ken_eiseler's ideas
Pair sandpaper verbena with angelita daisy (Tetraneuris acaulis), golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii), firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii) or Mexican honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera) for striking color contrast. Plant in front of taller shrubs such as Blue Bells (Eremophila hygrophana ‘Blue Bells’), Cape honeysuckle (Tecomaria capensis), little-leaf cordia (Cordia parvifolia), red bird-of-paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) or yellow bells (Tecoma stans), where it will provide understory planting and color contrast with the flowers of the larger shrubs. Photo of a mid-sized mediterranean partial sun hillside xeriscape in San Francisco for summer. — Houzz A beautiful collection of low water plant combinations that include Stachy's "Big Ears", Purple Tapien Verbena, Verbena rigida, Bulbine Frutescens 'Hallmark' Orange Form and a purple Penstemon. http://www.houzz.com/photos/20527099/Plant-Combinations-Northern-California-Gardens-mediterranean-landscape-san-francisco — lvelier
Shown here en masse with low-water plants Senecio, Agave, Anigozanthos and other ornamental grasses, Euphorbia shows texture and coloring that volumizes the design and adds a fuller and softer texture to the plant palette. Kelly often combines Euphorbias with companion plants such as succulents, Bulbine, Leucadendron and other low-water-need plants. This makes irrigation and other landscape maintenance much more efficient and responsible.
Timelessness. What makes this border abundant? For one thing, no soil is exposed, thanks to mature plantings and a well-defined canopy and understory. I love the balance between each planting layer, from the ancient live oak trees overhead to the plump hydrangeas, to the heliotropes and ajuga that knit everything together.
On the flip side, you can go all-out with a full mix of foliage shapes, sizes and textures. Who says less is more, right? Find at least one element that ties the combination together. The dazzling array of greens makes this planting in a Santa Barbara, California, garden successful. Plant combo: Leopard plant (Farfugium japonicum ‘Aureomaculatum’, zones 7 to 12)Dwarf mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonicus ‘Nana’, zones 6 to 11)Aspagagus fern (Asparagus densiflorus, zones 9 to 11)Light requirement: Partial shade Water requirement: Will tolerate short periods of drought; water more during dry months. Design ideas for an eclectic shaded backyard landscape in Santa Barbara. — Houzz Osito Garden Eclectic. Santa Barbara A quiet, meditative space on a tree-covered, west facing side yard. The dominant planting motif is semi-tropical foliage emphasizing chartreuse and light green leaves in varying textures and forms. Who says less is more, right? Find at least one element that ties the combination together. The dazzling array of greens makes this planting in a Santa Barbara, California, garden successful. Plant combo: Leopard plant (Farfugium japonicum ‘Aureomaculatum’, zones 7 — jenniferruth
Botanical name: Salvia clevelandii Common names: Cleveland sage, California blue sage Origin: Native to Southern California and northern Baja California, Mexico USDA zones: 8 to 11 (find your zone) Water requirement: Low Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 3 to 5 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide Benefits and tolerances: Attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and bees; deer resistant; fragrant flowers and foliage; drought tolerant Seasonal interest: Blooms spring through summer When to plant: Spring or fall.
Native plants mix with Mediterranean imports in a Central California garden. Since both thrive in the same conditions, they work well together; most people would be hard pressed to know which is which. The result is an easy-care garden that's colorful without demanding too much water. The color of the decomposed granite pathway echoes the colors of the trails in the surrounding hills.
- This is my favorite excuse for adding a container to the border. Plants die at the most inconvenient times — usually just before a special event or garden party. Adding a fully planted container is a quick fix. Also, I don’t always want to rush into a decision about plant choices in a new area; containers help bridge the gap while I contemplate longer-term options.
How to use it. For flashes of color, especially during late summer and early fall, when other plants fade, combine California fuchsia (shown here is 'Ghostly Red') with mass plantings of other natives and Mediterranean plants. Line a path with it. Let it spill over a rock wall or boulders. More: What to do in your region now | Browse thousands of garden and landscape photos.
California Wild Grape - (Vitis californica) Native to stream banks and canyons in riparian woodlands below 4,000 feet, western foothills and the east side of the Sierra Nevada, the Central Valley and coast ranges to southern Oregon This plant provides year-round interest: bright green new foliage and tiny flowers in the spring, early-summer green fruit to late-summer deep red (ripe) grapes and full foliage, vibrant foliage in the fall and gnarled naked vines in the winter.
If you like the idea of a white garden but don't want to commit to such a large area, try flanking a pathway with a simple springtime combination. White daffodils or tulips could join pansies or white forget-me-nots (Myosotis sp, zones 3 to 8) for an early-season display. In a shadier spot, a mass planting of snowdrops would be delightful.
