low maintenance plants Archives - Christiane Holmquist Landscape Design

Get ready for a promising planting season: Here are some beauties for plant-aholics to drool over Part II

October 30, 2014 By Christiane Holmquist 1 Comment

In my previous post, I wrote about very enticing plant discoveries that will make our drought resistant landscape designs more varied, interesting and satisfying. Here are more of these plants:

Caesalpinia gilliesii (Poinciana gilliesii ) Desert Bird of Paradise

On a recent visit to Waterwise Botanicals, respected nursery/grower of California friendly plants in Bonsall , I noticed the delicate form and pretty flowers of a small tree crowning a planting vignette of succulents and waterwise perennial grasses , on a small mound. Here’s how the grower describes it:

“This shrub/small tree, growing to 6-8 ft tall and wide [I saw it as an about 10 ft tree] is a perfect water-wise choice for a landscape. It is prettiest when pruned out as a very small, multi-trunked tree. Soft, lacy, fernlike foliage provides the back-drop for exotic yellow flowers with long, protruding red “feathery” stamens that bloom repeatedly for most of spring through fall. Loves full sun; drought tolerant when established. Hardy to 10s. Excellent as a mountain, valley or desert plant. Attracts butterflies; distasteful to deer. Will go winter deciduous in cold climates.”

This little tree is also offered by Mountain States Wholesale Nursery, whose great desert adapted plants are well suited to our local climate and are being sold at local nurseries. Their website describes this plant:

“Caesalpinia gilliesii Yellow Bird of Paradise

This upright, fast growing deciduous shrub originated from Argentina and Uruguay, and has naturalized in sub-tropical areas of America. Clusters of bright yellow flowers with long red stamens are produced in the summer. Its natural growth habit is irregular and open, but pruning will encourage dense growth. Older plants may attain a height of 10 feet and nearly as wide.

This long-lived and durable plant is tolerant of cold, heat and drought, and performs best in full sun exposures. All parts of this plant are toxic. It is root hardy to -10°F. “

I’d use this plant as patio tree in small spaces, or as accent in a xeriscape design with other drought resistant plants. Its canopy would allow more delicate succulents such as Echeverias and Aeoniums to profit of its dappled shade; it could also be planted against a hot wall and soften it.

9Adenanthos cuneatus ‘Coral Drift’ Flame Bush

Here’s another promising plant that caught my eye at the September meeting of the San Diego Horticultural Society: Adenanthos cuneatus ‘Coral’ Drift Flame Bush.

The speaker at this meeting was plantsman Randy Baldwin of San Marcos Growers in Goleta Valley, north of Santa Barbara. He presented a selection of their fantastic “Plants Appropriate to the California Garden”. (I’ll be writing more about these exciting plants in my next blog post.) Here’s what their website says about Flame Bush:

“Adenanthos cuneatus ‘Coral Drift’ (Flame Bush) – A low-growing shrub to 2 to 4 feet tall by 3 to 5 feet wide with wedge-shaped silver-gray leaves that flush bright pink when in new growth and small red flowers with green at their base. The species is a common coastal plant along the south coast of Western Australia and this selection was made for its outstandingly bright pink new growth and compact low spreading habit. Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil. Drought tolerant once established. Though a coastal species, it has been grown in England since 1824 and is listed as hardy to winter temperatures – we speculate that it will likely prove hardy to at least 15 to 20 degrees F. A nice low plant for a rock garden or in a mixed mediterranean climate garden – very useful in beachside conditions.” Also described here as evergreen and deer tolerant.

San Marcos Growers’ have a well-known track record of providing the most interesting, climate-adapted and diverse plants that are sturdy and long lasting, and that I can purchase at a local nursery. With its rounded form and medium size, I think it would echo the rounded form of the boulders in my garden and make an attractive companion to the more delicate succulents or ephemeral perennials in my garden. Can you imagine how pretty it could look as under-story shrub under the canopy of the Desert Bird of Paradise?

Randy showed many more exciting drought resistant plants suitable to many different landscape styles, and I’ll continue to list them in my next blog post; keep looking out for it!

Get ready for a promising planting season: Here are some beauties for plant-aholics to drool over Part I

October 4, 2014 By Christiane Holmquist Leave a Comment

Roger’s Red Grape

The recent untimely heat wave is barely forgotten, but I‘m noticing the first signs that many of our water-wise plants have awakened from their summer beauty rest: Their green branch tips and new leaves are proof that they are actively growing again.

With the cooler nights and fresh breezes announcing fall, my impatience is growing to be out in the garden; I’d want to be planting and trying out some of the exciting plants that I have noticed in the recent months and that I could barely stop myself from buying.

The gardeners among us know that there’s always room in our gardens to improve and tweak, to improvise and create, or to replace those plants that have proven to be not so sturdy or are otherwise unsatisfactory. This provides us with a welcome excuse to compile our wish list, research these plants and see which ones we’ll fall for this year!

With plant sales happening now and some great growers offering their new releases, it would be easy to get carried away and come home with trunks full of exciting plants. I have done this myself and given in to plant cravings that I later regretted: A garden that is a collection of plants can look really disjointed, and I have come to prefer a garden that shows a theme and some continuity, and repetition of colors and textures does make for more soothing calm.

