Re: help for a problem area?
- Subject: Re: help for a problem area?
- From: d* f*
- Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 16:03:05 -0700 (PDT)
Alot of good suggestions so far, but I would also
suggest that it might be useful to plant things that
can absorb the leaf litter without being overwhelmed
by it. I would expect that the Salvia 'Waverly' won't
get enough sun to bloom well. Some things that come to
mind, though, will take sun or shade, fairly drought
tolerant, and absorba fair amount of leaf litter:
Alstroemeria 'Ligtu Hybrids'
Asparagus densiflorus sprengeri var compacta or A. d.
'Meyers'
Crassula multicava(a great underutilized groundcover)
Lobelia laxiflora(looks best when sheared back from
time to time as a low 18" tall hedge)
Salvia greggii-especially the old red forms
Oxalis oregana
Eleymus condensatus 'Canyon Prince'
Plectranthus neochilus(blooms nearly all year in sun
and shade)
Plectranthus zuluensis(needs some more supplemental
water than the others on this list)
Sedum dendroideum var praeltum
Bromeliads such as Billbergia nutans and others such
as Aechmea caudata, A. leppardii, A. recurvata, A.
nudicaulis, etc.
Ferns such as Polystichum munitum, Nephrolepsis
exalata, Rumohra adiantiformis, Blechnum spicant
Many of these plants are tough to the point of being
invasive in well watered/fertile soil conditions, but
will stand up admirably to the shade/sun/root
competition of a redwood tree in your situation, and
are not nearly as invasive under such less kind garden
conditions. All will look better if they are groomed
to remove the accumulation of leaf litter and branches
that Coast Redwoods regularly drop, and mulched well
with a moisture retentive organic mulch to minimize
need for frequent irrigation. You may also find it
useful to underlay the planting area a foot to 18
inches deep with copper mesh, to keep the redwood tree
roots from invading the soil in this area, possibly in
combination with adding 4 to 6 inches of fresh topsoil
or amendments to give any new plants the benefit of
reduced tree root competition, while they are
initially getting established.
--- Gayle Kalman <dragonfly67@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "barbara sargent" <rsgt@california.com>
> To: <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
> Sent: Sunday, July 28, 2002 11:07 AM
> Subject: help for a problem area?
>
>
> > I have a strip of garden which runs east and west
> along the division
> > between us and our neighbor on the south side of
> our house. The neighbor's
> > side has a hage, multi-trunked redwood tree which
> begins around 5 feet
> from
> > the fence, through whose branches only heavy rains
> penetrate. There's also
> > lots of redwood debris covering the very dry
> earth. On the more eastern
> > part of this strip I have a hybrid musk rose which
> does well, a Bloomfied
> > Dainty rose which I just put in last winter, some
> coast iris which has
> > become invasive and there are Oriental poppies
> which have been there
> before
> > we lived here which has been for the last 32
> years. Beyond that point, for
> > the last 25 or so feet I haven't found anything
> that will do well except
> > Japanese anemones which I don't want because they
> take over. Oh, yes, I
> > didn't mention that I put in three clivia which I
> thought would do well
> but
> > don't bloom (one bloomed once) and which I'm
> afraid to move because I've
> > read that they don't like that.
> >
> > The paradox of this area is that although there's
> deep shade for much of
> > the day, especially in winter, there can also be
> occasional bursts of
> > intense sun from the west in the afternoon. So--I
> have shade, dryness and
> > bits of very hot sun in the same area.
> >
> > Does anyone have suggestions for things I could
> grow here that would look
> > good and wouldn't need an inordinate amount of
> irrigation? I was wondering
> > about a salvia Waverly for one.
> >
> > This little strip of ground is located in the
> central Berkeley flats.
> >
> > Thanks for any ideas.
> >
> > Barbara
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Health - Feel better, live better
http://health.yahoo.com
