Pat Welsh Southwest Garden Advice, plus garden ideas for everyone » Landscape Design

Plants for Beachfront and Seaside Gardens in Southern California

Pat — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 08:24:02 +0000

Question from Zachary:
What plants will grow in gardens close to the coast and right on the beach front in Southern California?

Answer from Pat:
Trees that will survive on the oceanfront in Southern California include the following: Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa), Leyland cypress (x Cupressocyparis leylandii), flooded gum tree (Eucalyptus rudis), bushy yate (E. conferruminata usually sold as E. lehmannii), compact sugar gum (E. cladocalilyx ‘Nana’), flame eucalyptus (E. ficifolia), rustyleaf fig (Ficus rubiginosa), cajeput tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia), New Zealand Christmas tree (Metrosideros excelsa), M collina ‘Spring Fire’ or ‘Figi’; palm trees including Brahea edulis, Butia capitata, Chamerops, cocos, Phoenix canariensis, P. dactylifer, P.reclinata, Sabal blackburniana, S. palmetto, Washingtonia robusta; Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis), shore pine (P. contorta), Bosnian pine (P. heldreichii), Bishop pine (P. muricata),) Italian stone pine (P. pinea), holly oak (Quercus ilex), and California laurel (Umbellaria californica).

Shrubs that will survive on the oceanfront in Southern California include:strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), natal plum (Carissa macrocarpa), rockrose (Cistus), wire netting plant (Corokia cotoneaster), Australian fuchsia (Correa), hop bush (Dodonaea viscosa), lemon leaf (Eleagnus), pink flowered shrub (Escallonia), evergreen euonumus (Euonymus japonicus), Grisiliana, needle bush (Hakea), Hebe, Juniperus (several), Kalanchoe, Lantana, lavender (Lavandula), tea tree (Leptospermum), Melaleuca, oleander (Nerium oleander), Jerusalem sage (Phlomis), Pittosporum crassifolium, P. tobira, Protea compacta, Italian buckthorn (Rhamnus alaternus), Rhaphiolepis, lemonade berry (Rhus integrifolia), Ramana rose (Rosa rugosa), rosemary (Rosmarinus officianalis), evergreen viburnum (Viburnum), coast rosemary (Westringea fruticosa)

Perennials that will survive on the oceanfront in Southern California include: yarrow (Achillea), agapanthus, Tree aloe (Aloe arborescens) and others, sea pink (Armeria maritima), Artemisia, Carex, Jupiters beard (Centranthus ruber), Cape rush (Chondropetalum elephantinum), marguerite (Chrysanthemum frutescens), ground morning glory (Convolvulus sabatius), Dianthus, Pride of Madeira (Echium candicans), seaside daisy (Erigeron), buckwheat (Eriogonum), Euphorbia (several types), Euryops, blue marguerite (Felicia amelloides), Gazania, Iceplants (many kinds), sea lavender (Limonium pereziii), Pink muhlie grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris), Mexican feather grass (Nassella tenuissima), garden geraniums of all kinds (Pelargonium), New Zealand flax (Phormium), lavender cotton (Santolina), Succulents of many varieties—(virtually all of them. I have seen whole gardens of succulents on the cliffs overlooking the sea), and Yucca. Among flowering bulbs try Naked ladies (Amaryllus belladonna). Years ago great drifts of these bulbs made a huge show with aloes, thriving and blooming their heads off on bare cliffs overlooking the sea.

For annuals try nasturtiums planted in fall and coastal wildflowers also planted in fall. Water them to get them started. In dry areas with no summer water, try the California native plants sea dahlia (Coreopsis maritima) and giant sea dahlia (Coreopsis gigantea). Neither of these can take any summer water unless provided by Mother Nature herself.

Good choices for potted plants that will survive on the oceanfront in Southern California include many kinds of geraniums and succulents. Use rocks, pebbles, stepping stones, shells, bottles, driftwood, bleached rope, and flotsam and jetsam to create interest in your seaside garden. You can even fill an old rowboat with garden soil and use it as a raised bed. All of the plants mentioned here are good anywhere close to the coast. In back of the house in a sunny spot out of the wind and in a raised bed or a rowboat you could even grow vegetables and herbs. Surround the rowboat with scented geraniums for a great look.

