Thanks as always to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting GBBD.
I've got a lot blooming in the garden right now. All of these pics are from the newly installed front yard that is very occasionally hand watered, no irrigation. The hope is that next year it will just survive on it's own. Below you can see the California fuschia is in full bloom next to the black and blue sage.
Next up are some pics of a channel island snapdragon (Galvezia speciosa) that was incredibly small and just planted a few months ago. It's doing great. It's filled out and has started blooming and looks like more are on their way. They look like little puckered lips to me and are a very sexy red.
In this one you can see the channel island snapdragon and licorice plant growing into each
other. I like how the flowers poke out of the licorice plant. I can't remember the latin name for the licorice plant, but it is spreading and covering our mound with almost no water. I don't even water it once a month now and it was planted in March.
Here's a tibouchina bloom.
This salvia (can't remember the name) has been blooming since April I think. Love it's fuzzy pinkness.
Caryopteris, not my favorite plant, but it's adding a nice touch of purple to the yard in late summer.
And last but not least, Salvia apiana, or white sage. This bloom is really weird, but the plant is great. The bees supposedly love it, though it just started blooming so I'm not sure. And this is the white sage that Native Americans and now hippy liberals use(d) to burn for smudging. I dried some leaves and burned one yesterday. A very sweet smelling incense. I've also read it can be drunk as tea and used medicinally in many ways. Those experiments will come next.
beautiful flowers tnx for the post
ReplyDeleteIs the fuzzy salvia Salvia chiapensis? I have that plant too. I have all these plants actually except for Salvia apiana. Love it in pictures, but the smell of it is repulsive. Now there's a tea that you make from the leaves that supposedly tastes great and nothing like the smell... I'm intrigued by that. I admire the plant for other things too.
ReplyDeleteThe epilobium canum, I've been ripping out this year to find a better place for it next year. Did you cut it back in June for a tidier appearance in October? They recommend that in the Bronstein, Fross, O'Brien book.
I don't think it's Salvia chiapensis based on the foliage. I think it might be Salvia buchananii, which has almost identical flowers, but different leaves. It's also a shorter variety. I think ours was mislabeled since it said 3ft hight and is stuck at about a foot and a half.
ReplyDeleteWe have three S. apianas next to the driveway, but so far no problem with S. apiana's smell. It is in the front corner of the front yard though, so maybe we haven't noticed. And I like the smell of the dried leaves burning. I'll definitely have to try the tea.
This is the first year we have the epilobium canum. I planted it in March. It was ripped out of a friend's sister's yard. Too messy in the late fall for her. I've dealt with it in other yards and I just hack it to the ground or even pull some of it out in the fall when it starts looking ugly. It reseeds and spreads by runners so much it doesn't seem to make a difference.
Hi Brad, so nice to see your garden! Love all the salvias and the one used for smudging is especially nice. The combo with the silver foliage of the licorice, helichrysum of some kind with the brights is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteFrances
Love your comments on Native CA plants. I've also gotten into them, but have little sunny space to put them in. My garden is small. I have Savlia Clevelandi in a pot and Penstemon in one area. I hope to branch out to others. You climate must be fun, being more humid and gentle on the plants. This time of summer here in Southern CA with no rain since March and the heat coming strong, most plants just barely survive August, even in the shade. I have to water every day.
ReplyDelete