xeriscape plants Archives - Christiane Holmquist Landscape Design

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

December 31, 2014 By Christiane Holmquist 4 Comments

(In my previous posts Get ready for a promising planting season: Here are some beauties for plant-aholics to drool over Part I and Get ready for a promising planting season: Here are some beauties for plant-aholics to drool over Part II I presented a selection of promising plants that have fascinated me for a long time and that I find useful for many landscape designs. The following is the next installment to my previous posts.)

After the long summer months, the cooler days after a rain are so invigorating, and gardening gets much easier. The light has a special brilliance to it, and the ground is still moist from the first rains this fall. This is my most productive gardening time outside, and when I hear again the sweet, drawn-out Tzeee of the White-crowned Sparrow who recently returned to our gardens after spending spring and summer in the northern regions, I can zone out and be completely at peace.

This is also a very productive time for the plants although we don’t see much of it: With cooler weather plants don’t get stressed (if not hit immediately by Santa Ana winds); the roots are actively growing and will be ready to push out new growth above ground come spring.

Before people get too much wrapped up in the upcoming holiday preparations, I’d like to continue my look around at my magazine clippings, flagged articles and photo gallery and share with you more promising plant discoveries or other interesting tidbits from the landscape and gardening world.

First of all I’d like to mention my delight that this magazine is available again: Garden Design Subscribe to Garden Design magazine, after a hiatus of a couple of years it’s being published again in a revised format. It is in my opinion the only American magazine that educates and makes us dream; without any ads, the close to 130 pages feel substantial like a book, with scrumptious photos and detailed articles. They highlight garden creators and great gardens across America. The garden writers and contributing editors, oftentimes garden artists themselves, cover art, exceptional plants, plant-travel and publish a calendar of landscape events offered in several distinct gardening zones. I find it a must-read for anybody who is interested in the landscaped environment and our interaction with it.

Here now a few more exceptional plants that I’ve found worth my investment of time, money and muscle:

Chondropetalum tectorum Small Cape Rush, Bamboo Rush

Chondropetalum tectorum Small Cape Rush, Bamboo Rush

At the recent Fall Festival at Waterwise Botanicals www.waterwisebotanicals.com, local grower of outstanding garden plants for water-stared Southern California, I saw how this fascinating Bamboo Rush complimented the beautiful pond that Tom Jesch, manager of this operation, has built.

It’s a lovely pond, full of life with small and larger fish, aquatic plants and many insects and other wildlife that come to drink here; it’s built without liner, pump or mechanical filters. The pond alone is worth a visit; the nursery is open to the public.

Against the pond’s background, Chondropetalum tectorum (Small Cape Rush) from South Africa is a remarkably attractive plant that brings movement and stature to any landscape, be it a naturalistic/eclectic Californian; modern/contemporary or minimalist. It would demand attention planted in mass or as single accent. It is a low maintenance, low water-use plant that evokes the water without necessarily needing its presence; the grass-like plant looks equally good sited along a dry stream bed or a seasonal pond.

Cape Rush forms dense tufted clumps from which arise 2-3 foot tall dark green unbranched stems. The dark brown sheaths at the joints drop off in summer leaving a dark band. Late in the season the stems arch gracefully from the weight of clusters of small brown flowers at the tips.
Plant in full to part sun. It is drought tolerant, and appreciates supplemental water in spring. It is hardy to about 20-25 degrees F. It can be successfully planted in seaside gardens, used in relatively dry landscapes or used as a plant in the shallows of a water garden. Tolerates a wide soil pH range.

Summary:

3-4 ft high x 3-4 ft wide; sun or shade exposure; drought tolerant; hardy to 2-25 F.

(Don’t confuse this plant with the larger Chondropetalum elephantinum; it is a more robust form up to 6 feet tall.)

Leptospermum scoparium ‘Apple Blossom’ ‘Apple Blossom’ New Zealand Tea Tree

Leptospermum scoparium ‘Apple Blossom’ ‘Apple Blossom’ New Zealand Tea Tree

In this garden where we used many succulents and drought tolerant Mediterranean and California natives, the tall shrub in the background with the pink flowers is Leptospermum scoparium ‘Apple Blossom’ (New Zealand Tea Tree ‘Apple Blossom’). This shrub seems to shelter the smaller plants in the foreground, and it makes a pleasing link between them and the canopy of the oak. It also provides a long-lived contrast with the ruggedness of the boulders and the fleshy structure of the Agave desmetiana ‘Variegata’ on the right.

‘Apple Blossom’ Tea Tree is evergreen with double light-pink flowers that appear in a very strong flush in the spring as well as in the fall. Its tiny needle-like green leaves are often tinged with pink (especially during cold temperatures). It requires good drainage, is drought tolerant, and is hardy down to about 20 degrees F. This shrub can also be used as container plant.

Summary:

Upright shrub to 8 ft tall x same width; full sun; drought tolerant /requires good drainage.

Aeonium hybrid ‘Cabernet’

Aeonium hybrid ‘Cabernet’

Aeonium hybrid ‘Cabernet’ with its deep green & wine colored foliage is a low-growing, rounded shrubby succulent that gets to about 2-3 ft wide and to 8 inches tall; in late winter it blooms with brilliant yellow flowers. Here it shows off its tight form against the chartreuse fronds of Coleonema ‘Sunset Gold’, Lavender and the red branches of ‘Apple Blossom’ New Zealand Tea Tree.

