Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Blogs and Diaries => Topic started by: Robert on December 10, 2022, 08:53:24 PM
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In Northern California, the pattern of unsettled and rainy weather with much below average temperatures is continuing into December. As I write, strong winds and rain are pummeling our garden. [Jasmin]: The rain and chilling hours are very much welcome—it is like in ‘olden times’—however, the blustery winds leave much to be desired: When the large limbs of our neighbors’ large and neglected Sycamore tree sway vigorously, I am nervous and pray we and our household will be alright.
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Between storms I had an opportunity to photograph a few plants in their autumn prime. Acer rubescens ‘Silver Cardinal’ was looking particularly nice. This species gets a bit too large for our small garden, however I have been using Niwaki techniques to groom and shape the tree to fit properly to the scale of our garden. Year after year, this tree is slowly taking shape. Eventually, I hope to develop the structure and branching pattern so that the winter silhouette takes on a dramatic character.
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In our garden the leaves of Acer rubescens ‘Silver Cardinal’ turn an intense golden yellow during the autumn – providing we actually get cool autumn weather, more of a rarity these days. During the summer months the leaves show a creamy white variegation. For me the variegation does not add much – I find the non-variegated deep green leaves very pleasing. [Jasmin]: I love this tree: the shapely foliage with subtle white markings, the bright crimson new branches, and the striated bark.
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The creamy striated bark of this species is very attractive. This is my last remaining “Striped Bark Maple”. At one time I had a number of different Striped Bark Maple species growing at our Placerville property. Persistent drought and the scarcity of irrigation water have taken its toll on the garden in Placerville. Most of the mature plants in the Placerville ornamental garden are now gone without a trace. [Jasmin]: The largest garden area of ornamentals there is completely gone. Although it is just how it is, and now is a blank slate for other possibilities that are more appropriate to our climate now, I still am adjusting to the change. It takes me longer, since I rarely go up there now, and the garden that was held many fond memories and dreams—I always viewed the garden from our windows there. Loss of the garden really represents other losses, making my rare visits there feel alien and hostile, that I am just a stranger not welcome. This is a sorrow for my meditations and contemplations, to heal.
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Our garden in Sacramento is much smaller than the ornamental garden in Placerville, a bit less than one-quarter acre. For me this is the perfect size, as I prefer to focus my attention on accentuating the details.
Pictured above is the newly emerging foliage of one of my new Ranunculus occidentalis hybrids. Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis is not tolerant of moist soil conditions during its dormant summer rest, however these hybrids are quite tolerant of summer moisture. We have a number of local California native Ranunculus species, so there are many creative breeding possibilities.
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I sowed about 25 different species to seed pans this autumn. The majority are miniature Narcissus hybrids, however I have a keen interest in a number of our local California native species. The seed of Lupinus polyphyllus var. burkei have already started to germinate and grow despite the freezing temperatures at night. This is a high elevation species in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and I often find them germinating in the mountains when freezing nighttime temperatures are still common. Getting this species established in our garden might be very challenging. We have experienced 110 to 115 F (43.3 to 46.1 C) temperatures each summer for the last two years. Before this, 110 F temperatures occurred once every 30 years. The impacts of climate change have been brutal in our part of Northern California creating many gardening challenges, however I enjoy turning the adversity into assets.
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I also enjoy cultivating our local California native Viola species. Pictured is Viola macloskeyi as seen in the Sierra Nevada Mountains this past August. This species is common and widespread throughout North America – maybe beyond. Common or rare is irrelevant in my approach to gardening; if I like a plant and it fits well with my scheme I grow it.
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Salvia semiatrata is a winter flowering Salvia species that thrives in our garden. I enjoy the texture of the foliage of this species and, of course, the flowers are a delight to see in the wintertime. Currently, our specimen is taking a pause in its blooming cycle due to the cold weather. We also grow other winter blooming Salvia species. They too are taking a pause in their blooming cycle.
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A shame that many of the plants you knew and cherished have gone. A time of sadness can also be a time of opportunity. Maybe you can both plan for other species that are more capable of withstanding changes. Best wishes for the future.
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I did not know about winter flowering salvias. I will try some, as our Anna's hummingbirds will be appreciative.
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Hi Ian,
I already have plans for the Placerville property and have already started to implement them. In the past, part of the property was a working farm. I have already started to bring some of the fallowed land back into production. The general idea is to create a mostly closed system, sustainable, subsistence agricultural system, different, but much like the ideas expressed by the folk at Ecology Action in Willits, California. The plan is to feed my brother, Jasmin, myself.
The remaining land is now part of a habitat restoration project. The plan is to recreate a functioning ecosystem that resembles the original Native Blue Oak, Bunch Grass Savannah. Based on some of the native plants that have already recolonized the property some areas will likely become a sub-system chaparral ecosystem. Our hope is that this restoration project will also provide habitat for the native and transit wildlife. For example, our native and migratory bird populations have been decimated by human activities. I have not seen a Cedar Waxwing in decades. 50 years ago every winter I encounters hundreds of Waxwings. Bullock’s Orioles and Western Tanagers were once common springtime visitors. Now I rarely see them. There is a lot of work to be done; however it is also very exciting and meaningful.
Hi Diane,
Salvia chiapensis, S. gesneriiflora, and S. semiatrata are some of the winter blooming Salvia species that we grow in our Sacramento garden. I do not think that these species would be cold hardy for you in Victoria, B.C. ??? Our Placerville property is colder during the winter than our Sacramento garden site. I conducted trials with many Meso-American – South American Salvia species in Placerville over many years. I was rarely, more like never, successful bringing unprotected plants through the winter months – I always kept backup plants in a greenhouse. Maybe there are other cold hardy Salvia species that will bloom all winter in Victoria. I do not know. I am certainly not a Salvia expert. If you have outdoor success with winter blooming Salvia species, many others, and I would like to know the results. Keep us informed.
In our part of California our resident Anna’s Hummingbirds feed on Manzanita nectar during the winter months. Our local California native Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. viscida can start blooming as early December. Plants can be found blooming into March, when many other plant nectar sources start to bloom. My understanding is that Arctostaphylos columbiana is native to your area. Might this native species be a good source of nectar for your resident Anna’s Hummingbirds? This might be an idea worth looking into.
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Hi Diane,
Salvia chiapensis, S. gesneriiflora, and S. semiatrata are some of the winter blooming Salvia species that we grow in our Sacramento garden. I do not think that these species would be cold hardy for you in Victoria, B.C. ??? ......
Robert,
Actually, Victoria is not very much colder than Sacramento. It is substantially warmer than Western Oregon even though it is further north.
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The only salvia I have that blooms in late fall and winter is the pineapple sage - Salvia elegans. It does not like frost so lives in my unheated greenhouse.
I always break off the flower stems when it finishes flowering, but maybe I should let it set seed and grow out lots of seedlings to see if one will be able to grow outside.
Hmm. New project in mind - a bit of hybridizing now that I've stopped crossing rhododendrons.
Betsy Clebsch lists a dozen species that flower in the winter.
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Hi Diane,
If Salvia elegans is tender to the cold in your garden, then species such as Salvia chiapensis, S. gesneriiflora, and S. semiatrata will be impossible to maintain without greenhouse protection during the winter. With a great deal of effort I could keep Salvia elegans, alive through the winter at the Placerville property. I grew both the dwarf so-called Honeydew Melon Sage as well as the regular Pineapple Sage.
The Meso-American and South American Salvia species are still worth growing as container plants in regions where they are not hardy outside during the wintertime. Mariette is growing a fine specimen of Salvia confertiflora as a container plant in Germany. She keeps it in a greenhouse during the winter and as a patio plant outside during warmer weather. Her photographs of this species looked splendid. There are some fine smaller growing species such as Salvia discolor and Salvia sinaloensis that are easy to maintain in containers. These plants are widely available at nurseries in Coast California and seem to be available in the UK as well as in continental Europe. I bet you can find them, in season, at nurseries in coastal BC.
Good luck growing these fine plants. As I stated, I am not an expert with these species, however I have grow many species and hybrids over the decades and continue to grow and breed my own hybrids. I certainly get excited growing and sharing my experiences with these plants.
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Well, elegans might survive outside, but wouldn't flower in the winter. I read that it often gets knocked back to the ground in the Bay area. Maybe I should open the door and let the hummers in for a sip.
We've already had a couple of frosts - the dahlias are no longer flowering.
I just picked the last remaining salvia flower in the garden, an unnamed species from Peru with brilliant blue flowers. I'll use its pollen on my pineapple sage.
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[Jasmin]: After some days at 33 C, we dropped down into the 9-16 C range. Today started around 8 C, and the sun warmed things up to 16 C, but the wind out of the arctic kept the air cool, while the sun felt hot and burning. The cumulus clouds are phenomenal, billowing, and some quite dark. It is very unpredictable.
The garden parade continues, with one flamboyant display after another. This is so riotous, it deserves its own thread. All the pictures I took in my visually challenged aim and press fashion. I am always amazed when anything turns out. However, it was a perfect 11 C and high overcast, ideal for even the most challenged photographer to get at least something. Welcome to our garden!
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The first scene is the newly reconfigured strip. We are looking from the house toward the street.
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Some color combinations have turned out surprising. Here are Acer palmatum “Shaina” and Aquilegia seedling with the newly planted Salvia gesneriiflora and Mimulus/Erythranthe guttata.
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Looking back toward the house on the garage side, we have Acer palmatum “Pixie” with Rhododendron serpyllifolium with our fence in the background.
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On the opposite side of the driveway, the colors are even more abundant.
Pentanthera azaleas wrap around the front.
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Two are from Robert’s hybrid grex, the “Tatiana” series. Every plant in the grex was exceptional, so we just enjoy the various color forms.
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This seedling is from Robert’s hybridizing, but it has not received any name or credit beyond our appreciation. At this time, there is another pink that has a yellow sport that blooms later in spring.
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For now, we close our front garden tour with Azalea “Gibraltar”, a stunning orange bred by Edmund de Rothschild.
Please come again! Next time, we will tour the back garden.
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Welcome back to our garden!
Today is now 17 C and quite breezy with high clouds. The breeze is a cool one, making it necessary for me to leave the birds in the bird room with heat, something unheard of in my lifetime! By now it is usually closer to 30 C and rising.
