RE: SoCal Plant recommendations
gardenchat@hort.net
  • Subject: RE: SoCal Plant recommendations
  • From: &* C* D* C* U* A* 9* C* <c*@edwards.af.mil>
  • Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:37:41 -0700
I live in SoCal, and this is zone 8 - we routinely get into the 20s
every winter. There are mountain areas farther south than I am that get
snow every year measuring in feet. And a lot of valleys and flatlands
where a little frost is an occasion to break out the camera, like where
I grew up. I never saw snow falling until we moved here and I was in my
20s. I thought snowflakes were flat like you see in drawings! 
Jim's recommendation of the Sunset Western Garden Book was a good one,
it is the bible for gardening out here, but some people aren't into it
and just want plant names. I live in Sunset zone 11, btw. 
You mentioned your questioners work for the Navy, so it's likely they
live somewhere close to water which would mean not freezing, but there
is a Navy base out in the desert near Ridgecrest which is a very similar
climate to mine. 

Pam said: "I'm surprised that rosemary will survive there and Salvia
Leucantha (Mex.
bush sage) will not.  Both do fine here, even last winter which was real
bad (for North Texas)."
I will have to try Salvia Leucantha again. I have had it winter kill
before but maybe it was something other than the freeze that did it in -
ground too moist or too dry at the time, even gophers perhaps. I do see
it here but it is usually tucked up against a building with a lot of
paved area around it, so I assumed it was getting reflected warmth. I
like it a lot though. 
Star jasmine also grows here although it is not real common. I'm trying
to remember where I saw it. Maybe it is growing in a warmer spot too.

Most of the perennials I can think of are going to need deadheading,
that sounds like maintenance to me.  
How about limonium (statice)? I haven't grown it myself so I have no
clue on maintenance needs, but it's colorful and looks tough. 


Cyndi  


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-gardenchat@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On
Behalf Of Daryl
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2010 4:27 PM
To: gardenchat
Subject: Re: [CHAT] SoCal Plant recommendations 

They're apparently looking for perennials.

SoCal freezes? 

d

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Johnson, Cyndi D Civ USAF AFMC 95 CS/SCOSI" 
<cyndi.johnson@edwards.af.mil>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2010 7:06 PM
Subject: RE: [CHAT] SoCal Plant recommendations


> Annuals, perennials, shrubs? Does it freeze where they live? All those
> things they have will grow where I am but if the area doesn't get
frost,
> those folks can really expand their horizons. I'm assuming it's not
> xeric if they are planting star jasmine. Here's some low-maintenance
and
> easily available that should do okay:
> Agapanthus
> Phormium (comes in standard bronze foliage but there are some nice
> variegated colors if you look)
> Cannas
> Erisymum
> Gazania
> Society garlic (put it away from traffic areas, it smells...but it
> flowers all summer)
> Pelargoniums (not hardy)
> Aloes (not hardy)
> Kangaroo paw (not hardy)
> Lion's tail (not hardy)
> Mexican bush sage (not hardy)
> Other salvias...I used to have a culinary sage that got about 4' tall,
> flowered hugely every year...
> Bird of paradise (not hardy)
>
> Cyndi
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-gardenchat@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On
> Behalf Of Daryl
> Sent: Monday, June 28, 2010 3:20 PM
> To: gardenchat
> Subject: [CHAT] SoCal Plant recommendations
>
> For a couple that's in the Navy. The need low maintenance and said
that
> they've planted
> Rosemary, Gaura, and star jasmine but I want a little more color
>
> Thanks.
>
> d
>
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