Waiting for the Big Show

Oh, the suspense!  Everyone is budding up for Spring and it's getting so hard to be patient!  Take this Dudleya hassei branch, for instance.  It's so rewarding to have seen it quadruple in size the past year and it will be quite the celebration when he blooms!  I'm hoping a hummingbird will come to join the party.

The Carpenter bees will be so excited when this Collinsia heterophylla comes out to play.  It reseeded from last year!

The Prunella vulgaris has swiftly taken charge of the garden and will grace this shady bed with purple spikes.

But I'm in awe of this little treasure- a Columbine that I had left for dead.  Apparently, it just needed a year to get established because it's sending up its little red rocket blossoms.  It's hard not to be cautiously optimistic about it, though.  With powdery mildew on its way, I'll just enjoy what I've discovered for now and worry about what comes later!

Happy Spring!

Stealing a Peek at the Garden Between Raindrops

A brief respite from driving rain got me skipping outside to breathe the cold air and inspect the garden.  And... surprise!  A little Brodaiea coccinea has decided to join us above-ground and one of the Manzanitas is budding up.  (Hopefully it will flower as well, but I might have pruned it at the wrong time). 

The Dudleya hassei plants that have made the best of it are sending up little rosettes that I suppose will become lovely hummingbird coveted flower stalks.

It's also the perfect time to go to battle against the Oxalis, too as the ground is squishy.  And, of course the Malacothamnus fasciculatus is blooming forth, pretending she's basking in spring sunshine. 

So enjoy the rain today and all the promises it brings!

Plant of the Week: Catalina Live-Forever

What could be better than that rare combination of a California native plant and a succulent? This succulent, native to the Catalina Islands, looks to me like little witchy fingers reaching out of the ground! Dudleya hassei is effortless to grow and when it's been sunbathing for awhile, will develop pink on its tips. It's quickly becoming a favorite of mine. Tuck a few in the bare spots in the garden.


Soil: well-drained
Sun: full sun on the coast, part sun inland
Plant: any time of the year.
Buy it: ask your local nursery to order you some from San Marcos Growers
Good for: adding texture and a tinge of pink to your dry garden. Attracts hummingbirds, but beware, the Theodore Payne site warns of "mammals" browsing for moisture! Thank goodness the only mammals I need to worry about in my neighborhood are Otter-pop wrappers!