Christiane Holmquist Landscape Design

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Better Beds with Shrubs, Part ll

June 30, 2014 By Christiane Holmquist

As trees represent the “ceiling” in the garden room, shrubs can act as dividers or walls, as highlights, focal points, or screens.

Plant materials are one of the most important design elements for the floor, the walls and ceiling of outdoor rooms. They are living elements and need special care in selection and placement in the landscape.

In my previous post, I wrote about the many functions that shrubs can fill in the landscape, and how vital they are for a sustainable landscape design to be satisfying.

In this part, I continue to explore how to design with these plants and give a few choice examples.

How to design with shrubs

A Potato Bush crowns this perennial arrangement.

A Potato Bush crowns this perennial arrangement.

A good place for a larger a well-formed shrub is most often the background where it can serve as distinctive backdrop.

In this scene the Potato Bush Solanum rantonnettii lends solidity to a bed of lower growing perennials and grasses and adds an element of long lasting interest.

Coneflower shrubs

Coneflower shrubs as stand-alones in this planter bed

If you choose a shrub with colorful foliage and exceptional shape that doesn’t require constant pruning and that can stand up behind your perennials you have perhaps the perfect focal point. And with this it can deserve a place in the middle of your planter bed or even foreground (see Coneflowers above).

Contrasting forms, textures and colors

The chartreuse, ferny foliage of this Sunset Gold Breath of Heaven will always contrast with the fleshy rosettes of the Aeonium ‘Cabernet’.

Some shrubs are indispensable not as backdrop, but mingling right in the midst , such as here the ‘Sunset Gold Pink Breath of Heaven Coleonema pulchella. Its luminous feathery foliage is a great permanent teaser next to the dark and fleshy foliage of the Aeonium ‘Cabernet’ on the left.

Two Round Leaf Tea Trees

Two Round Leaf Tea Trees flank the path

For shrubs such as the Round Leaf Tea Tree Leptospermum rotundifolium (another drought tolerant shrub native to Australia and New Zealand) , flowers that draw bees and hummingbirds almost year round are an added benefits; their cascading form and evergreen foliage provide a great backdrop to a tapestry of smaller, more delicate perennials. Its delicate foliage is also in great contrast to the fleshy and sturdy leaves of the succulents (Felt Plant Kalanchoe beharensis and Agave ‘Blue Glow’ as well as Echeverias, Crassula Campfire’, and Sedums).

Although this is not a formal design, shrubs can be used to lend symmetry to the design by repeating them on either side of a walkway, as shown above.

Care should be taken with the pink color of this Tea Tree; an orange flower next to it could be viewed as jarring. However, all reds tinged with blue, blues, purples and yellows are great.

Yellow Spreader Lantana is a feisty substitute for more frilly perennials.

Yellow Spreader Lantana is a feisty substitute for more frilly perennials.

Some shrubs, like the yellow ‘Spreading Sunset’ Lantana here, deserve a foreground place: They can take the place of perennials, have good-looking foliage, almost year-round bloom , good form, and have hardly any ups and downs. It is almost unbeatable in permanence and attraction. It is also very drought tolerant and will easily re-sprout if damaged by mild frost.

A butterfly bush in the background

The Butterfly Bush has its firm place in the hearts of many gardeners

The Butterfly Bush Buddleia davidii – a must-have? It’s quite drought tolerant unless planted in inland valleys where it seems to need more water to look good… Its showy flowers have a heavenly fragrance and are magnets for hummingbirds, butterflies and other insects. However, its flowering season lasts a few weeks only, after which the blooms becomes sparse, and the majority of the flowers are faded and dried up and make this shrub less than attractive in my eyes. Add to this the yearly pruning to keep it at a manageable size and encourage re-blooming, this is a plant that demands quite a bit of work – and is still quite popular.

Bottlebrush as sentinel

A Bottlebrush used in this way makes you wonder what’s beyond the turn of the path it obscures.

Placed in the way as is the Bottle Brush above, shrubs can add tension and mystery to a garden scene by partially blocking the view and causing the stroller to wonder what’s behind the bend in the path. Incidentally, this shrub also acts as divider between this and the next ‘garden room’.

Shrubs screening the garden shed

Shrubs can be used as garden screens, hiding things like this garden house.

