RE:Companions and Re: PCNs & Other Natives

        Hi Dorothy,  this sounds very much like what I have been doing for the 
last couple of years. The PCN's (even the new hybrids) once established need 
very little summer water. I am experimenting with them in places which I water 
regularly as well because I like them so much as an "edge" plant. Bay View 
Gardens did very well by me last year sending several plants for each variety I 
ordered plus Mr. Ghio used his current year Intros for any substitutions and 
added another Intro as an extra as well (his catalog says no extras for 
beardless orders). Almost everything Bloomed well the first year ( I have had 
mixed luck with first year PCN survival).

        I hear you on color combo's I have very little Orange in my yard as 
well, The bright Clear Orange of Poppies does work well with Dark Purples etc. 
The peachy Orange is what really seems to clash in a mixed planting. I have no 
Orange TB's now but am tempted by Bill Maryotts VIVA MEXICO because it is a 
clear pure ORANGE orange and it reblooms as well.

        For summer and Fall interest I have MANY different Salvia's but that is 
not an Iris thing, there are good companions though. For pre bloom and during 
bloom companion plants that will not out compete the iris for light etc. I have 
been very happy with the various bulb irids - babiana (short), ixia(thin and 
wispy), sparaxis(short, fast to dormancy) and watzonia (on the tall side) I also
have used various annual wild flowers sown thinly so as to not shade out the 
Iris (scarlet flax and linaria (toadflax) are my faves right now)

        Do get some Louisianas to try in your "wetland" area they will take 
considerable shade and still flower well.

        Chad Schroter in Los Gatos Ca (zone 9)


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: PCNs & Other Natives
Author:  "Dorothy C. Frisbie" <dfrisbie@cts.com> at SMTP
Date:    5/15/97 11:46 AM


PCNs are among the plants I don't try to segregate by color in my yard -- 
this is because of my interest in California native plants, although I do 
admit to an unreasoning bias at this time and in this garden against more 
than just a bare trace of red or orange!  Can't have a garden without 
California Poppies, though, and then there are the lovely red blossoms and 
fruit of my pomegranate.

My yard slopes down from the street; because I didn't want to put in a lawn 
which would have to be mowed, and thinking drought tolerance and low 
maintenance, I planted baccharis (coyote brush) and rosemary as a high ground 
cover in front, with a small cactus/succulent bed on one side of the path 
which leads down the west side to the back yard.

When it came time to plant flowers, iris and geraniums seemed to me to 
provide the most amount of color for the least amount of effort -- still 
thinking low maintenance (!) and that is what they got for a number of 
years.  (The geraniums are planted on a slope in the back; iris bed is 
visible from the street.)

This last year was when the rocky streambed was installed along the west 
side of the lot, with native plantings on each side and also replacing some 
of the rosemary and baccharis in front.  There are only 4 or 5 PCNs along 
the streambed and I'm very interested in acquiring more.

Actually, for aesthetic reasons the streambed crosses the path (stepping 
stones provided) and curves into and then out of a portion of the iris bed 
and on down into the back yard, ending in a SMALL wetlands area.  This lower 
portion of the streambed is needed because the next door neighbor drains his 
washing machine water along there and special care had to be taken to choose 
plantings that could handle grey water.

Plantings along the streambed, including the PCNs, are on an automatic drip 
irrigation system and this spring (rains stopped early) when it got up to 
the high 80s and into the 90s I had it on once a week for 2 hours at a time. 
All plants seem to be thriving.

Any comments and/or advice gratefully received.

Dorothy C. Frisbie
Woman of Many Interests
Escondido, CA
AIS Region 15, Sunset Zone 20/21
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