An Afternoon in Ann's Garden

 I'm in heaven when I can spend the day gabbing on about native plants.  Sunday was that kind of day as I wandered about Ann's garden for the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour and answered questions for the passersby.  Designed by Rick Alatorre and installed a year ago (although it looks much more established!), this garden weaves a number of floriferous natives around a central stone patio.   The Limnanthes douglasii var sulpherea 'Pt Reyes' pictured above happily mounded in the sunshine and gave the bees a good workspace to gather pollen.  A native of vernal pools, this native annual adapts easily and reseeds like crazy!  There's actually a species of bee that only uses this flower to survive!

Among the cool kids of the garden plants- Monardella villosa, or Coyote Mint.  It wasn't even blooming and it seemed to be a clear favorite, especially when paired so well with the Iris douglasiana.

The garden magnet, however was the little porch, where visitors gathered to take in all the amazing Columbines and Currants.

Seriously, these were the Godzillas of Columbines!  The flower stalks rose to over 5 feet tall and the flowers looked like a gaggle of rockets blasting off into the stratosphere!

I came home with an interesting shoe-shaped tan line on my feet and a re-energized imagination for future design projects.  (Not to mention the satisfaction of having a string of visitors I knew- thanks for stopping by, Meeces!)  

Seed Scattering, Indeed!

I was so heartened by Town Mouse's post the other day about seed propagation (as well as Country Mouse's response and Ryan's helpful comment.)  Being more artistic than scientific myself, I prefer to scatter the seeds and let Mother Nature do what she will.  While I may believe this upon the scattering, spotty results and confusion lead to a different view come Spring.

I have, however learned that labeling is an important part of starting from seed.  Always the rebel, I've gathered scraps of ribbon matching the color of the flowers they are to be and stuck a piece into each pot rather than write out tags.  Gold pipe cleaners have even made a cameo appearance in labeling this year!

My own attempts this Winter are starting to come into their own.  While I was gallivanting around Israel, a pounding of rain beat my errant seeds into germination.  The Meadowfoam, or Limnanthes douglasii have begun to believe they really live in a vernal pool (their preferred natural habitat) and are showing their sweet baby faces.

The rain was so hard, that it seemed to uncover some of the Lupines that are beginning to sprout.  I covered them up with more soil yesterday and then foolishly tried to uncover them for a portrait this morning.  Snapped the darn beans right off the roots of a couple before I gave up.  Oh well.

The Clarkias have reseeded the front so prolifically that I might have a revolt from the Dudleyas and Eriogonums.  Ryan's comments about them growing well in crowded situations has made me feel like I am returning to my original laissez-faire brand of thinking:  that's the way Nature wanted it to happen, so who am I to interfere?