Re. Ceanothus in distress

Hi Lisa,
I'm not sure about conditions in northern California,
but I'd say your ceanothuses (ceanothi?) are suffering
from extreme exposure and too little water.  Here in
the southland, wild ceanothus look splendid on north
and east-facing slopes, but don't readily grow on a
southern exposure.
Remember also that your planted ceanothus are
cultivars, not the wild species, and they were born
and bred in captivity, so to speak. 
I'd give them more water this spring, cutting back
slowly before the weather gets hot: maybe a good drink
once a week now, tapering off to every two weeks, with
their final drink before the summer solstice in June.
Mulching was probably a good thing, too; it sounds
like a pure mineral soil that must bake in the summer
sun.
Again, these are recommendations from a southern
gardener, and I'm not familiar with your local
climate, but I'd give it a try.
Good luck!
-Ben Wiswall
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