So with the following list I hope to highlight a few of the plants that make me drool. Besides drawing from my own notes, I have asked a couple of landscape designer friends to share their favorites.

All these plants have many wonderful attributes in common: They are xeriphytes from all over the world that share many desirable attributes: They are drought resistant plants (also marketed as “waterwise plants”), hardy, with a good structure and undemanding in maintenance (that includes fertilizer and pruning) and provide year-round interest.

Landscape Designer Marilyn Guidroz of Marilyn’s Garden Design says:

Leucophyllum langmaniae ‘Rio Bravo’ Texas Ranger ‘Rio Bravo’

‘Rio Braco’ Texas Ranger is a fast growing, dense screen shrub that needs no pruning after the initial shaping to become established. At maturity it reaches 5 ft ht x 5 ft wide.

This is a drought tolerant shrub that only requires a once a month deep watering in the summer months once it is established.

The lovely lavender flowers cover the shrub in intermittent waves during the hot humid months of summer and fall. [In my experience in dry summers, the flowers are more sparse.] The evergreen foliage is a soft mint green all year long.

I like to use this plant as a dry garden border, a screening shrub and a colorful focal accent.

Vitex californica ‘Rogers Red’ Grape ‘Roger’s Red’

This is my favorite fall color plant. It is great as a screen on fencing. It takes moderate water and can even handle regular water if in an area that receives more. It is best in full sun and can handle partial shade. A deciduous native plant that has edible fruit and climbs by tendrils. Has gray-green leaf color all summer and then turns brilliant red in fall.

Owner/landscape contractor Mark Sterk of Columbine Landscape Inc. recommends:

Rosmarinus ‘Roman Beauty’ Roman Beauty Rosemary

Rosemary ‘Roman Beauty’, dwarf to 2’, they say, and grows in an upright, roundish form that is consistent and easy to keep in place. It also has a more graceful appearance and a bit of a different color than the usual look.

Here’s more about ‘Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Roman Beauty’ (‘Roman Beauty Rosemary):

A compact and slow growing semi-upright Rosemary with slightly arching stems bearing narrow mid-green leaves and violet-blue flowers in late winter and spring. This plant will likely get somewhat larger but 2 year old plants only measured 16 inches tall by 12 inches wide. Plant in full sun. As with other Rosemary it is resistant to deer and rabbit predation, tolerant to salt spray, alkaline soils and drought. Hardy to 15°F.

This shrublet could add that “needle-like” element that coniferous plants introduce (great contrast to a rounder, fleshier foliage), or allude to a classic Mediterranean landscape. I’d use it as an important connector and “glue” that, frequently repeated, can hold all your other plants together. (See my previous post about the role of shrubs: Better Beds with Shrubs).

Abelia x grandiflora ‘Kaleidoscope’ Glossy Abelia Kaleidoscope

Mark goes on to recommend:

“Abelia ‘Kaleidoscope’ — variegated, dwarf, same kind of form as the Rosemary, but grows to 4-5’, I believe. White flowers, gold variegated foliage — good pop! Not sure if it’s low water, but we’re using it that way and it seems to do well.” (San Marcos Growers list this plant as needing ‘moderate water’.)

Please keep an eye out for my follow-up post where I share more exciting plants that promise to make a great show in your gardens next year.

Rhomneya coulteri Matilija Poppy

Also: Next month, October 13, at the monthly meeting of the San Diego Horticultural Society I’ll be one of three landscape designers giving a presentation about design options for those who are considering removing their lawn.

Here’s more information: http://sdhort.org/

I’d love to see you there!

Successful Backyard Landscape Collaboration in La Jolla

January 23, 2013 By Christiane Homquist 8 Comments

How a homeowner with an artist’s love of beautiful details and a receptive landscape designer found synergy and fertile ground in the garden for a beautiful backyard landscape collaboration.

A couple of years after installation, this garden has matured beautifully. I cherish the artistic collaboration with my clients; it contributes to very personalized and satisfying designs. In this project, the teamwork was particularly fruitful, as Melissa F., entrepreneur, artist and singer/song-writer, contributed an immense flow of creative ideas and suggestions. The result is a garden that is beautiful and incredibly peaceful.

Melissa calls it her ‘outdoor home’ because it’s all here: living room, kitchen, sitting room and lounge, and vivid plantings that make all come to life.

The previous backyard landscape design consisted of an uninspiring courtyard that a planter bed set in the middle made user-unfriendly.

Melissa and Todor love to cook and entertain outside. To blend the outdoor kitchen seamlessly, we used bamboo facing, echoing the indoor flooring and the living bamboo hedge. Now, under the cool shade sails, the outdoor dining area feels like it has always been there.

For each material selection we explored the idea of “weathering”, inspired by the mottled copper caps on eaves and fence posts and the home’s faded wood siding. The naturally rusted steel used for edging, planting troughs, fountain and gas lights provides that patina; matte concrete and exposed beach pebbles continue the theme.

Organized to allow for entertainment, relaxation and play, the garden creates a dynamic and sunny ‘outdoor home’ where plants add color, life and interest and prevent the built elements from overpowering the garden.

The bamboo hedge is a beautiful response to the construction of an oversized home in the neighbor’s yard that threatened the privacy and intimacy of this garden. The hedge helps focus the eye on the interior and defines the boundary of this backyard. It’s exciting to see how the black Bamboo stems echo the dark pavement in a wonderful contrast to the surrounding green foliage.

