Happy holidays!

Matt and I ran to the garden today to plant some plants! We put in three Santolina chamaecyparissus (Lavender Cotton) and ten Lychnis coronaria (Rose Campion) at PG. I grew the latter from seed this year, and I'm really hoping they take off as they are such pretty plants. We also cut back the dying (dead?) Cherry Plum tree and I used the branches to make some border edging.

After that we headed down to PRG and planted three Yucca filifera plants. Lots more to new plants come this winter, but it was great to get these in ahead of the rain. I also cleaned up some trash and put in a 311 request to pick up the pile.

Happy holidays friends! I hope it's relaxing, warm and rejuvenating.

Mmm, steamy deliciousness

Matt and I went to PG today because WEEDS. I turned the compost and found the two bins we filled to the brim last week had reduced in volume by half as predicted. I turned bin 1 over onto bin 3 and it was steaming hot inside, as you can see from the photo - a sign of active composting on the go. 

I can't explain how satisfying this is - to have pulled weeds and see them composting down in to usable soil for us to use just fulfills something deep within. This article in the Financial Times says it's "...a form of ‘welldoing’ as well as wellbeing" and I have to agree.

Aside from this task, we also pulled weeds. Lots and lots of weeds. In fact we almost filled a bin, though the garden still looks very weedy!

Lots of plants are flowering right now - get out and enjoy them! Here's a pic of the cherry plum flowers, so lovely.

Volunteer day lite

Today Matt, Anna and I had one volunteer at the volunteer day, but she was magic! Emily (not the usual Emily) has gardened before, and set about weeding the steps of yarrow, oxalis and all the other annoying weeds very skillfully. Quite a feat, given that they mingle so closely with the 'good" plants there, but the area is transformed.

Anna weeded the Triangle Garden, and I turned the compost and noted that next workday we'll have a full bin or maybe two to dig out and spread around the garden. I had wanted to rent a wood chipper so we could reduce the big compost heap behind the bins down to something more manageable, as all the branches there take years to compost. I'm betting there's 3' of compost under all that, which has built up over the last 6 years (!) but we can't get to it. Sadly the rental company didn't get back to me yesterday. Next time...

After that I planted three Aloe maculata in the middle back bed near the spot Matt improved today by adding rocks where the twig border had given up the ghost. I think the rocks look great - we should get more for areas like that.

Matt also pruned one of the Prunus cerasifera (Cherry plum) trees which hasn't been done in a long time - lots of nice straight branches available now for twig borders.

Not winter

Daffodil and Convulvulus
cneorum foliage

Once again a gorgeous hot day and out we went to water. Matt and I started around 10am and finished around 2pm, and watered the rest of the plants at PRG that we started watering yesterday. Emily came to help too and everything got a good soaking and a health check.

Matt dug out the new rain garden at the north end of PRG and moved a lot of rocks. Then he replanted several Agaves that were in poorly draining soil so they won't rot. The dirt installed at the north end of the street has a lot of clay and so is very different to what we're used to - and not ideal for Agaves!

Prunus cerasifera in bloom

I planted 5 Nasella tenuissima, an Agave parryi and moved a few plants that went in at odd spots during our planting marathon recently. Then Sara and Mary dropped by for a tour of PG and PRG since they're in the process of starting their own street park and needed a few tips. We're always happy to oblige!

Worth checking out this week at PG: the Prunus cerasifera (cherry plum trees) are flowering and the scent is awesome. And the daffodils are coming up. It's all go at PG!

Feels like spring!

Arctotis

Morning shadows in SF can be chilly and dank, but the warm sun came out this morning and Matt and I gardened in the freshly rained-on dirt.

First we went by Regent's Cab lot. They have graciously been storing all our plants for the 100 block of Penn Ave, and we had a few Agaves left over to pick up today. Thanks to Steve for being so kind!

Agave tequiliana "Sunrise"

Next we needed to plant some of those plants, so we removed some dead Echiums in the dog area (what is up with Echiums? They're all hat and no cattle at PG!) and hauled up a gigantic and gorgeous Agave tequiliana "Sunrise" to plant there. The thing had half a dozen big pups on it that we removed, and into the bed it went. Fab.

Matt then spent some time planting various small Agave pups in a line behind the Calandrinias on the outer edge of the garden.  Such small pups will do better there and can grow on to be transplanted later without adding to the mess of pots near the shed.

Agave weberi "Arizona Star"

I decided to plant an Agave weberi "Arizona Star" a the bottom of the steps. This meant removing a lot of Achilleas (Yarrow) and other weeds from the area. Those darn things have quite the root system - great for stabilizing a xeric slope but also pretty annoying when you'd prefer something else there.

I popped 6 or 8 Cotyledon orbiculata var. oblonga cuttings around the base of the Agave and they can duke it out with the Achillea.