I use it as useful contrasting and unifying plant against which more delicate perennials, grasses or more fine-textured shrubs can display their beauty.

Aeonium Cabernet needs full sun in more coastal areas or part shade; in hot inland locations it’s best to protect it from the hot sun. It is summer dormant which means it rests here; over-watering will damage it. Leaves will just tighten but plump right up again with the cooler season. It’s front tender and is quite water-wise; too much water makes it flop.

Summary

9 inch tall x 2-3 ft wide; full sun / part shade; regular water to water-wise. Front tender

Crassula capitella ‘Campfire’

Crassula capitella ‘Campfire’

In this photo, you can see the reddish tips of the fleshy upright succulent branches of Crassula capitella ‘Campfire’ (Campfire Crassula). This groundcover-type produces propeller-like leaves that mature from light green to bright red.

It grows prostrate, forming mats about 6 inches tall to 2 to 3 feet tall wide . Clusters of white flowers rest on the leaves in the summer. It does best in well-draining soil that is allowed to dry out in between watering. If it can’t dry out regularly, it will produce black spots and floppy growth.

It does well in part sun but also in full sun with minimal water as I observed in my hot inland garden where its growth was much tighter and the foliage color more intense. In gardens where it was not allowed to dry out between watering, I noticed that it produce black branch tips and a very floppy growth.

This Crassula is not very hardy and will be damaged below 30 degrees F°.

Summary:

6in x 3 ft wide; full sun / part shade; well draining soil; drought tolerant to regular water.

I hope that these selections will inspire you and assist you in your landscape design.

I wish everyone a fun and healthy planting season, and much satisfaction next year when these plants come into their own.

And my best wishes to everyone for a lovely holiday and a prosperous New Year.

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!

San Diego … Drought Proof Your Landscape, Part 2

March 26, 2014 By Christiane Holmquist 2 Comments

Xeriscape landscaping can be colorful, water-saving and rewarding

In my previous post, San Diego … Drought Proof Your Landscape, Part 1, I explained the term “xeriscape” and outlined several water-smart landscaping ideas and the first steps towards a water-wise landscape that is beautiful and yet sustainable. Here are the remaining steps a well as valuable resources.

5. Now that you are making voids in your garden (by eliminating certain unsustainable plants), perhaps it’s time to splurge on a few new hardscape elements (patios, walkways, shade pergolas)?

In my mind a garden is only a place worth caring for when it comes to life with plants. However, our landscapes need structure and good organization if they are to be enjoyable. And to enjoy them usually means entertainment, relaxation, rejuvenation, and also play and reconnecting with nature in the privacy of our home.

A shade cover allows daylong use of the patio

Patios, decks or terraces:

They have an immensely popular and well-deserved status in our landscape. If comfort and peace eludes you on your patio there’s no incentive to be out in the garden much…

it needs to be big enough to be comfortable;
it needs to be paved with safe and appealing materials;
it needs to be sheltered from sun, wind or the curiosity of our neighbors;
it needs to be comfortably accessible from the kitchen when food is carried outside to the dining or lounging table.

Walkways in the garden expand your enjoyment of it

If you find that any of these elements is missing from your entertainment/relaxation space, now might be the time to remedy these shortcomings and create a comfortable outdoor entertainment space design. Perhaps a new pavement is needed, or a shade device? This could be a pergola, an umbrella or shade sails, or (most practical perhaps or economical) a shade tree!

And new pathways? Imagine going on a discovery tour in your garden and enjoying your creativity, admiring what all the beautiful drought tolerant plants are showing off through the seasons. A discovery path that winds around your new planter beds, or a strolling path leading to a bench or comfortable seat at the rear end of your garden could be a long lasting addition that will pay off many-fold.

6. Mulch – too often overlooked

A good-looking mulch helps save water and gives it all a finished look

A thick layer of mulch, spread around all plants is so important! It should be 2-3 inches thick, or the kind that includes also small pieces (not the nuggets or the shredded lumber), and not smothering the root crown (the part where the roots converge into the stems just at/above soil level) to avoid fatal fungus disease.

A layer like this is attractive, makes your plants stand out, cools and enriches the soil, prevents erosion from rain or hard irrigation, and slows down evaporation. It’s a big water saver, and whatever has decomposed during the year, needs to be replenished in the following spring.

Some landscape are well served with an inorganic layer of mulch, made from decomposed granite or crushed rock. These materials are well suited to Southwest landscape designs or “desert-scapes”, and this type of mulch, although not enriching the soil, can help reduce evaporation and gives a finished look.

7. Know your soil

Knowing your soil texture helps determine what to plant, how to irrigate and how to amend your soil

Knowing whether you have sandy, loamy or high clay soil lets you determine whether to “condition” your soil (by adding compost, organic matter, or other ingredients such as gypsum), which irrigation system to use, how fast water drains into the sub soil and when to irrigate again. It also helps you determine which plants are best for your location. In my mind it’s not as necessary to add nutrients — most of the drought tolerant plants come from areas with nutrient-poor soil — as it is to have organic matter in your soil as this organic matter, as it decomposes, feeds more micro-organisms and creates a healthier environment for plants. So adding compost for example helps you improve your soil.

This Homeowner’s Guide to a WaterSmart Landscape Flipbook helps you determine this question.

