Sierra Foothill Garden

Nov 1st, 2007

I love the Fall color of the ‘Royal Cloak’ barberry, so determined to get more.  As a plant-collector type, it has been hard for me to buy more than one of anything, so bought 2 each(baby steps) of each kind and color. Berberis, ‘Rose Glow’, ‘Sunsation’, Red (Atropurpurea) and B. mentorensis, a dark green compact version.

I planted them all on the hill in front where we’d be able to see from the livingroom as the weather gets cooler.

Also, this month, the sages are still blooming wonderfully, the asters are spectacular…must get more asters, and the leaves on the poplar and the ‘Aristocrat’ pear are turning red, as is the ‘Royal Cloak’ Barberry which is the reason more were planted!

I transplanted some lamb’s ears and noticed that they seem to reseed very easily. The Iris ordered last April from Superstition Iris farm in Cathey’s Valley, arrived in August, but have just gotten planted this month.  The varieties I bought are these:

Iris ‘Cloudless Sunrise’ White and apricot
Iris ‘English Charm’ Cream and gold
Iris ‘Golden Panther’  Golden
Iris ‘Ozark Rebounder’ Black
Iris pallida

There were so many iris at Superstition to choose from, so I squinted my eyes as I scanned the football sized field of iris and chose what popped out as good color combinations.

The only other named variety I have, ‘Hemstitched,’ is one bought at Roger’s Gardens in Southern California and transplanted here where it has done fabulously and multiplied into a large colony.