the above photo--in the roses's rabbit protector cylinder, I'd planted a Matthiola seedling last winter. It hadn't grown well and I'd ignored it--too hard to maneuver in there to pull it. The seedling lived over the summer and is now big and strong, with its first flowers:
I love plants that surprise me.
A few burgundy TB Iris moved to the spot where a Kniphofia caulescens was growing too large. I liked the Kniphofia. I didn't love it.
A few more Iris planted to hide the base of the rose near the Cuphea:
Planted a small Salvia yangii (formerly Perovskia atriplicifola) by the pergola, along with a 'Bee's Bliss' Salvia. All these plants are intended to be somewhat temporary, until the new 'Valencia' Orange grows enough to shade them out and fill the space.
Pleased to see the foxgloves progressing in areas that are normally empty.
Amid the moving and planting, time to enjoy the Leucadendrons, Aloes, and a few other January attention-seekers.
Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' dripping rain:
'Sylvan Red':
'Reverse Polarity':
'Harlequin':
The small, newer Aloe rubroviolacea with a Dasylirion backdrop:
Still intend to get rid of the Bouganvillea on the front slope. Someday. In the meantime chopping it to the ground every year controls its rampant habit:
Little Hemerocallis, it's January, not May!
Another chance hummer shot in the Grevillea. A female slipping in to feed while the males are off chasing each other. Grevillea looks chlorotic. Must get some chelated iron for it.
And while I was admiring Leucadendrons, a chance catch of a confrontation between a Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus, and a Western Bluebird, Sialia mexicana.Bluebird lands. Towhee is startled, alarmed:
Towhee flees as Bluebird watches:Bluebird takes charge of the Urn. A warbler (background, upper left) lands, but retreats, intimidated by the Bluebird who is hopping around scanning the area:
Bluebird glares at human with camera:I was as intimidated as the Towhee.
I admire your efforts to make the garden better color coordinated, although after reading your posts for a while, I only remember perfectly matched garden beds, done with great care and thought, nothing ever out of place. It makes me reexamine my own garden with more critical eye, but rarely do I make any changes :-D
ReplyDeleteIf I ever could grow Leucadendron, I'd pick 'Sylvan Red' to start my collection: those red stems are out of this world!
Chavli
One of the many good things about a garden is being the one in charge of it. Sometimes it's the only place where we get to be the decider--as far as that is possible. Nature has the last word, of course.
DeleteLeucadendrons. How can a plant so easy be so beautiful?
Your photo of your 'Hercules' made me smile. That's the kind of 'Hercules' I wanted--and the reason why the skinny thing I had was such a disappointment.
ReplyDeleteCuphea 'Vermillionaire': I have two and struggle with their size. I was thinking of replacing at least one of them with 'Hummingbird's Lunch', which is only 2 ft tall by 3 ft wide. Have you ever tried it?
Salvia yangii: I love the name (it sounds so exotic), but it'll take me a while to associate it with Russian sage :-)
34°F here this morning. When will winter be over???
I'm partial to the more slender 'Hercules'--really like that 3-trunk one at the Huntington. Didn't know there are different selections out there for sale. I'd trade you my fat monster if it didn't weigh probably more than a truck, haha!
DeleteThe wikipedia on S. yangii is really interesting going into the dna study of how it got moved from Perovskia to Salvia (with a side note on Rosemary doing the same).
It's chillly here too but not as chilly as your region. We need winter to stay until we get some good rain!
I like how you are being intentional with color, I could truly use an overhaul in the front in that department. Your leucadendrons are magnificent, you have so many! The bird visitors are so fun to watch, the bluebird has taken ownership of the urn, little boss.
ReplyDeleteI'm working to get better at color coordinating because it does make a difference in the mood a garden creates. Not there yet, but maybe someday.
DeleteThe more I watch the birds at the urn, the more I learn about them--it's been educational as well as fun.
I was a little worried when I saw the reference to a "confrontation" in your title but glad to learn it didn't involve bloodshed or misery! I love your 'Sylvan Red' Leucadendron. Maybe my back slope would appreciate a Leucadendron...
ReplyDeleteI hope Natasha is doing okay.
I did not know how feisty the bluebirds were. Up there with the Scrub Jays, who are even more possessive when they are ready for a bath.
DeleteLeucadendron, so beautiful, so easy!
After a couple of very rough weeks Natasha is going GREAT! Her gall bladder is still a worry, but she's happy, eating, everything good. :)
Haha, I've never thought of bluebirds as being such aggressors, but maybe it's just an intimidating look in their eyes which is enough.
ReplyDeleteYou are getting quite a bit done, I was just wondering how the rains this winter compare to last. Maybe you'll still get a good river or two running through this winter.
-and your garden always looks well planned to me. I wish I were a bit less lazy and a bit more motivated to work on the many 'not quite' sections of the garden!
Did not think of bluebirds that way either--it was a surprise.
DeleteRains so far not nearly so generous. Hoping for a decent outcome--there's still time.
We do what we can. I've got plenty of less than 'quite' garden areas--I just keep working at them and hoping.
You are putting your new lens to good use. Some really gorgeous shots especially of the birds. They usually aren't very cooperative. Love the colourful aloes and the Leucodendrons. They are really an unusual flower.
ReplyDeleteThe birds are often very uncooperative. Yesterday I stood with my camera as several warblers and two hummers worked over an Aloe flower stem--they all carefully stayed where the stem was between them and my camera. I did get one shot of a warbler's back end, not his best angle!
DeleteSo many photos with great composition. It appears to me that it is impossible for you to take a bad photo if the subject includes either an aloe/aloidendron or Leucadendron within the frame of view. Also, really liked the one of the bougainvillea/grass combo. I saw your watermark on the hummingbird photo, so I am guessing that you've had people steal your photos and exhibit them as their own?
ReplyDeleteSome plants are endlessly photogenic. Some humans are, too. All cats seem photogenic.
DeleteI've seen some of my photos on commercial websites. It's annoying. I thought if there is a watermark they are more likely to steal someone else's photos. Nowadays people mostly look at Instagram so the quiet backwater of blogspot seems a bit safer.