Burst of Color

 Design for a California Garden

Dry doesn't have to mean drab. This sunny front yard in coastal California features perennials & shrubs, such as Kangaroo Paws & Orchid Rockrose, that were chosen for their exotic flower colors & shapes, as well as their drought-tolerant habits. Groundcovers keep weeds at bay & contribute more color. A simple gravel path curving from the front walk to the side yard is easy to maintain. Even viewed from inside the house, the show is eye-catching. --text from Low-Maintenance Gardening.

Plant List

A. Anigozanthos flavidus (1) Kangaroo Paw

B. Callistemon citrinus (2) Lemon Bottlebrush

C. Cistus purpureus (4) Orchid Rockrose

D. Acca sellowiana (1) Pineapple Guava

E. Festuca ovina 'Glauca' (5) Blue Fescue

F. Gazania 'Sunrise Yellow' (10) Gazania

G. Kniphofia uvaria (3) Torch Lily

H. Lantana montevidensis (1)

I. Limonium perezii (3) Sea Lavender

J. Salvia leucantha (1) Mexican Sage

K. Thymus pseudolanuginosus (9) Woolly Thyme

I designed this garden which appeared in the 1998 Sunset publication, Low-Maintenance Gardening. It is appropriate for USDA Zone 9.

Genessee Meadow

Genessee Meadow: path through natural area

Genessee Meadow: lawn with natural area beyond

Genessee Meadow: crows bathing in seasonal pools

Genessee Meadow: Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

Genesee Park, located on Lake Washington in the Mount Baker neighborhood of southeast Seattle, is an important site for active and passive recreation and wildlife, providing lawns and trails, playing fields and approximately 10 acres of natural areas, including about four acres of second growth forest. Most of the site formed part of Wetmore Slough prior to lowering of the lake in 1916 with the construction of the Lake Washington Ship Canal. The City of Seattle purchased the site in 1947, and subsequently used it as a landfill until 1963. Park development began in 1968. From 1997 through 2006, more than 50,000 native plants were planted Genesee Park by the Seattle Parks & Recreation & the Washington Native Plant Society. A portion of the vast lawn was left unmown to become Genessee Meadow. Depressions fill with water during the rainy season in both mown & unmown parts of the meadow. Ducks & Canada Geese are common here. The meadow is filled with light on clear winter days. There is a major path around the meadow. A smaller path meanders through the meadow & the forested area to the east.  Click here to read about more parks along Lake Washington Boulevard.

Volunteer Park Conservatory

Seasonal Display House

Cactus House

Fern House

Bromeliad House

Palm House

Entrance

The Volunteer Park Conservatory is a welcome respite from the cold Seattle rain. It is open except on Mondays, even on holidays, from 10 to 4. Decorated for the holidays in early December, it is a charming place for a quiet stroll on Christmas or New Year's Day, unless those holidays fall on a Monday. The conservatory has 5 houses, each quite different. There are bromeliad, palm, fern, seasonal display & cactus houses. It is hard to say which is most lovely.

Asian Style

 Design for a Japanese Garden

Simple & elegant, this Seattle front yard relies on elements of traditional Japanese garden design, yet features plants that are easy to maintain. A hedge of Japanese Holly conveys formality, as does the gated entrance, & the stone elements, which are carefully placed. Strawberry Trees & deciduous Burning Bushes offer seasonal interest & color. Round pavers lead to a granite bench by the 'pond,' a simple excavated area lined with landscape fabric & filled with gravel. Douglas Irises add a touch of color in spring. --text from Low-Maintenance Gardening.

Plant List

A. Arbutus unedo (2) Strawberry Tree

B. Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Gracilis' (1) Dwarf Hinoki Cypress

C. Euonymous alatus 'Compacta' (3) Dwarf Burning Bush

D. Fragaria chiloensis (18) Wild Strawberry

E. Ilex crenata 'Convexa' (8) Japanese Holly

F. Iris douglasiana (9) Douglas Iris

G. Pinus mugo pumilio (2) Dwarf Mugo Pine

H. Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood' (12) Stonecrop

I designed this garden which appeared in the 1998 Sunset publication, Low-Maintenance Gardening. It is appropriate for USDA Zone 8.

