27 favorite ‘ground covers’ Growing plants that ‘cover the ground’ means you have something to plant in the front of a flower bed, something for along the edge of paths and, importantly, something that prevents weeds from growing. You can even ‘create’ a lawn-like area that doesn’t take the maintenance of usual lawn care. All these…
A plant I’d love to see in local nurseries… Considering their long-lasting vibrant blooms, hardiness and resistance to drought, deer, extreme temps, Hyssops or Agastache offer plenty of food for butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. What more can a gardener ask for? No wonder they’re adored by gardeners far and wide – with several varieties hardy to USDA zones…
Beautiful Beard Tongue As I stroll through the garden, my attention is drawn to how well adapted Beard Tongue or Penstemons are for the Sierra Foothills! Whether, cultivated hybrids or CA Natives, they are perfectly easy to grow and the bloom is spectacular in your garden. Scroll through the ones I have in my garden and see…
In our third year of drought in the Sierra foothills, we search for ways to allow our gardens to survive. Here, you’ll see how to make your garden thrive! Learn which plants to grow, how to water and how to preserve that water once it’s in the soil. Included is a print and keep ‘ideal’…
Some of our deer friends… I still like the deer better than any one plant. They are the best sort of ‘lawn ornaments.’ I watch, don’t you, when they’re passing by and it’s gratifying when they pass by my carefully chosen ‘deer-resistant’ garden? List of what I plant: Acer palmatum, Japanese maple Acer negundo,…
Spicy mints? “Much Virtue in Herbs, little in Men.” – Benjamin Franklin The rich, spiciness of these plants makes them useful in cooking, and nearly half the spices in your kitchen come from this one family, including basil, rosemary, lavender, marjoram, germander, thyme, savory, plus culinary sage and of course mint, peppermint, and spearmint. It’s…
June’s Blue Haze, Brodiaea This is a picture story of Elegant or Harvest Brodiaea in the Sierra foothill garden. This is its native area, just south of Yosemite National Park. This and Pretty Face are the two main wild flowers existing here on the land we settled ion near the Sierra National Forest. Until starting this…
It’s California Native Plant Week and I’m profiling a different California native each day that is on my particular wish list. If you live in an area considered Mediterranean, you’ll be able to grow these, too. Today’s plant is Foothill Penstemon.
Foothill penstemon, Penstemon laetus
Maybe because blue is a favorite color, maybe because I had not grown penstemon much in the past and maybe because it is a penstemon first seen and purchased at a favorite nursery, I fell hard for Foothill penstemon, Penstemon laetus, also called Mountain blue penstemon or Gay Penstemon.
The genus, Penstemon, or Beard-tongue, is a common garden perennial, offered in so many colors and cultivars, but in California the native penstemons are nearly as varied. Penstemons normally have one large, sterile, furry stamen that pokes out to attract pollinators to the other four smaller fertile stamens (the name Penstemon means “Five Stamens”). “Laetus” means “bright” or “vivid”. …
California Native Plant Week It’s California Native Plant Week and I’m profiling a different California native each day that is on my particular wish list. If you live in an area considered Mediterranean, you’ll be able to grow these, too. Today, Wednesday, is for the ‘Shasta’ Sulfur Flower. In Hardy Californians: a woman’s life with…
A wildflower experiment In my garden, I sowed a native California wildflower meadow. It was a very fun project and I learned a lot. Now, in another area of my garden I call “The Natural Meadow” I continue more experiments! See what I did! First of all, my objective here was to add very few…
This snowy, drippy day…what else to do but check on past projects. Getting rid of Mexican Primrose 10-15-2010 Invasive plants and impatience in the garden March Update: There are a few sprouts coming up of the Mexican primrose which confirms that it’s the right decision not to have replanted the plants I removed from the front…
Becoming stewards of our forest For some of us, here in the California foothills, especially those who live near the national forest, nature provides the perfect landscaping. Using the existing trees and native plants can help your garden design blend smoothly into the surrounding landscape. Caring for a large forest property has its challenges and rewards.…
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The objective is to plant shrubs and trees as foundations for the beds. Here are the first plants put in.
We have lived here for 8 months and five of those in the new house. As far as the garden goes, the first big priority was to dispose of the huge piles of construction debris…our responsibility according to our contract with Western Homes.