Most of the original overgrown “tropical” plants were removed and replaced with low maintenance plants, many of them from the sub-tropics. This xeriscape landscaping was composed in colors of Melissa’s preferred color palette:

Forest Pansy Redbud, bronze Sedge and golden Kangaroo Paw, purplish Echeveria and in-ground Bromeliad with striking foliage. A few splashes of orange and red add highlights to the picture.

One of the landscape lighting ideas was to use steel “fire” troughs. They provide light, warmth and entertainment after nightfall. While their mottled rusty walls continue the theme of weathering, they also tie the different spaces together.

The steel fountain complements the materials used in the landscape and has a calming effect on all senses.

If synergy is “the ability of a group to outperform even its best individual member”, then this residential landscape design is a beautiful example of how two creative individuals with their own aesthetics found common ground in the garden and created a product that will satisfy its owners for years to come. (Landscape designer San Diego Christiane Holmquist).

Photography: Patricia Bean Architectural Photography

Fall is for gardeners – Now’s the time to put your landscape ideas to work

October 4, 2012 By Christiane Homquist Leave a Comment

I imagine that low water landscaping fans here in the south-west share a common tingling sensation in the finger tips these days; the recent harvest moon and the longer nights awakened out plant lust: Without doubt fall is here, and soon we can work outside again without risking a heatstroke.

So what better time to consider our next moves in our low water landscape? On my list the to- do-chores are conveniently intertwined with the to-buy-list:

Replace the plants that haven’t made the mark; there are much better ones available.

In the increasingly hot summers these past years, a number of my drought tolerant plants have been looking sparse, lanky and tired; even when cooler temps set in they didn’t pick up the pace. I’m itching to replace them with tougher plants: Mountain States Wholesale Nursery specializes in desert plant species promised to do better in our climate and soils. Although not ‘a desert’, our climate in San Diego is getting drier, and our occasional ocean winds should be a bonus (salt spray and heavy clay soil excepted – please check on the individual plant’s requirements). Their plants are retailed at Kniffings Discount Nurseries in El Cajon ; (they will order for you what’s not in stock.)

Here a 3 beauties that I’d like to try:

Leucophyllum candidum ‘Thunder Cloud’ Thunder Cloud Texas Sage

An evergreen shrub with compact form, silver foliage, deep purple flowers summer/fall. Blooms repeatedly; needs well drained soil.

SIZE (H X W) 3 feet x 3-4 feet

WATER Low

GROWTH RATE Slow

HARDINESS 10º F, USDA Zone 7

PRUNING : Shear in late spring if at all

Hesperaloe parviflora ‘Perpa’ Brakelights Yed Yucca

Red Yucca Brakelights has vivid red flowers from Sept. to June that attract hummingbirds; it’s a compact grower with narrow, leathery, blue-green leaves. This tough, low maintenance native to Texas and Northern Mexico thrives in full sun and reflected heat; good specimen container plant, suitable for a wide range of climates and soils.

SIZE (H X W) 2 feet x 2 feet

WATER Low

GROWTH RATE Slow

HARDINESS -20º F, USDA Zone 5

PRUNING Remove old flowers

Desert Willow Lucretia Hamilton Chilopsis lineraris ‘Lucretia Hamilton’

The natural form of this deciduous tree is multi-trunked with a graceful, weeping appearance with long, narrow leaves and attractive burgundy trumpet-shaped, orchid-like flowers. Blooms appear in terminal clusters from May through October. The resulting seedpods cling on branches throughout winter. After flowering, long narrow seed pods are produced.

SIZE (H X W) 18-20 feet x 18-20 feet

WATER Low

GROWTH RATE Moderate

HARDINESS -10º F, USDA Zone 6

PRUNING Prune to shape

And now to my to-do-list:

On the very top of my to-do list is “Renew landscape mulch”

My layer of mulch has thinned considerably over the last season, and it’s time to replenish it – benefits will show in a few weeks.

Here’s what mulching does;

Mulch will reduce the amount of water that evaporates from soil, greatly reducing the need to water.
Mulch improves the quality of your soil by breaking up clay and allowing better water and air movement through the soil.
Mulch provides nutrients to sandy soil and improves its ability to hold water.
Mulch acts as an insulating layer on top of soil, keeping it cooler in the summer.
Mulch keeps weeds down, and the weeds that do grow are much easier to pull.

Mulch like you mean it;

Before applying mulch, remove weeds and water thoroughly.
Replace the grass under trees with mulch, to mimic the way trees grow in nature.
Keep mulch 6-to-12 inches away from the base of trees and shrubs.
Apply 2-to-4 inches of mulch in all planting areas. Finer mulches (sized a half-inch or smaller) should be applied no more than 2 inches deep. Courser mulches, such as large bark chips, can be applied 4 inches deep.

Shopping for Mulch

Mulch is available by the bag or in bulk. Bulk mulch is measured in cubic yards. You can calculate the volume of mulch you need by multiplying the area (in square feet) by the depth (fraction of foot, not inches), then dividing by 27.

Here’s a link to FAQ about mulch that holds a table that will guide your calculations: http://www.agriserviceinc.com/faq.html

Here are links to more providers of mulches, top soils, amendments:

El Corazon Compost Facility (AgriService), Oceanside.

