California Garden, Vol. 89, No.6, November-December 1998

32 Pages·1998·3.5 MB·English

by  San Diego Floral Association

California,
GARDEN
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1998 Volume 89 No. 6 $1.50
HORTICULTURAL CALENDAR
NOV.2 DEC. 1
PALOMARDISTRICTDESIGN FORUM LAJOLLA GARDENCLUB. AnnualHoliday
FloralDesignProgrambyJ.R. fromEscondido. Tea&Bazaar. 7776EadsAve. LaJolla.
RanchoBernardo CommunityPresbyterian Tues. 12:30-3pm. 619/551-8672. $5donation.
Church, 17010Pomerado Road/R.B. Road. Program: LaJollaRenaissanceSingers. Tea,
12:30-3:30pm$35 Series, $8Door. 760/749-1920 sandwichs, and cookiesservedthroughout
NOV.3, 10, 17, AND24 afternoon. Uniqueitemsforholidaygifts.
•SANDIEGOFLORAL ASSOCIATION DEC. 2
THEARBORETUM OFLOS ANGELES
ContemporaryFlowerArrangingforIntermediate
toAdvancedStudents. Tuesdays, 9:30am-2:30pm COUNTY. Wreath making, 301 NorthBaldwin
Casadel Prado, Room 104. Ave., Arcadia. Wed. 10AM-Noon. Call
Instructor: VelmaWest. Seepage 181. 626/447-8207. $25.
NOV. 7-8 DEC. 4
LAKEHODGES NATIVEPLANT CLUB *SANDIEGO FLORALASSOCIATION
AnnualPlantSale. VonsMkt, Bernardo Center AnnualHolidayTeaformembers, affiliates, and
Drive, R.B. Sat. 9am-4pm. Sun. 9am-2pm workers. Casadel Prado, Room 101,
760/741-0829 3:30PM-4:45pm.
SOUTH COAST BOTANIC GARDEN DEC. 4-5
FOUNDATION ChrysanthemumShow&Sale. *SANDIEGO FLORAL ASSOCIATION
26300CrenshawBlvd. Palos VerdesPeninsula. AnnualHolidayShow "OldTimeCalifornia
Sat. &Sun. 9am-4:30pm. 310/544-1948$5. Holidays," Fri.and Sat5-9pmofficiallyopenfor
NOV. 12-15 ChristmasonthePrado. BalboaPark, Casadel
THEHUNTINGTON. Fall PlantFestival. 1151 Prado, Room 101. 232-5762. Free.
4O:x3f0oprmd.RSda.t.Sa&nSMuanr.in1o0.:3T0haumrs-.4:&30pFrmi..6N2o6o/n4-05- DEC.PA7LOMARDISTRICTDESIGN FORUM
2141. Admissionfee. (Sales all days inparking FloralDesignProgrambyRobertGordonfrom
SanLuisObispo. SeeNov. 2ndfordetails.
area, free)
NOV. 14 DEC.TH9EanAdR1B6ORETUM OFLOS ANGELES
CALIFORNIA NATIVEPLANT SOCIETY
COUNTY. HolidayDecorating. Wed.
SanDiegoChapter. CaliforniaNativePlantSale.
Sat. 10am-2pm. (oruntilplantsaresold). 9:15am 9AM-Noon. 301 NorthBaldwinAve., Arcadia.
Call 626/447-8207. $50.
Pre-saleformembers. Casadel Pradoouter
JAN. 4
courtyard. [phone]. PALOMARDISTRICTDESIGN FORUM
FALLBROOK GARDEN CLUB HarvestPlant
&BakeSale. LuckyMarketonMission. Sat. Floral DesignProgrambyBrendaParsonsfrom
8am-2pm. 760/723-4119 EnBgAlLanBdO.ASePeARNoKv:. 2OnNdGfOoIrNdeGtaiPlRs.OGRAMS
NOV. 22 SANDIEGOJAPANESEFRIENDSHIPGARDEN
SUMI-EPAINTINGSHOW &IKEBANA
AOHRATRDAI,SPSLOAGYE.TSFUl,oweSrHaOrGraYnOgeKmUentSschboyolsof SAT.CHlOoouFsseFed,StH1e0OmapOmoTr.arUTinltOyiUlfRoNrSovc.olnHs2rt1.r,uMcrteeiesotun.mBeotJaanni.ca9l.Lath
Ikebana. Sun. 11am-4pm. Casadel Prado, 235-1121.Free.
Rm.101 BalboaPark. 11amopeningceremonies, ZOROGARDENNATUREPROGRAMBalboaPark,
1-4pmdemonstrationsand shows. betweenR.H. FleetScienceCtr. andCasadeBalboa.
