Re: Drabby fall gardens

Well, Nan, as much as I love my perennials, shrubs and trees are the
backbone of my garden.  They provide the form all year around (particularly
the evergreen ones) as well as bloom - mostly in spring in my very shady
garden.

I think siting has a great deal to do with your overall garden and the size
of your beds or borders.  You're in CA, which is a totally different
climate than mine and with which I have no actual experience.  But, there
must be shrubs that have good form and leaf color and remain good looking
all season that grow in your climate.  And, if you have a lot of sun,
consider some of the sub-shrubs like Rosemary, which I have seen grow huge
in your part of the country, or Santolina or the purple or variegated
foliage Salvias (Sages).  They will look good for you all year and,
especially the gray foliage ones, provide a nice backdrop and separation
for whatever colored flowers you are growing....just about everything looks
good with gray foliage.

If you have no big shrubs or trees to start with, look at your garden and
see where you'd like a big focal point.  That's a good place to put a woody
plant.  If you have the space, group three together or put a large one and
face it down with some that grow shorter or have another shape - for
instance, a Skyrocket Juniper could be faced down with something that has a
round, bun shape.  I believe you can probably grow Hebes in your climate -
oh jealousy - and some of them have fantastic bun shapes and/or spiked
foliage as well as flowers.  Ceonanthus is something else I know you can
grow - they are usually grown as wall plants in the UK because they are
tender.  I can't even think about it!

Houses and structures are a good place to start, too.  Most of them are
improved by having something substantial near them - particularly at
corners.  Something vertical at a corner is a good place to start building
bones...grouping other woodies, ornamental grasses and even "structural"
perennials (Acanthus is one - ought to do well for you) to flow in whatever
direction you want and anchor the building to the site.  I'm not talking
about the usual row of "foundation" plants, but using woody plants to
sculpt your site, if you see what I mean.

If your garden is separated from your neighbors by a fence, that fence can
be a backdrop for shrubs and trees that can create flowing bays that are
then planted with perennials and annuals.  If you are careful in your
selections, you can have something in bloom all season - and for you,
probably all year - around.

Think about overall plant shape and then think about the foliage.  Do you
want big leaves or tiny, evergreen or deciduous; a particular shade of
green or something in the gray range or variegated or one that has a purple
foliage.    Don't forget bark.  Many trees and shrubs have really neat bark
that adds to the garden scene when leaves fall....or even if leaves never
fall in your area.  Of course, with all the "design" elements, one of the
most important things is to think about whether the tree or shrub will do
well in your climate, soil and the amount of sun you have to offer.

Form and foliage are the two most important aspects of any plant - woody or
perennial - because that is what is with you all season.  Flowers are,
IMHO, a bonus.   Establish the bones in your garden and then interplant
with the perennials and annuals with the glorious long-blooming flowers
that often have no form or decent foliage...the bones will hide that fact
and compliment your flowers.

Oh well...better step off my form and foliage soap box :-)

For some ideas of what should grow in your climate, visit the wholesale
only San Marcos Growers website...they are in S. CA.

http://www.smgrowers.com/shrubs.htm

This will take you to their shrub page....many are unfamiliar to me, but
the reminded me of Phlomis.  Phlomis fruticosa would do very well for you
and it's a marvelous gray plant - I can keep it most winters, but lose it
often, too and have to keep cuttings going.  For you, it should thrive and
reach its potential 5' in height.  It's another of the Mediterranean "sub
shrubs", well suited to your climate.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
current article: Planting for Moist Shade - Part 2 - The Center Circle
http://www.suite101.com/frontpage/frontpage.cfm?topicID=222
Gardening Topic Index for Suite101:
http://www.suite101.com/userfiles/79/gardening.html

----------
> From: Nan Sterman <nsterman@mindsovermatter.com>
> Date: Tuesday, October 13, 1998 6:20 PM
> 

> I agree, shrubs are not my favorite but I do see that they are needed
> sometimes.  Can you help with recommendations on how to site them and
which
> ones seem to complement a perennial bed without overtaking or
overwhelming
> it?
> 
> Nan
> 
> Nan Sterman, Master Composter in residency
> San Diego County, California
> Sunset zone 24, USDA zone 10b or 11
> 
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
> message text UNSUBSCRIBE PERENNIALS

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PERENNIALS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index