Drought-resistant Lawn Substitute for People and Dogs

Pat — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 08:41:08 +0000

Question from Candace and Cyrus:
We recently got rid of our entire fescue lawn and replaced it ( or tried to ) with UC Verde, a new form of buffalo grass specially engineered for the climate of the southwest. Unfortunately, because we are within a half mile of the coast, we received insufficient sunshine for the grass to establish. As a result, our entire lawn looks like a war zone now. We need a grassy area for our large German Sheperd /Great Dane mix to run. Our new drought guidelines restrict us to 10 minutes of watering 3 times a week. Any ideas? We live in Encinitas.

Answer from Pat:
One of the most pressing current needs of gardeners is a drought- and-wear-resistant ground cover to take the place of a lawn, especially for people who have dogs or children who love to run and play and can wear out many kinds of ground covers. My suggestions are these: First a bermudagrass lawn such as ‘Santa Ana’ or ‘Tifgreen’ is grass but it is very drought-resistant and will stay green along the coast even in winter and will take no more water than gazanias. In a drought it will pull in its horns and go brown but it will not die. It is far better to water it longer once a week than more shallowly and for less long three times a week as some cities now mistakenly legislate.

Secondly I suggest planting creeping white yarrow or woolly yarrow (Achillea tomentosa) as a lawn. Plant seeds in fall and keep the ground damp until they are germinated. It will take a little time to become established but it will eventually make a ferny green mat that is very pleasant to walk on and very durable. The flowers are a bonus and can be taken off after blooms fade with a weed-wacker.

Thirdly I suggest Lippia (Phyla nodiflora). It is a drought-resistant, low groundcover that takes foot traffic, but it does bear pink flowers in June that bring bees. You can mow them off in June with a lawn mower in order that your dog’s paws won’t get bitten. (Bees in the garden don’t bite except when you accidentally step on one or grasp one by mistake. Bees do protect and guard their hives, however, but having a lawn that attracts bees won’t cause bees to make a hive in your garden.)

Erosion Control for Steep Hillside: Last Minute Installation to Hold the Soil

Pat — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 08:43:10 +0000

Question from Melissa:
Hi Pat, My elderly parents live in Rolling Hills Estates on the Palos Verdes Peninsula and have a very steep hillside leading down from their backyard. About 1 year ago a “live” sprinkler pipe ruptured and sent a landslide down into the neighbors pool below! After huge expense and going through tge insurance company’s recommended hillside repair service, etc. all plants on the slope have died and my folks now have a bare hillside right before the rainy season! Needless to say I’m not sleeping at night worrying about it. I have read your exchange with Kathy from last June on this subject and was wondering if you have any recommendations of people in the business of doing this kind of work. It is hard to find recommendations and since we feel it wasn’t done correctly last time . . . we are desparate to get it done right now. Any advice would be appreciated.

Answer from Pat:
Wow! This sounds dangerous and right before the rains. Luckily, however, the rains this year are not supposed to be so strong as last year. I don’t live anywhere near you, and thus I cannot recommend anyone to help you, but I have several suggestions regarding what to do. I would make a list of local nurseries and phone each of them to ask if they have heard of similar problems and solutions in your area and for companies doing bank stabilization and also look online. I would do the same for landscapers. Spend a day on the phone and phone a bunch of them and ask if they have handled similar problems.In Rolling Hills and Palos Verdes Estates there is an on-going problem with erosion therefore I would think that inquiring locally might be a help towards getting knowledgeable attention to detail and fast work prior to the rains. I would also ask South Coast Botanic Gardens if they have any advice. Here is a newspaper story regarding the recent landslide in Portuguese Bend: http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_16074876