A colorful, drought-tolerant plant combination with year-round appeal. This bed includes Stachys - Lamb's Ears, known as Big Ears, Cerastium - Snow in Summer, Penstemon heterophyllus, Lavender, Coleonema - Breath of Heaven, Phormium - New Zealand flax. Positioned along a flagstone and decomposed granite pathway in San Anselmo CA. Designa and Photo: Eileen Kelly, Dig Your Gar...More A colorful, drought-tolerant plant combination with year-round appeal. This bed includes Stachys - Lamb's Ears, known as Big Ears, Cerastium - Snow in Summer, Penstemon heterophyllus, Lavender, Coleonema - Breath of Heaven, Phormium - New Zealand flax. Positioned along a flagstone and decomposed granite pathway — lafmar
Think Mediterranean. Many plants of Mediterranean origin make perfect candidates for growing on sunny, dry, rocky slopes. Rosemary (Rosemary officinalis, zones 8 to 10), lavender (Lavendula spp, zones 5 to 9) and sage (salvia spp and cvs, zones 5 to 9) are all good choices. More: Inspired Designs for Sloped Lots. Inspiration for a contemporary hillside landscape. — Houzz Craft a blend of plants high and low in size, loud and subtle in color and texture, plants that move at the slightest breeze and those that don’t. Try in crevices Angelina stonecrop (Sedum rupestre 'Angelina') and cheddar pinks (Dianthus cvs) And try kitchen herbs, such as rosemary, lavender and sage — sdmoeller — Madeline Ortega
Be realistic in assessing the amount of sunlight that will be available to the plant you're interested in. Moisture. Even the most drought-tolerant plants need regular watering while their roots develop, and some plants must have a constantly moist or wet soil to survive. Do your site conditions match the needs of the plant you're interested in?
SaveEmail Haddonstone Ltd California 9,296 Saves | 5 Questions I doubt that many of us would think of placing two huge pedestal urns along a walkway, and then planting them with tropicals and palms that spill over the rim. The treatment works here, allowing the designer to feature plants that would otherwise obstruct the path if used at ground level. Instead, seasonal begonias and compact ground covers decorate the base of each urn.
If you put everything together, you have a garden that’s doing many things for wildlife: Grass provides birds with nesting material and insects to eat.Moths and butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed, asters, coneflowers, wild indigo and grasses.Flowers provide pollen and nectar to pollinators.Ornamental seed heads create winter interest.A thick planting scheme of grasses and sedges combats weeds.All told, you may have roughly 50 plants in a 100-square-foot bed, depending on if you have a path and how wide it is. If you can buy plugs or 3-inch pots, you may spend in the neighborhood of
A solid fence of wood posts and rails with a corrugated infill creates a striking presence. And the plantings certainly soften the fence, creating a nice combination of textures and colors. This is ideal for transitional or contemporary architecture, as it combines a clean, modern aesthetic with softer, older materials.
Tall verbena filters the view without obscuring it, adding a touch of mystery to the summer garden. Completely drought tolerant, it can be left to create its own plant combinations at will as it self-seeds with abandon. This is not a problem in my garden, where it is easy to remove unwanted seedlings. Botanical name: Verbena bonariensis Common name: Purpletop vervain Benefits: Attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and bees Where it will grow: Hardy to 0 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA climate zones 7 to 10) Water requirement: Low Light requirement: Full to partial sun Mature size: 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide Seasonal interest: Summer to fall When to plant: Spring Caution: Tall verbena is considered invasive in some parts of the U.S.
California Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) Native to dry slopes and in washes and canyons below 8,000 feet, from the San Francisco Bay Area to Southern California, Baja California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and Arizona These quotes from my friends in the nursery trade exemplify native buckwheat’s popularity among California gardeners: “candy for pollinators,” “the most popular nectar source for butterflies” and “when in doubt, use buckwheat.”. Photo of a traditional landscape. — Houzz California Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum)Native to dry slopes and canyons in coastal scrub, chaparral, desert woodlands and desert scrub below 8,000 feet, Alameda County south to northwestern Baja California and east to southwestern Utah and ArizonaThe large clusters of delicate white summer flowers of California buckwheat call all the pollinators to the party. Plant it where you can watch the show.California buckwheat is adaptable to different kinds and amounts of soil,
However, if spare isn't really your style, you still have options. This coastal planting bed is filled with color, both from the perennials and the grasses. It's also filled with plants. The overall look is a blend of cottage and traditional, a nice mix for a home garden and certainly up to handling coastal weather.
Plants with aromatic foliage, like breath of heaven, are nice to plant along pathways or planter edges. Brush up against them, and a nice scented wave is released. Plus, ‘Sunset Gold’ cascades elegantly onto a path or patio — blurring the transition between soft- and hardscape. The casual design aesthetic of cottage- and Mediterranean-style gardens works well with breath of heaven.
he colour range of the new Anigozanthos cultivars means that the plants can be used to match almost any colour scheme. I love the way this simple green planting scheme includes a clump of tall orange kangaroo-paw which seems to offset and complement the clean modern lines of the architecture in a very natural way.
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