San Diego Landfill, San Diego (some products are is free for SD residents) .

For the County of San Diego, for locations to recycle your green yard debris and woody material or to pick up compost and/or mulch consult the Compost and Mulch Facilities Guide.

My take on maintenance: Cut down on it.

Garden maintenance may occasionally be tedious, but most of the time it’s simply gardening, and that’s what many of us love to do.

Be confident: a garden is rarely finished.

It’s the journey that counts. You might have a very special micro climate formed by the special building materials of your home, or the particular accumulation of decomposed granite or boulders or sediment soil…

Gardens are not static.

We just don’t have control over climate, or over the individual plants.

Shy away from things that cause frustration:

– Shrubs and trees that outgrow their space ;

– Plants that need better drainage than your soil can provide;

– Flowers that are unsightly after flowering, that are susceptible to diseases or flower only for a short time (f.e. Hybrid Tea roses)

Choose low maintenance plant:

They demand very little but will pay you back with permanent interest from their beautiful structure and exceptional texture:

Agaves
Foliage plants such as the stunning Safari Sunset Conebush Leucadendron ‘Safari Sunset‘, terrestrial bromeliads (see Rancho Soledad Nursery, Rancho Santa Fe, for their great collection of Aechmeas, Vrieseas, Dyckias and more; many of these with very low water needs)
Perennials grasses (f.e. the beautiful Melinis nerviglumis Ruby Grass )
Succulents such as low-growing Graptopetalum or Sedums
Crimson Grey Geranium (also called Kalwerbossie Geranium)

Employ the permanent colors from hardscape – that’s a no-maintenance garden:

colored concrete, flagstones, DG (decomposed granite)
attractive gravels & boulders
glass and concrete balls
attractive furniture
colorful containers
garden art
shade sails
pillow and cushions, umbrellas

Are you getting anxious yet to get outside and let your creativity flow? Shape your garden, enjoy the changing season, experiment? I’m sure you have many landscaping ideas of your own. Enjoy this season; soon the winter rains will help us establish our new plantings and will reward us with new growth and even bloom – the year in the drought resistant landscaping is long from over.

Wow your mother with a plant that lasts – beyond Mother’s day

May 6, 2012 By Christiane Holmquist Leave a Comment

Browsing at my neighborhood garden center for a special Mother’s Day plant, I notice the pink and purple/lilac flower clusters of Hydrangeas strategically placed at the entrance. I’m impressed by their gorgeous petal ‘bombs’ and think that this old stand-by would probably wow my host, too.

But then a thought steels itself into my mind: How long will my gift decorate my host’s table? Will she throw it away when the bloom is over, or will she plant it? This frilly one wants much more water than our rainfall provides, and many of our local micro-climates and soils are anything but easy on it. The farther away from the coast it grows, the sooner it will require shading from the hot afternoon sun, and then it wants coddling with acid-forming fertilizer to keep its color, and regular and pricey water.

Matilija Poppy

As landscape designer San Diego that practices xeriscape landscaping and sustainability, I love plants that wow me AND have a good ROI, that are attractive low maintenance plants for the low water landscape. Check out these:

A Matilija Poppy Romneya coulteri in full bloom makes your jaw drop, and bloom is now starting, right in time for Mother’s Day. The fist-size flowers are carried atop 6-10 ft stems, for several weeks, exuding a strong fragrance of fresh apricots. This perennial shrub needs no additional water once established; it fits into all zones except mountains and deserts, likes sun or partial shade, and is adaptable to all soils except those that drain poorly. Establishment can be difficult, but once successful, it will send out underground stems in sandy or rocky soil and more slowly in clay soil and is thus difficult to contain. It is best planted along barely cultivated margins, on slopes as erosion control, in dry areas or along parkways. It should be cut down to a few inches above ground in fall to remove old foliage.

Consider also our native wild lilacs, the Ceanothus family that equally fit well into xeriscape designs. The members of this group can be evergreen groundcovers or small trees; some species have brilliant blue flowers, others range in hues of purple, violet and white. They keep their great form year-round, survive the greatest summer heat as true drought resistant plants; they make valuable contributions to any habitat garden by providing food (butterflies, insects, seeds) and cover.

Ray Hartman Wild Lilac Ceanothus arboreus ‘Ray Hartman’ is striking with glistening green leaves, a height of up to 18 ft, and with rose-colored buds and profuse clusters of sky blue flowers. It grows reliably in both interior and coastal sites.

California natives bring a sense of heritage and a connection to the future; they have an incredible potential in all sorts of garden designs if we understand which plants perform in which conditions. With lots of different foliage, flower colors and textures they’ll make your garden interesting in all seasons, and with careful selection you can get year round color because some plant will be in bloom any time of the year. With little needs to additional water or maintenance they are choice candidates for the residential landscape design that satisfy us for years to come and have a high ROI.

For other exceptional non-native plants for drought resistant landscaping, see my previous posts on My favorite plants for Southern California , on Gardens Exciting and Alive – Year round, Water-wise roses and more.