Thanks to photography, we can jump back in time to our floriferous spring display.
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After coming through the gate, these two azaleas welcome us into the back garden. A little hidden at the base of some espalier fruit trees, we have Bletilla striata, and some Aquelegia blue. Robert has been playing with the blues, and they are turning out quite lovely.
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Directly opposite, growing among the native Artostaphylous, is Triteleia laxa. This is how one finds these jewels growing in nature, and is our preferred combination, as inspired by Mr. Ian Young’s directive to look to nature for the perfect displays.
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Looping along the main path toward the far back, we have the “ordinary” pleasures of Salvia ‘Bee’s Bliss’, and the lovely flowers of Tragopogon porrifolius. To maintain this delicious root, we save the seed. This too is amazing to watch, as it transforms into a very large dandelion-type seed head. I know we missed a few when gathering the seeds, and either we will be surprised and delighted by where the flowers appear, or—like dandelion—we will eat the intruders.
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Along the far back fence, we find Azalea “Golden Lakota” with common Rosmarinus in the background. The purple and orange combination is very alluring—especially for the bees!
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Our next pleasure is an island of Cornus florida with a number of azaleas. Amazingly, the hues and shapes of the whites give them their individual character. It was accidental that they ended up planted next to each other, but it works, and we think of two very dear people.
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At the base of the Cornus florida and white “Night Life”, we have a smaller orange azalea.
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In the far corner by a very ancient peach, we have Rhododendron luteum “Golden Comet” and a pink azalea with “Mount St. Helen’s” in its genes.
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Walking along, we have our favorite, “Iđi’s Laugh”. Nearby grow some orange Sparaxis.
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Following a side path, there is a nice display of West Coast Iris, a pink peppermint streaked azalea with Rhododendron occidentale in its parentage, and a little lovely evergreen azalea, “Sweet Sixteen”
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We shall leave the garden with Mr. Rothchild’s Azalea “Orangeade”.
Thank you for visiting! Next time I will show some of the flowers that followed this parade.
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I enjoy seeing your colorful garden! Doesn't look too dry either :)
Here it is very dry and warm (warm by our standards is above 20C/68F). No rain for about a month and a hose ban. doesn't make it easier to keep the plants alive.
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Hi Trond,
It is great to hear from you via e-mail or here on the Forum. Jasmin deserves all the credit for the two most recent garden tour postings on this thread. She is responsible for both the text and the photographs. I will have a few things to add when a few new plants in our garden come into bloom.
I always enjoy current weather reports from other parts of the world. Here temperatures have remained cool, which translates into average. (The 30-year average vs. a 20-year average for some of the Sierra Nevada data sets I keep) There has been a great deal of thunderstorm activity in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. At times the storms have held together and drifted over the Sacramento Valley. Here in Sacramento we have received traces of precipitation from these storms on several occasions. Our Placerville property and the Northern end of the Sacramento Valley have received much more precipitation from these storms.
Restrictions in water usage in coastal Norway? It indeed must be very dry. How is your garden and specific plants holding up with the dry conditions? How plants and plant communities react to climatic variables is one of my primary horticultural interests. Developing resilient plants varieties and methodologies to cope with the rapid environmental changes taking place is another primary horticultural interest of mine. I have a great deal of data that very strongly suggests that unless fundamental changes are made in the way we cultivate and view our gardens, a significant segment of the diversity of the plants we enjoy and cultivate will be lost.
I am in a position to follow the climatic changes taking place on the planet from a scientific perspective. The rapid change from La Niña to El Niño conditions in the equatorial Pacific Ocean has raised a great deal of attention. Currently, most of the oceans of the world are steaming hot and satellite data indicates global temperatures are in anomalously high territory. All the recent peaks in global temperatures have occurred during El Niño events. I recently updated my histogram for peak summertime high temperatures for the last 40 years at our Placerville property. The 110 F (43.3 C) high temperatures that were a once every 30-year occurrences are now once every 15-year occurrences. The 115 F (46.1 C) high temperatures which might have been a once every 10,000 year occurrences have now arrived at our Placerville property. (I still need to do the math to have an exact statistical number). The speed in which climatic change is taking place is alarming. Much of my efforts are toward creating a genetically diverse and stable garden and agricultural ecosystem at our Sacramento home and Placerville property. This is certainly a challenge that needs to be addressed immediately.
I hope to visit Sonora Pass during the peak wildflower season this year. The deep snow has yet to melt. Reports on my outings are probably best addressed as articles for Journals. Currently, I am working on a detailed article about Rocky Basin, which will appear in the IRG Journal.
Once again, I am pleased to hear from you whatever the means, the Forum or e-mail.
[Jasmin]: Right now it is 19 C, with a cool marine breeze flowing in. It is stunning to think that coastal Norway experiences such warm dry weather; yet, this is the reality on our planet. In some ways, it is a blessing my gardening experience is in north central California where drought has consistently impacted every aspect.
California developed an entire system of reservoirs, irrigation, water restrictions, and watering timetables here over many decades. Yes, some areas and individuals have always been oblivious to the reality of an arid environment; however, Robert and I have lived here for decades with “water mindfulness” as a way of life. There are incongruences: population and development levels come to mind. These keep expanding as if the water will magically appear.
Sadly, in the process of accommodating the above for money, we have lost both wilderness and water: The forests, wetlands, natural artesian springs, aquifers, and creeks we grew up with have been removed, diverted, and dried. This was once a major migratory bird stopover. The number of birds and the number of species have precipitously declined. The same is true of insects, and plants that supported and formed the ecosystem at all levels.
While our garden seems a haven—a goal we strive for—the reality is more stark: Yes, I can water once a week, and things have done amazingly well under my ruthless hand, no amount of water can be added to replace the moisture lost from the atmosphere and the soil through consistent desertification of the larger environment. We are the few in our area tending and cultivating a habitat. Yet, we cannot stop the soil from drying due to the larger impacts. All the rain of this past spring still did not replenish the moisture that has been and continues to be lost.
The garden had a beautiful display this spring, and I still have yet to post the last photos I took. We just have to enjoy each moment, because we no longer can count on such displays because of the desertification.
[Robert again]
Trond,
I am quantifying most of Jasmin’s statements with data. For example, the vapor pressure deficit is one method used in science to quantify aridity. I have been calculating and recording this data for many local sites on a daily basis for years. It is very interesting how used as a dependent variable this data can be used to predict the outcome for plant species and plant communities, especially when winter snow cover decreases in mountain ecosystems. Changes in the Arctic Oscillation Index over the last 70 years are alarming and impact all of us in the Northern Hemisphere. Stay tuned. Dramatic fluctuations and anomalous weather events are here now and are likely to intensify in magnitude into the near future. It seems wise to take appropriate action now. Many practices that worked in the past are not working now and/or will not work in the near future.
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Dramatic climatic changes have been impacting our Sacramento garden for many years now. Over the last 2 to 3 years the climatic impacts have been increasing both in frequency and magnitude. Incorporating resiliency into our plants and garden design is an urgent necessity. Many gardening concepts and methodologies are now outdated and no longer work or are faltering quickly.
The rapid shift from La Niña to El Niño conditions in the equatorial Pacific Ocean has us extremely concerned. Note the extreme magnitude in the current world SSTs in the chart above. To quote scientists at NOAA, “We are in uncharted territory”. Every peak in global temperatures over the last few decades has coincided with El Niño events (See chart below).
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These seedlings of Lupinus polyphyllus var. burkei are an example of how we are working to develop resiliency in our plants and garden. Rather than growing a single specimen of a species, we grow populations. Detailed documentation and records are kept for each plant accession. Frequently, we grow multiple accessions of a given species from very distinct habitats giving us vastly more genetic diversity than if we grew a single specimen of a species. This approach is paying off. As an example, in the past we have not had success cultivating Lupinus polyphyllus var. burkei in our Sacramento garden. Now, not only are we having success, but we also have a population to work with to achieve even greater degrees of resiliency with this species.
Another important factor in our gardening scheme is that we keep things simple and work with plants that are readily available. Our attitude is one of stewardship, a relational interaction with our plants. Our plants are not possessions, but living entities that deserve our deepest respect and care. For us, working with these plants with this attitude has opened a floodgate of creativity. A whole new world with plants has opened up with infinite possibilities into an infinite future. Not only do positive solutions to the challenges of climate change seem obtainable, but also new currently unseen frontiers with plants seem possible even with simple and very common plant species.
[Jasmin]: Right now it is 19 C, with a strong marine layer obscuring and filtering the sun. This is such a strange experience. Technically, it is summer. While the marine layer clouds could stream by in the very early hours of the day in the past, they never lingered. By this hour (11:00 a.m.), they would have been long gone, and the marine layer would be stopped at the coast range. The distinctive temperature difference between the coast and the much hotter and dryer interior of central California would be extreme: Our area would normally be well over 30 C, with spikes close to 38 C. Now extremes of above 40 C are becoming regular occurrences. As noted on this Forum, our most extreme was a whole period over 46 C.
When I was a teenager, we would escape the central interior heat by going to the coast. The weather there is just as unpredictable now it seems. I understand the marine layer fog has in the past couple years been absent at times, and one risks sunstroke and sunburn.
Recently the birds and I listened to Mr. Ian Young’s video supplement. This is something we all enjoy very much. While it is terrible to hear temperatures have been in the 22-24 C range, and dry conditions, the sounds of bees and birds is such a delight in addition to the opportunity to visit another garden. I wish I could say we still had trees alive with the buzzing bees, and a garden full of birdsong. As much as we strive to provide habitat for food and nest sites, we cannot overcome the lack of area and the impact of humanity, lingering damage from wildfires, and climate changes on the larger environment. The goldfinches and hummingbirds are our most dependable visitors. Mr. and Mrs. Dove are out there, but not the numbers we once had. Our bee populations are completely changed. Mostly, we see these cute little bees, and a sweat bee now and then, sometimes a European honeybee. Other pollinators are at work.
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The native Toyon, Heteromeles arbutifolia, is one plant that seems to attract a variety of pollinators. Mostly I notice the ants. I am not sure if what I smell is what the ants smell and are attracted to: The flowers of this plant smell like a mild, soft-ripened dessert cheese—the good kind America will not import because it is not pasteurized and irradiated to death.