Beginning in spring, you could have planted something that might have held up that bank but planting should have been done much sooner than this. It is too late now. I have seen huge banks covered with plastic to get them through the rains, but the top of the plastic must be secured into the ground so that water does not course under the plastic. Additionally, covering a bank this way leads to strong water runoff at the bottom, but sometimes it’s the only solution to get a steep bank safely through the winter rains. You will need to find a local company to do this work. Sometimes builders and roofers are helpful with such a situation since they also have to deal with getting areas covered before the rains. Once you get through the rains then you would have time to plant appropriately. When you tell me that the plants all died on the bank, this gives me a clue that they were not watered enough to keep them alive during the summer months. Getting a bank of fresh plant material to take off and grow requires an appropriate drip system properly maintained and timed or else careful light watering by hand with the hose and sprinkler several times a week to make sure the irrigation sinks in and does not just run off or merely moisten the surface. Sometimes people think if native plants were used they need no water, but all need water at first to allow them to become established. You don’t mention what plants were used. If they were summer-deciduous native plants they may not be dead but simply dormant in summer when there is no rain.

A solution that might help now would be to install a concrete revetment product. This means an articulated concrete block bank stabilization system. There are many types on the market. Nurseries are one place to go and local landscapers undoubtedly are familiar with these systems. Geoweb Cellular Confinement System is one such name. I would think there must be a company in the Palos Verdes area who does this work using whatever products they find appropriate. Purchase and installation would cost thousands of dollars and also requires correct hydraulic systems analysis in advance to make sure it will work and be sure you get the right type for the slope. There is even one type of plantable concrete block available for almost vertical and vertical installations. We have several of these walls next to roads where I live. Once installed they can be planted with appropriate plant materials to additionally hold the bank. Lowes Stores and Dixieline and local concrete block companies all sell products such as Keystone Retaining Wall units that are made to hold banks and you can grow plants in the spaces provided by these blocks. Lumber yards, concrete block companies, and other such places can suggest companies to do the installations. If a slope is adequate that the blocks lean their weight onto the bank, weed fabrics installed behind the blocks can stop invasive weeds and help stabilize through winter rains. Cut X holes through when planting so roots can go through into the ground.

I have also seen whole banks sprayed with Gunite (sprayed-on concrete) such as the kind used for swimming pools. An entire bank below a house and deck and above a swimming pool was sprayed with Gunite on a steep hillside near my home. This can be an inexpensive and suitable solution, though not a beautiful one. Another spray protection for stabilization of earth is a polyurethane coating made by a company called SPI. Several companies manufacture ornamental rock walls to retain slopes. One product for this purpose is called Shotcrete. Matrix is a company that does this kind of work.

Fifty-four years ago when my late husband and I first moved into our home, I once faced a problem of similar magnitude right here on my own property. My husband’s step-father was John Lloyd Wright, the son of Frank Lloyd Wright. Like his famous father, John was also an architect, and he designed our home which was built into a hillside where there had previously been a steep bank. John ordered that the site of the foundations of our house be bulldozed out of the hillside and all the earth pushed westward towards the ocean to make a patio surrounded by an earth berm, 3 feet tall on the inside but approximately 30 feet tall on the outside with a steep grade. We stabilized the inside of this berm with large rocks. During the summer I personally planted iceplant or hotentot fig (Carpobrotus edulis) all over the exterior slope of the earth berm. I climbed up there by laying a tall ladder onto the ground and moving it along as I worked. Carprobrotus is not favored today since its seeds can invade wild lands especially near the ocean. Also, it is said to pull down steep banks. However it never pulled down my bank. I watered carefully with the hose several times a week until the roots struck into the ground and held the bank. After the rains came it held the bank perfectly. By spring it covered the bank. I never again watered it and it never was a problem.

Small Patio Trees

Pat — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 08:26:54 +0000

Question from Margo:
I am having two trees removed and need replacements. One, will be in an elevated triangular planter about 6″ at the widest point. It is directly over a spa. So I need a tree that will not drop leaves and will not have invasive roots. The second was in the ground and I’m thinking about pouring concrete and using a large container for a tree.

Answer from Pat:
Small trees that will grow in a small raised bed or very large tub and are non-drippy are few and far between. Also you do not inform me of where you live, or what climate zone you live in. If you live in Southern California or in the Bay Area (San Francisco and environs) my top suggestion for a small clean patio tree is Rhaphiolepis ‘Magestic Beauty’. This is a trouble-free tree that is subject to virtually no pests or disease. It’s thought to be a cross between Raphiolepis indica and Eriobotrya, but I think it is just a chance seedling of rhaphiolepis, since I had something similar come up in my own garden from a seed. Leaves and flowers are bigger than the other selections and growth habit is taller and more treelike. It grows well anywhere in the largely populated areas of California from San Francisco on down. It is a clean non-drippy tree, good on streets and good in patios. Shear after bloom once a year to keep in shape. Never prune in autumn or winter or there will be no spring flowers!