Check these links for recommended growing conditions, descriptions and sources:

Moosa Creek Nursery

Las Pilitas Nursery

Tree of Life Nursery

Theodore Payne Foundation

Lush and Waterwise Landscape Design in Carlsbad, CA

November 23, 2011 By Christiane Holmquist 7 Comments


	This drought resistant landscaping – front and back – is lovingly planted with exuberant, dramatic greenery that is a pleasure to care for. Shady sitting areas, water play features for children and adults, and comfortable walkways made from beautiful materials invite year-round outdoor enjoyment. A stunning example of xeriscape design in San Diego.

	BEFORE: The front yard landscape design was a plant jumble that obscured the entrance to this modern home and darkened the front yard. WANTED: The homeowners desired a low water landscape with low maintenance plants; in addition, these gardens should provide year-round gardening pleasure with plants sculptural and bold enough to hold their own against the striking architecture of the home.

	From the existing planting scheme we kept the palm trees as accents and overhead canopy. To this we added terrestrial Bromeliads, Echeverias, Aeoniums and Agaves selected for their dramatic foliage, easy care and permanent allure. A large Aloe bainesii, Bronze Loquats, Leucadendrons “Safari Sunset” and an exotic Trevisia palmata add weight in the mid-plane of the composition.

	The flower bed designs show a plant combination that works well: The Leucadendrons, Aechmeas and Vrieseas will need watering every 10 days or thereabouts (this of course after the establishment period). They’ll make good companions to the Agaves, Echeverias, Sedums and Coral Bells.

	A sleek re-circulating fountain stands across from the window and can be viewed from inside. A flat-topped boulder and a chair nearby invite to sit and watch the grandchildren play with the water. This fountain was fabricated from naturally rusted cor-ten steel. Water is pumped up from a subterranean reservoir into the fountain trough and sheets over its sides.

	Although Peruvian Lilies and Iris provide a lot of color in the summer months, most of the visual interest is provided by the permanent textures and colors of foliage plants, as here by the Black Moon Aeonium, variegated Foxtail Agave, Dymondia Silver Carpet and Sedum kimnachii, all very fine drought xeriscape plants.

	A flagstone path bisects the front garden, connecting the driveway to the front door and continuing around the house to the back garden. It allows viewing and exploring from all angles and increases the enjoyment of so many fascinating plants.

	This xeriscape design in San Diego has become a garden with generous and exuberant greenery; there is just enough lawn for grandchildren and dog to play on. A beautiful flagstone path invites strolling past Mexican Marigolds, ornamental grasses, Rock Purslane, Sundrops and Brazilian Coppertree, to name a few.

	The sandbox was placed under the Jacaranda right next to the pergola, and a “splashing boulder” adds another attraction for children and adults. Now parents and children can enjoy their playtime in the comfort of these shady places.

	The raised beds are holding Roses, Lavender, ornamental grasses and Irises of “her” collection as well as vegetables planted at their feet. With careful placement and their own irrigation cycle no plant interferes with another, and all are doing well.

	Fantastic succulents and cacti evoke a world of other-worldly marine creatures that was inspired by the “sea-scape” created at San Diego Botanic Garden by Jeff Moore, Owner of Solana Succulents. Red Octopus Aloe, Myers Asparagus Fern, Star Fish Aloe and Medusa Plant were set into two earthen mounds decorated with scree, lava rock and boulders to evoke a coral world populated with sea weeds, anemones and star fishes.

	Partners in this project: Mark Sterk of Columbine Landscape, Escondido, CA, one of the finest landscaping companies in San Diego, executed this project with a never-tiring attention to detail, creative problem solving and absolute dedication to quality performance. Rancho Soledad Nursery, Rancho Santa Fe, CA provided the “exotics” (Vrieseas, Aechmeas, Agaves, Echeverias). Green Meadow Growers in Bonsall, CA provided perennials and succulents. Solana Succulents provided the plants for the “sea scapes”. This is truly a breath taking example of xeriscape in San Diego.

DIY tips for a pretty, low water landscape: Resolve, muscle power and a love of plants (City rebates come handy)

October 31, 2011 By Christiane Holmquist 2 Comments

Lawn-centric front garden a true zero-scape

A traditional "zero-scape"

Congratulations to Jeanie and Lee in Scripps Ranch, for their resolve and their love of plants. Going from a lawn-centered “zero-scape” to a garden alive with xeriscape plants with beautiful colors and textures, and doing this with their own landscape ideas and muscle power demands respect.

Hoping to qualify for San Diego’s rebates for turfgrass removal and the installation of a micro-irrigation system, they discussed the how-to with a City inspector and put a design together. Here’s where Jeanie called me in to review her design and desired plants.

Lawn gone

Assessing soil, micro-climate and the slightly sloping terrain I found that her wish list had excellent “bones” in it that needed few adjustments.

Almost finished

The permanent features to remain were the concrete turf edge, the edged planter beds and the palm trees (they would have their own irrigation). I recommended importing several large boulders which would help “ground” the landscape.

To add volume where the palm trees are only accents I suggested a couple of small trees, on both sides of the house; here Jeanie chose 2 ‘Catawba’ Crape Myrtles, one of them a multi-trunk specimen.

As we were fine-tuning her design and discussed longer-blooming low maintenance plants, Jeanie said that she likes to garden and is not averse to some maintenance, such as deadheading the Early Sunrise Coreopsis periodically to encourage new bloom.