Our Moreas are long since done, but I noticed that one in particular was always overloaded with flies. I did not detect an odor; however, the central markings are “fly”-colored: copper-metallic.
Other visitors reveal themselves to our delight: lady beetles, hummingbirds, and butterflies.
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Robert just moved my pictures over to this computer, so it will not be too terribly long before I can bring you around on another garden tour.
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As of 25 June 2023 the average temperature for the month is running -2.29 F (-1.27 C) below the 30-year average. Now that El Niño conditions prevail in the equatorial Pacific Ocean (+1.0 C in Zone 3.4 as of 26 June) it is not unusual for troughy conditions, low pressure, and below average temperatures to prevail in Northern California in May and June.
This winter the average temperature was 45.43 F (7.46 C), -1.98 F (-1.10 C) below average and the second coldest winter in the last 40 years. Generally cold winters are followed by below average temperatures the following summer. I recently did a statistical analysis of this hypothesis and found that it does indeed appear to hold true in our region, but since 2000 this trend is starting to change and become a weaker signal of cool summer temperatures. Thus, I would generally expect temperatures to run below average to average this summer, however the quickly evolving El Niño and record high global Surface Sea Temperatures raises considerable doubts about my expectations for temperatures this summer.
Currently, 100 F plus (37.7 C +) high temperatures are being forecasted for our area over the next 4 to 14 days. Some nearby areas are forecasted to reach 110 F (43.3 C). With the cool weather this spring and much of June our garden is looking good and holding up well. The change to extremely hot weather is likely to change this situation dramatically. Creating a garden resilient to dramatic swings in the weather and climate, as well as resistant to extremes of heat is a challenging and slow process. Progress is being made, however resourcefulness is also a necessity. With our garden, we do our best to make the best in any given situation. We are very open to attempting novel, new ideas and methods.
We are prepared the best we can for the coming heat wave and extreme high summertime temperatures. We will continue to select the best-of-the-best from the genetic diversity we endeavor to maintain in our garden.
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Coming into bloom is a group of F2 Monardella breweri ssp. lanceolata seedlings. These F2 seedlings were derived from a genetically diverse set of F1 plants in our garden last year. The past wet winter revealed their susceptibility to root disease organisms. The surviving plants are strong, bloom profusely, and likely carry some genetic resistance to root diseases. If we would have grown a group of plants derived from a single, highly inbred line, we would have likely lost all the plants and would need to start over again with this species.
In addition, other local Monardella that we have conducted trials with have also shown vulnerability to root rotting organisms. With the knowledge we gained from our experience with Monardella breweri ssp. laceolata thus far, we are likely to have greater success with other Monardella species in future trials.
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Last year I was able to get a single seedling of Trifolium longipes ssp. atrorubens to germinate and grow. The single seedling died during the 115 F (46.1 C) heat wave last September. Luckily I made another seed accession last year from a meadow at 6,657 feet (2,029 meters) in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Germination this spring was excellent and I now have 20 + strong seedlings growing. The forecasted heat wave will be the first true test for these seedlings.
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I am very excited with this group of Trifolium monathum ssp. monathum seedlings. They are growing extremely well. I made this seed accession from the Ebbetts Pass region at 8,825 feet (2,690 meters) in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This tiny leaf mat-forming perennial clover is such a jewel. As pictured, they are blooming now and will hopefully set seed. It will be a great success if the plants survive the coming heat of summer and set seed.
For us this is building resilience and being resourceful with what we have – in action!
[Jasmin]: So far today is 19 C. I have been enjoying my vicarious Meconopsis garden—I very much appreciate, as Ms. Macrelle does, the opportunity to delight in other’s gardens through this Forum. I remain astounded at the hot dry conditions found in Leena’s garden in southern Finland. When it is hotter and drier in Finland and Scotland than California, who can possibly deny the planet is suffering. Yet, so it is.
So far we have been spared the extreme heat of the entire region around and within Texas. Out in the ocean appears to be an area of high pressure, and we are nervous whether it will come in and join with the existing heat dome over Texas. We shall see.
Thinking back to our late spring explosion of color, I can continue with the next succession in our front yard. At some point I will catch up!
Since we pack in as much as we can (and keep striving to fit in yet more), the garden does appear to be some wild explosion of colors:
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The recently planted Aristolochea is growing really well, and can be seen here exuberantly sharing space with the sweet peas, azaleas, and an Abutilon.
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“Sandra Marie has a faint blush of pink on the pale golden yellow flowers.
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This yellow is the sport to the pink that blooms a month earlier, and was in the earlier front garden tour.
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Until we planted the Aristolochia, this red abutilon has been lingering in our garden for ages without doing much. Now suddenly, it has perked up and seems to be much happier. Until you experiment, you never know what combinations will encourage a plant to thrive. We always think about the water, soil mixture, and lighting. How often do we think about companionship? Usually, I think in terms of colors, textures, and shapes, but that a plant might be lonely in the garden? Abutilon is not hemiparasitic like Castilleja, and is definitely not native here; yet, clearly this plant was pining for something until now.
At one time we had an egg-yolk yellow Abutilon along the back fence the hummingbirds loved. We removed it when the rodents turned it into their luxury hotel. I still miss the flowers; however, we now have even more nectar and habitat plants for hummingbirds, butterflies, and other creatures.
I shall close now with these “super common” Shasta Daisies. They were my mörmör’s favorite flower. They are situated along the driveway, right where I see them every time I step out front. She lived to be 90, and there are so many skills I “inherited” from her.
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A garden for us is not just some showcase, or even a labor of love, it is a place of love: Robert has had his phases of collection. I aimed to remember people, and places. My mother loved the cottage garden, and the regular bounty of vases brimming with flowers, especially once she was in a wheelchair and not able to venture out into the garden. I liked fresh herbs, vegetables, and fruits.
Over time, we get older--and maybe wiser--accept climate changes, and our interests change too. We have long been inspired by Monet’s garden, and his garden-inspired paintings. We continue to be influenced by Mr. Ian Young’s Bulb Logs and video garden visits. All these facets are combining, and evolving. Gardening, like life, is truly a journey.
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Hi Lois,
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As stated earlier Monardella breweri ssp. laceolata is looking especially nice in our garden right now.
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Our Flavor King Pluot is loaded with fruit this year. This Pluot variety has been a very reliable and consistent producer every season for many years. I am growing it as a dwarf tree on a Krymsk rootstock (Prunus tomentosa x cerasifera). This has proven to be a very reliable rootstock for Japanese type Plums (Prunus salicina) and pluots. ([Jasmin]: The birds have already sampled one!)
Flavor Queen Pluot has been a very inconsistent producer. I strongly believe this is a pollination issue. I am still looking for a better pollinator for this variety. Flavor Queen shares the same rootstock with the Flavor King Pluot.
We are still working on revitalizing our orchard in Placerville. Currently we have a Santa Rosa Plum and Satsuma Plum on Citation rootstock. I would prefer dwarf trees on Krymsk rootstock, and will rework the trees as I can propagate more Krymsk rootstock.
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I continually strive to create superior fruits and vegetables for our garden. These are F1 and F2 generation strawberry hybrids. Modern commercial strawberries taste terrible and have an unacceptable texture. Here I am bringing back the old-fashion flavor, texture and aroma of heirloom strawberries. Commercial handling of the fruit is unnecessary, as the fruit will go directly from plant to mouth.
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Here is part of this year’s container trials of upland rice varieties.
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Now that we are finally getting some heat the heirloom Sea Island Cotton, Gossypium barbadense is starting to grow well.
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Benne Sesame, Sesamum indicum, is a brown seed Sesame with a lower fat content and higher protein content.
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We bred Elena’s Scherzo Tomato over 10 years ago. The grape-like clusters of fruit are delicious and sweet. During tomato season, Elena’s Scherzo and Freya’s Tears, also bred by us, sold out before the Farmers’ Market even started. This was one good indication that they were good varieties. Although we no longer grow for the Farmers’ Market or other venues, we grow these varieties for our own pleasure.
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Breeding fruits and vegetables continue. The 115 F (46.1 C) temperatures last September underscore the need to keep ahead of the rapid environmental changes taking place. Catastrophic crop losses and catastrophic losses in ornamental plant collections are increasing in frequency and magnitude. As the U.N. recently stated, “At current levels of warming (global) food production is starting to come under strain”. This is a very conservative statement that minimizes the seriousness of the current situation. I have been involved in agriculture in California for my whole adult life, close to 50 years now. Agricultural regions in California such as western Kern and the whole west side of the San Joaquin Valley are rapidly losing productivity and will eventually revert to desert. In light of the rapid environmental and climatic changes taking place, self-sufficiency, self-reliance, and resiliency are all strategies we will continue to incorporate into our ornamental as well as food production gardening projects.
[Jasmin]: Currently it is 20 C, but last week we had a couple of days in the 39-40 C range. The sea breeze is strong, giving us what Robert’s dad called “resort weather”. I now continue our garden tour catching us up with some of the back garden colors we have enjoyed this season.
Because we have had so much (for us) cool weather, many flowers graced our garden for longer, and the lighting was soft enough to capture the whites and yellows that usually challenge us.
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This yellow Eriogonum bloomed profusely again this year, and this year’s lighting allows the photo to do it some justice. It has been in our garden about 15 years now, part of an area in the garden for the re-creation of natural habitat. The longer it is established, the better it looks—and maybe my fondness for this plant encourages it along. I pass this plant many times a day, so it is a regular cheer up.
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This is a trumpet hybrid whose lineage is long forgotten, but its cream-white flowers with a hint of yellow, and the scent more than compensate for lost labels.
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In the shadier part of the garden, a deep pink Nicotiana sprung up in one of the Acer palmatum containers.
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Nearby, my favorite Heuchera was blooming for quite some time.
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Just across from the Heuchera, this purple Gladiolus is a stunning delight.
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Robert continues his Dahlia hybridizing. The various flowers provide late season color, and nectar for hummingbirds and other insects.
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This Lillium henryi x Louis is just between our side door and the garden gate. Another one grows prominently at the front. It is one of my favorites, and the flowers always cheer me.