Fill the raised bed with good quality top soil (Not potting mix!) and add organic fertilizer also measuring the correct amount. But plant the tree in the pot in potting soil (not top soil!) the best quality you can find. Add some organic fertilizer at planting time that is appropriate for trees. Ask your local nursery to order the tree from Monrovia Nurseries or go to a tree farm to get it. They have specimens with various trunk heights. I would be careful to get one with the tallest trunk available. The small ones take a long time to grow taller, if ever. Ask for one with a good pink color but if you think the pink is a bit washed out looking in spring, don’t worry. The color will deepen as the tree ages, which is good. (The deeper pink color of the flowers is preferable.)

The main trick with pruning rhaphiolepis is to follow this rule: “Prune after bloom, never before bloom!” After spring bloom is done, shear off the top of the plant in June every year in the shape of an umbrella, removing all fruits that form after flowers fade and some foliage. Above is a photograph I took of a mature one in bloom that is pruned correctly in June every year. It is about 25 years old. Best in full sun but can survive in half-shade inland.

It is far better to have two of the same thing than two different plants, but if you want another choice I suggest Agnes Galt pink Chinese hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis ‘Agnes Galt’) grown on a trunk as a tree, but this may be difficult to find. Another variety that can be grown on a trunk is ‘Angel Wing’. It has big white flowers. These two will survive many years as trees in containers or small raised beds or streetside and also and are clean trees. Prune as my book suggests for hibiscus starting in March. Keep head in umbrella shape. Fertilize through summer. Cover soil mix with dry bagged earthworm castings against giant white flies if they ever attack this tree, but beneficial insects released by the Department of Agriculture are controlling the giant white flies pretty well. Grow in full sun.

Thanks for your inspiration

Pat — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:02:12 +0000

From Jim and Karen:
I just wanted to thank you guys for your inspirational walls in Del Mar and Solana Beach that we used to make our own mosaic wall in our front yard. The wall is 45′ long and 5′ high at the starting point. We used a combination of fossils, rocks, ceramics, shells, beads, copper, stained glass, etc. along with 15 different shades of grout. We are located in Carmel Valley and just wanted you to know that we love your work! I have included some before and after pictures.

Answer from Pat:
Your kind email and striking photos touched my heart to the core. I loved the way you did buildings and your various colors of grout. Your creation exudes originality, design sense and good taste. Please may we post your kind letter and photos on my blog? For those readers of this blog who don’t know the story, Betsy Schulz and I met in 2002, and Betsy instantly threw her heart over the jump. She agreed to partner with me and 80 volunteers in creating a mural that began as a chance inspiration that had popped in my head when I drove past a wall in Del Mar. In my minds eye I saw it covered with a multi-media mural like one I had just finished in my garden. When Betsy and I and our volunteers finished the job a year later, it was 92-feet long in entirety and 4-feet tall and contained over 30 original terra-cotta sculptures and infinite pieces of memorabilia contributed by townspeople and friends. It stands in front of the Del Mar Public Library on Camino Del Mar (Old Highway 101) at 13th Street in Del Mar. My book, the Magic Mural, tells the story and folks can learn more about the building process from my website. After creating this one great mural with Betsy and volunteers, I had to quit. I still paint in oils and watercolors but right now I’m concentrating on my blog and on writing more books.

Betsy Schulz, however, has continued on her inspiringly artistic path creating many murals and other public art scattered throughout San Diego County, including her fabulous arch and murals in Solana Beach. After we worked together, her career took off even more rapidly than before and her work is beyond compare. I never cease to be amazed and delighted at her abundant skills and talent without which I could never have put together my dream and made it come true. Betsy is an amazingly accomplished and versatile artist and it’s mind boggling to think of all she has done since. I wish I could have continued my partnership with her but I’m not up to it physically any more, and anyway one can’t do everything, much as one wishes one could—or at least I do. I now plan to continue writing books until I’m 90 and then switch to painting full time, mostly in oils. I’ve been offered a one-woman show in a San Diego art gallery, Art Expressions, and I have said, “Thank you but not now. When I’m 90 that would be great!”

