Category Archives: Design trends

Design trends

Growing Bearded Iris

This Zebra variegated bearded iris was blooming at my old house last year. The foliage is growing back since the fire. Their fragrant flowers smell like grape Kool aid.

If you’re in the hunt for an easy-to-grow, drought tolerant, fire resistant, fool proof plant with a flower of such exquisite color, form and knock-your-socks-off beauty, look no farther than the bearded iris. And this is the perfect time to add one or two or twenty to your garden because the Monterey Iris Society is holding their annual sale at the Cabrillo Farmer’s Market this Saturday and next, August 7th and August 14th from 9am – noon.

Several years ago I was fortunate to be able to spend the morning in Scotts Valley painting the tall bearded iris growing at the Cummins Iris Garden. They grow hundreds of varieties on their property. Jim and Irene welcomed my group of fellow artists sharing the history of their property and growing tips. Amidst the beds of prized bearded iris is an impressive antique farming implement collection. This historic property dates back to 1849 when an older house was built as a stagecoach stop where a fresh team of horses could be changed out.

Tall bearded iris grow by an antique farm wagon at the Cummins’ Iris Garden with the watering can collection.

Jim told me that considering the history of the property he and Irene started displaying the old stuff they had and decided to add more by going to auctions and yard sales. Everywhere you look they have created an interesting vignette of plants and artifacts. Displayed on the old barn is an impressive vintage wrench collection as well as dozens of spigot handles. Antique tractor seats, watering cans, washing tubs, rusted bed frames, wagons, old kiddie cars- you name it, Jim and Irene have collected it.

Due to the abundance of old wood on the property Jim said he started building Irene birdhouses. With so many interesting things to enjoy I had a hard time deciding what to paint. I took dozens of photos but settled on capturing their magnificent tall bearded iris in full bloom.

Jim is on the board of the Tall Bearded Iris Society (TBIS) and is also active in Historic Iris Preservation Society. As I walked around the blooming iris beds I noticed many had the name of Joe Ghio as their hybridizer. Some of the Cummins original rhizomes were collected from him as well as other iris gardens in the area. Early on they could only afford to buy a few of the older and less expensive offerings but as their garden began to grow they joined the Monterey Bay Iris Society.

The Cummins iris farm has been so successful that in 2019 the National Convention was hosted at their garden.
When I asked Jim for the growing tips that make his iris so spectacular he told me he mostly uses lawn trimmings and tree leaves along with their native sand to break the soil down. “Iris don’t seem to care much as to soil type, they just need good drainage”, he said. He fertilizes with a balanced granular 15-15-15 fertilizer, using only an 1/8 cup or less sprinkled around each clump around Valentines Day and again in August or September. Another tip he told me was to be sure to plant the rhizomes real shallow with the tops showing and about 12-18 inches apart. They water every 2-3 weeks although he says they can go longer between irrigations.

Every gardener I know raves about their bearded iris collection. By planting early, mid and late varieties you can extend their colorful show for several months. Iris also make good cut flowers and many are fragrant.

Design trends

The Dog Days of Summer

Swallowtail butterfly- a regular summertime visitor.

They’re called the Dog Days of summer. You know, those sultry days with the hottest summer temperatures. The name “dog star” comes from the ancient Egyptians who called Sirius, the dog star, after their god, Osiris. His head in pictograms resembles that of a dog. When the Dog Star rises in conjunction with the sun some felt the combination of the brightest luminary of the day – the sun – and and brightest star of the night – Sirius – was responsible for the extreme heat experienced during the middle of the summertime. Since Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky it’s reasonable to guess that it adds some heat to the earth but the amount is insignificant.

The Romans associated the hot weather from 20 days before to 20 days after the conjunction “the dog days of summer” because it coincidentally fell at the time of year when it was very hot. This falls between July 24th and August 24th. The Old Farmer’s Almanac uses slightly different dates but the Dog Days of summer are definitely here.

We now know the heat of summer is a direct result of the earths tilt, but now you know… the rest of the story.

As summer rolls along you may become more aware of the different microclimates in your garden. With the drier and hotter weather this year, some of your plants that used to get along just fine might be showing signs of stress. Taking note of these changes in the performance of your plants is what makes for a more successful landscape. When the weather cools towards the end of September you will want to move or eliminate those plants that aren’t thriving. Be sure to keep a thick layer of mulch on the soil around your plants to conserve that precious water you do allocate to each of your irrigation zones.