8. Hand-watering; still a smart irrigation technique?

Hand-watering helps to “spot water” only the plants that you want to save

If you have a mature tree in your landscape that “never gets any (irrigation) water”, you might think you don’t need to water this specimen.

However, it’s important to consider that our winter was very dry, and that “established plants” can get by without extra water – only if they can tap into a reservoir of soil that was re-hydrated in the winter. With our meager rainfall this winter, there’s nothing much to tap into… I’d get a hose-end sprinkler device , one that you can set on the ground, at the end of your garden hose, and a simple kitchen timer, and give this so important asset in your garden a few deep soakings. It’s important to note that a tree that is stressed doesn’t show its stress right away; it might take a couple to a few years until the stress invites insect attack, tip dying, and eventual demise.

What’s deep soaking? Only a soil moisture measuring device, such as auger or soil tube, can prove that your water has sunk in deeply. For a tree that means 18 to 24 inches because in this layer of soil trees usually have about 90 % of their roots.

9. Investigate where your irrigation system might be wasting water.

Sad thing to see so much water land on the driveway

It has been shown in numerous studies that the traditional sprinkler heads and rotors have a mere 50% efficiency rate, and you can observe in your neighborhood (if not in your own garden), how much of runs off before it can get to the plants (such on compacted turf for example, or on slopes); or how much gets blown away by the wind, or how much of lands on driveways or sidewalks.

The modern low-volume spray systems or drip are much more efficient, and water used these systems go much farther.

10. Irrigate wisely – not miserly.

Most trees’ feeder roots are to be found in the top 18-24 inches

The word is “deep watering”, not frequent… This has to do with your plants root systems: For trees about 90% of their roots are in the top 1-2 feet; for larger shrubs a bit less, and for perennials about 6 inches. (These are very rough generalizations and can be fine-tuned depending on the plants that you want to water.)

To water a drought tolerant plant, you might think you don’t need to water much. That’s ultimately the goal, but it’s important to visualize the root system of this plant:

At planting time all the roots of this plant are in a small confined space – a 1 gal or a 5 gal pot, or larger – and if this plant is not allowed to stretch its roots out far and deep, it will never be ‘drought tolerant’! The establishment phase therefore is crucial: During this phase the water needs to be applied regularly and deeply.

To determine how long then your irrigation system needs to run, you will need to a percolation test.

11. Invest in a smart irrigation system

Not only is low-volume irrigation more efficient at watering your landscape and therefore wastes less water, it can be combined with a “smart irrigation controller”. This device is tied into weather stations (the better ones even have local sensors) that measure your local temperatures, even relative humidity, solar radiation, and water loss due to evaporation. Combined with your input of the type of plants that you want to water, your soil type and your type of irrigation system it calculates how much and when to water.

If this process is over your head, there are many local companies that offer help with this smart system. (check out the CLCA website for qualified landscape companies. Also the Irrigation Association and American Society of Irrigation Consultants)

Lastly, it’s very useful to locate any leaks or breaks that your system might have, and to do a pressure test: Pressure that’s too high can cause more wind-born water and runoff than you want to pay for…A pressure regulator can achieve valuable water savings.

Water Conservation Resources

This bench invites to rest here for a while

Here an EPA overview of ‘smart sense controllers’: www.EPA.gov/WaterSense

The San Diego County Water Authority has a very useful website. It lists numerous resources related to water conservation:
www.BeWaterWise.com

To see how beautiful water-conserving plants can be, the The Water Conservation Garden’s water-wise demonstration garden is a must-visit.

The Landscape Watering Calculator computes individualized watering requirements.

The California Friendly Garden Guide searchable plant database and other useful features.

San Diego County Water Authority 20-Gallon Challenge information.

On this website you’ll also find more educational resources for students and teachers.

San Diego … Drought Proof Your Landscape

February 28, 2014 By Christiane Holmquist 8 Comments

Orange blossoms draw lots of admirers

Here’s what you can do to protect your landscape during San Diego’s drought and to do it in style, incidentally.

Yesterday morning I stepped outside with my breakfast cereal to soak in the warm sunshine and see what’s going on in my garden. Following the buzz of the bees drawn by the sweet scent of Orange blossoms wafting through the garden, I found the Orange tree covered with flowers – what a joy to see!

Taking a deep breath, my eyes scanned the garden, and it struck me that the Plum tree also had started to bloom, and the first Cleveland Sages, and then, coming around my deck, I saw that the Wisteria, pruned barely a few weeks ago, had pushed out big buds ready to open at any moment! But winter is hardly over officially, or is it?

With all the delight over warmth and gorgeous spring bloom, I can’t help feeling concern about how soon summer will be here, and how my garden will fare with the watering restrictions that are sure to come?

If you, too, can’t help looking anxiously skywards waiting for rain, and wondering how you can protect your landscape from the effects of drought, read on: Here I’ll outline important ideas and tips to help you protect your garden investment and “drought proof” it through the months to come.

Xeriscape – the technique to garden sustainably and colorfully in a dry climate

A successful xeriscape brims with color

Like it or not, you’ll get to hear this word more and more often as people are discussing ways to create and safe-guard a home landscape design that is attractive and sustainable with limited or no extra applications of water. (BTW: People in consistently hot and dry climates such as Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada are already well familiar with these design parameters.)

As Wikipedia describes it: “Xeriscaping is landscaping and gardening that reduces or eliminates the need for supplemental water from irrigation. “ It most definitely does not mean ‘zero – scaping’ although it’s easy to pronounce the word that way.