You are not the only people who’ve been inspired by our murals to make some of their own, but yours are among the finest examples I’ve seen. I gasped also at the beauty of your gardens which enhance the total look.

Again many, many thanks for sharing these photos and your delightful story with Betsy and me.

Planting a Bank

Pat — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:57:43 +0000

Question from Christy:
I have just removed ice plant from my bank and would like to go with native/drought tolerant/succulent/and maybe even some edible plants. I live in San Diego and the bank gets full sun. I have a good idea (from your web-site) about the first three types of plants but I am not sure what fruits or vegetables would work the best. I would appreciate any suggestions you could give me.

Answer from Pat:
Before I can answer your question I have to ask for some more information:

You asked me about planting a bank with succulents and natives but then you mentioned fruits and vegetables. I am so sorry but I don’t understand. Is this bank to be planted with succulents and natives or is it to be planted with fruits and vegetables? Or is there a terraced section on this bank or perhaps multiple terraces that you wish to plant with fruits and vegetables. Please describe the bank and your plans for it more fully so I can answer in a more informed manner.

Suggestions re Flowering vine or hedge as divider

Pat — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:45:18 +0000

Question from Diane:
I live in middle of Los Angeles (Hancock Park red clay soil) and have cyclone fence between new neighbors and my yard. Old divider was eugenia hedge now removed. East/south facing so sun most of the day. Think Jasmine, potato vine, wisteria would get too thick. Any other suggestions? Passion vine too agressive. A little side note – my mom gave me your first book when published and we still all refer to it. I have just redone the whole yard to include a formal potage. Very excited about all of it but can’t solve the problem of the fence. Best – Diane

Answer from Pat:
Heartwarming to hear how you love that old book but of course wish you’d try the new one. (Didn’t you ever notice that I omitted geraniums? By mistake of course.I wrote the section but it “fell off” the end of a document and never made it into that first book. So much for being a computer idiot at the time. A lot of other things didn’t get into to it either, including all the opening chapters (due to lack of space.) But after that first book’s huge success, I was able to put all the accidentally and on-purpose omitted stuff into the second edition published ten years later in 2000, and now the new edition (2010) has all that and more and is all-organic to boot. I’ve gone back to my roots on our Pennsylvania organic 1940′s farm and “tell all” about organic gardening and farming, how and why in the introductory chapter.

I know Hancock Park well. What a great place in which to live! One of my five grandchildren, Rebecca Woolf, blogger extraordinaire (http://www.girlsgonechild.net/2010/04/garden.html,) and her husband Hal and their kids Archer and Fable lived nearby, all squashed together in a little house in Larchmont, for five years, but now they have moved up in the world, to Hollywood, a month ago. I haven’t seen their house (still a rental) yet but intend to soon.

Now for your chain link fence. My younger daughter, Wendy, Rebecca’s mom, and husband Larry planted star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) and potato vine (Solanum jasminoides) on a fence between themselves and next door neighbors must be 25 years ago. It’s still there. If ever messy or a bit overgrown, they just chop away at it. It’s provided good privacy. I planted star jasmine, some in shade, some in sun here at my house on a fence. That was 1982. It’s still fine. We try to control width by shearing it after bloom. Works pretty well and gives me excellent privacy from the road below the bank. It’s not on chain link but similar since one could see through if no growth on it. The look is of a hedge, which I like, and also the flowers are so delightfully fragrant for a month or more. Other things I like for chain link fences are Thunbergia gregori, Bougainvillea x buttiana ‘Golden Glow’, Blue Sky Vine (Ipomoea indica) but problably not a good choice since it’s invasive—Nonetheless I love it—, and Pyrostegia venusta. Another thought is Lavender trumpet vine (Clytostoma callistegioides.) It’s such a splash of color and long spring and summer bloom and no pests or diseases, any kind of soil, and easy to control. Only problem: A bit slow to start.