Here’s a list of choice shrubs:

Grevillea Superb

Grevillea Superb

Focal Point shrubs:

Coneflower: ‘Safari Sunshine’ or ‘Goldstrike’, or ‘Jester’, or ‘Silvan’…Leucospermum & Leucadendron
Potato Bush Solanum rantonetti
Grevillea ‘Superb ‘(see above)
Roundleaf Tea Tree Lepstospermum rotundifolium
Bottlebrush ‘Mauve Mist’ Callistemon Mauve Mist

Back-ground, “backdrop” or mid-border shrubs:
Toyon Heteromeles arbutifolium
African Boxwood Myrsine africana
Baja Fairy Duster Calliandra californica
Texas Rangers: ‘Heavenly Cloud’, ‘Thunder Cloud’, ‘Green Cloud’ , ‘Lynn’s Legacy’… Leuphyllum frutescens & L. langmanniae
Bougainvillea ! (shrub form)
Parney Cotoneaster Cotoneaster lacteus
Golden Breath of Heaven Coleonema pulchellum ‘Sunset Gold’

For the foreground:
Lantana selections and hybrids: ‘Dwarf Yellow’, ‘Gold Rush’, ‘Rainbow’ etc.
Grevillea Coastal Gem Grevillea lanigera ‘Coastal Gem’
Bearberry ‘Low Fast’ Cotoneaster damneri ‘Low Fast’

Shrubs to 4 ft

Botanical/Common Names Size Where to plant Characteristics/Qualities
Grevillea lanigera ‘Coastal Gem’ Grevillea ‘Coastal Gem’ 1 ft x 4-5 ft Full sun; light shade. Best in neutral to slightly acidic soil Low water needs/drought tolerant. Reminds me of pink-flowering Rosemary… with dense grey-green needle-like foliage that arch and curve downwards, carrying small pink-red, spidery flowers from winter to late spring. Great as woody, hardy foreground shrub and groundcover among softer perennials and fleshy-leaved succulents. Used in repetition will ‘knit’ all together.
Coleonema pulchellum ‘Sunset Gold’ – Golden Breath of Heaven 2-4 ft x 4-6 ft Full sun/ light shade with good drainage. Medium water needs * Great plant for its low, spreading, cascading form; as mid-border shrub its golden-greenish foliage contrasts well with succulents or perennials with fleshier texture and darker color.
Has small pinkish-white flowers in winter to spring.
Lantana ‘Golden Spreader’ Dwarf Yellow Lantana
(see also Yellow Spreader Lantana)
2 ft to 6 ft Full sun; light shade Low, spreading foreground shrub with deep green smallish-narrow leaves, sporting bright yellow flowers most of the year. Loves heat, has moderate watering needs. Tender to frost. Use it as stand-in for frillier perennials; used in repetition will “knit” smaller perennials and succulents together. Lantana is a well-used plant and has many attractive hybrid-“sisters”.

Shrubs to 8 ft

Botanical/Common Names Size Where to plant Characteristics
Myrsine africana African Boxwood 6-8 ft x 4-5 ft Full sun or dry shade. This is a tough evergreen backdrop shrub with tiny deep green leaves and insignificant flowers. Its form can be tightly upright/rounded in full sun, or more open cascading in shadier situations. Drought tolerant/low water needs. I like its almost “elegant” foliage as background to colorful perennials of any texture as well as cool- or hot-colored succulents. Makes also small hedges. Hardy to 20-25 degrees.
Leucophyllum candidum ‘Thunder Cloud’ Thunder Cloud Texas Ranger 3 ft x 3-4 ft Full sun, reflected heat. Needs good drainage (excellent plant for slopes)
Mid-border shrub. Densely branched with compact form; fine silvery foliage. Low water needs.
Blooms repeatedly during summer and fall with deep violet flowers. Great contrast to grasses with silvery or much darker foliage as well as succulents or smaller perennials. There are many other very attractive Leucophyllums available at Mountain States Nursery (see below)
Tecoma ‘Solar Flare’ Solar Flare Esperanza 4-6 ft x 4-6 ft Full sun. Upright spreading shrub with bright green foliage and yellow-orange flowers spring thru fall. Loves heat; fast growers. Low to moderate water needs. Prune only occasionally to cut back on reaching branches, and prune hard after frost. Great screening shrub and “big sister” plant that provides a colorful and vibrant companion and ‘chaperon’ in the background. Also attractive as stand-alone accent shrub or focal point shrub.