I finally finished digging up some of the tulip and other bulbs we had scattered in front, to be relocated to more prominent garden spots later this autumn. After, I finally could clean up all the spent spring bulb leaves.
There are a couple of Hydrangeas blooming out front, and a couple different ones blooming out back, along with the various lilies. The native lilies always perform best in our garden. As much as I enjoy other type of lilies, eventually all the care in the world does not help them survive, let alone thrive. We suspect xenobiotics. This year so many did not even come back, and we wonder how much the wet season after so much drought contributed to their loss.
Developing resilient plants is fortunately one of Robert’s passions, and will keep both of us busy for decades to come.
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4 July 2023 was Independence Day in the U.S.A. I went to bed early for a good night’s sleep; however, my thoughts are filled with deep concern for our precious planet.
We--the whole planet--are not independent of the impacts and consequences of the climatic changes taking place and our continued disregard of life-sustaining ecosystems on the planet. I agree with the bumper sticker I saw recently: There is no plan(et) B!
With regard to global governmental efforts to enact change, the U.N. recently declared, “The pace and scale of what has been done so far and current plans are insufficient to tackle climate change.”
4 July 2023 was the warmest day for the whole planet since satellite temperature monitoring became available: 17.18 C (62.92F). The previous record was on 3 July 2023: 17.01 C. The third highest was 14 August 2016: 16.92 C (62.46 F).
The 2016 record was set during an El Niño teleconnection event, and the current records are also occurring during the beginning of an El Niño teleconnection event. Concerning the recent record setting temperatures, scientists say “the impacts of catastrophic heat waves, flooding, drought, crop failures and species extinction (including many of the rare ornamental species we grow or wish to grow in our gardens) become significantly harder for humanity to handle as we fail to take the necessary action to solve the climatic and ecological problems the planet faces.”
I feel impelled and called as an individual to make, continue and sustain appropriate action: increasing the scope of our self-sufficiency and resiliency, and endeavoring to create balanced sustainable garden ecosystems at our Sacramento home and Placerville farm.
My diary of this journey--especially as it pertains to ornamental plants--seems appropriate for this Forum. If this diary only interests and helps a handful of like-minded gardeners, then it is a tremendous success. I am not looking to change anyone, just “preach to the choir” (those that are already interested).
Currently I am very busy writing an article for one of the journals; however more postings on our gardening journey will be forthcoming.
[Jasmin]: Right now at 11:10 a.m. it is 18 C. This morning it was 10 C. There has been a steady cool breeze for the past several days. This weather is definitely not our normal interior California July weather! Normally, we would have weather in the 30s C!
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A few days ago I visited Rocky Basin in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
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Despite an above average snow pack and below average springtime temperatures through June, the snow did not linger late into the summer season as it did in the past. By the end of July conditions were very dry.
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The site I visited is at or near the low elevation limit for many plant species in this region. Pictured is Sierra Juniper, Juniperus grandis, a species that is much more common at much higher elevations.
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The reddish-brown bark of Juniperus grandis is quite striking and attractive.
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Hechera rubescens is also near its low elevation limit in this area. This species performs well in our Sacramento garden, however adding genetic diversity to our Sacramento gene pool is also an important objective. Stewardship of plants in a garden environment through the preservation of their genetic diversity can be very enjoyable as well as bring mindfulness to the importance of the conservation of plants and their natural ecosystems.
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A number of years ago I discovered a unique population of Eriogonum ursinum var. ursinum at this site. This mat-forming species is very attractive.
A full detailed report on Rocky Basin will be presented in an upcoming article for the IRG Journal.
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For decades obtaining high quality non-native seeds for ornamental species has been a persistent challenge for me. Increasingly stringent and restrictive import/export regulations only exasperate the situation. While I could lament the situation, but this does not solve anything. My solution has been to find the opportunities within the challenges, i.e. find the silver lining!
One huge blessing of limited access to seed is not taking on more than I can manage and care for. Quality over quantity has been a blessing. Having fewer projects also helps me maintain focus, and see the very important finer details that can be easily missed when overwhelmed. Prioritizing the plants and projects aids me to concentrate on what is truly meaningful to our garden and me.
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Habranthus and Zephyranthes species grow extremely well in our interior California climate. A number of years ago I made a number of interspecific and intraspecific hybrids using Habranthus robustus as the seed parent.
My Habranthus robustus stock provided little in the way of genetic variability; however I did proceed with a number of intraspecific crosses to see if there might be desirable recessive traits that breeding might reveal. This year many of the hybrids began to bloom. The results were about as expected: There was a bit more variability than I anticipated, but nothing exceptional in this F1 generation. Seed has been saved from these plants. In specific cases the F2 generation of seedlings can be extremely variable. In a few more years I will know.
I did one cross with Habranthus robustus x Zephyranthes treatiae. I lucked out with this cross. I somehow avoided incompatibility, chromosome non-homogony, and apomixes, as this cross definitely shows hybrid attributes between the two parents. For example, many of the hybrid progeny exhibit nearly upright flowers, a characteristic from Zephyranthes treatiae the pollen parent. Selfed F2 seed has been saved and, if viable, the progeny will likely be extremely variable. I will know next year if the seed is viable and then it will be a few more years before I see results.
Other Zephyranthes hybrids were also created, so in the coming years I will have many interesting plants to evaluate during the late summer growing season.
I certainly do not have a huge collection of Zephyranthes/Habranthes species and hybrids. While I am not expecting spectacular results, it is very stimulating and satisfying to be creative with the few species I do have to work with. For me it is about the process and learning.
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As Bob Ross would have said, there are “happy accidents” occurring in our garden all the time. Pictured is a F2 Vitis labrusca x vinifera hybrid. I grew on these hybrids with fruit production in mind; however I find the texture and coppery color of the new growth attractive. Who knows, I might get excellent quality table grapes and an attractive ornamental vine all in one plant. I am always looking outside the box to find new ornamental plants for our garden.
With creative thinking, limited access to seeds can be great fun and very satisfying.
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Hello Robert and Jasmin, I'll write a PM giving you my update. We are just recuperating from a three year long very severe drought that took its toll on fully grown trees ( some native natural (like Maytenus boaria) and others introduced although originated in Mediterranean climate.( Abies pinsapo). So climate extremes are already everywhere.
Your grape vine immediately watered by mouth... The leaf looks temptingly tender ideal for stuffing grape leaf dolma. I even grow a vine for that purpose. It never sets fruit, but the leaves are something!
Arturo
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Arturo,
Jasmin and I certainly hope you and your farm are doing okay. We are very concerned. We are very painfully aware of the impacts of drought and climatic change on agriculture. Rebuilding the farm in Placerville has been a slow process. This past winter was wet and cold, however persistent drought and at times extreme drought have been the prevailing pattern over the last 20+ years. In addition, extreme high temperatures both during the summer and the winter, have had dramatic impacts on both our food crops as well as our ornamentals. A huge priority has been to too keep ahead of the exponential climatic changes that are now occurring in our region of California. Incorporating resiliency into very aspect of our gardening program is the top priority. The grape pictured is just one part of this gigantic project. I have been breeding new citrus fruits, apples, stone fruits, small fruits, vegetables, grains, ornamentals, just about everything in an effort to stay ahead of the climatic changes taking place. Most likely this is just foolishness on my part, but I am not interested in sitting around and just do nothing.
I just finished reading a book by Jack Lalanne about maintaining health and fitness into old age. Mr. Lalanne was 95 when he wrote the book and was still happy, healthy and productive. His ideas were very similar to those of Helen and Scott Nearing. Scott was strong, productive and healthy until 95 too and died at age 100. The Nearings built a stone house by hand when he was in his 90’s and Helen was in her 70’s. There are no guarantees but a sensible plan seems to increase the odds of success. There is a great deal I wish to accomplish with ornamental plants and food crops in the next 30 years.
Jasmin and I both look forward to hearing from you and get an update on your farm and ornamental plant projects.
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Views of the house Helen and Scott Nearing built when they were in their 90's and 70's.
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Mid to late summer is a quiet time in our Sacramento garden when fewer plants are blooming and many bulbs and California native perennial species are dormant. However, our garden is not without flowers or plants of interest. Pictured is a new selection of Erythranthe guttata derived from seed gathered from the ditch in front of our Placerville farm. This selection put on a tremendous show of flowers this spring and still has a few flowers here in mid-August. In addition, this selection has produced many vigorous rosettes at the base of the plant, a very promising sign that this selection may have the capabilities to be a longer-lived perennial in our garden.
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Some of our F3 generation Gilia capitata mediomonatana x pedemontana hybrids are still in active growth and producing more flowers. In contrast, most of the other Gilia capitata plants in our garden have finished blooming, produced seed and completed their annual life cycle. This line is showing continued progress and potential to extend the blooming season of this species.
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A few of our F2 generation Monardella breweri ssp. lanceolata plants are also exhibiting the characteristic of an extended blooming cycle late into the season. As with the Gilia, most of our Monardella breweri ssp. lanceolata plants have finished their life cycle and are gone now. Seed has been saved from the extended blooming cycle plants and hopefully some of the F3 generation plants will continue to display this trait.
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In this photograph one can see the many flower buds that are yet to open on some of the remaining Monardella plants.
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Pictured is a F1 Habranthus robustus x Zephyranthes mesochlora hybrid. The upright stance of the flower is a characteristic of Zephyranthes suggesting that the plant is indeed a hybrid.
Habranthus and Zephyranthes species grow well in our Sacramento garden. We have few species in our garden. We are content making the best and being creative with what we have. I do have a small list of various bulbous species I would like to include in our garden. For me this is a very relaxed process. I am of the thinking that “when the student is ready the teacher will appear”, i.e. when I am ready, the plants I need for the garden will show up. I put very little effort into acquiring new plants and thus avoid the corruption of avariciousness and the damage it creates. The result is a contented gardener.
[Jasmin]: It is now around 23 C, with a prediction of perhaps 35 to 37 later today. So far, we have not had many 40 C days, which never hurts my feelings.
Yesterday Robert was gathering and cleaning the Monardella seed, and the most distinctive scent from the plants wafted through the air. It is not sweet like fresh mint; yet extremely pungent and not unpleasant or foul. In late summer Centromadia pungens (Common Tarweed) fills the air with its presence especially if there is a thunderstorm or early rain, and this Monardella scent is similarly evocative.
