Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Harmony,’…yep! It’s my favorite plant in the garden this week…

Back in January I posted a couple of pictures of Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Harmony,’ the oldest Manzanita in my garden. I was lamenting the fact it was nothing but a blob and I couldn't even see the very reason I had planted it, those sexy cinnamon branches. Fast forward to last week when I did a little pruning and ta-dah…

Sexy branches galore!

In fact you can even (finally) see the color combo I loved back when I planted Podocarpus alpinus ‘Orangeade’ next to it (yes probably too close, but that’s my way) in the spring of 2011…

I bought my plant from Joy Creek Nursery in 2010. I’d wanted to add a Manzanita to my garden and loved the form and larger leaves of this plant, which came from Xera Plants (a wholesaler). According to plant lust it’s available from Cistus and Far Reaches Farm, as well as wherever Xera Plants are sold (that’s a pretty stellar combination of nurseries wouldn’t you say?). Here are their descriptions:

A fantastic selection of Sonoma Manzanita that is similar to 'Howard McMinn' when young but reveals its different character with age. Taller growing with a more arboreal habit. Glossy green leaves are the largest on any densiflora type. To 7' tall and 5' wide in time. Clusters of pink flowers appear in late winter and are showy for 4-6 weeks. Wonderful as a specimen and easy to grow. (Xera)

Taller and larger-leaved than other cultivars of the species, this one simply has more of that Californian manzanita, "summer water is for pansies” presence to it. The bark alone is enough for me. To 6 ft tall or so by 5 ft wide. Sun and good drainage. Cold hardy to 5F, mid USDA zone 7. (Cistus)

An ideal choice for that classic Manzanita look, this cultivar is taller growing than the other densiflora types allowing one to fully appreciate that mahogany bark and gnarled growth. It also sports larger leaves than typical and has light pink flowers in typical abandon. Good drainage, likes it dry. (Far Reaches)

I suppose I could have pruned even a little more, but I didn’t want to get carried away. Besides I’m just thrilled it’s finally starting to grow upwards, for the longest time its windswept shape had it creeping along horizontally.

Want to learn more about which Arctostaphylos might be right for your garden? There are 123 listed on plant lust!

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

My Garden of Misfit Plants

You've heard of the Island of Misfit Toys right? Well I've realized my garden has become the Garden of Misfit Plants, or maybe I should say misshapen plants. I don’t know exactly how it happened; I don’t intentionally buy the deformed plant. I started thinking about this after purchasing the Blue Atlas Cedar I mentioned last week.

See it has a definite crook to its trunk. It’s not a deal breaker, otherwise I wouldn't have bought it, but I guess when planting I need to stake it in such a manner that it might straighten out over time.

Here’s a pretty extreme example, my Poncirus trifoliata. Just look at that curve!

When I bought it several years ago I didn’t realize it had essentially been topped, I just thought it was a great plant at a great price. The transaction was a little awkward at the counter and I’ve always wondered if they were just happy to unload a damaged plant on a clueless customer. Either way I try not to shop there anymore (for several reasons), and the plant is trying to grow out of its unfortunate disfigurement.

Here’s one I purchased realizing full well it had issues. This Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Sentinel’ was trained as a standard, but it didn't quite live up their expectations. When I found it there were definite signs of scoliosis but I liked it anyway. I hope it isn’t doomed to breaking someday when the weight of a snow, or ice, load becomes too much for it.

Another of my Arctostaphylos, A. densiflora ‘Harmony’ is supposed to grow 5ft high by 6ft wide. Looks like it will make the 6ft wide no problem, but the 5ft high?

I bought the 'Harmony' with a slight tilt to it, hoping it would grow up to have graceful lines like this plant nearby…

Instead it looks like a blob! What a waste of a lovely plant, I need to get in there and do a little judicious pruning and training.

Here’s one that’s just a little odd, this Cotinus ‘Royal Purple' has stayed virtually the same little miniature shrub since I planted it almost 3 years ago (that’s it in the center with no leaves).

Since this plant has such a reputation for being rangy it’s odd to see one stay so compact. I've been told it’s because it likes a lot of water and I’m pretty stingy out here in the front garden in the summer. I've planted a couple of other plants nearby for height and made my peace with this one staying just a short dark foliage accent.

Next up is one of my Callistemon ‘Woodlander's Hardy Red’ it was this wee little stick when I bought it (for the amazing price of $1.98)…

At the time I thought it had a strong leader, but this is what the base looks like now.

Just a few inches tall and then it splays outward in five different directions.

It’s a lovely little plant but I just wish was taller before it split all willy-nilly!

Here's it's sister $1.98 Callistemon I bought a year later. It's looking much better!

Finally we finish with a gift plant that simply reinforces my theory that I attract misshapen plants...a lovely ginkgo that refuses to grow upright but rather takes off at a jaunty angle. This photo is from 2011 when it was given to me.

Here it is last summer, I tried to take a photo of it now to share but without its leaves it was a little hard to see.

So there you have it, my collection of happy misfits.

We revisit an extraordinary garden, chapter 1…

I originally shared photos of this garden in October of 2011 (day 1, day 2); however with the harsh shadows of the early morning hour those images were of less than stellar quality. As luck would have it (and I am a very lucky girl) I was invited to return in October of 2012 to see how the garden has progressed and of course take a few photos. We’ll start the visit today in the front garden, then tomorrow progress to the back. Today’s relatively light photo load (30) should be considered the hearty appetizer to tomorrows salad, main course and desert (70 images) you might want to set aside an hour to take it all in. There is a lot to see, you've been warned…

In the photo above we're looking at the house from the street entry, below we've turned to look to the left...