Shrubs to 10 ft and above

Botanical/Common Names Size Where to plant Characteristics
Cotoneaster lacteus Parney Cotoneaster, Red Clusterberry 8-12 x same Full sun , part shade Mounding shrub with dark-green foliage that is pale beige/silvery leaves on the underside. Tolerates dry conditions. Clusters of small white flowers in spring; red berries in fall/winter.
Excellent as screening and arching, spreading background plant that through its permanent form and foliage provides a great stabilizing effect. Could also be used as attractive focal point shrub. Will re-seed if conditions are right (with adequate water).
Adenanthos sericeus – Coastal Woollybush 6-10 ft x 4-6 ft Full sun; light shade. Needs well-draining soil. A fine-textured shrub with silvery green, soft-needle-like foliage and branches that reach skywards in upright, undulating fashion. Little to low water needs. Its foliage color makes a soft, almost elegant backdrop to more colorful perennials, smaller shrubs or succulents. As screening shrub is a ‘distractor’ rather than a dense screen. Great for “Mediterranean” designs or as softening agent in designs consisting of mostly succulents. Excellent in coastal conditions as it is both salt and wind tolerant. Cold hardy to 25 degrees. Great cut foliage.
Grevillea ‘Long John’ Grevillea ‘Long John’ 8-10 ft x 8-12 ft Full sun; light shade An upright, rounded shrub that is drought tolerant/low water needs. Hardy to 20 degrees. Foliage is narrow, needle-like along vertical branches, with airy “see-through” appearance; intriguing rosy-pink/red flowers. Beautiful “distractor” of ugly sites rather than opaque screen; airy backdrop to interesting foreground plants. Could also be used as tall accent shrub or focal point.

* WATER NEEDS
Low = Might survive in coastal conditions on normal rainfall (which hasn’t happened in the last few years) but need infrequent deep irrigation in drier conditions (f. ex. Every 2-3 or 4-5 weeks depending on location and soil.)

Medium = Water regularly for it to be attractive in the garden: In coastal conditions this might be 1x/week to 1x/every two weeks once established; more often in hot/dry conditions. May also need supplemental water in dry winters.

[For a more in-depth research data on the watering needs and irrigation practices of these plants, please consult WUCOLS IV, the research results published by the University of California Cooperative Extension and the California Department of Water Resources. This study sought to determine the irrigation needs of ornamental plants and make recommendations for irrigation practices for many areas of our state. WUCOLS (Water Use Classification of Landscape Species) categorizes the most commonly used ornamental plants, assigning a relative value to the irrigation required for each plant. In late 2014, 22 years after the first WUCOLS study, WUCOLS I was published athe new online version nd 15 years after the last edition, WUCOLS STUDY III, WUCOLS IV is now available on the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Website.]

RESOURCES
Please consult these grower/nursery websites for more plant information and availability:
Waterwise Botanicals, Bonsall www.waterwisebotanicals.com
San Marcos Growers, www.smgrowers.com
Green Meadow Growers, Bonsall www.greenmeadowgrowers.com
Mountain States Nursery www.mswn.com

Filed Under: Drought Resistant Landscape, Drought Resistant Plants Tagged With: coneflowers, drought tolerant shrubs, lantana, Potato Bush

My “Fun-tainer” plants – as seen at the Del Mar Spring Home Garden Show 2011

March 23, 2011 By Christiane Holmquist

succulents and perennials in hypertufa containerAt the heart of my considerations for this container display was my desire to create a composition of beautiful yet tough plants that would delight their owners for a long time without being too fussy or difficult to replicate. They would need to tolerate exposure to drying winds, intense sun, month-long temperatures in the upper nineties or low hundreds and occasional light frost, periodic neglect (and no watering), and a lot of competition for space, both above the soil level as well as for the roots.  And they would have to like living in my hypertufa troughs (see my previous post), at least for the next 2 or even 4 seasons, to be “sustainable” (at least as far as a container-existence is concerned).

I already had a few suitable plants: Leucadendron discolor, Aeonium Sunburst, Firecracker Broom, Crown of Thorns, String of Pearls… These are all drought tolerant shrubs, perennials and succulents whose adaptation to prolonged container life on my deck in Ramona I had been admiring for a couple of years.  I only needed to find complementary plants that would offset or enhance their qualities and allow me to juxtapose textures, forms and colors.