Cherry-plum blossoms

The cherry-plum trees are just starting to bloom now, as well as the daffodils so I took some pics. It al feels very spring-like at the garden!

Lastly I weeded the Calandrinias a bit and tidied up. I also found a small glass bottle containing two crack rocks so if that's yours please let me know and I'll.... hah. Oh dear.

Spring Rains Bring Spring Flowers



Heuchera micrantha

 I know that it can be a little dreary when it rains, but put on your boots and check out the floral display at Pennsylvania Garden. Just to name a few, in pictorial order we have flowering with Anemone coronaria, Heuchera micrantha, Ranunclus , Euphorbia , California poppies and Prunus cerasifera (fifth pic). Even the tree Dahlia is still putting out a few blooms!

So stomp in some puddles on your way to the garden and check out the flowers. There is also a new Kalanchoe blossfeldiana (also in flower!) added to the middle bed.



Anemone coronaria

Euphorbia

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana



Prunus cerasifera



California poppies



Prunus cerasifera does not equal dog treats

As much as I love the photos, and to know that Annie and Matt haven't been killed by Cretan gypsies, enjoy your vacation no blogging!
Ok with that said, on to the work of the day. After work I moved a bunch of Canna from the left bed to the plant sale area, and made some nice compost mounds around plants that need extra help retaining water. I couldn't resist the Dahlia 'Arabian Night' tubers at Whole Foods, and 3 of them are now planted next to Salvia 'Anthony Parker' in the red bed by the dog run. The photo (courtesy of easytogrowbulbs.com) shows just how awesome the flowers are - I can't wait!

Also, word of caution to dog owners. My dog ate a bunch of the Prunus cerasifera fruit+seeds that had fallen around the bench (they are cherry-like), which the internet informed me is toxic. So be mindful if you have a scrounge hound!

SF False Pre-Spring

Over the weekend I noticed a ton of new growth in the garden! Much of the growth is just plants freaking out because of, what I like to call, 'False Pre-Spring.' You may call it by other names, like the 'Pre-Fog Season', but we really don't have what FEELS like Winter or Spring in SF, and the plants sense this too, and start doing all sorts of wonderful things in February, during the dead of Winter.

Here is my False Pre-Spring photo essay, exhibits 1-5.

1. Daffodil bloom
2. Flowering Trees (shown is Cherry Plum, Prunus Cerasifera)
3. Spring Tubers/Bulbs going like ganbusters (shown is an Anemone)
4. Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus) takeover of nearby trellis
5. Herbaceous Perennials in flower (shown is Knautia Macedonia, in non-whacky climates it flowers July-Sept)

Plant profile: Prunus cerasifera

February 2010

Way back in the dawn of humanity, Caltrans planted some Monterey pines at P. Garden, along with a lot of ivy (boo, hiss). Many aeons passed, and one day Annelle went out and said “lo – these trees don’t look so hot” She told Caltrans who concurred, diagnosing a plague of malicious beetle that was killing the trees. So they came out the next day and chopped them down without so much as a how d’you do.
In order to mitigate the barren wasteland left over, they planted three Cherry Plum trees. By the time P. Garden was started the trees were well established. Leah came and pruned them into submission, and they have been fairly well behaved ever since.

Latin name: Prunus cerasifera ("PROO-nus ser-ass-IFF-er-ah")
Common name: Cherry Plum, Myrobalan Plum
Originally from: central and eastern Europe, southwest and central Asia.
Blooms: January-February finds this tree covered in fragrant pale pink flowers.
Light: Likes full sun
Water: Once established, no extra water is required.
Where to find in P. Garden: Three of them can be seen in a group at the top left of the garden.

February 2013

“As with all the purple-leaved plums, this tree has been used to the point of monotony in landscapes.” Well, as the author of that quote points out they are common, but if you head to the garden now they’re just beginning to flower and nobody can deny it’s a very pretty effect. Gardening clichés come about because the plants that fall foul of overuse are tough, easy to maintain, and pretty, so everyone wants them. Is that really a bad thing?

This reminds me of another saying I like to repeat from up on my high horse: “Always remember you’re unique. Just like everyone else.” Take that, hater of monotony! Anyway, if these trees do become seriously tiresome it’s worth noting that they only live about 20 years, and I estimate we’ve got about 10 to go.

There are a number of cultivars of this tree, and ours could easily be any of them – “Pissardii” “Thundercloud” and “Nigra” seem most likely. These purple-foliage forms (often called Purple leaf plum), also have dark purple fruit, which make an attractive, intensely colored jam.

February 2010

I haven’t tried the fruit – they’re hard to make out among the dark leaves and anyway, probably covered in freeway dirt. I let the birds have them!

Underneath these trees we have a grouping of Amaryllis belladonna (Naked Ladies) bulbs, whose lush green leaves are filling the area right now. Several Agave desmettiana are under there too, along with some Alstroemerias.