Inter-Ocean Parabolic

Mahonia Fremontii

2025-03-18T16:44:00.004-07:00

I've had this Mahonia fremontii (now known as Berberis fremontii) plant for 11 years. It's blooming for the first time this year, after the manzanita it was growing under died:

Early September in the Garden

2024-09-05T12:19:00.000-07:00

Canna 'Stuttgart'

Silphium terebinthinaceum

Silphium perfoliatum

Canna ehmanii

Amorphophallus konjac

Colchicum × byzantinum

Rosa 'Lübecker Rotspon'

Paper Moon Scabiosa

Canna 'Stuttgart'

Dianthus knappii

Easter Flowers

2024-03-31T19:54:00.002-07:00

Libertia sessiliflora

Pelargonium acetosum

Illicium henryi

Lilium regale

Illicium henryi

Ixia longituba bellendenii

Tiger Eye Abutilon

Tiger Eye Abutilon with Pittosporum heterophyllum flowers

Scilla peruviana

Pelargonium ferulaceum

Drimys winterii

Sarcococca vagans

Kunzea baxteri

Rosa 'Rob Roy'

Pulmonaria 'Little Star'

Libertia sessiliflora

Australian Mint Bush and Others

2024-03-17T13:49:00.006-07:00

Prostanthera rotundifolia

Bon Silene

Scilla peruviana

Calothamnus quadrifidus


Veltheimia bracteata

Dr. Rouges

Calothamnus quadrifidus buds

2024-01-28T20:00:00.003-07:00

Winter Scenes

2024-01-14T17:47:00.000-07:00

Ledebouria socialis

Helleborus argutifolius 'Pacific Frost'

Fuchsia splendens

Nematanthus 'Mardi Gras'

Correa pulchella 'Wyn's Wonder'

Crocus laevigatus fontenayi

Chimonanthus praecox

Abutilon 'Tiger Eye'

Pelargonium acetosum

Rosa 'Irene Bonnet"

Mustard leaves

Chimonanthus praecox

Two More Pictures of Siphocampylus tupaeformis

2023-09-17T19:28:00.002-07:00

Siphocampylus tupaeformis

2023-09-11T15:08:00.001-07:00

A New Season

2023-02-19T22:35:00.001-07:00

An unidentified camellia

Santa Barbara peach blossoms

Chaenomeles Kingishi

Sarcococca bleddynii

Sarcococca and Helleborus

2023-02-13T17:20:00.002-07:00

Abutilon pictum 'Mardi Gras'

2022-06-17T22:04:00.004-07:00

Peaceful Moments

2022-05-26T18:30:00.002-07:00

Patterns & Colors

2022-03-26T16:23:00.000-07:00

Hallow's Evening

2021-10-31T18:41:00.000-07:00

Success Column?

2021-06-20T11:13:00.005-07:00

The wild raspberry seems to be doing ok under the giant spruce.

More Lessons Learned? Or, Why I Worry About The Dogwood Trees....Plus, Birch

2021-06-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

The first three photos are the red dogwood tree, then the white, then the birch. I guess all of them are more thirsty than I knew. Maybe if I take care of them, despite the dogwoods position in the full sun, sunniest spot I have, they would be ok?

The internet (SFGATE) says:

Irrigate a dogwood tree once or twice weekly during the summer and autumn months. Thoroughly soak the ground to 6- to 12-inches deep so that the water reaches the soil beneath the root-zone area. The shallow roots can't tolerate dry soil conditions.
Apply a 3- or 4-inch layer of mulch around your dogwood tree to help maintain soil moisture. Extend the mulch layer about 8 to 10 feet from the base of the trunk, but keep the material about 4 inches away from the trunk itself. Replenish the mulch when needed to maintain the layer's initial depth.
Water your dogwood trees with a garden hose rather than a sprinkler system. Sprinklers get the leaves too wet, which makes the foliage susceptible to moisture-related diseases such as anthracnose, powdery mildew and gray mold. Avoid getting the foliage wet when watering.

So, I guess, an unusually hot and dry May/June without doing those things could be an issue.