Yellow Bird Pincushion Although my intended “pièce de résistance”, the Leucadendron discolor, had clearly proved that it can survive a container-existence (mine is now some 6 ft tall and 3 years old) it was too big for my trough.  I chose instead a close relative, the Pincushion Yellow Bird, Leucospermum cordifolia ‘Yellow Bird’ that drew lots of admiring comments at the fair.  This beautiful South African shrub is related to Proteas and reminds me of the flowers of thistles – without the bristles.  Sunset gives the growing zones as 15-17, H1 and  21-24. It grows to 4 ft tall and wide and can take several degrees of frost; the side buds will produce flowers even if the main flower buds freeze.  

The nodding Pincushion is the best species for cut flowers with blossom clusters that are about 4 inches across, borne at the branch tips.  The bloom peaks in late winter or early spring and can last for 6 months but can start earlier in mild winters.  It is supposedly difficult to grow because it needs perfect drainage, protection from drying winds but good air circulation.  It requires full sun, regular water only in the beginning until establishment (several months to a year depending on planting season) when it needs water only every 2 to 4 weeks.  Selections of this plant in other colors include ‘Flame Spike’ (salmon red) and ‘Red’ (orange red).

Sunburst Aeonium as container plant Because of the Yellow Bird’s gawky and gangly form I decided to place a “counter weight” next to it, and the appropriate one had to be the Sunburst Aeonium.  This succulent grows leaf rosettes at the branch tips that reach a foot across, to form plants that can be about 2 ft across and of about the same height.  The fleshy leaves have a delightful variegation that makes the plant very attractive.  It blooms after several years only and will then die, but the new  “pups” or side shoots will replace the mother plant.  With age, these plants become leggy but you can keep them bushy and encourage branching by cutting back branches several inches below rosettes.  These cuttings can then be used for easy propagation:  let them dry for a couple of days, then set in sandy soil kept barely moist until new grow emerges.

With its low watering requirements and equal sun tolerance it will make a good companion to the Yellow Bird.

Purple Heart Tradescantia Setcreasea pallida   Now, on the side of the Protea, I needed something softer, preferably in a complementary color, and draping over the edge of the container. For this I chose Setcreasea pallida (Tradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’) or Purple Heart (also called Purple Queen):  This creeping plant has only moderate water requirements, is tolerant of some frost  that might kill the tops but recovery is fast in warm weather.  It will reach 1 to 1 ½ ft height and about 1 ft wide, and needs to be pinched back after bloom.  The stems tend to flop which makes a good container plant if combined with an upright ‘partner’.  (In parts of this county it can be unattractive in winter, but it seems well worth the try.)

Firecracker Broom or Coral Fountain as container plantIn the rear container one you can see the red and purple companions:  Crown of Thorns, Coral Fountain (also called Firecracker Broom), Geranium ‘Vancouver Sentenniel’ and Statice.  The Firecracker Broom, also aptly called Coral Fountain, is a good container plant:  Here it keeps a much neater and smaller form than in the ground where it can reach to 5 ft high and wide;  if the green, almost leafless stems of my container get too long they are easily shortened without loosing the graceful drooping form.  On my deck in Ramona it has continuously produced a profusion of bright red, narrowly tubular flowers since last year that attract hummingbirds. This shrub needs regular but small applications of fertilizer to keep blooming.  It tolerates partial shade or bright indirect light and needs only moderate to regular watering.

container succulent Crown of ThornsNext to it, producing an attractive contrast with its sturdy, upright form I planted Crown of Thorns Euphorbia milii.  It, too, hasn’t stopped flowering since I planted it in the previous container about 2 years ago.  It doesn’t seem to mind that I uprooted it from its previous home…  It’s a bit thorny but can be handled easily with leather gloves that will protect your hands also from the milky sap that can cause skin rashes and is toxic if ingested.

It also requires excellent drainage and has very low water demands. It grows 1 to 4 ft high and about 1 ½ ft wide which makes it an excellent upright narrow accent in a container.  Many varieties and hybrids of this one exist in colors of yellow, pink and orange.  In windy or frost-prone area it is best grown against a sheltered wall.  Salt tolerance makes it ideal for seaside plantings!  It tolerates partial shade or full sun, and as indoor plant it needs bright light.