One caveat on jasmine: Begin with plants that are already on trellis in 5 gallon cans. You should be able to get them right now since they are still in bloom. Set them in the ground so the trellises touch. This will give you a fast cover. There is no rule saying you have to have only one thing. You could plant a splash of color as well. A bougainvillea in the hottest spot for example. It wants full sun and hot hot spot to do it’s best. Since you have red clay soil, dig half a coffee can full of gypsum into the bottom of every planting hole to improve drainage. Gardens are great in Hancock Park. That nutritious clay soil can grow great roses and many other flowering plants. Re: thickness, shear to control after bloom. Let the neighbors worry about their side. Pyrostegia venusta drapes down like a curtain, not thick. Thick is nice since it’s private.

Longtime friend of mine, the late great Chuck Kline of Seaworld, once said to me, “If you want to grow something, try it. If it’s the wrong thing, change it! Don’t be afraid to yank things out and try something else.” So really you can’t go wrong. If I were you I’d do star jasmine and plant now.

Great idea about your formal potage. Have fun! (Sounds as if you are.)

Italian Cypress Trees For Narrow Land Strip

Pat — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 08:47:22 +0000

Question from Nolanda:
1. I reside in Pasadena, CA. I have read alot of problems, mostly dust mites, killing italian cypresses after 3 yrs despite professional care & spraying. 2. Is the italian cypress too difficult to thrive in the CA valley now? 3.My alternate tree is the Skyrocket juniper due to its height, being taller than the Spartan juniper. 4. Which juniper do you prefer? 5. My land strip, full sun, is between a low retaiing wall and my garage. 6. Of course, I want the hardiest & fastest growing. My new neighbor is tragically cutting down all the mature & healthy boundary trees.
Answer from Pat:
Sorry about the loss of the trees next door!

I am very fond of Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens ‘Stricta’ , C. s.’Fastiigiata’). I know some people don’t like them, but I love the look of them and their atmospheric quality pleases me. They remind me of Italy, and fit in with the Mediterranean garden style. I have three in my own garden and have pruned off the lower branches so they look like the trees in Renaissance paintings. (But if this look is desired it should never be done until the trees are at least 10 or 15 feet tall.)

Italian cypress need good drainage. In general, since these trees are drought-resistant, deep infrequent watering is preferable to frequent and shallow watering. However, if you want them to grow fast you will need to fertilize and water for rapid growth. In heavy clay soil Italian cypress can die from root rot, so in this case they are not a good choice. Canker diseases have also been a problem in recent years and there is said to be no cure, but good health can help trees throw off problems. It used to be said that the best time to fertilize is in March, but those rules were for synthetic fertilizers. When fertilizing with organic fertilizers, earlier is better since it takes time for them to work. For example, applications of manure in fall before the rains are good, or apply adequate quantities of commercial organic fertilizer in late January and water in. Grow Power is not fully organic but plants thrive on it. If you choose that, I would apply it in mid-February.

Also, mulch the trees. Organic fertilizers and beneficial insects can help Italian cypress withstand attacks of spider mites. People who grow roses organically for example have no spider mites on their roses. My Italian cypress do not suffer from spider mites but I live near the coast so hot dry weather is not a problem. Cypress trees in the Hollywood hills are looking okay also. Strangely enough the smoke from last year’s fires probably smoked the trees in the hills and did them some good since they all got a big dose of carbon, and doubtless the smoke killed some of the pests also. Additionally flowering trees and plants doubtless benefitted from the ethylene gas in the smoke. (Nice to know that a fire that does so much harm also brings about some good.) When my town was filled with smoke for a whole week a couple of years ago, the growth and health of our trees and the number of flowers on flowering shrubs and trees were extraordinary for a whole year thereafter.