Early Sunrise Coreopsis

I explained that Gazania would not be attractive long enough during the seasons. Instead I suggested Ghost Plant Graptopetalum paraguayense, an elegant, slowly spreading succulent whose grey-pinkish rosettes would make a pleasing connection with Coreopsis, Walker’s Low Catmint and Gaura, all on Jeanie’s list of favorites.

Catmint Walker's Low

Ghost Plant

For a captivating contrast to the frilly perennials we added several Foxtail Agave A. attenuata and ornamental grasses; for me the grasses are matchless in adding a relaxed and naturalistic, almost mysterious feeling to the landscape. Here Jeanie picked a short Purple Fountain-grass variety in a local nursery.

Purple fountain grass is a drought tolerant ornamental grass

Airy Purple Fountain Grass

Complimenting the drought resistant plants would be a Dwarf Yaupon Ilex vomitoria ‘Nana’ that I hadn’t used myself. My research showed that it might need a bit more water than the other plants, but Jeanie wanted to give it a try. This shrub, at 3-5 ft high/wide, develops a refined, attractive appearance with careful pruning – a task that she looks forward to.

Completed

And the cost? Jeanie and Lee invested about $3,200 on materials plus $1,200 on labor to help Lee; the rebates should amount to about $1,070. Not bad for a diy landscape that can save them 60 to 70% water and is so pleasing to look at. As one of their friends exclaimed who came by and admired their achievement: “This front yard is so much alive!”

Read about the City’s rebate program: http://www.sandiego.gov/water/conservation/residentialoutdoor.shtml

“Trees in my garden?…. No tree, please!”

August 8, 2010 By Christiane Holmquist 2 Comments

Front yard before re-landscaping

I never thought I would have to come to the defense of trees in the landscape. One of the most perplexing moments in my profession happens when a client says that they don’t want trees in their garden. Upon my rather baffled question why, their response is usually “too much water use”, “too much maintenance”, “not needed” or “just too much trouble”.

Hearing this makes me cringe, but I imagine what might have caused their feelings: High maintenance (such as pine needles in their pool filter), nuisance (like olive stains on the pavement), or danger (such as a branch dropping out of a Eucalyptus tree). With these images in mind, trees are for them undesirable members of the plant family that they don’t want in their garden, and they don’t share the notion that “trees are deeply rooted into the human psyche; in a hectic and chaotic world, greenery provides you with a safe, nourishing haven”. (Fran Lambert, Consulting Arborist, in “Trees and Turf”, April 2006).

Front yard after introduction of trees and other colorful plants

I am passionate about good design as well as about plants, so remaining calm in this situation and not becoming “preachy” is a challenge. The role of trees in the landscape seems uncontested, but when you think about them, what comes to your mind besides beauty, shade, stature?

For me as landscape designer, I am foremost interested in the architectural aspects of trees. First of all, their size and mass establish the overall framework of the spatial composition; in this way, they are among the most important landscape design elements, creating floor, walls and ceilings of “outdoor rooms”. A vegetative ceiling can provide a sense of vertical scale in an outdoor space, a feeling of comfort and shade.

Trees give a house scale and place it in proportion with its surrounding; a house without trees therefore feels like a box that isn’t grounded, like a container that hasn’t settled into its site.

Back side view of house with tree

Back yard without trees

Trees can act as windbreaks or screen of an unsightly view, or frame an attractive one like a picture frame. With their color and structure, they can be used as an accent point in your landscape picture.

Besides being indispensable parts of a design, trees play a great role in human as well as the environment’s health: Their canopies contribute to air quality by filtering dust; they also provide some noise reduction (the tall, densely planted trees with fleshy broad leaves do the best job). And, as a tree provides nesting and shelter for birds, they assist in insect control, and listening to the song of birds is usually very pleasant.

Shady pond

As energy consumer I consider also the energy savings through trees, and last but not last SHADE! “It never rains in California”, and the whole world envies us for it, but to have endless sunshine in a garden would be like living on a sunny plaza that has no shelter from the sun. A man-made shade structure can be a great element in a landscape, but it doesn’t quite have the same effect as the dappled, cool and moist shade of a tree! Summer shade from the deciduous trees placed on either south or west sides can lower utility cost by amazing 10-15% (and allow for solar heating in the winter months).

These are measurable benefits that we gain from trees (not to mention the delight that a tree in full bloom can create). And the cost of trees, you may ask? Of course, there is some maintenance: A young tree will benefit from yearly inspections and minor corrective pruning during its infancy to assist it in growing into a well-shaped healthy specimen; this way a costly restorative pruning can be avoided when the tree is much older.

And water needs? Of course you will need to water your trees; even trees indigenous to our dry Southern California need water during their establishment phase which can last a couple to 3 years depending on the amount of rain during the winter months and other factors influencing establishment.

Weighing the investment in trees against their benefits, consider this: The National Arbor Day Foundation states that “A well placed and properly irrigated tree will have a measurable return on investment”: In deed, the Foundation estimates the value that trees add to properties at 15-20%!

In order to assure the most pleasure out of your trees and the least trouble, here are some suggestions how to avoid problems with your trees:

Select trees that:

– are in the most natural state as possible and have a good trunk taper

– have juvenile branches spaced throughout the trunk (until trees are anchored and established, lower juvenile branches need to remain on the trunk and main stem and therefore looks more like a shrub)

– are appropriately sized for the container

– have branches with wide angles of attachment (larger than 45 degrees)

Avoid trees that

– have been pruned into a lollipop shape

– are supported by a nursery stake (whenever possible)

– have pot-bound or girdled roots

– appear weak, sick, or unhealthy

– show mechanical damage or other wounds

And don’t plant trees too close to power lines, nor closer than 10 ft to permanent structures. (Check also on proper guide lines for tree planting in fire-prone areas).