All these plants are set into a fast-draining succulent soil mix.  The two troughs, displayed at the fair back to back, are now back at my house and adorn my front door and my deck.  I doubt that I will need to keep an eye on them for the last days of “winter” and a possible frost.  And for next winter I’ll keep an old bed sheet handy in case a strong frost is in the forecast.  From now on my main concern will be not to overwater, and to not forget to feed the plants occasionally, and to keep the ants from raising a colony of aphids on them.

 And if you need sources and would like to share your own container-stories with me, please let me know!

Filed Under: Container Gardening Tagged With: container design, containers with succulents, diy landscape design, drought tolerant gardening, drought tolerant plants, drought tolerant shrubs, dry climate design, hypertufa containers, hypertufa troughs, perennials, planter design, sustainable container design, sustainable container designer, sustainable containers, sustainable garden design, Sustainable landscape design, sustainable planter design, Water Conservation, water-wise container gardening, water-wise landscape design, xeriscape plants

Essentials for the scented winter garden in Southern California

February 18, 2011 By Christiane Holmquist

When I got home last night in the rain, I took in the air in deep breaths:  Such a wonderful smell of wet soil and decaying leaves mixed with something sweet and flowery -  where was this powerful scent coming from?  So I put on my boots, took a flash light and went into the garden. 

California native spring blooming shrub Allen Chickering Sage California clevelandii  I got my face wet as I poked my nose into foliage and flowers of shrubs, perennials and succulents, and not far from my front door I found the first: A grouping of Cleveland Sages Salvia clevelandii that had just opened their buds. These California natives are known for their incredible fragrance, and for those who have never seen or smelled any, the description alone should make your mouth water:  This is an evergreen shrub of the mint family with a refined, rounded and arching form, to 3 to 5 ft tall and wide and wider for some cultivars.  It has wrinkled, toothed gray-green or dark green leaves that can be used in teas or as substitute for culinary sage and that are deliciously fragrant; a breeze blowing through your garden will take the sweet fragrance far. The flowers are an inch-long, pale lavender or violet-blue, arranged in whorls along the stems, and they are also fragrant.  To encourage re-bloom you will need to cut back these flower spikes back, but the shrub is also attractive with its dried flower spikes. 

This plant is so popular that several hybrids have been created:  Mine is the ‘Allen Chickering’ which gets  to 4 ft tall but spreads out to about 6 ft and sports pale purple flowers.  Check out also ‘Winifred Gilman’ with lavender-blue-purple flowers, or ‘Aromas’ with gray-green foliage and deep lavender flowers, ’Pozo Blue’ that is hardier than Alan Chickering’  (to 10 degrees F).  California native shrub Allen Chickering Sage blooming in winter with fragrant flowers

The Cleveland sages need sun (partial sun only in the hottest, driest regions), fast-draining soil, and are drought tolerant although they can tolerate occasional watering. There are differences in their cold tolerances that could be important for your location;  please check with the growers  below for the appropriate one. 

A little deeper in my garden the beam of my flashlight hit a tall lanky shrub whose buds were just opening, and I know it carries its name Mountain Lilac for a good reason: The flowers look like miniature Lilac clusters, and to me even their smell reminds me of true Lilac.  Mine is the hybrid ‘Ray Hartman’ which is the best known and most commonly grown of the bigger ceanothus hybrids that can reach 18 feet in height and width; its rose-colored buds open to display profuse clusters of sky blue flowers. drought tolerant evergreen California native Mountain Lilac shrub Ceanothus Ray Hartman

California’s Mediterranean climate supports 60 species and varieties of ceanothus, and the choices can be confusing. They grow in some of California’s harshest habitats, ranging from wind-buffeted coastal headlands to dry, exposed slopes at the edge of the Mojave Desert.  They come in various forms, from creeping to large shrubs and small trees, and their colors range from bluish whites and pale purples to deep Gentian blue and purple.  Most grow in areas that experience an extended summer drought; they tolerate a range of soil types but often are located on steep slopes in well-drained soils of low or marginal fertility.  Most then require excellent drainage, but some can also tolerate heavy soil and summer water.