Lessons Learned (Maybe)

2021-06-06T08:04:00.020-07:00

I bought a columbine, at Home Depot, rather late in the Spring. It doesn't seem to be doing very well. Granted, it got pretty hot, pretty fast, not long after I bought it. And it's in full sun. And it has been extremely dry here this Spring. Tried to keep watering, but it just keeps declining.

Straight behind the columbine is a common bluestar, I like those a lot, and I'm thinking I might need more. To the right is the Cardinal flower, and to the left is the Jacob Cline bee balm. I know we're supposed be using the fancy latin names around here, but I'm too lazy to look them up. Though, the one I do seem to remember for whatever reason is the lobelia cardenalis.

Ok, fine, googling isn't that hard: Monarda didyma 'Jacob Cline', Amsonia tabernaemontana (common bluestar), and Aquilegia (columbine). If that's not right, blame Google.

Below is my new rose mallow (Hibiscus 'Midnight Marvel'). I was skeptical about getting one at first, but when it arrived, I really liked it, with the different shades of color.

Unfortunately, I knocked off one of the larger stems moving the hose around, so it doesn't look quite as full, now. However, lesson learned, I hope, trying to be extremely careful around it, now.

March Sun and Showers

2021-03-13T21:27:00.004-07:00

Quince Flowers

New growth on 'Silver Jubilee' rose

A soggy Bon Silene rose.

Begonia 'Paul Hernandez' and Begonia luxurians

General Schablikine

New growth on Rob Roy

My Slowest Growing Shrubs

2020-07-01T18:18:00.001-07:00

Now that I've been gardening in my present location for almost twelve years, I thought I should take an inventory of my slowest growing shrubs:

Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Ogon' is probably my slowest growing shrub. It is now over ten years old and about one foot tall by two feet wide.

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Torulosa' is now eleven years old, and is about four feet tall.

Camellia truncata is now seven years old and about a foot and a half tall. It reliably produces nice white flowers every winter.

Illicium henryi is nine years old and about three and a half feet tall. It's related to the shrub that produces the spice star anise.

For the first time this year, my Illicium henryi has produced a seed pod.

Wintersweet Fruits

2020-04-11T15:41:00.003-07:00

Fruit of the wintersweet, Chimonanthus praecox.

Winter Flowers

2020-02-20T20:44:00.003-08:00

Hellebore from Home Depot


Muscari macrocarpum Golden Fragrance

Général Schablikine


Fuchsia splendens

G.Nabonnand

Sarcococca vagans

Tendrils

2019-11-21T20:52:00.000-08:00

Gloriosa carsonii

Madame Berkeley

General Schablikine

Madame Berkeley

Gloriosa carsonii

November Light

2019-11-17T23:24:00.001-08:00

Abutilon and hazel leaves.

General Schablikine

Correa pulchella

Bon Silene

Ashwagandha berries

Sarcococca balansae, along with Begonia luxurians

2019-10-14T18:11:00.001-07:00

I bought Sarcococca balansae as S. vagans BSWJ7285 from Far Reaches Farm, but they don't seem to sell it anymore--and the only references I can find for it now are as S. balansae. I didn't know if it would do well in my climate, because it comes from Northern Thailand, but it has thrived in my back yard. Right now, it is loaded with flower buds, some opening and revealing their sweet fragrance. The flowers are hard to photograph because they are so tiny.

Sarcococca balansae flowers.

Sarcococca balansae and Abutilon pictum 'Mardis Gras"

This is a new leaf on Begonia luxurians.

Same leaf, different perspective.

Begonia luxurians flowers

Sarcococca balansae and Canna 'Stuttgart'

Sarcococca balansae and Begonia luxurians flowers.

September Fruits & Flowers

2018-09-04T12:15:00.001-07:00

Colchicums

Pineapple quince

Old Spice pelargonium & Dicliptera suberecta

Escholtzia stauntonii 'Alba'

Phygelius 'Strawberry Blond'

Elscholtzia stauntonii

Lemon verbena

Ripening bitter orange

Begonia luxurians

Abutilon 'Tropic Rose'