September First Views (Country Mouse)

Gearing up for Fall planting, and I'm thinking of all the things I can propagate to fill the blanks of my various garden areas this week and provide more color interest through the year, for us humans to enjoy, and for the insects and hummingbirds to thrive on.

BTW First Views is a meme that Town Mouse started - she has a Mr Linky widget on her page hoping others might enjoy this idea, seeing the different garden views through the year, and add links to their blogs. Please visit her page to see her views and add yours: September First Views (Town Mouse). Now on to this month's views at the Country Mouse home...

The driveway needs some pizzazz. Things I plant here are just not doing so well:


Humminbird hill, also on the driveway, also looking a bit bare - Penstemons planted this summer put on a good show but are not looking so happy. I think I need to put more small boulders to create some niches, and plant more hummingbird plants this fall. Slope is too steep for mulch. I have a few things lurking in corners that I hope will take off and provide some cover for the walls, cool the cottage a little.


In the front beds, the Eriogonum nudum is doing fairly well. The Ceanothus dark star is really filling in that bed.


And I'm happy to see the Ribes sanguineum that has been languishing for a year or more finally putting up some growth (in front of the windows). Hummingbird sage is happy, and seaside daisies.


Under the new deck, I might try for a succulent-based bed. We'll raise the ground to cover the base of the posts. The Madia elegans is just blooming away - the deer munched ones are blooming very thickly now.




A blank palette in the other big bed planned for the south garden. One coffeeberry volunteer to build around, and some blue elderberry near the fence. Looking forward to filling this in. Needs plants that can take irrigation and full sun.

I discovered that the lupines I grew from local seed - Lupinus arboreus I think - prefer afternoon shade. Died in full sun - then again I didn't irrigate them much either.

In the pool garden, a nice show. The hollyhocks didn't do so well - blooms but infected leaves. Next year this area will really pop I think. I need some grasses and things to fill in. I'll try the melic grass that grows here - melica torreyana.


The other leg of the pool garden is looking OK, bit bedraggled where the bulb bed is now bare.


But oh, that fabulous Winifred Gilman sage - which is a cultivar of Salvia clevelandii - how it is blooming and scenting the air - Heaven!

I'm in a rush to be off. My daughter and son-in-law, the Squirrels of Boulder Creek - are bringing home their baby squirrel today - a beautiful little girl - and I promised to be there to help, as Grannies do.

Comments

I've been scribbling down a list of things to plant this fall too. I feel as summer mostly passed us by (in the vegetable garden at least) that I need to fast forward to planting season instead! Your Madia elegans is looking fabulous. I don't see it here as a volunteer, but our two other local species are mostly done for the season. Yours seems to be putting on a great late season show. I'm curious, having planted four Dark Star Ceanothus spring, how old is yours in the middle of that bed? I can't wait for ours to grow that large!
Country Mouse said…
The two on the front bed mound took quite a long time. But not as long as the one I have in native soil, near by - that one took about 5 years, surviving at a small size, then took off. It's really a great plant now, woody and compact, thick foliage, and about 4-5 ft tall. (I'd have to go check and I'm being lazy.) So patience will out - and better soil and more irrigation will out more.
Sue Langley said…
Mouse your garden is just lovely! I like your beds, filled with natives looking as nice as can be and I really like your paths!
From seeing yours and Town Mouse's garden, I'm determined to have more native only areas and have started one!

Have you thought about adding pizazz with some garden art? I like unusual containers and hollow log planters.

I'd also like to jazz up our driveway with a half barrel filled with a small leafed Manzanita 'Howard McMinn'or something. My son says our driveway in the dark looks like an ax murderer lives here. Nice, huh? I need a "Welcome" sign or something!
Dear Town Mouse, I have hollyhock envy -- yours may not have fared as well as you would like, but mine did not survive at all. I love this meme. P. x
Jean Campbell said…
A baby, what fun! I almost missed that.