There are great resources in our County for people that want to learn more about trees: The book “Ornamental Trees for Mediterranean Climates; the trees of San Diego” is a colorful guide and compendium of a host of trees that thrive here, with descriptions, photos, and even addresses where the photos were taken. The Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon (more info at www.thegarden.org ) showcases many suitable and lovely trees for our area. And of course there is Balboa Park with its trees, and the San Diego Botanic Garden (formerly Quail Gardens at www.qbgardens.com ).

I don’t think I’ll ever be detached and impartial when it comes to trees, but armed with the above list of arguments and paybacks I hope to be more neutral and professional when explaining how trees will benefit my clients and how fundamental (could you say imperative?) they are for their home landscape. Despite of their initial rejection none of my clients has yet refused to concede interest in trees, and fortunately, I haven’t yet had the commission to design a “tree-free” garden. That would be the saddest thing, and I hope it will never happen.

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

April 14, 2010 By Christiane Holmquist 2 Comments

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

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

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'

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

Exceptional Winter Bloomers For Drought Resistant Landscaping in Southern California

December 2, 2009 By Christiane Holmquist 1 Comment

Our first winter rains have blown through and and brought a welcome refreshment after the long and hot months. As our summer bloomers are going into their winter rest, much of our traditional drought resistant landscaping is beginning to look a bit drab (unless you have one of those ever-bloomers such as Bougainvillea). The approaching holidays are creating an atmosphere of hope and expectation, and when we add to this the notion that this is an ideal time for planting in the low water landscape, we find ourselves searching the garden centers for the colorful plants that can cheer up our winter gardens. However, you’ll notice that most nurseries reserve the bulk of their space for the big sellers: Poinsettias, green wreaths, Camellias and Azaleas of course, and many winter blooming annuals. If you are more interested in exceptional xeriscape plants that don’t have to be replaced at every change of the season, that will flower through the winter months and that will add color to your garden for many years to come, read on. From the many that come to mind I have chosen a few that are un-demanding in maintenance, low in watering needs, and just outstanding plants. This list is just a first selection, and I’ll be happy to share many more with you if you contact me.

THE SHORT STUFF: xeriscape plants at around a foot height

Santa Barbara Daisy Erigeron karvinskianus, is a free-blooming perennial with dainty, white/pink daisy-like flowers to ¼ inch wide and narrow leaves to 1 inch long, that gracefully trails and slowly spreads to about 3 ft with a height of 10 to 20 inches. It’s not really a winter bloomer as it has already been in bloom all summer long, but the flowers never stop coming. It likes full sun but can tolerate partial shade and is very drought tolerant. It can be a bit invasive but is not overwhelming. Use it for edgings, as groundcover, in containers and in rock gardens, in naturalized beds, hanging baskets or in dry laid walls, especially to offset plants with a coarser texture, such as fleshy Ghost Plant (see it described in “‘The “work horses” in my drought resistant landscaping”).

Sundrops and Trailing Buttercups Calylophus drummondii & Calylophus hartwegii

These closely related perennials grow to about 1 ft high by 2 ft wide. Although not true winter bloomers, they will, if planted in a sheltered spot, continue their bloom from summer to winter, although a little more sparsely. I love them because they are long flowering must-haves for the xeriscape, undemanding in maintenance. Sheer them down to a few inches in mid spring to give them a rest and tidy them up for the next flowering season. Their brightly yellow flowers will cheer up many drab spots in your garden, in full sun or light shade, and their fine textured foliage is an excellent companion to coarser textured succulents.

WINTER-BLOOMING DESERT PLANT SPECIES

Baja Fairy Duster Calliandra californica: This native to Baja California and Sonora, Mexico, is an evergreen shrub with an open growth that can reach 5 ft to 5-6 f wide. This species is sometimes compared to Fairy Duster Calliandra eriopylla, which is smaller (to 3 ft x 3-4 ft wide), summer deciduous to evergreen, with less luxuriant foliage. There is also a hybrid available called ‘Maricopa Red’. These sturdy yet fine-textured shrubs like hot dry situations, although the Fairy Duster C. eriophylla can also tolerate the warmer coastal environments. They all like the full sun and need good drainage. With little to moderate water the Baja Fairy Duster C. californica and its cousin ‘Maricopa Red’ bloom year round; Fairy Duster C. eriophylla starts in late winter and goes into early summer, but leaves and bloom last longer if some summer water is given (the Fairy Duster is summer-deciduous). All produce the characteristic exotic duster-like flowers that are puff balls of deep red or light to deep pink stamens (C. Eriophylla) ½ to ¾ inch in size that are irresistible to hummingbirds.

Baja Fairy Dusters C. californica produce flattened seed pods 2-3 inches long and dark brown; those of Fairy Duster C. eriophylla are quite attractive: to about 2 inches long, brown with red margins and a fuzzy coating that catches the sunlight. This one can be used for erosion control as it spreads by rhizomes.

