Saturday, October 17, 2009

Groundcovers in the Cascadia Garden




Euphorbia cyparissias ‘Orange Man’ April 2009

Sedum spathulifolium 'Cape Blanco' January 2009

There are over 5,000 square feet of ground to cover at the Cascadia Garden in sun & shade. I really count on my groundcovers to fill up space & discourage weeds. Some of these are better at the job than others.  The really hard workers are Ajuga reptans, Dicentra formosa, Fragaria vesca, Geraniums, Lamium maculatum ‘Beacon Silver’, Laurentia fluviatilis, Liriope spicata ‘Majestic’, Maianthemum dilatatum, Oxalis oregana & Veronica pectinata. Together they cover a lot of ground. The others are smaller. Even though they don’t spread very far, they are useful in tight spaces. Sedums are wonderful groundcovers in pots. Pots often get weedy without them.

Achlys triphylla (Vanilla Leaf): shade
Aegopodium podagraria ‘Variegatum’ (Bishop’s Weed): shade
Ajuga reptans (Carpet Bugle): sun or shade
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Kinnikinnick): sun
Asarum caudatum (Wild Ginger): shade
Blechnum penna-marina (Little Hard Fern): shade
Blechnum spicant (Deer Fern): shade
Campanula poscharskyana (Serbian Bellflower): shade
Dicentra formosa (Native Bleeding Heart): shade
Euphorbia myrsinites (Myrtle Spurge): sun
Fragaria vesca (Woodland Strawberry): sun or shade
Gaultheria procumbens (Wintergreen): shade
Geranium cantabrigiense (Cranesbill): sun
Geranium himalayense (Cranesbill): sun or shade
Geranium orientalitibeticum (Cranesbill): sun
Geranium phaeum (Mourning Widow): sun or shade
Gymnocarpium dryopteris (Oak Fern): shade
Hypericum cerastioides (St John’s Wort): sun
Linnaea borealis (Twinflower): shade
Liriope spicata ‘Majestic’ (Creeping Lily Turf): shade
Luzula piperi (Wood Rush): shade
Mahonia nervosa (Longleaf Mahonia): sun or shade
Maianthemum dilatatum (False Lily of the Valley): shade
Microbiota decussata (Carpet Cypress): sun or shade
Oxalis oregana (Redwood Sorrel): shade
Pratia pedunculata (Blue Star Creeper, formerly Laurentia fluviatilis): sun
Sedum spathulifolium: sun or shade

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Strybing Arboretum

Banksia in the Australian Garden

The California Native Garden

From the California Native Garden

On October 2, 2009 I visited the San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum in Golden Gate Park. Strybing Arboretum is one of the most interesting & beautiful public gardens in the United States. The California Native Garden is particularly impressive. There are many more gardens within the arboretum. Strybing Arboretum is easily reached by taking the N Judah to 9th & Irving in the Inner Sunset. Parking is also available nearby.

Here is a list of the many gardens within Strybing Arboretum:
Mediterranean Climate
California Native Plants
Redwood Trail
John Muir Nature Trail
Central Coastal Chile
Cape Province (South Africa)
Southwestern Australia
Mediterranean Region
Mild-Temperate Climate
Australia
New Zealand
Moon-Viewing Garden (Japan)
Takamine Garden (Asia)
Temperate Asia
Montane Tropic
Meso American Cloud Forest
Southeast Asian Cloud Forest
Special Collections
Ancient Plant Garden
Succulent Garden
Conifer Lawn
Rhododendron Garden
Camellias
Garden of Fragrance
Zellerbach Garden of Perennials
Magnolias
Dwarf Conifer Pond