Santa Cruz Island

Last weekend I was invited to join a group going camping on Santa Cruz Island.  The island in known as the Galapagos of N. America.  I was delighted to see many of the endemics as well as island variants of mainland species. Below are some of my favorites.  Some of the ones I didn't photo were mounding mazanitas, oaks, toyon, saltbush, and one of my all time favorites, Eriogonum grande.

If you can take the time go to the island. It's only an hour ferry from Ventura, and there are some great trails as well as incredible kayaking.  We did a 4 hour guided kayak tour of sea caves which turned me into a little kid. It was Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland plus the movie Goonies.  SO FUN!

Calochortus luteus, the closest thing to the look of tulip in Cal Natives

Dudleya nesiotica, I think one of the more horticulturally worthy Dudleyas I've seen

Mimulus flemingii,  lovely bright red flowers on diminutive plant

Erigeron glaucus, seaside daisy

Bloomeria crocea, I thought this was a Triteleia, what was I thinking!

Eriogonum arborescens

Hazardia dentosa, so silvery

Eriogonum arborescens

Native job

Up to this point I haven't blogged much about my work, and I don't plan to make this about business,  but I thought these photos were so nice that I though I'd share.  This garden was planted in July of last year and it's a case of where the normal thoughts about natives were bucked.  By that I mean that not only did we plant in summer but we also planted in 90+ degree heat.  We lost only one plant and that was a Ribes 'Claremont'.  Losing natives in the landscape is considered common even when abiding the usual rules of planting in cool weather etc.  And this garden is in Pasadena so it saw a lot of near 100 degree heat last summer.  You can see the client wanted as much lawn as possible but I was able to talk her into nice swath of California natives. I was able to sell the concept on natives based on saving water as well as the enjoyment of wildlife. I think this exuberant flush of color is a nice benefit too. You can't see it from the photos but there's a nice little flagstone path that wanders through the gravel and wildflowers.

California natives, and annual wildflowers

Catalina ironwood Lyonothamnus, and California poppies

Penstemon 'Margarita BOP' , native, small, and blue!  Such a winner!

Cool plants: Eriogonum nudum 'Ella Nelson' California native buckwheat

Just a quickie.  Have to say how much I've been loving this buckwheat.  Eriogonum nudum 'Ella Nelson' is just the best.  Love that sweet yellow and I am a sucker for pompoms.  This first started blooming in Feb,  and the photo below is the second crop of flowers. I hope it holds up when the heat turns on this summer.

I got this baby from Annie's.

enjoy.

Hard to capture the beauty of this plant!

Introducing Encelia 'Gimbel's Gold'

Working in horticulture for years, I am always looking for new varieties either in nurseries or out in nature etc.  Wherever I am I keep an eye for variations in habit and foliage.  Two years ago, while in hiking Griffith Park I noticed a strange stem on an Encelia californica, our beautiful and abundant brittlebush.  I snapped a little yellowy stem off of the plant and crammed it into a plastic water bottle.

Fortunately the cutting struck,  and after several months I took many more cuttings from that new plant.  This spring I planted several in the ground to see how they would perform. Below are some photos that I took this morning.  I think 'Gimbel's Gold' is a winner, what do you think?  I can't wait for the plant to be covered in those yellow daisies!  The only drawback is that the variegation only shows on the new growth.