So where does this process of transforming and protecting your landscape as a sustainable xeriscape start?

The following steps are very important and will help you preserve your landscape and safeguard it against drought.

1. Decide what to water and what not.

A young Tipu tree is worth protecting from under-watering

Water is scarce, and watering all of your landscape will be very costly and difficult if not impossible if San Diego goes back to specific days for irrigation. Also, if you have a traditional irrigation system, your irrigation cycles will be even more restricted.

It’s therefore wise to only water what’s really valuable in your landscape. It helps to be cold-hearted and examine each plant for its benefits and assets, as well it’s cost in maintenance, water, fertilizer. This is one of the most important steps on your way to water conservation. So how do you put a value on the plants in your landscape?

I always start “from the top down”, that is with the largest specimen, the trees. A young tree that has already been in the ground for a few years and that is showing promise is definitely worthy of special watering. A mature tree is hard to replace, and it has taken many years and much care to get it to that stage so deserves saving.

A mature tree in the landscape that provides lovely shade is hard to replace

But here, too, I recommend checking whether it really does what it’s supposed to do: Does is shade your house or patio, saving energy in hot weather? Does it provide fruit? Does it provide privacy or screen a bad view? Don’t forget also that if placed right, a tree is a design element that “anchors” your home to its environment and adds an important vertical element and a focal point to your landscape.

Now if your tree doesn’t do much of the before listed jobs; if instead it dwarfs your house, sheds needles on your roof or spiky seeds on your patio… If it threatens to drop its branches on your car or the neighbor’s yard… Perhaps it’s the first on your let-go-list?

2. And so you continue with the shrubs, and then the other smaller plants, and then perhaps the lawn.

Shrubs pruned into unnatural shapes likes these are a sad sight

In reality, we often put up with shrubs that are too big for their space and need to be pruned regularly; that easily get infested with white flies (such as hibiscus), need lots of water, and some of them are plain boring (imagine our ubiquitous Indian Hawthorne hedges).

If your shrubs have this problem or don’t do much screening or don’t provide privacy… Nor provide food for your family and don’t show a real asset to your landscape, perhaps they are next on the to-lose-list?

3. Can you imagine? (removing the lawn)

This turf hasn’t seen kid’s play for years…

Many of our urban lawns don’t deserve having: Nobody is using them really as the children have grown and need much larger spaces. Our pets don’t mind using the mulched areas for their ‘business’…

Turf needs frequent water and maintenance. It dominates the garden scene without ever being visited by hummingbirds, butterflies or other wildlife except for rabbits and the occasional mocking bird.

If you select to let go of the lawn also, and decide to create a more sustainable landscape, the rewards are plenty, as there many options for a more colorful, more interesting landscape with fascinating, drought resistant plants that will excite you year-round.

Tip: Many local water agencies offer rebates for the removal of lawn and the installation of low volume and smart irrigation systems. Check here: TurfReplacement.WaterSmartSD.org

4. Start dreaming

Drought resistant landscaping can be exciting and rewarding year-round.

Aren’t you getting excited yet about the new opportunities for a DIY landscape design that brings year-round fun and color in your garden (and incidentally substantial water savings)?

There are so many xeriscape plants that stay attractive year round even with very little extra water, that are colorful even when not in bloom, that entertain with fantastic shapes and textures, and that bring life and nature to your garden. These plants inspire landscape design ideas that could include a strolling garden instead of a lawn; or, fancy a discovery garden with exotics that only need a fraction of what you applied until now, whether California natives or from other Mediterranean climates.

This is the promise that drought tolerant plants hold. They alone, when chosen for your site and for your soil and microclimate, will not need no or only insignificant amounts of supplemental water.

The following links take you to plant and design discussions, all centered on how-to case studies, or exceptional plant suggestions. Here are a few suggestions of how to go about your design:

You can browse the UC Davis publication “Arboretum All Star Plants” that lists beautiful low-water plants by type and gives names, space and water needs, required exposure, and photos.

Read up on how to use the quiet winter months to prepare for this and next year’s success
The joys of winter – preparing for next year’s success and enjoyment of our drought

A colorful example of a lush xeriscape

In this post I show ways to breathe new life into your landscape design while keeping water conservation in mind. DIY Landscape Design: Breathe New Life into Your Garden

Or read up on the case-study of a transformation of a very traditional, lawn-centered landscape. Sustainable landscape design – celebrating California at its best

If you are looking for exceptional drought resistant / drought tolerant plants following this link. My Favorite Drought-Resistant Plants for Southern California

If you can’t get enough of exotic looking plants that fit well into the xeriscape landscape read this post. The eye-catching bromeliad – No tenderfoot in the drought resistant landscape

In this post I write about more tropical looking plants with exuberant color and tropical appearance without the typical water needs of a tropical plants. Xeriscape Design: Hot and lush yet waterwise – Tropical look-alikes for an arid land (Part II)

How to bring your irrigation system up to the task; the importance of mulching and knowing your soil, selection of materials – all these issues are crucial elements in your efforts towards protecting your landscape from the drought and enjoying it, too. Look for these and more Resources to help you in your work in the second half of this post to be published next month.