Ceanothus have become popular shrubs in Europe, where cultivation of ceanothus species for horticultural purposes began as early as 1713!  Check with one of the growers mentioned below for the species that will perform best in your garden so that its growing conditions match or approach those found in its provenance.

Not far from my backdoor (and closer to the kitchen) I found Rosemary, a true Mediterranean whose name means “dew of the sea”, reminding us of the plant’s native habitat on seaside cliffs in the Mediterranean region.  This winter bloomer is not quite as fragrant as my sages but also definitely desirable.  The evergreen shrub is covered with narrow, resinous dark green leaves, and through winter and spring its fragrant pale blue to deep violet flowers are a magnet for bees and small birds looking for tiny spiders and insects in the tightly packed flowers (and perhaps also eat the petals).

fragrant winter bloomer Mediterranean shrub Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalisI love the ‘official’ Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) with its upright habit and somewhat twisted branches reaching for the sky (height typically 4-6 ft and more, especially ‘Blue Spires’).  I use its stems for bouquets and the leaves for cooking; even the fragrant flowers are edible.  

As with many popular plants, there are too many cultivars and hybrids available to mention here.  Of great importance are the prostrate ground-hugging kinds whose heights range from 1 ft to 6 ft or more that are often used in erosion control or as groundcovers.      drought tolerant groundcover and slope stabilizer Prostrate Rosemary Rosmarinus prostratus

The toughness of Rosemary is admirable: It’s tolerant of moderate watering, sea-side conditions and blistering sun; I think it’s a must-have in the Mediterranean garden.  Although it can take alkaline soil if given a moderate feeding from time to time, good drainage is essential; you can lighten heavy soil with plenty of organic matter.  Their cold-hardiness varies depending on selection.

All of these specimens are excellent examples of low water-use, low maintenance, beneficial plants that I love to use in water-wise landscape designs; I think they belong to the category of plants that are indispensible when the design wants to be ‘sustainable’, and with these attributes and their famous fragrance who could resist?

For California natives plants in San Diego County, check out these growers:

Las Pilitas Nursery, in Escondido, at http://www.laspilitas.com/

Moosa Creek Nursery, in Valley Center,  at http://www.moosacreeknursery.com/

Recon Environmental Inc., in San Diego, at http://www.recon-us.com/

Filed Under: Landscape Design Tagged With: California Lilac, Cleveland Sage, drought tolerant gardening, drought tolerant shrubs, drought tolerant trees, dry climate design, fragrant plants, garden design, gardening ideas, landscape design, Mediterranean landscape design, Mediterranean-type plants, moderate water gardening, Mountain Lilac, perennials, sustainable garden design, Sustainable landscape design, trees, water-wise landscape design, winter blooming plants, xeriscape design, xeriscape expert, xeriscape plants

FIRE-UP YOUR PASSION – Red plant accents that warm up your landscape

April 14, 2010 By Christiane Holmquist

Mass-plantings of Crown-of-Thorns Euphorbia milii

Mass-plantings of Crown-of-Thorns Euphorbia milii

I have a special predilection for the color Red: Not only does it become me as a blonde, it also fires up my mood, makes me cheerful and revs up my energy. I am drawn to Red like a hummingbird, and if Red on me invigorates me, I believe seeing red “lights” in the garden would do the same. Even in a garden space where the main hues are cooler and more restraint, and where there are lots of calmer tones in rocks, timber, pathways and other hardscape elements, a few red splashes warm up the planting scheme and make the tones more saturated. Red works particularly well in South-West style gardens, where it makes a lively contrast to lighter colors such as DG, sand or gravel whose tones look washed out in the strong sunlight; used as color on a background wall it adds drama to succulents and cacti.

 

Bloodred Trumpet Vine Distictis buccinatoria

Bloodred Trumpet Vine Distictis buccinatoria

  Red can provide a bright focal point, such as a Bloodred Trumpet Vine Distictis buccinatoria drooping from a wall or from an arbor, or a Crown-of-Thorns Euphorbia milii, mixed with Firecracker Broom Russelia equisitiformis, spilling from an urn. Used as accent plant in the background, such as in groupings of red-flowering Aloe behind shorter, softer perennials or clumping succulents, the Aloe’s red flower spikes will show like exclamation points, and their pointy leaves will create a dynamic contrast in structure and texture.

