In honor of Australia Day, Aussie turned California nurseryman Troy McGregor shares some of his favorite Australian natives (not to mention his own unique take on the history of the land down under).
To mark the date I thought it would be appropriate to talk a little horticulture and introduce a few
standout Australian native plants available here in the US.
By Guest Bloggers Troy McGregor and Jess Kolman
Mention bulbs to most gardeners and you are likely to start hearing names like Daffodils, Tulips and Crocus. What most aren’t aware of or don’t consider garden ready are our own Californian native bulbs. Though their range is vastly reduced from ‘white-man magic’, it is still possible to see many species in open grasslands, redwood forests, rocky slopes and oak woodlands. For the sake of a quick post I’ll group corms and rhizomes under the term bulb. Here are some of my favorites that work well in gardens. I've asked my friend and fellow native plant gardener Jess Kolman to write the descriptions for this post.
Allium unifolium (Single-leaf Onion)
In late spring, our grasslands and chaparral are dotted with the pink of Allium unifolium. From tufts of grassy foliage arise sturdy 1-2’ stalks, topped with showy flower umbels, pale pink with a darker stripe through each petal. The blossoms’ large size and pastel colors make them at once bold and dainty. The flowers gradually dry to tan, but remain upright and decorative for some time. Eventually, the plant disappears for fall and winter, but spreads via bulblets and seed for an increased show each spring.
This unfussy plant is at home in many conditions including heavy clay, as long as it has at least part sun while growing. Supplemental watering will extend bloom time by several weeks, and after flowering, either moderate irrigation or complete drought is acceptable. The plant’s garlic scent is subtle to humans, but repels deer. The flowers attract birds, bees and butterflies.
Dichelostemma ida-maia (California Firecracker)
This distinctive flower brings a hint of flamboyance to the spring garden. Bare stalks of 1’ or taller produce bunches of vivid red capsule-shaped flowers, tipped with apple-green. Later, the green tips open and fold back, revealing a yellowish underside and white anthers. As the dangling flowers reach seeding stage, they stand up, so a single cluster may at times have a combination of pendent and upright capsules. The basal leaves are long and lily-like, emerging from the ground in spring and withering by the time flower stalks rise.
California Firecracker prefers part shade and is not fussy about soil. After flowering it can handle a little moisture, but will happily go completely dry. It attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds like a magnet.
Calochortus superbus (Superb Mariposa Tulip)
Calochortus is Greek for “beautiful grass”, and is an understatement in the case of Calochortus superbus. The “grass” is the long, narrow leaves that emerge in spring, and the “beautiful” is the large, bowl-shaped flowers posed atop erect 1-2’ stalks. They may be any number of colors, including yellow, lavender, pink or red, but most often they are pristine white. In all cases, the flower center is mottled with reds and golds, and partway up each petal is a spot of crimson with a gold lining like a halo. These flowers should be given prominent placement so their patterns and beauty spots can be noticed. Nectar-loving pollinators will greatly appreciate them also.
The plants die down late in spring, at which point water should be withheld until fall. They need sun and tolerate various soils, but good drainage is best. These flowers make gorgeous container specimens, if the pots are put away somewhere dry through summer. They also make superb cut flowers.
By Guest Blogger Troy McGregor
Placing natives in containers won’t win you many points for sustainability and some hard core native plant enthusiasts would happily throw me to the (mountain) lions for suggesting the idea. So why would I encourage you to try it? There are a number of reasons.
Many homeowners have limited space and others have no visible dirt at all. Maybe you’re tired of the heavy clays eating your compost and burping out that once sparkling little plant that would have preferred better drainage. Spring flowering bulbs and perennials that require summer dormancy can be relocated to a shady spot until the rains renew them. Containers allow you to take control of the soil and adjust it to suit the plants that you want to grow.
Pot size really depends on the size you expect your plant to grow to. My Coffeeberry (see picture below) looks a little out of scale in its current pot, but after a few seasons will have filled in nicely. Grasses and bulbs work well in smaller pots (at least 12”x12”) as you may want to lift and divide them after a few seasons to make more plants and renew their vigor.
Potting soil can be tricky as it needs to hold enough moisture during the warm months to keep the plants alive while draining reasonably well in the wet months. I tried a mixture from a soil yard that I thought was a winner but failed me miserably. It was mostly sand with some lava rock for drainage and coconut coir for moisture retention. What I didn’t realize was that the components were far too small which resulted in most of my plants drowning… in summer no less. After some research I added bark and pumice to the mix and now I have happy plants. I’ve attached a link (below) to a forum where this is discussed in greater detail. It’s a little long but well worth reading.
I’m sure I’m not the only gardener to make a boo-boo and mess up a plants cultural requirements… “What’s with that fern turning brown in the sun?” Containers allow us to move plants into parts of the yard that make them happy and satisfy our need for a change of scenery.
By Guest Blogger Troy McGregor
Today's post is a follow up to Troy's previous advice on California natives for sunny slopes. This time Troy offers advice for a slope in part shade.
If you are fortunate to have existing trees your problem of erosion should be half solved. All that is left to do is curb runoff and create some form around the canopy edges. The shade in this yard comes from existing trees which are evergreen and protect the plants from the hot afternoon sun.
This palette is a combination of plants that display a range of complementary forms, unique textures and are next to bullet proof.
Continue reading "Native Planting Design for Erosion Control - Part II" »
By Guest Blogger Troy McGregor
Troy McGregor, owner and operator of Garden Natives nursery, contributes practical and knowledgeable information on successfully incorporation California natives into your garden. Today's post is on erosion control for sunny slopes.
Heavy soils and slopes aren’t the terrible twins that most homeowners think. With slope comes drainage and with drainage comes more native plant choices. Stabilizing a slope makes a lot of sense and requires more than jute netting and crossed fingers. Get it wrong in a really wet year and you risk damage to not only your property but those of your neighbors.
Enough of the ‘Doom and Gloom’ – lets talk about solutions. Our native plants are slope specialists that have been holding California together for quite a while now. Using a combination of trees, shrubs and perennials not only holds the soil in place, but reduces the impact of rain and slows run off. Living on the ‘Hot’ side of the hills is often a challenge for the traditional natives. The soils are different, the weather is warmer and the fog just doesn’t have the legs to climb past Tilden. Don’t be discouraged though as many other natives are more than happy to move in.
Today’s example is a front yard with mild slopes that require vegetation. One is in baking sun all day and the other has sun till about 2pm. Irrigation is via drip (in-line ½” with emitters spaced at 18” – not single emitters) and is used during the warmer months every 30 – 60 days.
Here is a combination that will work in most situations. Manzanita, White Sage, Deer Grass and Californian Fuchsia.
Continue reading "Native Planting Design for Erosion Control " »
