Re: Mediterranean meadows

Dear Gayle,

I just had a few thoughts on mediterranean meadow to start the discussion. When 
I lived among redwoods, doug firs, and tan oaks in the Santa Cruz mountains, a 
meadow was likely to include yerba buena (Satureja douglasii) and bracken 
ferns. There were huckleberries at the margins. But bunch grasses often grow in 
what is really chaparrel, rather than a meadow. On near-coastal hills, they 
grow with native iris, poppies, meadowgold, California fuchsia (now Eepilobium) 
the whole range of spring blooming perennials, and with some coyote brush and 
ceanothus filling in. A meadow in the valley or the inland mountains is 
probably a different thing. 

I tried to get bunch grasses going in vest pocket front yard, and they didn't 
last. But I have been trying, with some success to give the impression of a 
wild hill, with California poppies, native iris, California fucshia, yellow-
eyed grass, and a really flat ceanothus (C. hearstiana). I have added non-
natives as well, such as Cerinthe major 'Purpurea', iceland poppies, Tigridia 
for midsummer bloom, some Aesclepias, paludosum daisies in the fall, and maybe 
some nemesia, etc. And nasturtiums that run around whereever anything is not 
happening and get pulled out when they get in the way. I have to keep it all 
weeded, though this has become much less time-consuming as time has passed, and 
go after slugs and snails, but these are plants that have faired pretty well 
with relatively unamended soil and not a great deal of water. 

Good luck with your planting!

Pam Peirce, San Francisco
> Dear all,
> 
>      In my original posting about using California native grasses to make a
> lawn, I used the word 'lawn' erroniously.  I really do not intend to create
> something equivelant to a lawn, rather I'm building a meadow.  Between the
> widely spaced bunch grasses I intend to plant varios native annuals and
> perenials.  My hope is to make something that looks natural.  It will never
> recieve heavy traffic and it will probably be some what maintenance
> intensive.
>      I'm curios about what others think a meadow in a Mediterranean garden
> ought to look like.  Not just one in California composed of natives.  What
> plants belong in a Mediterranean meadow?
>
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index