Is Your Front Yard the Final Frontier? Conquer Your Home Landscape Design with These Distinctive Exotics

August 29, 2013 By Christiane Homquist Leave a Comment

Vriesea imperialis is a regal presence in this garden. Greene garden, Encinitas

Vriesea imperialis is a regal presence in this landscape. Greene garden, Encinitas

Searching for unique and exceptional plants that could be worthy complements to the striking and curvilinear architecture of a client’s home in Carlsbad, I visited Rancho Soledad Nursery in rural Rancho Santa Fe/CA. This grower specializes in unusual specimens and is responsible for many exciting plant innovations in the plant world.

The plants that I was after would also need to fit other important requirements: They needed to be non-fussy plants, fitting into a home landscape design, and be low water landscape plants.

After describing to Eric, one of the sales managers there, what I was after, he led me to a group of plants that grabbed my fantasy immediately: All had a round form of fleshy, almost leathery leave rosettes reminiscent of a pineapple plant; some had dreamy marbling and textures on their leaves while others stood out by their foliage color. Some would bloom repeatedly, and others would develop majestic flower “inflorescences” that would stand out in any garden for months. What were these, I inquired, and what were their growing requirements?

Vriesea imperialis makes a good companion to other low water plants

Eric explained to me that these subtropical plants were terrestrial bromeliads, relatives of the Pineapple family (Bromeliaceae), native to the Americas from the southern United States all the way to the tip of Argentina, and growing from near sea level up to 14,000 feet. The ones that grow in the open on rocks or in soil are very drought resistant plants. (Other ones called epiphytes grow on trees, and then there’s a genus of bromeliads called Cryptanthus that is not drought tolerant.)

Because of their striking, sometimes spectacular form these bromeliads would make great additions to any modern garden design with their forms ranging from small prickly agave-like plants, to spectacular basal rosettes open to the sky; some have narrow pointy, spiny-toothed leaves, others grow strappy ones like a New Zealand Flax, only with a softer, more arching and less stern appearance.

Vriesea imperialis inflorescence

Some produce drooping clusters of showy bracts and tubular flowers; others send out an upright stalk decorated with the most striking and brightly colored inflorescence that makes a giant focal point in the landscape. All are easy to grow, requiring well-drained soil and only average watering; it is important for water to collect in the cups or center of the rosettes.

Aechmea recurvata, tolerant of full sun with only little water

As the Cactus and Succulents Society of America recommends, “Division of rosettes is the standard method of propagation, though of course new hybrids must be started from seed-it’s fun to plant seeds and see what develops. Some plants cluster very quickly and can give the grower a real problem when it comes time to divide or re-pot them. I recommend a pair of long leather gloves (sometimes sold as “rose-pickers”) and a sharp knife plus some sort of pry-bar. Weeding around them is best done with the “cactus-grabber” (actually a fishhook-disgorger) that most of us who grow spiny plants have bought in self-defense. The plants do not seem to be subject to many pests or diseases, though some from Brazil, as mentioned above, may be sensitive to low temperatures. Many are really beautiful and a great asset in the plant collection. “

Aechmea cv. ‘Prietro’ : Its dark foliage would make an eye-catching contrast to any fleshy or feathery foliage, or a pleasing complement to any orange, red or yellow color.

Bromeliads have great color, ranging from grey to bronze to almost black; other ones sport blades or straps from chartreuse-green to orange to flaming red. Some of them can tolerate bright hot sun (that actually brings out their flaming color) while others ones prefer the shade, perhaps under a canopy of a tree, or even on the northside of a house, under the eaves.

Aechmea comata ‘Lemon Lime’ — more striking and softer than New Zealand Flax

These xeriscape plants are entirely compatible with succulents and other drought resistant plants in low water landscaping. In the design that I was preoccupied with they would make exceptional companions to the other architectural plants, such as the exotic looking Silk Floss Tree Ceiba speciosa and the bold Small Cape Rush Chondropetalum tectorum…

Aechmea blanchettiana. Design by Glorious Gardens, Encinitas

Aechmea blanchettiana makes a fine centerpiece in this succulent arrangement.
Design by Glorious Gardens, Encinitas

Since I have a penchant for extravagance and am always on the look-out for unusual plants, I’m happy that with these Bromeliads I have found a group of plants that will grab anybody’s attention. With their resilience in hot sun or dry shade and their low maintenance or water needs, they seem to fit the sustainable landscape design needs. And with their strong form, their intriguing coloring and exciting textures they make upstanding elements of any landscape design that wants to stand out and hold your attention for a long time.

I’m happy that these plants seem to fit the needs of any lover of plant exotics AND plant lover the bill of any sustainable landscape design and since I have a penchant for extravagance, I’m sure I’ll be using these whenever They fit into my , are tough and beautiful, and that integrate well into the sustainable landscape design. Since they perform so well in tough spaces, hot sun or dry shade, I’m sure to see more of these in my designs and expect them to perform well in difficult places, whether tough hot spots or dry shade.

I’ll describe some of these in the 2^nd part of my post “The eye-catching bromeliad – No tenderfoot in the drought resistant landscape”.

Sources:

You can admire many beautiful terrestrial bromeliads at these locations:

San Diego Botanic Garden, Encinitas.

The Botanical Building (or Lath House) at Balboa Park, San Diego, features many shade loving bromeliads.

