favorites that "shouldn't be" (was Gardening snootery (was hebes))
I wish I could get nasturtiums to do well in Tucson...I think they would
have to be planted in the fall and I never seem to get my act together
enough to do it...and now it's going to be freezing for the next several
nights so I've probably missed that window of opportunity again.
I also love johnny-jump-ups, my favorite form of viola--they are so
cheerful with their yellow and purple faces! They are also a winter flower
here in the desert, as are calendulas and sweet peas. And borage is
wonderful, such a fabulous color! What I don't like at all that lots of
people around here plant in the winter is petunias; just can't cotton to
them somehow.
In the spring, if we are lucky and get enough rain through the winter (it
*might* happen this year...), I often have lots of California poppies
(Escholtzia???) come up in my yard. I have been finding little seedlings
popping up lately after our very wet October and have my fingers crossed.
Of course, in a really good year the desert wildflowers are absolutely
fabulous; but the conditions have to be just right for a really spectacular
show. In a good year I also get lots of penstemons, especially Penstemon
parryi which is native to this area. They surely aren't really Medit plants
but they are beautiful and the hummingbirds love them.
In the summer, I really love the rather weedy native sunflowers that pop up
here and there where the birds have planted them and where they get a bit
of extra water. (I guess sunflowers would probably be considered
Mediterranean?? comments??) When I go out in the mornings I often find
bumblebees sleeping among the petals (they do this on Mexican sunflower
[tithonia something-or-other] as well). Even better, the sunflowers really
draw goldfinches to the garden--wonderful tiny colorful birds that hang
upside down and peck out the seeds while chattering
"dee-dee-dee...dee-dee-dee" back and forth to each other. And of course we
are so lucky around here because we have hummingbirds all year.
Last Christmas I got some poinsettias and decided to try to keep them going
through the year in pots. They are a bit leggy but have been doing okay and
now the leaves (bracts??) are just beginning to turn red. I'm not sure if
it's the cold weather or day length that does this--must find out because I
don't want to let them freeze by mistake.
It is surely obvious from this message that my garden is an entirely
haphazard and casual affair...half the time I am too busy or too lazy to
get around to planting things at the right time or at all, so it's never
evolved as much as I would like. But I love it anyway. There's always
something interesting going on. It constantly reminds me that nature is all
around us even in the city; even the smallest detail can be fascinating,
and you really don't have to go to exotic places or watch nature videos
that are all exciting highlights, to feel a real connection to the natural
world.
Now, if I can just remember where my mangy old sheets and blankets are, so
that I can get the frost-tender plants all covered tonight!
enjoying the cold,
Katherine Waser
At 02:11 PM 11/16/00 -0800, Barry Garcia wrote:
>cyndik@hollinet.com writes:
>>I want confessions, since I've been bold. Don't leave me out here on a
>>zinnia limb by myself! I'll even admit this - Mediterranian or not, I like
>>johnny-jump-ups, nasturtiums, and borage, too, because they self-seed and
>>come up where and when they feel like, bloom with abandon, and feed the
>>critters. What do you grow in your mediterranean garden that is a favorite
>>but you know "shouldn't" be?
>
>I too love nasturtiums. They are about the only flowers I can leave alone
>and will bloom profusely and look lush and pest free. I absolutely adore
>them, especially the red flowered kinds. And I know I shouldnt allow this
>one to thrive, but i do like the Oxalis that come up each winter. Right
>now they're putting out foliage, and it's about the only plant that is a
>weed but I allow to survive. I like the yellow flowers, the foliage looks
>good, and it covers up our slighly messy side yard (which has bermuda
>grass all over it). It reminds me a lot of a forest floor, especially
>combined with the ferns that I have.
>
>
>__________________________________
>
>L E A Ñ I O N Ò U O, U N A E Á N Ò U A
>
>
>