Firecracker Broom, Crown-of-Thorns and Kalanchoe manganii in container

Firecracker Broom, Crown-of-Thorns and Kalanchoe manganii in container

When planted in the foreground as border accent, or hugging the curves of a path, Red creates a bright ribbon through the garden that your eye can follow; as foreground plant repeated throughout the garden it ties different areas together and adds cohesion.

If used as red winter bloomer, f.e. Cyclamen Cyclamen persicum, it will bring much needed warmth into your planter beds, and in dark and shady places the red flowers will shine like lights.

Delightful summer-blooming Cantua 'Hot Pants'

Delightful summer-blooming Cantua 'Hot Pants'

 I am having fun doing this and have compiled lists of plants with red flowers that I like to use. Of course each landscape prompts a different choice because of its design style, its existing sun/shade conditions, its soil type, the character of the architecture and the hardscape materials chosen. The following compilation of “Reds” contains plants with various growing conditions, but all are long-lived, low in maintenance needs and more or less water-wise and tolerant of xeric conditions. (However, it’s important to note that a plant’s location will determine how tolerant of dry conditions it is: For example, a Crangrape Cuphea C. llavea “Crangrape” is more drought tolerant in coastal locations and soils than in hotter inland valleys.) Nor is the list all-inclusive, and if you have more suggestions, I will be happy to add them.

THE SHORT & MEDIUM STUFF FOR SUN & PARTIAL SHADE

Aloes (many): Aloe ‘rookappie’, Aloe saponaria, Aloe arborescens, Aloe nobilis
Autumn Sage & relative Dwarf Crayon Sage Salvia greggii, S. grahamii
Baja Fairy Duster Calliandra californica & Fairy Duster Calliandra erophylla
Blanket Flower Gaillardia grandiflora
Bottlebrush Callistemon citrinus and C. viminalis
Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa
Cantua ‘Hot Pants’ Cantua buxifolia
Chuparosa Justicia californica
Coral Bells Heuchera sanguinea, Heuchera micrantha
Croscosmia
Crown-of-Thorns Euphorbia millii
Emu Bush ‘Valentine’   Eremophila species ‘Valentine’
Royal Beard Tongue Penstemon spectabilis
Firecracker Penstemon Penstemon eatonii

Grevilleas ‘Poorinda Constance” , Grevillea lanigera
Kalanchoe Kalanchoe blossfeldiana & Kalanchoe manganii
Kangaroo Paw “Bush Blaze” & “Sunset”, Anigozanthus flavidus
Many Daylilies: Red Hot Poker, Cardinal Spokes Hemerocallis hybrids
Nodding Pincushion Leucospermum cordifolium
Propeller Plant Crassula falcata
Red Hot Poker Plant Kniphophia uvaria
Sticks on Fire Euphorbia tirucalli
Watsonia Watsonia intermedia
Zonal Geranium Pelargonium hortorum

(See also my previous article “Exceptional Winter Blooming Plants for Southern California”)

RED-FLOWERING TREES
Here only an incomplete list:
Australian Flame Tree Brachychiton acerifolius
Coral Trees Erythrina x bidwillii, E. caffra, E. coralloides etc.
Crape Myrtle “Watermelon Red” and “Tonto” Lagerstroemia indica & Lagerstroemia x hybrids
Firewheel Tree Stenocarpus sinuatus
Mimosa, Silk Tree Albizia julibrissin

Filed Under: Drought Resistant Landscape, Landscape Design Tagged With: Autumn Sage Salvia greggii, Baja Fairy Duster Calliandra californica, Blanket Flower Gaillardia grandiflora, Bottlebrush Callistemon citrinus, Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa, Cantua 'Hot Pants' Cantua buxifolia, Crown-of-Thorns Euphorbia milii, designing by color, drought tolerant gardening, drought tolerant plants, drought tolerant shrubs, drought tolerant trees, dry climate design, Dwarf Crayon Sage Salvia grahamii, Fairy Duster Calliandra erophylla, Firecracker Penstemon Penstemon eatonii, garden design, gardening ideas, Grevillea Poorinda Constance, landscaping for xeric gardens, landscaping in San Diego County, landscaping in xeric conditions, limited water resources, low maintenance plants, Mediterranean-type plants, Nodding Pincushion Leucospermum cordifolium, perennials, red blooms in the garden, red-flowering drought tolerant perennials, red-flowering perennials, red-flowering succulents, red-flowering trees for the xeriscape, trees, Water Conservation, Water Conserving plants, xeriscape, xeriscape for the Southern California Garden, xeriscape plants

He wants the view – but she wants the privacy: How to marry different garden needs for the couple homeowners

January 24, 2010 By Christiane Holmquist

In my first landscape design consultation with Rob and Lisa, I found a familiar scenario:  Unable to agree on what the main focus in their garden design should be and concerned that a design would force them into sacrificing his or her desires, they hoped that I could find a solution that both of them could be happy with.