As for my relationship with the garden, I have to admit I am presently in a stupor. After 10 months and 20 days of care, our precious Dariya cockatiel died, 28 July 2023. We are simultaneously so thankful she was able to be with us, and her normal, joy-filled, happy self—She was kept comfortable, and content. She did not suffer. Yet, we still have shock, and sorrow; we so prayed she could rally and recover completely. She has a place in the garden, and a rock placement is there. At some point, the appropriate plants for this garden place will be planted.
I find it interesting how our gardens evolve in a number of ways, depending on so many variables. Some is climate, climate change, and location. Some is who we know, how we obtain our plants, and whether we are tidy or not—as Mr. Ian Young points out in his latest Bulb Log Video Supplement. Some of us are more relaxed about Nature, letting the birds and bees and plants do their thing for the most part. Others prefer their garden to always look ready for the show bench display, to get the Farrer medal or some other prize. Each has something to offer, each has something to appreciate.
In our garden, it seems more Natural Evolution, with a hand thrown in once in a while—more similar to Mr. Young’s style, except that food crops are part of the ornamental display. This is quite the evolution for Robert. When he was younger, I remember the seed lists, and seed pans, and our race to see which of us would find the first signs of germination. I do not know what amount of our changes are our aging, and what is sheer acceptance that the climate has radically altered since we married, among other factors. We do realize there is only so much we can do, and perhaps a maturity and realism govern our choices now. We no longer have the people we once had, who gave us parts of their garden—for better or for ill, those beloved thugs I have had to diminish lest they take over. Yet, we have other opportunities and interests, such as local native flora. Robert has always loved hybridizing, and the fun of exploring what traits will manifest, and this is a marvelous direction for his creative energy. I am more like the river flowing along, meandering. I am the one that looks at a place in the garden, such as Dariya’s resting place, and ponders the possibilities. Sometimes a garden evolution begins with the plant and the rocks follow, or in this case the rocks come first. After 52 years in this home, with this garden, I can remember an entire story—a story of my childhood, of beloved companion animals who found their resting place in the garden, of wild birds and wild life, of my young adulthood, and of my marriage and the journey Robert and I have taken together.
Have you thought about the story your garden tells? What does your garden say about your life and choices? Do you have memories that reach back, emotional connections? These are thoughts I gathered recently. I have never been one to write in a diary or journal; yet, in a sense, I have: the garden has been my journal, telling of my sojourn here on this earth. If you could read it, you would know my heart.
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... In our garden, it seems more Natural Evolution, with a hand thrown in once in a while
... After 52 years in this home, with this garden, I can remember an entire story—a story of my childhoodbrings , of beloved companion animals who found their resting place in the garden, of wild birds and wild life, of my young adulthood, and of my marriage and the journey Robert and I have taken together.
Have you thought about the story your garden tells? What does your garden say about your life and choices? Do you have memories that reach back, emotional connections? These are thoughts I gathered recently. I have never been one to write in a diary or journal; yet, in a sense, I have: the garden has been my journal, telling of my sojourn here on this earth. If you could read it, you would know my heart.
Thank you Robert and Jasmin.
Jasmin, you express beautifully thoughts that resonate with me. Our garden of (only) 30 years continues to evolve toward nature, but also reflects many aspects of our lives over that time that would be invisible to a visitor. It has always given us great peace and contentment. Despite horticultural 'failures' along the way, every day in the garden brings new delights and learnings.
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Ashley,
I appreciate your thoughtful comments. There are many facets to gardening, or perhaps it can said to be multidimensional. Our garden is so much more than beautiful flowers, trees and shrubs, or even food for the table. I know that this is true for many others. This is a central reason I am so keenly interested in other gardens and the stories they contain.
Thank you again for your mindful comments.
Today, 13 August, is watering day. Jasmin and I were up at 4:00 a.m. to get an early start with the watering before it got too hot. It was clear for most of the day with the temperature cresting at about 37 C. During the early evening dark clouds moved in from thunderstorms in the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the east. To our south near the city of Stockton some of the thunderstorms held together and there was rain in the Valley. This is not very common occurrence during the summer. As of 8:00 p.m. it is still overcast at our Sacramento home but no rain or thunder. The next few days we are expecting high temperatures in the 38 to 41 C range, then a cool down, maybe.
[Jasmin]: Thank you for giving me a great idea! In earlier submissions I have placed tours of our garden; additionally, in the past couple of years I included some past pictures of the garden here (at that time, under the heading “…in the Northern Hemisphere”). I really have not considered a garden tour detailing a history and relationship with the garden and certain plants until now.
Thirty years is still a substantial amount of time. The age of the garden here is actually layered: Some plants older than I am, and some planted when my family moved here 52 years ago and I was a girl. The orange tree is at least the same age as I. There are also representations of the many garden phases I have gone through as well: The cottage garden, the wildflowers, and the herbs. There was my vegetable garden the neighbor’s rabbit ate.
Once Robert and I married, the garden here has gone through even more exponential change, with additions, losses (both horticultural failures and climate change), removals of beloved thugs, and changing tastes and interests.
Gardening as a creative endeavor is very interesting when married with a fellow gardener. There are twice the opinions, and much more time spent pondering ideas. Sometimes it requires more patience, and even fortitude to hold back, to restrain oneself: Both Robert and I often think physically, placing something about to see the effect, and sit with it for a time. This means not moving it without talking about it first. It can appear like a chess game, except there is no checkmate, and each of us has a valid vision. In some areas I have deferred to Robert because he does have more experience and knowledge; yet, I find myself surprised that I have also acquired quite a bit of my own along the way. As with our Forum submissions, it is the synergy and combination of the two that creates the final effect.
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Here it is the end of August, the days are shortening, and the summertime heat appears to be winding down. High temperatures this summer have been average, with very few extremes. The only notable weather event this summer was Hurricane Hillary. As the remnants of Hillary moved to our east we received a few hundredths of an inch of rain and some gusty winds. In the Sierra Nevada Mountains, especially the east side received considerable amounts of rain and a great deal of thunderstorm activity.
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The end of summer is the start of the harvest season. Our Sea Island cotton, Gossypium barbadense, is still blooming. Many cotton bolls have formed and it looks as if we will have a good harvest. Our climate is a bit dry for this cotton species as some plants suffer a great deal from spider mites. Others suffer little from spider mites; we save seed from these plants.
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Our Duborskian rice, Oryzia sativa, is heavy with rice.
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Our rice plants have responded well to a modified form of Masanobu Fukuoka’s direct seeding/non-cultivation methods. The rice plants are growing through a thick ground cover of White Clover. Once the rice is harvested the rice straw and chaff will be returned to the plot and winter barley will be planted.
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As our ornamental garden awakens from it summer dormancy Epilobium canum ssp. canum is coming into bloom. The plant pictured survived many years of abandonment at our Placerville farm. It is an exceptional form selected from the plants growing in the Wrights Lake region in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I am very pleased that this selection was not lost. Now to bring it back to full health!
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In our Sacramento garden Epilobium canum ssp. garrettii is performing well. I have been brave enough to grow some of our other native Epilobium species. They are notorious for being weedy. So far Epilobium ciliatum has bloomed all summer and shows on signs of being weedy in our Sacramento garden. It looks best blooming in the spring. The plants are very susceptible to rust. I will take some photographs when they are blooming next spring if they survive the rust.
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Now that it is late August, colonies of Cyclamen hederifolium are coming into bloom.
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Most of out Cyclamen hederifolium bloom in shades of pink and white. With some effort deeper shades of pink could be selected, however I am content letting them colonize as they wish.
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Colchicum macrophyllum is the first Colchicum species to come into bloom in our Sacramento garden.
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Colchicum macrophyllum has large bold foliage, which I appreciate greatly during the spring.
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Colchicum autumnale is another early blooming species in our Sacramento garden.
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Acis autumnalis is another harbinger of autumn. I have grown this species for decades; however lately I have begun to select and gather seeds from the plants I like the most. Some plants I like much more than others. We shall see where this goes.
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Erythranthe lewisii x cardinalis hybrids have been around in the California nursery trade for many years. A number of years ago I started my own breeding program with the two species. Currently I have a wide range of color forms. This yellow form turned up this season. I still have much to accomplish with these hybrids. One goal is to select stronger, longer-lived, perennial plants. Plant habit and flower form are two other goals. The hybrids bloom for a long period of time during the late spring and early summer, so I do not mind having many in our garden.
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This chance seedling of Salvia coccinea ‘Brenthurst’ appeared in one of the nursery pots I have in the garden. It is an exceptional plant, with larger flowers and a good clear bright pink color. This species is perennial in our Sacramento garden so I can grow it as a clone and save seeds and see what turns up.
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The first new Salvia guaranitica hybrid is coming into bloom. Many more seedlings are budded and will start blooming shortly. I am getting good variation from this group of hybrids. They are already many Salvia guaranitica hybrids in the nursery trade here in California. It would be nice if something novel showed up, however my goal is to have fun and leave it at that.
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[Jasmin]: Right now at 11 am our time it is 27 C and expected to reach about 38 C. We have a strong north wind, which brings smoke from the wildfires in Northern California and Southern Oregon to our area. We have a fire watch all through the valley, since there is extremely low humidity—8%. Combined with the heat and strong winds, the fire danger is elevated.
In the past, July and August were the hottest months, and we could count on September having a weekend with the extreme heat but finishing cooler. I no longer have the confidence in this old pattern anymore, and will not be surprised to see a continuation of heat. All I have to do is look at the satellite images of ocean temperatures and the extreme weather happening everywhere to suspend my ability to predict what might be next.
It is this loss of ritual and routine I feel keenly, and it causes disorientation. We all crave predictability, the comfort of the illusion of unchanging patterns in our lives. How much ambiguous loss do we all have, that we are unaware of, we just feel out-of-sorts with some vague unease that we brush off yet it niggles us?
When there is a birth, graduation, or death, most times we have rituals to mark these events; the pain of certain changes and losses can flare up like an arthritic knee on a rainy day. Yet, here we are confronted by changes and losses that we sense, but have yet to name or enumerate. It is grief for plans that must change to meet the new situation, a loss of certainty, of the image for the future that was so planned for. It is a true reminder that all we really can know is this moment, and savour it.
