The Coastal Gardener - November, 2004
Rain and roses
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"Always the rains come…it is only a matter of waiting. Beautiful dark clouds fill the sky, the south wind blows damply, the black birds go mad again-and the rains comes lightly, letting the hard earth receive it slowly". From Foothills , by Judy Van der Veer 1946
I recently visited a great new nursery down in Carpentaria (Seaside Gardens, 805- that specializes in unusual plants from the dry summer climates of South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Baja Mexico. These places have proven to be a treasure trove of drought tolerant plants that are constantly giving us new reason to trade our boring lawns and staid foundations shrubs for a symphony of foliage and color. Already in Big Sur I see grevilleas and protea in many gardens and new discoveries from the Channel Islands, like the rosy flowered tree mallow, are replacing roses in my own garden. I am particularly fond of plants with interesting leaves such as the spiky Phormium in burgundy, pink, peach and gold. Some, like Maori Sunrise , have several colors on each leaf in long stripes. I have just learned about Cussonia, with large maple-like leaves that can stretch to 1 foot across. It forms an upright shrub with spikes of green and purple fruits that would attract lovebirds and small parrots in it's native South Africa but might be attractive to band-tailed pigeons here.
This is not to say that I have abandoned my roses, more that I have re-examined how I use them. The rose is the most recognized plant in the world and often the first plant any new gardener wants to grow. But they are often rounded up into regimental groups that do little to hide their faults such as leggy stems and bare ankles.
In my own garden, I have tried pairing roses with evergreen shrubs such as spreading junipers or Vine Hill manzanita. I have set the rose behind the shrub then its pliable stems are pegged down across its shape, creating a loose veil of rose stems that mingle with its foliage. When the rose is in bloom, the shrub acts as a cool foil to the rose's strong color; when out of bloom the rose stems are disguised some by the bush below it. In this way I have no bare ankles to look at and get twice as much plant for each square yard of space. English roses with their arching stems are perfect for this effect.
Now that the first rains has made a strong impression (Yippee, rain, woohoo, rain rain, rain, yowza!), the threat of spreading sudden oak death is stronger than ever. The pathogen that causes SOD is spread by soil and water, with muddy truck tires or boots as one of SOD's favorite ways to travel. The Sudden Oak Death Task Force website ( www.suddenoakdeath.org ) recommends cleaning off tires or boots before entering an area with healthy oaks such as your own garden or driveway. Especially if you have been in a SOD hotbed like Ventana Inn, Pfeiffer SP, Post Ranch or Pico Blanco. Other important precautions include leaving camellias and rhododendrons and certain other plants out of your garden plans for under oaks (They act as hosts, incubating the disease to be released on healthy oaks, not unlike elementary school children incubate the flu to release on unsuspecting adults) and keeping irrigation to a minimum under mature wild trees. Another source of infection can be firewood or mulch made with infected material. In these cases, know your mulch and avoid foreign mulch plus stack firewood near the house not under the trees. Douglas, Frasier or Grand Firs brought home as holiday decorations should be cut for firewood and burned of as soon a possible without ever being let lay about in the garden or field.
An article in a respected horticultural magazine that recommended that us who write about gardening really need to encourage people to plant summer dormant plants amused me recently. How any average gardener would ever stomach a garden full of plants that turn brown after the spring rains stop is beyond me. What we really need to do is encourage people to invest in the many wonderful drought tolerant native plants such as ceanothus, manzanita, Rhus, mimulus that stay GREEN during dry spells and can be used in so many ways. In addition, we can then recommend the wonderful plants that DO go dormant among the evergreens that, when they are done, will hardly be missed. Among these I consider the pink Checkerbloom, Golden Calachortus and blue Chia Salvia. Do you really want to step out July and August morning to a garden of dry leaves and dead grass?
Planted by Thanksgiving they should be a fragrant white bouquet of star-like blooms by Christmas. Set bulbs with their necks just showing in containers of potting mix topped with a layer of pea gravel. Keep them outdoors in a cool spot with plenty of light, no hot sun. When buds form, whisk them into the house. I set lichen encrusted oak twigs in amongst Paperwhites stems for support with forest flair.
Enjoy!
Dave Egbert