One thing I notice when I visit gardens for a consultation is the existing drip system has not been modified for many years, if ever, to allow for the growth of the plants. The emitters which were originally placed at the base of each plant are not even close to covering the current size of the root zone. The crown of the plant is getting overwatered with each cycle but the rest of the plant is bone dry. Time to add more emitters and move them away from the middle of the plant. No sense wasting water that’s not doing the plant much good.

Add the soothing sound of wind chimes to your summer garden.

The dog days of summer may be affecting our gardens but it doesn’t have to stop us from being out in the garden. . The joy of gardening can take many forms including adding a wind chime, bird feeder or bird bath. Groom plants that need some cleanup. Many perennials benefit from a little haircut at this time of year to extend their blooming into the fall season. Santa Barbara daisies fall into this category. Lavenders will keep their compact shape by pruning a third of their branches now. This forces new growth in the center so the plant doesn’t get woody.

Deadhead flowering annuals and perennials as often as you can. Annuals like marigolds, petunias, zinnia and cosmos will stop blooming if you allow them to go to seed. The same is true of repeat blooming perennials like dahlia, scabiosa and lantana. These plants know they’re on this earth to reproduce. If they get a chance to set seed, the show’s over- they’ve raised their family. Try to remove fading flowers regularly and you’ll be amply rewarded.

Swallowtail butterflies are regular visitors to the garden at this time of year. They especially like butterfly bush as well as zinnias and many other flowers. They are easy to photograph if you move slowly.

Design trends

How Plants Survive in the Heat

Growing back after the fire this California fuchsia is hoping to attract hummingbirds, bees and butterflies.

What happens to a plant when the thermometer tops 100 degrees ? Planning for more hot weather this summer is a requirement for a successful garden. Are there some plants that can survive tough times more easily?

Photosynthesis is one of the most remarkable biochemical processes on earth and allows plants to use sunlight to make food from water and carbon dioxide. But at temperatures about 104 degrees the enzymes that carry out photosynthesis lose their shape and functionality. A garden that provides optimum light and water but gets too hot will be less vigorous. Tomatoes, for example, will drop blossoms and not set fruit if temperatures are over 90 degrees. Plants that endure high heat can be stunted, weakened and attract pests and diseases even if water is available.

Plants do have natural systems that respond to heat problems. Some plants are better at this than others. Plants can cool themselves by pumping water out through the leaves for a kind of swamp cooler effect. They can also make “heat-shock” proteins which reduces problems from over heating. All these strategies do take resources away from a plants other needs like growth, flowering and fruiting.

It’s no surprise that many California natives are adapted to high temperatures. Walking my old property the other day I noted which plants are regrowing after the fire, despite little winter rainfall. Every plant burned to the ground. The climate is much hotter up in Bonny Doon now that the tree cover is gone. The redwoods are trying to regrow but it’ll be decades before they provide shade again. Those plants that have regrown the best include California fuchsia (epilobium canum). They spread by underground rhizomes so it’s not surprising they survived. I didn’t see any bees or hummingbirds around but one of these years they’ll return. Another survivor is hummingbird sage (salvia spathacea). They are just starting to regrow and were not in bloom.

The Bees Bliss Sage, a low groundcover that can reach 6-8 ft wide is another plant that I used to enjoy. It has an extended bloom time from mid-spring to early fall with whorls of lavender-blue flower spikes. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds all find it attractive. The jury’s out whether it’ll return or not.

Another plant that can handle high temps is salvia clevelandii. Their blooming cycle of electric blue-purple flowers will last through the summer. This salvia survives without any supplemental irrigation but if you give it an occasional deep watering and wash off the foliage every so often it’s much happier.

Who doesn’t like color in their garden? Mimulus or Sticky Monkey Flower blooms are showy and the hummingbirds love them. The Jelly Bean series has added bright pink colors in addition to white, orange, red and yellow but the traditional aurantiacus types are the most tolerant of drought.

Other California native plants that can handle the heat with little water include eriogonum, manzanita, artemisia, California milkweed, ceanothus, mountain mahogany, bush poppy, bush lupine, native penstemon, monardella, mahonia nevinii , fremontodendron and holly-leafed cherry.

Non-native well-adapted plants that are known to be more tolerant of heat include butterfly bush, germander, rosemary, smoke tree, rudbeckia, coreopsis, lantana, plumbago, gaillardia, lilac, sedums, oregano and verbena.

This New Zealand tree fern although not a native is growing back after the fire with no water. Nature is resilient. I thought it deserved some recognition.

These plants can be the rock stars of your garden. Some natives that are able to survive with no irrigation after 2 years may look more attractive with a few deep waterings per summer. And don’t forget the wood chip mulch to encourage the soil microbes and keep the soil cool.