Trachelium

I have grown this plant several times. I seem to get a few years out of it. But I LOVE it! It's a tender perennial called Trachelium caeruleum(say Trak-EL-EE-um) or Blue Throatwort.  It is called that because it used to be used for throat ailments. It grows best for me in part shade but is said to grow in full sun too.  It is native to the Mediterranean and grows 2- 3' tall.  It is a fantastic cut flower filler.  Trachelium is hardy in zones 7-11. It also comes in white and some lighter blue/purples.  I have a friend who says it reseeds in her yard.  

Happy Gardening! 

Little Spot of Color

While I work on our London & Paris pix(stay tuned for Chelsea Flower Show pix!), here is a little spot of color blooming in my garden today. It's Anomatheca laxa, a dime sized flower on a tiny bulb that is now called Freesia laxa. Grows only about 6" tall. Not sure why they changed the name but they must have a reason. I hate when they change plant names! Most Freesias are easy to find in nurseries. But I bet there's a ton of exotic varieties of which we've never heard. I've never seen this plant for sale. I have a client who has a ton of them that come up and flower every Spring who shared them with me. These are in a bit of shade and that's why they're blooming later than the rest of mine that are in sun. We had 98* here yesterday and it's supposed to be 93* today. My roses are frying so it's nice to see a little color.

Double Feverfew

In SoCal Feverfew can be an invasive weed. Tanacetum parthenium is a perennial herb that has been used as a fever reducer and headache remedy. It has single Daisy flowers and I have to pull it from many jobs. But this is a double flowered variety that I love! It doesn't reseed all over like the common variety. And the flowers are like cute buttons. The plant grows best in full sun to about 2' tall and blooms in warm weather.

It used to be classified as a Chrysanthemum but was changed to Tanacetum. The leaves do look similar. But they smell way more herby than Mums. This double variety is difficult to find but is worth it if you can.

Happy Gardening!

Yellow Sundrops

I got this cute little ground cover last Fall at Matilija Nursery out in Moorpark.  It's worth a visit.  The plant has been flowering since I got it. I am not kidding!  What a fabulous plant! It's a Western US  native called Calylophus berlanderiera or Sundrops.  I can never remember what it's called and always have to look it up.    It was in a 1 gal. can and is now 2' across.   Here it is in my garden next to my bottle border and a Mum, an Iris and a Narcissus.  Research says it will grow up to 1' tall and 3' wide. It likes full sun and well drained soil. It must love my sandy soil.

Calylophus berlanderiera

Calylophus berlanderiera

 And I just had to share a pic of me in my new Matilija t-shirt!  What a great design and I love the mint green shirt color!  Thanks Bob!


Happy Gardening! 

Star Jasmine

Last year I in August posted about making my third rebar arch for my Star Jasmine- Trachelospermum jasminoides here: Rebar For Vines.  Here is an update so you can see how far the vine has grown. And it's in full fragrant bloom!

In SoCal Star Jasmine is so easy that it grows everywhere from ground covers to hedges to 20' vines.  Do you grow it? 

Wooly Blue Curls

I'm so happy to have Wooly Blue Curls- Trichostema(say TRY-ko-STEM-ma) lanata alive and blooming in my garden! California native plants are often difficult for the average homeowner unless that's all you've got. Then all your watering is similar. Must of us have a variety of plants including roses. And that means more water.  I killed it trying to grow it in containers several times.  But now it is happy in the ground in my sandy Burbank soil.   I wish you could smell it's sweet herby fragrance. And it's the leaves that smell yummy.

Happy Spring! 

Surprise Poppy

Have you ever put out seeds and forgotten you ever did it?  That must have happened here.  I thought I put out Ladybird Poppies saved from a visit to The Getty over a year ago, maybe.  But these are Oriental Poppies(similar but with no black dots) and they came up in another couple of places. They looked like weeds at first but were in a patch that I haven't got to weed yet and....so they flowered. Pretty.  

Oriental Poppies

Oriental Poppy bud with ladybug larva. 

Happy Gardening!