Though the problems with pests and diseases mentioned above have afflicted Italian cypress in recent years, I believe that good cultural practices (also explained above) can keep these problems under control so if these are the trees you love, why not have them? Other columnar type trees for a rapidly growing screen include several varieties of podocarpus, and as you suggested, junipers. You might not like x Cupressocyparis leylandii, but I’ve seen it growing in a narrow side yard and pruned to fit. (Their gardener did this job at regular intervals for 50 years.) It’s hard to choose between ‘Spartan’ and ‘Skyrocket’ junipers. I like the color of ‘Spartan’ Juniper better than ‘Skyrocket’, but ‘Skyrocket’ is a little faster growing, I think and it’s very narrow with the reputation of fitting into a narrow side yard with little problem. Monrovia Nursery grows both these varieties. ‘Spartan’ might be better adapted to growing in California since it’s said to grow even in Zone 10. Is there any chance you can view these varieties growing in a landscape near you? That is often a good way to make a choice.

How to Determine the Correct Spacing of All Garden Plants

Pat — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 08:12:33 +0000

Controlling Algerian Ivy & Plants that Attract Birds

All nurseries will provide you with information when you purchase plants as to correct spacing of the plants you buy. Most plant labels have size and spacing listed on the label. Always ask the correct spacing of plants at purchase time. If you failed to do this, you can find information on spacing in paperback books on landscaping and ground covers, and on the internet. As a general rule, it is not an appropriate use of my time to be providing it since there are so many thousands of different plants that we grow here, and each have different spacing. Nonetheless, since you wrote to me, I will provide it this time, but I would like to help you find this sort of information for yourself. For example, if you had simply Googled “Correct spacing for Bougainvillea ‘La Jolla’ “you would instantly have gotten the information: 6 to 8 feet apart. Now it’s time to use your head. Ask yourself: “Am I going to plant in drifts for an all-over look? Or am I going to dot these plants on the hill with the ground cover between them?” These kinds of thoughts in your head will help you to come up with sensible answers: For example, you might decide to put the plants further apart—as much as 15 feet apart if other plants such as plumbago and lantana are going between them.

Here is an example for how to find out correct spacing of all garden plants. Look at the label of your plant. It may provide spacing. Most plant labels do. Or it may provide mature size. Or to find out the mature size, if the label fails to say, look up the eventual size of the plant up in Sunset Western Garden Book, a plant encyclopedia every gardener needs. (My book does a different job. My book tells you when to do what and how to do it.) Sunset is a complete encyclopedia, an alphabetical list of almost every garden plant we grow in the West. It provides correct spacing for many plants or when not providing spacing it provides mature size. My book does not try to replicate this, that would be senseless. My book belongs side-by-side with the Sunset Western Garden Book and the two books work together, Sunset naming and describing the plants, and mine telling you what to do when.)

(Also in Sunset, there are some informative pages in the back on basic information. Please read page 726 How to Plant Shrubs and page 691 How to Plant Groundcovers. Also look at the index on page 764 for other planting guidance that might help you.)

Now here’s how to use Sunset to find out correct spacing when it is not provided: In the latest edition of Sunset Western Garden Book on page 552 (the most recent edition), it describes the mature size of Plumbago auriculata as making a mound 6 feet tall and 8—10 feet wide. Plant the specimens so they are exactly the same size apart as the eventual mature size of the plant, that is 8 to 10 feet apart. This is fine also for ‘Royal Cape’ or ‘Imperial Blue’, whichever one you purchased. (You mentioned ‘Royal Robe’, but I think you said that by mistake. ‘Royal Robe’ is the name of the best Solanum rantonettii, another lovely plant but it is 6 to 8 feet tall and wide and looks best with more water, so not as good on this bank.)

Find the spacing for all your other plants in the same way as I have described above. The correct spacing for every ground cover should be provided on the plant label or provided by the nursery if you phone them, but for many 6 to 8 inches apart is about right. Some shrubby plants should be place 12 inches apart. It all depends on the mature size of whatever you are planting and the way a plant grows whether creeping or not. Take the mature width of the plant and you then have the correct spacing, or for a quick cover you can put them a little closer.

Yes, you can purchase lantana in flats and if you do, then plant them closer together. But the variety of lantana that is most frequently available in flats is a species called Lantana montevidensis, which is a purple, trailing lantana, not the same color as ‘Radiation’, which is a whole color scheme in one plant and is a more shrubby type. When planting lantana from small plants from a flat, put them closer together, —about one foot apart— than you would if planting from one-gallon or five- gallon size.