Paeonia corsica

Paeonia corsica in April

Paeonia corsica in September

Paeonia corsica in October

I use Paeonia corsica because it is easier to spell (& say) than Paeonia cambessedesii. Peony expert Josef J Halda lists the plant as P corsica in his 2004 book, The Genus Paeonia. It is 'one of the most charming peonies' according to Halda. I agree. The blooms of my Corsican Peonies are a beautiful pink, simple yet bold wildflower. Leaves are silver-blue on top, red below. April blooms are followed in August by large weird seed pods arranged like a jester's hat. Shining red seams split open in October to show jet black seeds against a shocking pink interior. My seeds came from the Northwest Perennial Alliance seed exchange, courtesy of Marion Raitz. It took 2 years for them to germinate. Then they grew quickly, flowering within 3 years of germination. They need a dry site. I planted mine on a sunny slope.

Magnolia ashei

Magnolia ashei leaf underside November 2009

 Magnolia ashei fall color November 2009

Magnolia ashei flower June 2009

Magnolia ashei is a small tree with big flowers & bigger leaves. The flowers are the size of dinner plates. The leaves are roughly the same size & shape as violins. The large white flowers stand out boldly, fade quickly. The period of bloom can last 2 weeks. In Fall the leaves turn golden-brown on top, white underneath. The pale leaves lie luminous on the ground. The tree grows to a height of 20 feet, naturally rounded, easily pruned to a more sculptural form. The large leaves give it a tropical look. Magnolia ashei is native to the Florida panhandle, yet tolerates the winter cold in USDA zone 8. I got mine from Gossler Farms in Oregon by mail. Gossler Farms offers many Magnolia.

Ornamental Fruits

 Arbutus unedo October 2009

Sorbus gonggashanica September 2008

Callicarpa bodinieri November 2008

Rosa rugosa November 2008

Ribes sanguineum August 2008

Here is a list of shrubs & trees with ornamental fruits, some of them edible, for Seattle area gardens.  Fruits add interest to the garden, especially in fall & winter. They look particularly good planted against an evergreen backdrop or screen. Arbutus unedo  (Strawberry Tree) is very colorful in the fall when fruits appear with flowers. Callicarpa bodinieri (Beautyberry) has a unique purple fruit. Diospyros (Persimmon) & Ribes (Currant) are often grown for edible fruit production. Vaccinium parvifolium (Red Huckleberry) is a native plant with colorful & edible red berries.

Shrubs & Trees with Ornamental Fruits 
Arbutus menziesii (Madrona): sun, inedible, Arbutus unedo (Strawberry Tree) Arbutus unedo ‘Compacta’ (Compact Strawberry Tree) Arbutus unedo ‘Elfin King’: sun or shade, edible but insipid

Amelanchier alnifolia (Western Serviceberry) Amelanchier canadensis (Eastern Serviceberry) Amelanchier laevis (Allegheny Serviceberry): sun or part shade

Aronia arbutifolia (Red Chokeberry) Aronia melanocarpa (Black Chokeberry): sun or part shade, edible but unpleasant when raw, high in antioxidants, read Aronia in America

Aucuba japonica 'Rozannie': shade, poisonous
Berberis georgei, Berberis wilsoniae (Barberry): sun, inedible 
Callicarpa americana (American Beautyberry) Callicarpa bodinieri 'Profusion', Callicarpa dichotoma 'Issai', Callicarpa japonica (Japanese Beautyberry): sun, inedible
Cephalotaxus fortunei (Plum Yew): sun or shade, inedible

Chaenomeles japonica (Japanese Quince): sun, edible

Cornus mas (Cornelian Cherry): sun, edible
Cotoneaster franchetii, Cotoneaster horizontalis, Cotoneaster lacteus, Cotoneaster salicifolius, Cotoneaster serotinus, Cotoneaster splendens: sun, inedible
Crataegus durobrivensis, Crataegus laciniata, Crataegus laevigata ‘Rosea Flore Pleno’ (English Hawthorn) Crataegus mollis (Downy Hawthorne) Crataegus phaenopyrum (Washington Hawthorn) Crataegus prunifolia: sun, inedible
Cydonia oblonga (Quince): sun, edible

Dichroa febrifuga: shade, inedible

Diospyros kaki (Japanese Persimmon) Diospyros virginiana (American Persimmon): sun, edible

Elaeagnus umbellata (Autumn Olive): sun, inedible
Ficus carica (Fig): sun, edible
Gaultheria miqueliana (Spicy Wintergreen): shade, edible, Gaultheria procumbens (Wintergreen): shade, inedible, Gaultheria shallon (Salal): sun or shade, edible