I cannot call it a plan, all the changes that have taken place in this garden throughout my life.
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When my parents and I first moved here, there were traditional rose beds, and crabapples. My father planted the sweet Navel orange tree, and began a vegetable garden.
I was a shy, quiet child. I was more inclined to read books, a habit I still indulge in liberally. Yet, in my sense of solitude, I found comfort with the plants. I was not a tree-climber; rather I would find solace snuggled up to the trunk of a favorite tree, of which this photo shows one. A good book and a tree, and all was well. I do not think gardening was anything that occurred to me, that I would partake in.
Many decades later Robert and I started our first rock garden experiment near this apricot tree, planting it with Lewisias and other things I cannot remember now! The whole business we had to undo and reconfigure elsewhere when the mother tree reached the end of her life. We called her Queen Hunsa, for she was very old, having been a grown tree when my parents and I moved here. We have her “daughter”—a cutting grafted onto the plum rootstock—is in a bed forward and left, and two vegetable beds are where the mother tree once was. For many years the mother tree had a hollow underneath, a squirrel hole, and I had placed things in that hole. It was like finding and opening a time capsule.
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It was more wild in the area then; I find it reassuring when the wildlife pass by. We still see the white turkey from time-to-time, whether the original, or some daughter of hers. Various raptors still call about the neighborhood that has since filled in. The proximity of the river guarantees you might be pleasantly surprised while out in the garden.
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Jasmin,
I enjoy the way you express yourself! It reminds me of reading Louisa May Alcott.
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Dear Mr. Marc,
Thank you so much for your kind encouragement. It has been many years since I read Ms. Alcott, perhaps fourth or fifth grade! Mr. Ashley’s comment in August gifted me the opportunity to ponder my many years here, and the changes that have evolved.
Right now at 5:12 p.m. it is 26 C. The past couple of weeks we have been the border area for some unpredictable weather. First, the edge of the remnants of Hurricane Hillary zipped past. The bulk of this system hit Southern California and shot up the middle of Nevada, largely missing us. This latest system appears to be the remnants of a typhoon that impacted Japan a week to ten days ago. This proved to be more interesting, with build-ups and thunderstorms, particularly in the foothills and higher mountains. Rain was spotty here; yet Sunday is our watering day, so we had raingear on as we watered, since the rain was insufficient for the garden. The dramatic cooling we have had the past several days, combined with the shortening of day length; however means we are able to water a bit less. It is also the end of watermelons and cucumbers, my summer foods of choice for refreshment.
Although the Cyclamen and Colchicums are now blooming, there is always this lull in the garden bloom-wise; yet there is plenty of activity. It is so easy to stick to the usual, photographs of what looks good in the garden. While that is appreciated, many months can pass before anything “worthy” finds its way onto the Forum.
Our gardening style seems to fit in with Mr. Young’s “messy” natural approach—however, I am feeling more negligent than creative at the moment. Yet, I shall close with the bright welcome to Autumn, Colchicum macrophyllum.
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[Jasmin]: Today is 20 C, which for many of you would still feel like summer. However, yesterday was the first official day of autumn, and combined with the longer nights and the chill in the breeze indicates weather changes are on the way. Monday night there is a forecast for a slight 20% chance of rain. Until the rains truly arrive, I still wake at 4 am to get the garden watered on the permitted day and during the allowed timeframe. I strive to have all this done before I uncover the birds for the day. Unlike my sweet husband, I am not clinging to any rock faces botanizing.
Even a light rain would clear the air of the murkiness. Smoke from distant fires has settled throughout the valley, being more concentrated to our south. The dinginess we live with is not adequately photographed. However, it does give me an opportunity to share with you the effects of temperature and xenobiotics in the garden. It is not a lovely sight.
You will recall Azalea ‘Orangeade’ from this past April.
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Although the leaf color is pale, which I associate with many years of climate stress, it is still blooming well.
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The most recent picture shows the lines of chlorosis and some dieback. In past years it already would have been cold enough to have autumn color; however, the leaves loose their green in the heat but there is no chill to turn the dying leaves those beautiful reds, oranges, and golds.
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The dieback is something we see repeatedly, as can be seen with this azalea, which once towered over my head and was an explosion of spring and autumn color. The plant’s fate hangs in the balance: In some instances there will still be vigorous growth at the base, and abundant flower buds, so the plant endures in the garden.
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In other instances, as can be seen with this Rhododendron maddenii type hybrid, the plant will continue to die a little at a time over the years. For some plants, this is a slow progression toward death.
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So the garden looks like it might be a graveyard, or soon. We have indeed lost a great many plants this way. However, we never have the heart to just yank the dear plant out until it is really, truly dead. We always end up with surprises, where the plant actually recovers, or an azalea we thought dead and gone decides to sprout from some mysterious root that was still alive down in the ground, as in the case of Azalea ‘Mirte’.
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Japanese maples go through this similar progression, and we have yet to detect a pattern beyond the obvious: Many plants are sensitive to both xenobiotics, and to the lack of winter chill. It is impossible to discern which aspect, or the combination is behind these effects. Here is ‘Ukigumo’, with one branch dead already; its summer full of the slow progress of death. The rest of the tree is still verdant, but none of the three trees show any autumn color.
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In contrast, California native plants such as this Buckeye (Aesculus californica) have spent the entire summer looking pitiful and partly dead. This is their natural, healthy appearance! They leaf out with the rains, and flower in the spring. In the summer they have nothing more than their seed capsules and pods, awaiting the next rains, if the plant has not yet dehisced its progeny. In the wild, the California Buckeye looks like a dead tree with dull golden Christmas baubles clinging to its limbs.
Walking through our garden is its own botanical experience, since some of the plants look dead and are supposed to, while others are dying when they are meant to be at their peak yet are clearly not entirely happy.
It would be easy to lament the situation, looking at the garden, for the plants we lose and their slow, ugly demise; however, there actually is simultaneously a certain pleasure: At this juncture, I can derive great satisfaction for no other reason than I actually discern and know the difference. Robert’s botanical knowledge and experience have always surpassed my own. When it comes to marriage and gardening, these things did not osmotically incorporate into my being. It would be too easy to leave him the garden, and defer to his predilections; however, that is not the case, and not how decisions are made here. We both have equal voice, and equal vision, and creating our garden as a unit despite our differences is one of the great pleasures that continues to enhance both our marriage and the garden.
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Jasmin,
One year of what used to be average rainfall can be very restorative, and can reverse much of the damage.
It may not happen; but, there is hope :)
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In many ways our “spring” arrives in our part of Northern California during the autumn when the first significant rainfall of the winter rainfall season arrives and temperatures consistently drop and stay cool. At this time many of our native annual species germinate and start to grow. In addition, many of our native bulbous species also begin to grow. It is often amazing how quickly many of our bulbous species emerge from the ground after the first significant rainfall.
Pictured above is a flat of California native annuals planted out in soil blocks. This year we have many new and exciting species to trial in our Sacramento garden. Below are some photographs of the new species we are looking forward to in our garden this coming spring.
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Diplacus kelloggii – We obtained seeds from a low elevation form of this species growing near Camp Creek, El Dorado County, California.
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Some of the best forms of Diplacus torreyi can be found in Rocky Basin, El Dorado County, California. I was fortunate to arrive at the perfect time to gather seed of this species at this location.
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I encountered an unusual form of Diplacus viscidus in the Caldor Fire burn scar area near Camp Creek this year. This population exhibited a great deal of genetic variability. In addition, the plants in this population did not exactly fit the botanical description of this species. They may represent a hybrid population. More study will be necessary.
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There were pure white forms of Diplacus viscidus in this population.
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Although quite common in the wild, Navarretia leptalea ssp. leptalea will be new to our garden this season.
In addition to the new native annual species for this season, we have a whole lineup of new hybrid bulbous species based on our native species found here in Northern California.
We have a great deal to look forward to this coming season.
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Purple Needle Grass, Stipa pulcha, is starting to recolonize our Placerville property. 200 years ago this species likely grew abundantly on this property. Now only remnants of this species can be found in our area clinging to niches in the local chaparral plant communities. Offspring of these chaparral plants are also thriving in our Sacramento garden.
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California Fescue, Festuca californica, is also reseeding on our Placerville property. This species is more often found in the California Coastal Mountains, however it is also native to the Sierra Nevada region. This species also seeds around freely in our Sacramento garden. Our native bunch grasses look perfect in our California style Mediterranean garden.
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Currently I am planning outings for the coming season. The canyons and ridges of the Feather River region possess many fine species well suited for our California gardening conditions. Pictured is Fritillaria recurva with Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis blooming in the Feather River canyon. Fritillaria recurva thrived at our Placerville property and domestic seed lines are being established for our Sacramento garden. We have a huge array of native species that just need some development to become outstanding plants for our Sacramento garden. Excellent progress is being made in this endeavor.
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Narcissus elegans bloomed for the first time this October. The autumn blooming Narcissus species thrive in our Sacramento garden. These species are being incorporated into our Narcissus breeding projects. Preliminary results may take time, however the whole creative process is very enjoyable.
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During the La Niña event of last year we experienced much below average temperatures during the winter and early spring with very low snow levels in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. These events are closely associated with La Niña in our part of California. The much above average precipitation last winter, however, is generally not associated with La Niña.
Climate change has impacted our region to the point where we are in uncharted territory. El Niño was once associated with much above average precipitation and temperatures during the winter months in our part of California. Starting about 25 years ago, the association between El Niño events and seasonal weather patterns began to decouple.
Currently there is a very strong El Niño event occurring in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. So far temperatures have turned much above average, typical of an El Niño event in our region. However, precipitation totals have been running about average, with long periods between precipitation events. Precipitation is much more difficult to forecast than temperature, especially months into the future. Right now there is no clear indication which direction our winter precipitation season will turn. Drought seems to be the new normal for us, so I am not very optimistic about another abundant precipitation season this winter in our region.
Looking to create a garden resilient to our evolving conditions is a passion. Right now, autumn color finally began, but the much welcome rain has quickly blown much of the leaves away. So, we look with anticipation toward spring, and some plants that we are working with to create this acclimated vision.