These shrubs work well in the low water landscape as accent or massed as groundcovers (especially the smaller C. eriophylla). Try setting off their fine textured foliage next to more sturdy succulents or cacti to lend them a softening effect; The Fairy Duster C. eriophylla also makes a great specimen in a glazed container.

Feathery Cassia (also called “Old Man Senna”) Senna artemisioides (sometimes sold as Cassia artemisoides). This Native to Australia has silvery-grey, needle-like foliage and is 3 to 5 ft tall and wide with an airy open structure. It can take full sun or partial shade and likes well draining soil. Beginning in late fall, it covers itself with a profusion of yellow ¾ inch clusters of 5 to 8 flowers puff balls of flowers that can continue into early summer when the shrub takes a rest, to start again in late fall. Its reddish-brown flattened, 1½ inch long narrow seedpods hang on for a long period of time, but in the heat of summer this provides an attractive contrast to the silvery foliage. It is very drought tolerant but looks best with moderate to regular water.

Grevillea ‘Poorinda Constance’

Grevilleas are evergreen shrubs and trees most of which come to us from Australia. Of the many that we can grow in our County this one displays an open, graceful growth and can reach 8 ft tall by 12 ft wide. Its needle-like, deep green 1 inch long leaves are almost white beneath. The shrub produces clusters of orange-red flowers in winter and spring and intermittently at other times. It needs full sun or partial shade and little or no water. As a spectacular screening or specimen shrub it will mask unsightly views or provide privacy.

WINTER-BLOOMING SUCCULENTS

Aloe Aloe arborescens

The Aloes are primarily South African natives that range in size from 6 inch to tree-like, but all form rosettes of fleshy, pointed leaves. To me, this is the most striking and imposing Aloe as it forms a large, rounded shrub-colony that over the years can reach 10 ft high and wide. Branching stems carry big clumps of grey-green, spiny-edged leaves. Is is easy to grow in well-drained soil, can take full sun or shade and salt spray, needs little water but can take more. This makes them nice companions to perennials that have similar water- and drainage needs. Its foliage can be damaged at 27 F but will in most cases rebound. In winter, this plant produces spiky torch-like clusters of bright brick-red flowers. A variegated form is also available.

Cotyledon Cotyledon orbiculata

This south African native can quickly reach 2 ft tall, about 2 ft wide. Its fleshy paddle leaves may be green edged with red or whitish-gray, depending on variety; its sports drooping orange-red bell-shaped flowers from late fall into spring. This succulent is suitable for the drought resistant landscaping and needs excellent drainage. Tolerant of light frosts, it is easy to propagate from cuttings and makes a great container plant.

WINTER-BLOOMING, DROUGHT TOLERANT TREES

Pearl Acacia (also called Queensland Silver Wattle) Acacia podalyriifolia. Native to Australia, Mexico or the southwestern US, many attractive, winter-blooming and fragrant Acacias are available to us. The evergreen Pearl Acacia grows to 10-20 ft tall and 12-15’ wide with roundish, 1 1/2 inch long silvery gray satiny leaves. It is a shrubby plant that can be trained into a small tree. Brilliant bright yellow puffy and sweetly fragrant flowers are produced in late winter/early spring. It is tolerant of our soils and needs full sun little or no water. The Sunset Western Garden Book recommends to prune the Acacias that are grown as tree form to open up their interiors which will reduce dieback of shaded branches.

Sky Flower Duranta erecta (D. repens, D. plumieri)

This is a fast growing evergreen shrub that can be easily be trained into a small tree. It grows 10-25 ft tall and 6-10 ft wide. Especially as a multi-trunked plant it can make a beautiful specimen for the low water landscape. Its glossy green leaves are about 2 inch long on broadly arching branches that may or may not have spines. Pretty ½ inch sized violet-blue flowers in fragrant clusters are produced nearly all year and attract people, butterflies and hummingbirds. They are followed by pretty yellow berries (toxic if ingested). It grows easily in most soils in full sun or partial shade, needs only average watering and tolerates temperatures down to around 20 F.

There are also light-blue and dark-blue flowered selections of this shrub available, as well as a white one called ‘Alba’. ‘Sweet Memory’ is thornless, with flower petals edged in white. ‘Gold Mound’ is a small one, only 1 ½ ft wide and high, has brilliant gold leaves and flowers rarely, but it is excellent for adding color to container plantings.

SUPPLIERS & RESOURCES
Waterwise Botanicals a few miles north of Escondido grow exceptional xeriscape plants, including perennials, shrubs, succulents, cacti and roses. Their availability list with photos and plant descriptions is online.

Briggs Tree Company in Vista carries a wide variety of traditional landscape as well as drought resistant plants, and their list (most plants now with descriptions) is available online.

Green Meadow Growers in Bonsall also offer a great line of grasses and succulents as well as shrubs and perennials; they also make available plants from Mountain States Wholesale Nurseries who specialize in desert plant species.

Oasis Water Efficient Gardens in Escondido offer an exciting range of succulents, cacti and other low water landscape plants.

Great photos, ideas and tips for designing with succulents are presented by renowned author and photo journalist Debra Lee Baldwin, Her book ‘Designing with Succulents’ has been a wonderful resource in my design work, and I look forward to her next book, ‘Succulent Container Gardens’ that will appear shortly.

Christiane Holmquist

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