East facing back garden beforeTheir Mediterranean-style house was built on the edge of a slope; the long and narrow back garden was wide open to a magnificent 180 degree view of the valley and the hills beyond, unspoiled by housing developments. Their wish list for this part of their property was typical: A small patio, situated at one end of the house by the breakfast nook, to enjoy the morning sun; at the other end of the house, a spa pad surrounded by fragrant plants; and between these two areas, by their dining room, the main patio where they would entertain. On these things Rob and Lisa agreed; hoping to achieve them without sacrificing the complete view for the sake of creating more separate and private spaces, especially for the spa area, seemed unrealistic.

There was no doubt in my mind that Rob and Lisa’s back garden that presented itself like a long hallway between house and slope, needed to be divided into separate areas. Also, without any sort of screening the spa would have been visible from the “morning” patio at the other end of the house, and nobody taking a bath there would have felt privacy in such an exposed place.

Planters dividing spacesMy first step was to seek a way in which the break-up into separate spaces could be achieved while preserving as much as possible of the beautiful view. I devised imaginary transparent “walls” to do this but left large “windows” in them: Raised planters flanking the main patio would represent the lower part of the walls, plants in the planters would be the upper part, and looking over and through the plants would be like looking through windows so that the 180 degree view was not diminished. I placed arbors in the planters whose beams would be reaching across a passage through the planters, thus creating an overhead ceiling and framing the “doors” in the walls. Vines on the arbors would soon be adding a leafy décor. An added benefit of the low planters was their height: At 18 inch height their wall caps would provide added seating at the entertainment area

Spa roomWhile the planters were now framing the main patio, they also divided the long back garden into three distinct spaces, and by separating the main patio from the spa area, a good portion of the demands on this space were now met.  It still needed to be less exposed, and this was achieved by creating an 18 inch deep pit into which the spa was lowered. Both Lisa and Rob were now ready for a real compromise: We erected a wooden trellis behind the spa that soon would be supporting a fragrant Jasmine; a seedless “Little Ollie” Olive that can be easily pruned “lacey” and transparent would add protection from the wind as well as an additional screen. Both elements would intensify the sense of privacy for the spa user – and the view into the valley was still almost 180 degrees.

We planted  low-growing drought tolerant (“xeric”) Mediterranean-type plants such as Lavender Cotton, White Rockrose, Blue Fescue, Iris, Blue Queen’s Wreath, Sages, Wormwood, Lavender, and roses…. and signature trees such as Olives, Cypress, London Plane Tree, Pomegranate, Citrus and other fruit trees. For fragrance by the spa we used Hyssop, Catmint, Germander, Thyme, and Angelwing Jasmine on the trellis. The California Natives on the rocky slopes would provide a colorful transition from the local chaparral to the garden-space: Mountain Lilac, Flannel Bush, Toyon, Redbud, Coyote Mint, Evening Primrose etc. would also draw birds and other wildlife closer to the house.

Mediterranean Garden SceneWith mulch and DG for the garden paths, and local field stone used for the raised planters, the sustainable hardscape materials felt like they really belonged in this landscape. When the plants were beginning to grow in, softening the outlines of the structures and draping around statues, urns and fountain, the feeling of this garden was convincingly Mediterranean, and yet so Californian.

Filed Under: Landscape Design Tagged With: drought tolerant gardening, drought tolerant shrubs, garden design, landscape design, landscape design consultations, Mediterranean-type plants, sustainable garden design, sustainable hardscapes, Sustainable landscape design, Water Conserving plants, xeriscape

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Christiane, your design is beautiful. Viewers love the design and color. Thank you so much for all your support while the project was being developed. It would have been more stressful for me had you not held my hand regularly.

Rachel Michel

CHRISTIANE HOLMQUIST LANDSCAPE DESIGN


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