Here’s where I photographed most of these bromeliads:

Rancho Soledad Nursery, Rancho Santa Fe, CA

A Glorious Garden Garden and Design Center, Encinitas

Sustainable Landscape Design – Celebrating California at its Best

May 1, 2013 By Christiane Homquist 2 Comments

Everything about the location of their new home appealed to Ara and Diego: Conveniently located at a comfortable driving distance to schools, work (both work in medical research at a local university), shopping and cultural events of San Diego, and located in a quiet residential neighborhood, it offered a magnificent view of San Diego Bay, right from their back patio. It had a good-sized landscape with many fruit trees and room for Diego’s exotics collection; it even had a pool and large play lawns for the couple’s three children.

The home’s architecture and layout however left a lot to be desired: The 70’s style red tile roof of this Perceived-Spanish fantasy weighed heavily on it; chopped-up rooms and lack of windows and doors were not taking advantage of one of the most prized attributes to Southern California lifestyle: Our brilliant skies and mild temperatures inviting “inside-out living” spaces that blend seamlessly together. Ara and Diego dreamt of taking advantage of all as much as possible; with their love of contemporary and mid-century modern art and architecture they decided on a radical transformation of their new home. The changes would not stop at the home itself; picket fence, spindly palm trees and neatly hedged shrubs did not fit into their aesthetics either nor into their sense of sustainability.

One of the first things they decided on was to lift off the heavy roof, revealing the clean horizontal lines of a modernist bungalow, and refreshing the exterior with a white smooth “Santa Barbara” stucco. On the inside, rooms were enlarged, and in the center a large community space created that floats seamlessly from living to dining to living space. The old entry hall was removed and replaced by a courtyard that is open to the front yard; a room addition created a U-shaped patio in the back yard. Here a warm, barefoot-friendly Ipe deck is a continuation of the wood flooring indoors and invites as much living outdoors as possible, facilitated by sliding doors that connect every room with the outside.

Ara’s and Diego’s creative passions didn’t stop at the house : They were interested in landscape design help that would complement and soften the crisp edges of the home’s modernist design; it needed also to reflect the couple’s artwork and accommodate their active lifestyle. The new landscape design should work with the dry California climate as a low water landscape; it should only require a modicum of maintenance, and it also needed to incorporate Diego’s exotic collection of cacti and succulents.

As we were brainstorming possible landscape design ideas, we agreed that the lawns had an essential place in the landscape as much-used play areas for the couple’s children and their friends. Both the back yard landscape design as well as the front yard are designed around the children’s activities.

The entrance patio, right next to the garage and the driveway, was a bit too open to the public; we wanted it to be off-set without employing a heavy screen. The pavement here consisted of a beautiful travertine tile into which we cut out a row of tiles, just between it and the driveway. Here we placed a couple of naturally rusted steel troughs that “enclosed” the patio and created a visual although very low separation between the two. More a suggestion rather than an actual screen, a lacy curtain of horsetail reeds creates greater privacy for this courtyard that is open to the public yet can’t easily be scrutinized by passersby.

Decorating the wall across from the breakfast room we mounted a red metal sculpture fabricated after Ara’s and Diego’s design. It decorates a fountain trough made also of steel left to rust naturally. (The fountain is presently under repair, and the trough not filled.)

With the heavy roofs gone, the horizontal lines of the architecture dominated the landscape. I employed xeriscape plants whose dramatic shapes, intricate textures and sky-reaching forms contrast with the regularity of the architecture and lend an exotic touch to the landscape: Dracaenas Dracaena marginata, Ponytail Palm Beaucarnea recurvata, Caribbean Copper Plant Euphorbia cotinifolia and Purple Peppermint Willow Agonis flexuosa ‘After Dark’ lend the height and the dark color accent; Agaves and cacti the exotic notes; bold Aeoniums and Rock Purslane Calandrinia spectabilis the color and visual interest. A giant New Zealand Flax, Rushes and False Yucca Hesperaloe parviflora lend the airier character, and to all xeriphytic perennials contribute a softening effect.

The old access to the side yard was re-designed; a good-looking Ipe fence picks up the material used in the back yard for the deck extension and inside the home for the flooring.

Diego had already started a substantial collection of fantastic cacti such as Cleistocactus and Cereus monstrosus; also Foxtail Agaves, Aloes and a giant Euphorbia canariensis; some of them had been salvaged from his previous home. They all found their new home in this xeriscape San Diego and are a much better aesthetical fit for the home’s architectural style than the clipped shrubs and fence of the former landscape. Some of them act as their own dramatic pieces of art and have prominent places in the landscape (here across from the red metal courtyard sculpture).

A local gravel called ‘Palm Springs Gold’ serves as mulch and adds a textural element. It is also a clean foil against which the colors and textures of these plants stand out. It evokes a desert scape in which succulents are used in great numbers together with long-flowering and lasting perennials and other drought resistant plants.

More from common sense and the desire for sustainability than aesthetics, the existing pool and part of the previous deck (bordering the new Ipe deck) were integrated into the new landscape and allow a smooth access from house to pool, play lawn and garden.

When the weather is warm which is around 300 days a year, the family keeps the windows and sliding doors to this terrace open.

What an exciting project this was, and how satisfying. To me as landscape designer San Diego it reflects a new “California Mix”: A definite aesthetic sense influencing the design of home and garden without ever imposing a purist’s approach; a strong desire for a sustainable landscape design that honors the style of the owners while acknowledging the needs of the family and the environment.

