Over the weekend as I was clearing out the pool-shed of its superabundance of dumpster diver treasures (the nursery that hosts CNPS propagation group has a wonderful dumpster! and we are permitted to take anything we want - lots of seed flats, small pots and gallon pots have come my way from that dumpster!), I thought about the plant palette for the pool garden new beds. I'm not naturally good at this. I like to evolve things from choices made in the moment. But I do recognize that this is generally not the best way to attain a harmonious result, whether aesthetically or even from the basic irrigation standpoint. I need support in the planning department of my brain.
So it was a relief when I tallied up all the indigenous native plants, those "native to this site" to quote the CNPS Yerba Buena chapter's philosophy on what is a native plant. These are plants I have propagated or could propagate in the future, that like an open sunny environment. There are quite a lot that would be suitable. It's good to have a limited set of options to play with. For me I mean.
Outside of these I would want to round out the plant palette with non invasive exotics that have high wildlife value and/or strong emotional or aesthetic appeal. Preferably California natives.
Here we go. This list is as yet informal and just a WIP. I'll do up a plant palette with proper names and pictures when I'm farther along in the process.
Indigenous and growing on or very near the property:
• Lupines –
o L. bicolor (I think - small annual),
o L. albifrons, silver bush lupine
o L. formosus?? Green leaves, perennial
• Zauschneria Californica canum
• Black sage, Salvia mellifera.
• Clarkia amoena (I think amoena)
• Mimulus aurantiacus, sticky monkey flower
• Nassella lepida – bunch grass
• Nassela cernua - bunch grass
• Eriophylum confertifolium, golden yarrow
• Carex – one or two kinds, not sure which (look up Helen Holmes doc)
• Ceanothus – warty
• Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
• Sambucus Mexicana
• Coffeeberry
• Manzanita
• Toyon
I would have 1 or at most a few specimen shrubs, generally choosing perennials that can take a little water and are low fire risk. Though with that whomping big fence all around one might wonder if it makes a difference.
Here are a few more shade/moisture loving natives from around here - maybe better for the north garden, but some that can take sun might be good in a more irrigated section and maybe under a fence or taller plant that shades the afternoon sun.
• Wild rose
• Iris fernaldii
• Lonicera hispidula
• Heuchera micrantha
• Mimulus Guttatus (riparian)
• Aster radulinus (can take some sun)
• Melica torreyana – Torrey’s Melic Grass
• Hound's tongue
• Violet
• Wild ginger
• Ribes (maybe)
Some baby Ribes are growing down in the north valley but more likely they are from the
planted ribes: Ribes malveceum and R. indecorum and R. aureum and R. sanguineum
Making progress, if only in my head!
So it was a relief when I tallied up all the indigenous native plants, those "native to this site" to quote the CNPS Yerba Buena chapter's philosophy on what is a native plant. These are plants I have propagated or could propagate in the future, that like an open sunny environment. There are quite a lot that would be suitable. It's good to have a limited set of options to play with. For me I mean.
Outside of these I would want to round out the plant palette with non invasive exotics that have high wildlife value and/or strong emotional or aesthetic appeal. Preferably California natives.
Here we go. This list is as yet informal and just a WIP. I'll do up a plant palette with proper names and pictures when I'm farther along in the process.
Indigenous and growing on or very near the property:
• Lupines –
o L. bicolor (I think - small annual),
o L. albifrons, silver bush lupine
o L. formosus?? Green leaves, perennial
• Zauschneria Californica canum
• Black sage, Salvia mellifera.
• Clarkia amoena (I think amoena)
• Mimulus aurantiacus, sticky monkey flower
• Nassella lepida – bunch grass
• Nassela cernua - bunch grass
• Eriophylum confertifolium, golden yarrow
• Carex – one or two kinds, not sure which (look up Helen Holmes doc)
• Ceanothus – warty
• Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
• Sambucus Mexicana
• Coffeeberry
• Manzanita
• Toyon
I would have 1 or at most a few specimen shrubs, generally choosing perennials that can take a little water and are low fire risk. Though with that whomping big fence all around one might wonder if it makes a difference.
Here are a few more shade/moisture loving natives from around here - maybe better for the north garden, but some that can take sun might be good in a more irrigated section and maybe under a fence or taller plant that shades the afternoon sun.
• Wild rose
• Iris fernaldii
• Lonicera hispidula
• Heuchera micrantha
• Mimulus Guttatus (riparian)
• Aster radulinus (can take some sun)
• Melica torreyana – Torrey’s Melic Grass
• Hound's tongue
• Violet
• Wild ginger
• Ribes (maybe)
Some baby Ribes are growing down in the north valley but more likely they are from the
planted ribes: Ribes malveceum and R. indecorum and R. aureum and R. sanguineum
Making progress, if only in my head!
Comments
We do have native satureja douglasii here and I've not yet tried to propagate it. Thanks for the reminder - I'll have to add it to the shady garden area plant list! Monardella villosa is sposed to grow here locally but I'm not sure if I've seen it - so it's on my "iffy" list for introduced natives. And on my list for removal of introduced natives - I have it in two places. Not sure I'm that ruthless though.
Susan, I have seen ribes looking good against a wall. I like to see them where they can attain a nice full shape, but I've only had real success with one ribes that way - Ribes indecorum. I've seen them do well under high shade, or in a coastal environment (San Francisco - Golden Gate Park) - some environment that gives them a bit of relief from the sun. That's just my limited experience.