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This is a photograph of Rhododendron occidentale ‘Early Cream Pink’. This is one of 5 selections I made from an ecotype of the species found in the Pulga Bridge region over 20 years ago. All 5 selections are extremely heat tolerant. 115 F (46.1 C) temperatures are common in this region most summers, and these plants thrive in our Sacramento garden despite the extreme heat we have experienced the last few years. In addition, each selection blooms about 45 days before the type species in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The Sierra Nevada race of Rhododendron occidentale is very different from the race found in coastal areas of California. For hot, dry climates these selections are vastly superior to the coastal California varieties of this species.
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This is one of our Rhododendron occidentale hybrids derived from our Pulga Bridge selections. It too is extremely heat tolerant and thrives in our Sacramento garden. Progress does not stop here. Crossing these with extreme dwarf forms brings the possibilities of small 0.3 x 0.3 meter plants that are extremely heat tolerant, and have fragrant and colorful flowers. Maybe my Summer of Love series of deciduous azaleas will someday be realized. How exciting!
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Developing resilient new plant varieties for hot, dry climates is very exciting. This high elevation form of Erythronium multiscapideum thrives in our Sacramento garden. The petals of this selection are flushed pink. In addition, the genes of the “Cliftonii” ecotype of this species are present throughout the genome of this species throughout its range. The depth of genetic variability presents additional breeding possibilities.
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There is tremendous genetic variability in Calochortus venustus.
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Breeding forms of Calochortus that are easier to cultivate is another project that is slowly progressing. This pink form of Calochortus venustus from the Sierra Nevada Mountains is quite attractive.
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Calochortus splendens is another species found in brutally hot and dry parts of California.
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For those that enjoy growing tiny alpine species, these high elevation forms of Calochortus minimus are worth the effort to cultivate.
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If one observes closely, the genetic variability in Calochortus minimus becomes very apparent. These low elevation forms of Calochortus minimus experience extremes of heat and drought not experienced by the alpine forms of this species. In this photograph a pure white and flushed pink form of this species can be seen. This is only a fraction of the variability found in this species.
In a rapidly changing climate there are many opportunities to find and develop new resilient plant varieties for hot dry climates.
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Robert,
Over the past 60 days daytime temperatures have ranged between 52 and 71 degrees F [11-21 C].
Night temheratures have ranged from 44- 56 F [7-13 C].
We actually have more different taxa in bloom now than we did in summer.
I have been trying to inventory what is in bloom and just in the early part of the alphabet, i have in bloom:
i/o = indoor/outdoor /a= annual
* In winter wraped in a polyethylene cylinder with hair dryer and thermostat set to 35 degrees F
Abutilon hybridum
Abelmoschus moschatus
Abutilon megapotamicum
Abutilon pictum
Abutilon ‘Thompsonii’
Achimines antirrhina i/o
Achimines erecta i/o
Achimines grandiflora i/o
Achimines hybrids i/o
Achimineslongiflora i/o
Aconitum carmichaelii
Aconitum helmsianum
Agastache barberi
Agastache foeniculum
Allium callimischon
Allium stellatum
Althaea cannabina
Anemone huphensis
Anemone vitifolia
Anisodontea scabrosa
Antirrhinum hispanicum
Arum pictum
Asclepias incarinata
Bomarea caldesii i/o
Brugmansia sanguinea i/o
Calluna vulgaris
Caltha dionaefolia
Camelia brevistlea
Camelia fluviatiles
Camelia japonica
Camelia oleifera
Camelia sanguinea
Camelia x vernalis
Campylotropis macrocarpa
Caryopteris x calydonensis
Caryopteris incana
Ceanothus ‘Marie Simon’
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
Cestrum ‘Orange Peel’ i/o
Chelone lyonii
Chelone obliqua
Clerodendrum bungei
Clerodendrum ugandense i/o
Clethra barbinervis
Clitorea ternata /a
Cobaea scandens /a
Colchicum autumnale
Colchicum baytopiorum
Colchicum bivonae
Colchicum byzantium
Colchicum ‘Lilac Wonder’
Colchicum speciosum
Colchicum variegatum
Commelina coelestis
Correa ‘Dusky Bells’ i/o
Crocus banaticus
Crocus goulimyi
Crocus hadriaticus
Crocus kotschyanus
Crocus laevigatus
Crocus longiflorus
Crocus medius
Crocus nudiflorus
Crocus ochroleucus
Crocus oreocreticus
Crocus pallasii
Crocus pulchellus
Crocus sativus
Crocus serotinus
Crocus speciosus
Crossandra nilotica i/o
Crowea exalata i/o
Cuphea ignea /a reseeding
Cuphea macropetala /a reseeding
Cyclamen africanum
Cyclamen cilicium
Cyclamen cyprium
Cyclamen graecum
Cyclamen hederifolium
Cyclamen mirabile
Cyclamen rholfsianum
Daboecia cantabrica
Daboecia scotia
Diascia barberae
Diascia cordata
Dichorisandra reginae i/o
Distictis buccinatoria *
Dracocephalum forrestii
Eccremocarpus scaber
Erica abietinia
Erica alopecurus
Erica calycina
Erica carnea
Erica cetinthoides
Erica coccinea
Erica x darleyensis
Erica discolor
Erica glandulosa
Erica pilulifera
Erica pixidiflora
Erica sparsa
Erica tetralix
Erica triflors
Erica vagens
Erica versicolor
Erica x watsonii
Escallonia bifida
Escallonia x exoniensis
Eucryphia cordifolia
Eucryphia x nymansensis
Fremontodendrom californicum
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Hi Marc,
Is it unusual for so many plant species to be blooming in your garden in mid-November?
Here temperatures have been running above average for the month of November, although there is not much blooming in our garden at this time. In past years we have had some species bloom well out-of-season, during the autumn or winter. Temperature is clearly one variable; yet other factors are involved. Variations in solar radiation (cloud cover) can initiate out of season blooming. Epigenetics may also be involved, however there is still much to learn about how and why epigenetic processes take place. Epigenetics is clearly a survival/adaptation mechanism for most life forms.
In some cases epigenetics is involved with changes that take place in the vernalization process of various plant species. It may also be involved with the changes that take place with seed dormancy. For example, seeds that will germinate readily when sown fresh (i.e. go through their normal vernalization to germination process), but enter a more complex dormancy if sowing is delayed.
Learning and discovery is never ending, but this makes life and gardening enjoyable and interesting.
Below are a few of our native Delphinium species that we are working with in our garden. Most are difficult to work with in our low elevation, hot, dry, Sacramento garden. Steady progress is being made to find and create forms that are much easier to cultivate in our garden. They are such graceful, beautiful plants. [Jasmin]: These have shown the most promise, given our conditions. Decades ago, we could dabble with more traditional garden Delphiniums, but just as with Meconopsis, eventually climate and climate change won out.
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This is a high elevation perennial species that grows quite large.
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Delphinium gracilentum is a mid-elevation, perennial species. There are many color forms of this species. A favorite in our garden.
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This is Delphinium hesperium ssp. pallescens as seen in Colusa County, California. We have never cultivated this species in our Sacramento garden, however it would be worth trying. It is also a good reason to return to this region, as there are so many fine plant species in this area.
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Delphinium nuttallianum generally blooms with deep lavender-blue flowers. In my fieldwork I occasionally encounter white and lavender-pink forms of this species. Delphinium nuttallianum is a perennial, high elevation species. I have found mid-elevation forms of this species that likely have genetic qualities that might allow this species to be cultivated in our Sacramento garden with more ease.
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Delphinium patens ssp. patens is a low elevation, perennial species. We have had great success cultivating this species in our Sacramento garden for many years. Second generation plants are being grown and tested throughout our garden. At one time this species grew abundantly on our Placerville property. Due to very poor land use practices, this species is now rarely seen on our property. Steps are being taken to restore much of our property to something that might resemble its original condition 300 years ago before the introduction of gold mining, invasive species and livestock grazing.
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Winter in our part of Northern California is an active time for many plant species, especially many California native species. Pictured is a batch of Phacelia campanularia seedlings started in October. They are now large enough to plant out in the garden and will make a beautiful display, if all goes right, when they bloom in the spring.
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Over the past few months I have been transferring my handwritten botanical field notes to one of my computers. There are over 30 years of field notes, so this process will take time. Fortunately, what I have accomplished so far has proven very helpful in my development of superior varieties for our Sacramento garden. With the computer I am able to sort my field note data according to species, location, elevation, microclimate, soils types, ecotype characteristics, and more. This data can also be linked to my climatic data for our part of Northern California.
In the photograph above, I am selecting seedlings for further evaluation based on seedling phenotype characteristics and known marker genes for specific characteristics. Quick access to the data in my field notes has simplified and enhanced this process greatly. This certainly can reduce the number of seedlings that need to be grown on to maturity.
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This batch of Narcissus romieuxii type seedlings started blooming on 5 December. This is 4 weeks before the average first bloom date for this type of Narcissus in our garden. During other seasons flowers have appeared as early as 16 December. We have no history on this batch of seedlings other than they were derived from open pollenated garden plants. Without a history for these seedlings there is no way to know whether this early blooming characteristic is a function of the weather this season or a genetic characteristic that will persist to a certain degree from season to season. I like to keep notes, so this batch of seedlings will begin to have a history and unique characteristics can be notes.
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This photograph was taken of the same batch of Narcissus romieuxii type seedlings on 13 December. All of our older batches of Narcissus romieuxii type seedlings have flower buds emerging from the soil and seem on track to bloom at their usual time, approximately 1 January.
Our goal is to breed resilient plants well adapted to our Sacramento garden. Establishing a truly sustainable closed garden ecosystem, like one finds in nature, is also a very important goal. The creative process to craft garden plants that are useful, functional, beautiful and unique to our garden is a very pleasant pursuit.
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As we approach the New Year I would like to share some photographs from our Placerville garden taken during the spring and autumn of 2007.
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Our Placerville garden was lush and full of many beautiful trees, shrubs and perennial species.
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We liked to use color and texture of foliage effectively in this garden.
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We had many grafted named varieties of Japanese Maples.
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Autumn leaf colors were spectacular.