Regarding the ivy (probably Algerian ivy) it would be best to cut it off and keep it cut off and pulled out on your side of the fence. This is what I do in one part of my property where a old bank of ivy is separated by a flight of steps made of concrete sacks from the rest of the garden. We just keep policing and cutting it off and pulling it out and this way have successfully controlled it for many years. You can plant right over the ivy if you want, but unfortunately it will eventually climb up and cover over some of your plants, spoiling their appearance. It will, however, help hold the bank.

Yes, birds will be attracted to these plants, but you didn’t mention until now that attracting birds was a priority. Had you done so I would have suggested an entirely different group of plants. However, hummingbirds will visit the plumbago and lantana flowers. Butterflies will visit both of them, but for lists of plants especially attractive to birds (and other pages of plants attractive to butterflies, and many other specialized lists), please see the book I wrote called “The American Horticultural Society Southwest Smart Garden™ Regional Guide.” I wrote this book of lists to help gardeners such as you choose plants according to where you are going to plant them and how you will use them. Plants that are especially attractive to birds are listed, described, discussed, and pictured on pages 132, 133, 134, 135, 208, 209, 210, 211, 242, 243, 298, and 299. (Also see the list of all the lists contained in the book on page 82.) In my copy I have written the page numbers on every page, since many page numbers were omitted by the publisher, D.K. This is a beautifully designed book, but the publisher D.K. had the crazy idea that page numbers on every page would screw up their pretty design, so they would not listen to me when I told them there should be a page number on every page. Reference books need page numbers, and this is a reference book, not just a coffee table book.

Pat Welsh’s Garden

Pat — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:21:14 +0000

Question from Cat:
I was wondering if you ever open your garden up for viewing. I would love to see it. I live in Trabuco Canyon, California and am an avid So Calif gardener. I travel to Great Dixter every year to take their gardenning symposiums and learn their techniques first hand. I would also like to buy a signed copy of your gardening journal.

Answer from Pat:
Thank you so much for this enquiry. About seven years ago my insurance company informed me that they would need to greatly increase my homeowners insurance if I continued to open my garden to tours and visits from the public. That put an end to visits to my garden from members of the public. Now my garden is back to being what it was always meant to be in the first place: A happy outdoor space for my own enjoyment and for the enjoyment of family and friends. The time felt exactly right. There are many great gardens out there, far better ones than mine now is. It is time for younger folks to take over.

Since making that decision, I’ve been simplifying my garden and making it easier care and more drought-resistant. I got rid of all my tubs and containers or most of them, pulled out all overly-thirsty plants, covered the spaces with mulch, replaced some with natives, added new potted arrangements of succulents, and installed a huge succulent bank next to the drive. It hardly ever gets watered. I’m now saving about one hundred dollars on every water bill. I’m also trying to resist temptations that arise sometimes to add more plants. The main additions today are fun things for my great-grandchildren, like potted “fairy gardens” and a projected “dinosaur garden”. We already have a “pirate garden” and may make a hobbit house or two. Wandering paths and flights of steps I made of sacks of concrete, hardened under the hose, already create fun places for my beloved great-grandson Archer to run around on. But I have to tell you I simply adore all four of them: Archer, Anushka, Fable, and Jade.

Here are some photos of my garden taken last Easter by my granddaughter Rebecca Woolf.
http://www.girlsgonechild.net/2010/04/garden.html

She has posted some other ones also: Click on this link to a photo of the very simple “fairy garden” I made with the help of my friend Denise.
http://www.girlsgonechild.net/2009/11/treasured.html

Regarding Great Dixter, Christopher Lloyd and I were friends. He visited my garden years ago. I visited him with my granddaughter Rachel Woolf when she was 13 years old and I took her on a trip to Spain, Scotland, and England. Christo gave me the room in which he was born. Rachel had been in another room but after going to bed, crept in to join me, even though Christo had said very decisively “My house is NOT haunted!” (We didn’t say it was, but you know he was a character.) So while we were there we both slept in the bed in which Christo had been born. That whole long weekend was a great experience and we drank a lot of very good champagne. This photo was taken by a lovely visitor to the garden during one of our afternoon walks around the garden. (Please say hi to Fergus.)