And to the right...

A slightly different angle, also to the right...

Now we've walked along the "outside" of the front right-side fence, reaching the corner and looking back at the house.

You know how blue Christmas lights are kind of hard to look directly at? It was the same way with this Eucalyptus, it was so powder blue that it appeared to glow from within.

My apologies to both you, the reader, and the garden owner, John. Enough time has elapsed since my visit that I've forgotten the name of many of the plants, if there are any you simply must know ask in the comments and I'll try and find out for you. The silver undersides of the leaves on this one were beautiful. (Update...it's a Drymis winteri)

Now we've walked back along the fence and are at the opposite corner looking towards the front garden, standing at the end of the driveway.

Also along the driveway was a late blooming (spectacularly colored) passion flower.

Throughout the garden are several of these tall bent re-bar supports for climbing plants, I appreciate their simplicity.

Eryngium, not sure which one...

And now we'll finally enter the garden (from the driveway) the Nolina 'La Siberica' are substantially larger than last year (at least to my memory)...

On my previous visit to this garden the plant on the left caught my eye and I became mildly obsessed.

I believe it is Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Silver Ruffles'...why don't I have one yet? We because it should eventually reach 12 ft tall.

More Nolina.

Turning back to the corner by the driveway.

Since it was mid October when I visited no doubt this Aloe striatula has bloomed by now.

And the opposite corner where you can see a bit of the blue Eucalyptus, a pair of tall Yucca rostrata, Opuntia, Agave, and sinewy gorgeous Manzanita. If this scene reminds you of Cistus nursery that's probably because Mr Hogan was behind the design of the garden.

Arbutus 'Marina'...

Happy tree ferns.

And so much texture!

Okay this is the last image for today. There will be oh so much more tomorrow...come back!

The Santa Barbara Botanical Garden

At least I can’t be accused of rushing things; here I am in September finally posting pictures from our visit to the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden back in May.

We didn’t plan to visit the SBBG, and had I known we would find ourselves with a free day in Santa Barbara I would have schemed another visit to Lotusland (just 5 miles away from the SBBG). However it was Memorial Day and Lotusland does require reservations in advance, and after all there is something to be said for branching out and visiting new places! So we set out for the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden…

The most important thing for you to know is the SBBG has an emphasis on California native plants. As a lover of most everything Californian this sounded like a good thing, however some in my party weren’t so impressed, comparing our outing to a walk we could have taken anywhere. Just warning you…

Agave shawii, beautiful! There were many more of these along the path so don’t worry I’ve got a couple more pictures to share.

There was a nursery right near the gift shop; we took a peek in there before beginning our treck. So many good things...

I really wanted to bring home one of these Nolina parryi, and I should have. Hindsight is so much clearer...

We started out  in the Desert Section: “This section features species that thrive in California’s coastal or interior desert regions, such as California fan palm (Washingtonia filifera), the only palm tree native to the state”... (from their brochure).

I don’t know for sure but I’m guessing these are Agave celsii…

Opuntia oricola, Chaparral Prickly pear. It's kind of amazing how the green pads are growing out of what looks to be dead wood.

I can’t help it, I love these signs telling you what plants have been used for over the years. I still hope to try some Yucca soap or shampoo someday.

Here are the other Agave shawii I promised you…

That Nolina parryi I should have bought, planted out.

Yucca brevifolia, better known as the Joshua Tree.

Epipactis gigantea (Stream Orchid)

Arctostaphylos glauca (Bigberry Manzanita). At the end of the garden there was an entire section devoted to Manzanitas, but I found the most interesting specimens (like this one) dotted throughout the garden.

Look at that bright green new growth! (I believe it's a Sequoia)

Andrew found this adorable little caterpillar…

Now we come to the Dudleya Collection, I had no idea how beautiful these plants are! Why are they called “Live-forever?” because they are extremely long lived plants and with the right care can live to be 100 years old. “Dudleya is a genus of succulent perennials, consisting of about 45 species in southwest North America. Many plants in the Dudleya genus were formerly classified as Echeveria… The genus is named after William Russell Dudley, the first head of the botany department at Stanford University. In horticulture, Dudleya should be planted at an angle. This allows accumulated water to drain from the nestlike center of the plant, thus preventing microbial decay” (source).

Dudleya abramsii, San Luis Obispo Live-forever

Dudleya viscida, Sticky Live-forever

Not a Dudleya but very cool…Coreopsis gigantea

Dudleya albiflora, White-flowered Live-forever

Dudleya cultrata

Aesculus californica (California Buckeye)

And the flowers…

In the Meadow Section…Solidago canadensis ssp. elongata (Canada Goldenrod)

And Eriogonum giganteum (St. Catherine's Lace)

Next we walked over to the Ceanothus Section; however since we were there after they’d finished blooming they weren’t terribly prominent. However the blooming Yuccas were…

Yucca whipplei

A Fremontodendron

Anyone able to identify this ground cover?

Arctostaphylos glauca x 'Canyon Blush' (Canyon Blush Manzanita)

And some late blooming Ceanothus behind the Poppies…

I think Andrew was was practicing his Pinocchio impersonation...

Here’s what it looks like to stare up into a massive group of Yucca flowers…

And the tiny plant producing such a monster…

With that our visit comes to an end, hope you enjoyed it! In my book Santa Barbara is a plant mecca, and I enjoyed visiting the SBBG where it isn't all glitz and glam but rather lots and lots of hardworking native plants.