Unwind and relax – you’re home, in your yard

April 6, 2012 By Christiane Homquist 1 Comment

For most of us, the garden is the primary place where we connect with nature and reconnect with ourselves. Here’s where we unwind, drawn by the privacy of the space or a pretty view, either of a distant scenery or or of close-up plant beauties. Here’s where we want to be touched by nature’s power; our gardens are our oasis, where we recharge, remember how we played as children, and enjoy a living creation.

A fountain and a chair placed by the front door take advantage of a shady tree.

A chair placed close-up to contemplate the fountain, across from the kitchen window: This scene is very calming, whether seen from inside the house or from close-up.

When looking for relaxing garden ideas, consider this: The space that we choose for our relaxation needs just to be big enough for a couple of chairs and perhaps a small table . Where we place it depends on environmental factors or our lifestyles: It could be in the backyard if it provides the privacy you need; if the front yard is the shadier place when you’re likely to be home, the front yard landscape design needs to provide for the relaxation spot here. It could also be in our side yard – if that is the only private space there is.

Before: Listless on arrival.

This front garden has a view, but nothing to mitigate the harsh sunlight, nothing to complement the forms of the house, nor does it invite to draw a chair to enjoy the view.

Placing the sitting area by the front door made most sense because it’s from here that the view is best. However, it’s the plants – ornamental grasses, graceful trees and a variety of colorful xeriscape plants – that make this garden come to life, and it’s here that you want to unwind.

The builder had placed both houses close together, and for the previous owner paving the entire space seemed right. Nothing mitigated the harsh glare from concrete and masonry; nothing was alive and made home-coming enticing.

Now this formerly dull entry passage is alive with lush yet xeric plants; it makes you say Ahh when coming home, to a place where moving foliage and varying textures and colors engage and relax the senses. Delicate shrubs decrease the glare from the white walls and soften the forms of the masonry, add visual interest and welcome anybody who enters this patio. Placing the raised containers at a 45 degree angle allowed to play with the spaces; as the hall-way feeling was broken up with plants and shapes, some sense of discovery and excitement was added.

Here, too, the front door area offers the place of choice to take a break and enjoy the late afternoon sun, the view and the occasional chat with neighbors who pass by. Under the cover of the pergola, surrounded by long-flowering Red Valerian Centranthus ruber and Feathery Senna Cassia artemisioides, both xeriscape plants, resting is very enjoyable.

A private sitting area was added to this back garden; what better spot than under the canopy of a tree to place a chair and sit with a book?

It seems that it is never the material underfoot that matters, nor the size of the spot that we choose. What does matter it our preferred location, some sense of shelter and privacy (placed against a wall, under a pergola or a tree canopy), and the plants that create the interest up-close. It’s the plants that relax us and make the space emotionally resonant, that give the garden a settled feeling, and make the formerly harsh or naked spaces inviting and friendly. Wouldn’t you agree?

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

Drought tolerant plants: The Lobster Flower. Another loveable perennial for the sustainable landscape

June 25, 2011 By Christiane Holmquist Leave a Comment

I have a passion for drought tolerant plants, and on one of my last visits to Quail Botanical Gardens in Encinitas (now San Diego Botanic Garden) I was attracted to a plant that looked it would fit the bill: Growing in pure gravel, in the heat of summer, surrounded by other succulents and cacti it was producing cheerful blue-purple flowers. This was one that I had to try out myself, and I have since fallen in love with it.

Some call this South African succulent perennial Lobster Flower, but it also goes under the names of Green Aroma, Dogbane, or Spur Flower; its botanic name is Plectranthus neochilus. In my hot inland garden it’s now entering its second summer, and it has proven to be all that I would want from a plant that I select to embellish my or my clients’ water-wise garden. It is hands-down attractive with fuzzy, slightly scalloped pale green aromatic foliage that stays under 6 inches tall in the full sun with little supplemental water but can get taller in the shade with enough water.

Bloom: With enough sun it blooms almost year-round with about 3 to 6 inch tall spikelets along which fragrant blue-purple tubular flowers are arranged that rise above the foliage; in the hot summer sun it is a relief to see that cool intense color.

Spread: Mine have spread, starting from a cutting a year ago, to about a foot and a half wide, and they are supposed to continue slowly as the seasons go by. (Propagation from cuttings is extremely easy: Just break off a stem of about 4-5 inches length, remove the lower leaves on 1-2 inches, snip off the flowers, then let dry in a shaded place for a couple of days. Then plant in moist succulent mix, water in and let sit in partial shade for several weeks [don’t forget to keep moist]. I would not plant it out into the garden until the nights are cooler again; otherwise, the young roots might get burned in the hot soil during the summer months).

Soil: The Dogbane or Lobster Flower, like most xeriscape plants, needs well draining soil (although I have the feeling that with careful watering it would also do well in heavier soil).

Use: It can be planted at the foreground of a planting bed as colorful ground cover; in the shade it is attractive as well. It drapes nicely over any edging and would make also an attractive plant for hanging baskets or containers.

Hardiness: It is hardy to around 30 degrees; mine were hit a bit by frost, but the damaged branches were easily removed.

Deer/rabbit resistance: Some sources say that it is deer resistant; rabbits have not touched mine so far.

Water/light needs: It tolerates considerable amount of drought and neglect, and although it prefers full sun or partial shade, it does well in the dry shade also where it makes an attractive ground cover. I would find it an irresistible addition to any desert garden.

With all these attributes, this little perennial is an adorable, rugged and pretty ground cover for the water-conserving, sustainable landscape. What more could you want from a garden friend?