Idesia polycarpa (Idesia): sun, inedible
Leycestercia formosa (Himalayan Honeysuckle): sun, inedible

Mahonia aquifolium (Oregon Grape) Mahonia bealei, Mahonia nervosa, Mahonia repens: & other species, most for shade, some tolerate sun, edible but not tasty
Malus ‘Adams’, Malus ‘Dartmouth’, Malus ‘Katherine’, Malus ‘Thunderchild’ (Crabapple): sun, edible

Mespilus germanica (Medlar): sun, edible

Nandina domestica (Heavenly Bamboo): sun or shade

Pernettya mucronata (Chilean Wintergreen): sun, inedible
Prunus cerasus (Cherry) Prunus domestica (Plum) Prunus japonica (Bush Cherry) Prunus persica (Peach) Prunus spinosa (Sloe): sun, edible
Pyracantha 'Apache', Pyracantha 'Navaho', Pyracantha 'Orange Glow', Pyracantha 'Red Column', Pyracantha 'Teton' (Firethorn): & other cultivars, sun, inedible
Pyrus communis (Pear): sun, edible

Ribes odoratum 'Crandall' (Clove Currant) Ribes 'Red Lake' (Red Currant) Ribes sanguineum (Flowering Currant) Ribes speciosum (Fuschia-flowered Gooseberry) Ribes 'Titania' (Black Currant): sun or shade, edible
Rosa glauca (Redleaf Rose) Rosa moyesii (Moyes Rose) Rosa rugosa (Sea Tomato) Rosa virginiana (Virginia Rose): sun, edible but not very tasty
Rubus spectabilis (Salmonberry) Rubus parviflorus (Thimbleberry): sun or shade, edible
Ruscus aculeatus (Box Holly) Ruscus hypoglossum (Dwarf Box Holly): shade, inedible

Sambucus caerulea (Blue Elderberry) Sambucus nigra (European Elderberry) Sambucus racemosa (Red Elderberry): sun or shade, edible when cooked

Skimmia japonica: shade, inedible

Sorbus alnifolia (Korean Mountain Ash) Sorbus aria (Whitebeam) Sorbus cashmiriana (Kashmir Mountain Ash) Sorbus commixta (Japanese Mountain Ash) Sorbus hupehensis (Hupei Mountain Ash) Sorbus scalaris: sun, inedible

Symphoricarpos albus (Snowberry): sun or shade, inedible
Taxus brevifolia (Pacific Yew): sun or shade, inedible
Vaccinium corymbosum (Blueberry): sun, edible, Vaccinium ovatum (Everygreen Huckleberry): sun or shade, edible, Vaccinium parvifolium (Red Huckleberry): shade, edible
Viburnum betulifolium, Viburnum davidii, Viburnum opulus (Cranberry Bush) Viburnum setigerum, Viburnum tinus: sun or light shade, inedible

Crocus ochroleucus

Crocus ochroleucus

At the end of October, when it seems that nothing will flower for a very long time, Crocus ochroleucus pops up among the fallen leaves. Crocus ochroleucus is native to Syria, Lebanon & Israel, where it grows on rocky hillsides. It is a natural for the Stony Slope in the Cascadia Garden. I got the bulbs from McClure & Zimmerman in 2005. They have increased every year since. This picture was taken on November 1, 2009 when this Crocus has been blooming for about a week.

Groundcovers in the Cascadia Garden

Ajuga reptans & Fragaria vesca May 2009

Hypericum cerastioides May 2009

Pratia pedunculata May 2009

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 x media: sun

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 cyparissias: sun

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

Lamium maculatum ‘Beacon Silver’: sun or shade

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

Sanguinaria canadensis ‘Multiplex’ (Bloodroot): shade

Sedum aizoon: sun

Sedum anacampseros: sun

Sedum dasyphyllum: sun

Sedum divergens: sun

Sedum forsterianum: shade

Sedum grisebachii : sun

Sedum gypsicola: sun

Sedum kamtschaticum: sun

Sedum obtusatum: sun

Sedum oreganum: sun

Sedum oregonense: sun

Sedum palmeri: sun

Sedum rupestre: sun

Sedum sexangulare: sun

Sedum spathulifolium: sun or shade

Veronica pectinata: sun

Zauschneria latifolia: sun

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