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This is the same garden today.
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“A picture is worth a thousand words”.
This is why we are so emphatic about sustainability and building resiliency into our garden and the plants we grow in our garden. Our Placerville garden is an example of how climate change and other changing conditions can ravage a garden if one does not consider sustainability and resiliency into the long-term garden plan and design.
We feel sad that all these plants died; however without this lesson we would not be creating an exciting new garden in Sacramento. I am currently engaged in my most creative and exciting gardening projects. Jasmin and I hope to share our new and evolving garden though this gardening diary.
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Robert,
It is sad that so many trees died. You might consider replacing them with things like various Catalpa species and Paulownia elongata.
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Hello Marc,
A plan for the site where our Placerville ornamental garden was once located was devised quite a few years ago. Our primary objective is habitat restoration. The goal is to recreate a stable habitat/ecosystem that resembles what might have existed 300 or 400 years ago in an Upper Sonoran, Blue Oak Savannah ecosystem in this area.
Most of this project does not pertain to ornamental horticulture, however some aspects are being applied as part of my R & D projects here in our Sacramento garden. For example, the process of rapid adaptive evolution is being applied to create resilient ornamental varieties specifically adapted to our region and the climatic changes taking place. The concept of rapid adaptive evolution is nothing new. In a broad sense, one could say that the selection/evolution of teosinte to maize is an example of this process.
In our Sacramento garden we are making excellent progress applying rapid adapted evolution in our R & D projects. For example, in three short years we have developed genetic lines of Ranunculus occidentalis that are tolerant of summertime irrigation, highly resistant to garden pests and diseases, and are strongly perennial. The original introductions of this species in our garden were quickly destroyed by garden pests and had no tolerance of summertime irrigation. Developing strongly perennial plants occurred quickly in the selection process. Currently we are in the process of incorporating additional breeding lines to create what we envision as outstanding and resilient garden plants for our region.
We have many other species in the development stages. For example, excellent progress is being made with our native Delphinium species, Lupinus polyphyllus, as well as many of our native bulbous species such as Erythronium, Allium, Brodiaea, as well as other Themidaceae. Identification of useful genotypes in the field is being facilitated greatly by the organization of my botanical field notes on one of my computers in a way that specific populations can be identified and trialed for useful genetic characteristics.
So out of what could have been viewed as an unrecoverable disaster, has come the most creative and fulfilling horticultural undertaking I have done to date. It is incredibly exciting and every day brings something new, fascinating, and fulfilling.
[Jasmin]: Yes, although we loved the garden-that-was immensely, we are so excited and enthusiastic to create something new. This is the opportunity gifted us. Gardens are creative endeavors. Change is constant, no matter what we grow: There are seasons, weather, microclimates, plant successes and plant “failures”. It is up to us how we choose to view or perceive the situation.
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Robert & Jasmin,
You are fortunate to have 2 beautiful properties to work with. I think that [within limits] almost anything you do with either of them will look nice, because the beauty of the property will make it so. Your current plan of selectively breeding natives to adapt to climate changes is certainly a wise approach. Once you have established your native Garden; you might consider adding an eclectic selection of exotics that you enjoy and that do not clash with your natives. Though, if you want to grow exclusively natives that will have its own beauty.
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Hello Marc,
Yes, my work with local California native species is progressing well. I am working with a select partnership, here in the U.S.A., to expand the range of plants I grow in our Sacramento garden. There are other Mediterranean type plants I am working with. Any new acquisition needs to meet strict, specific requirements before it is included into my development work. I find this work is extremely fulfilling, highly creative, and filled with the most fascinating experiences and results throughout the seasons.
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Here in California the winter has been very mild. December was the warmest December ever recorded. We also experienced above average temperatures in January, 2.76 F (1.53 C) above the 30-year average. It was 76 F (24.4 C) on 29 January! This tied the record high temperature for the month of January set back in 1984. We also had some cold weather in January, however we are still on track to record the warmest December through March time period. The lack of chilling hours is likely to have a strong impact on agricultural crops as well as ornamental species. [Jasmin]: As an aside, the personal impact of such a warm winter has actually been the proliferation of mildew in the house on the north side during damp days (foggy or high humidity, but not exactly rainy). Even with airing the house (since it is not frigid), the stuff grows much too quickly.
The lack of cold weather has also manifested itself in high snow levels and below average snow accumulation. Currently snow liquid equivalents are about 75% of average to date above 6,000 feet (1,829 meters). Below 6,000 feet the situation is much worse, 25% or even less. Currently, precipitation amounts are running about 85% of average to date, however a large snow pack is very important hydrological aspect of both the ecology of the Sierra Nevada Mountains as well as a reservoir of water for agriculture and municipalities throughout California. We have two more months in our precipitation season and are hoping for the best.
Here in our garden I am doing the best I can to create and maintain genetically diverse seed lines of at least a few ornamental species. Margaret Thorne alerted us to the alarming number of Meconopsis species either lost to cultivation or threatened to be lost soon. The situation here in California is similar or even worse for many ornamental species. So many ornamental seeds traded about are either unintended hybrids or highly inbred and lack the genetic diversity to survive the dramatic climatic shifts taking place around the globe. Too many species are introduced from the wild and then are quickly lost to cultivation. Continuing reliance on wild seed stocks is not a viable strategy in the long term, given climate changes. I am doing the best I can to do what I can to remedy this situation; however I am just one person and can only do so much. At least, efforts are being made to remedy the situation with the Genus Meconopsis.
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I enjoy creating true-breeding, genetically diverse seed lines to share with gardening friends. It is always nice to receive true-to-name or true-to-description seeds to grow in the garden.
Above is an example of seed saving going wrong. A number of years ago, I received seeds labeled as Crocus tommasinianus. When the resulting plants bloomed, it was clear that they were not Crocus tommasinianus, but hybrids, likely with Crocus vernus. In addition, the plants turned out to be completely sterile, and are likely aneuploids. Unless I get a spontaneous doubling of the chromosomes and some sort of fertility is restored, this line is useless. Most of the Crocuses in our garden are of a similar makeup. Fortunately, I finally have one fertile seed line. How inbred this line is, is unknown to me at this time, however the F2 generation of plants are coming along.
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I received seed of Narcissus cantabricus that have developed into nice plants and are completely fertile. They appear to be true-to-type. Sadly, most of the “species” Narcissus seeds I receive are unintentional hybrids. For breeding purposes they are generally fertile and do give me a mix of genes to work with, however they are useless as true-breeding species as they were originally labeled.
Despite the challenges and obstacles I am making slow progress with some groups of plants that interest me. Progress with our local native plant species is relatively rapid since I do not have these same challenges and obstacles, yet these breeding projects still require a great deal of effort on my part. Thankfully I enjoy the process, which is a pleasure and rewarding.
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I want our seed lines to become tough, enduring plants. All of our plants are grown and tested outside in the garden. I want them to thrive despite the weather, pests, and diseases. Also, when possible, I want them to thrive under a range of soil conditions, and require little or no supplemental fertilizers. In other words, I want to create plants that will preform well in our garden or a friend’s garden without a lot of pampering.
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Here is an example of how I can make rapid progress with “local” native plant species. Pictured are some of this year’s intra- and inter-specific Erythronium hybrids. Erythronium hendersonii, E. multiscapodium, E. oregonum, E. taylorii and E. tuolumnense are represented in the mix. An issue we need to deal with in our Sacramento garden is a lack of chilling hours (vernalization), which influences the growth and blooming of many Western Erythronium species in undesirable ways. We grow hundreds of seedlings and select the most adapted plants to keep in our garden. Rapid adaptive evolution is possible if large numbers of genetically diverse plants are grown.
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I have not worked much with the genus Cyclamen, however I appreciate this chance Cyclamen coum seedling immensely. I hope to save seed from this selection and see if I can develop a true-breeding seed line.
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Delphinium patens ssp. patens is another local native species that I am working with. The next generation of plants is coming along nicely. Many years ago this species grew abundantly on our Placerville property. They were so beautiful! I want to recreate this effect in our Sacramento garden. In addition, a strong adaptable seed line will be useful when it is time to reestablish this species on our Placerville property.
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Our native Pipevine, Aristolochia californica, is coming into bloom in our Sacramento garden. We have planted many, hoping to attract Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies (Battus philenor) to our garden. Blooming Manzanita species are also part of the equation: In the winter the adult butterflies feed on the nectar provided by our native Manzanita species while they mate and lay eggs on the Pipevine plants.
Last year I planted seeds of our native Asclepias cordifolia, Purple Milkweed. Most of the plants have grown well. Despite the fact that the plants were small, we were still able to attract one Western Monarch Butterfly to our garden. The Western Monarchs are near extinction. I hope to plant some of our other local native Asclepias species in our Sacramento garden. Perhaps we can create a small haven for the Monarchs before it is too late to keep the species going.
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Salvia gesneriiflora blooms all winter and is a great source of nectar for our native hummingbirds.
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The bright red flowers of Salvia gesneriiflorum are very showy.
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Salvia semiatrata is another late autumn – winter blooming species. The native hummingbirds enjoy the nectar of this species too.
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I enjoy both the flowers and the texture of the foliage of Salvia semiatrata.
[Jasmin]: Right now it is 13ºC. Today is very dark with scattered rain, and increasingly intense wind with strong gusts. It hardly seems possible now that it was so warm and sunny just a couple days ago, when Robert took these pictures.
The Aristolochia plants in the front garden are just breaking dormancy, and it is too early yet to know if they will bloom. Slowly we continue to add groupings of native plants to create mini-ecosystem communities to invite the return of our native birds and butterflies.
This is a more hopeful long-term restoration than the more common effort—one I had done in the past: In my previous efforts to encourage our native species, I did not have sufficient populations that could sustain themselves through the numerous conditions they encountered in the garden. Further—as often happens—nectar/food-source plants were in the garden; yet because they were entirely non-native plant species, they did not provide the year-round food/nectar, the hiding places and habitat, to actually nurture the young to adulthood, whether nestling or caterpillar. It was a lovely garden, and it was enjoyed, but it really did not fulfill this other important goal I had. This time, we have a much more integrated garden, one we hope will be more enticing and sustaining of our native fauna. We shall see.