The lawn needs to go – but what then? Water Conservation Issues and Garden Re-do addressed at “The Garden”

March 24, 2011 By Christiane Holmquist 1 Comment

Prompted by the rising water cost and irrigation restrictions, San Diego homeowners consult the many resources available the Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon (at www.thegarden.org ). Among these resources are landscape design and horticulture experts offering consultations on subjects like “California Friendly Plants”, watering, arboriculture (the science concerned with trees), construction issues and landscape design. I enjoy being one of those professionals, and I thought you might be curious to learn how such a consultation might work for the people that come there.

In my consultations I generally encounter the same objective: Feeling the need to reduce their water bill or wanting a landscape that is more practical and ecological, these homeowners are ready to retire their mostly lawn-centered landscape. They come to the Water Conservation Garden with the common question, “What do I plant now?” Most of them believe that planting the right plants would make their gardens better and solve their problems; isn’t that what the beautiful low-water-use plants at “The Garden” are all about?

I understand this thinking but, as designer and horticulturist, I don’t think that suggesting different, albeit drought resistant, water-wise or “xeric” plants, would address the underlying problem (although those plants are generally more sustainable). I feel that planting random groups of plants into the former lawn area would not create attractive, comfortable spaces for outdoor living that “work”. Since that is my focus, I explain to the visitors that it would serve them best if they considered first how to make enjoyable outdoor living possible, in separate spaces designed for different uses.

What needs to happen in a yard so it can become an “outdoor living room”? How do you convert it into a play room, or entertainment space, a space to hang out, relax, dream, rejuvenate?

A garden space needs to be organized spatially and hierarchically, and I start my design process, in which I involve my visitors, by asking them if they can think of an activity that they would like to do but never had room for or that was relegated to a back corner of their garden. Perhaps there is some almost forgotten vision of a garden scene in the recesses of their memory that they never took seriously? Take the example of my last visitors at the Garden:

This family, husband, wife and son, arrived well prepared for the consultation, with photos and a sketch of their garden drawn to scale. They had decided to take out most of the lawn, a large expanse right by the patio; they would only keep a small part of it for their son for whom lawn mowing is a therapeutic activity. Opposite the patio, far across the lawn, was a planter bed, but since it was so far away and confined also by a low wall, the flowers in it were not recognizable from the patio. To my surprise, the lady told me that it held roses! Her husband mentioned, almost in passing, that he would like to grow succulents. Some trees were there, but they had been planted around the louter perimeter of the lawn so that they couldn’t throw any shade where it mattered most, which was on their hot south-west facing patio.

“Hardscaping” elements such as patios, walk ways, fencing, arbors, boulders – convey permanence and add structure. Most of them don’t have to be maintained, except for some new coat of paint or occasional sweeping, depending on the material used. And they don’t demand watering, fertilization, pruning… So I suggest to incorporate them as much as possible into a design and let them “furnish” the garden, organize the space into areas of different use, provide separation as well as access, focal points, delineation and definition.

In the case of the before mentioned visitors, we found that a swing for adults, placed under a shade tree, would be lovely to have; I suggested to place it at the far end of the garden from where the family could see house and patio from a new perspective, and I drew its outlines on transparent paper taped over their sketch. And why not pull rose bed and succulents closer to the patio from where they could be seen? Of course not into one flower bed, but in different areas that are perhaps even mounded up, separated by a walk way: Gently curved mounds give movement to an otherwise flat plan, and the plants on them can be seen better, like on a painted canvas. And if your soil drains poorly, creating those mounds helps improve the drainage because you can mix the mounded soil to provide the drainage your plants need, such as many Mediterranean plants, California Natives and succulents, and even roses.

roses framing view

As for the lawn, we drew a much reduced kidney-shaped area that started at one end of the patio, wrapped around behind the rose bed and the succulent mound, and ended at the other end of the patio. This way it was still visible and easy to get to from the patio without dominating the foreground. And to make all the different areas accessible, we discussed stepping stones and DG as possible material for the walkways, even coarse landscape mulch was considered.

Lastly we reviewed the possible locations of trees, and I pointed to my most favorite reference books on this subject: Ornamental Trees for a Mediterranean Climate, the trees of San Diego, by Steve Brigham with book design and photographs by Don Walker, and the Sunset Western Garden Book. Here gardeners can research all their favorite choices before making the final selection; they can actually visit the trees shown in the tree book at their location!

Our time was up, and although we had not talked much about plants in detail, the family was happy (I suggested to look to the Water Conservation Garden’s displays for ideas). Both husband and wife had information and tools in their hands that will make “playing” with their spaces, on paper first, a fun and exciting activity; selecting goals that are realistic and achievable with their budget and energy will now be a manageable task. And finally, armed with the proper reference books and resources that the Water Conservation Garden and other public gardens in San Diego County offer, they will be on their way to a garden that they can enjoy, and live in.

Chondropetalum tectorum Small Cape Rush, Bamboo Rush

Leptospermum scoparium ‘Apple Blossom’ ‘Apple Blossom’ New Zealand Tea Tree

Aeonium hybrid ‘Cabernet’

Crassula capitella ‘Campfire’

Here’s what you can do to protect your landscape during San Diego’s drought and to do it in style, incidentally.

Xeriscape – the technique to garden sustainably and colorfully in a dry climate

Christiane Holmquist

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