NOV. 23 Forprograms, call232-1121.
THE ARBORETUM OFLOS ANGELES
COUNTYThanksgivingcenterpiecesworkshop. DeadlHinOeRfToIrCsuUbLmiTsUsRioAnLtoCALENDARfor
301 NorthBaldwinAve., Arcadia. 9AM-Noon. Jan./Feb. issueisNov. 15. SANDIEGOFLORAL
Call626/447-8207. $25. ASSOCIATION isnotresponsibleforchangesthat
aresubmittedlatebytheorganizations.
J. RomanandJ. ColemansubstitutingforJeanE. Johns.
162 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1998 CALIFORNIA GARDEN
California s,nce i9°9 SanDiegoFloralAssociation
GARDEN CasadelPrado,Room105
BalboaPark
MAIL-2125ParkBlvd
TLIeBlRAeRpYhOoFnCeONG6R1ES9S/NO2.3I2SS-N500708612116 SManonDdiaegyotChrAou9g2h1F0r1i-d4a7y92
10:00amto3:00PM
VOLUME 89 NUMBER 6
Publishedby
SanDiegoFloralAssociation THEMAGAZINE FOR THE HANDS-ON GARDENER
for88Years
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1998
PUBLICATIONSTAFF
EDITOR
FEATURES
JacquelineColeman
165 AnUrbanForestAdventure: TheStoryofSpreckels
CALENDAREDITOR Park inCoronado, PartI S. Heap
JeanE.Johns 166 SistersoftheOaks P. Pawlowski
NOWISTHETIMEEDITOR 168 Welcometo MyGarden M. Truby
MarianneD.Truby 169 Fall-WinterColorfrom NativesintheLandscape . . B. Newton
171 Thunbergiabattiscombei M. Howard-Jones
AFFILIATELISTINGEDITOR 172 Plumeria C. Herzog
LynnBeyerle 181 YourTravelingGardener inPortland, Oregon .... R. Horwitz
BOOK&VIDEOREVIEWEDITOR 182 WhyI Garden D. Cheely
RosaleenCox 183 Amaryllis B. Jones
TOURSEDITOR
AnnWaters DEPARTMENTS
ADVERTISING 162 HorticulturalCalendar J. Johns
164 Gleanings B. Jones
JacquelineColeman 176 NowIstheTime M. Truby
RENEWALS 180 Communications, OwnershipStatement J. Coleman
JoanRoman 181 SanDiegoFloralAssociationClasses D. Elwell
184 BookReviews R. Cox
MAILING 186 Affiliates L. Beyerle
LynnBeyerle 189 Index J. Coleman
EDITORIALADVISORYBOARD FRONTCOVERillustrationbyAlfredC.HottesisofTurraeaobtusifolia(star
MortBrigadier bush). Thisisanevergreen shrub, whichgrowsslowlyto3-5feettall,perhaps4
RobertHorwitz feetwide. Whiteflowersbloommostofyear, includingintowinter.
BarbaraS.Jones
BettyNewton Claimsandopinionsexpressed byadvertisers donotnecessarily
reflecttheviewsoftheeditorandpublisherofCaliforniaGardenmagazine.
Manuscriptsareinvited.Deadlinesarethe20thofJanuary,
March, May, July, September, and November. California CopiesofCaliforniaGardencanbeorderedbymailfor$1.50percopyplus$1.00postage.
Gardenreservestherighttoeditanyandallsubmittedmaterial.
Allmanuscriptsandillustrationswillbehandledcarefully,but SinglecopiesofthecurrentissueofCaliforniaGardenmagazine
wmttchhoueeomssptceeaadtbionietfnbooldtrteohs,euaobasiflusnetuChsWamoploerairsfcdroeaePrdsnenpdriaoafnndsedoiGc/baotnirrlod5ito.etn1ynn.e.afcoAecNrlsolsotmahproeeiupinltriydenosirrareofdfsneilestseymck.eetxnftSptrhuroebeommsvfisiIenseBdsawMismoaeroonderfs MOCDIOAUSRLCSIIHISFIOOWNNROUNHROIISALDELARSCRcYONaB,TUnOTR2R6bAS3EeEG-TR6Ep1UYu1G,M4rA,c2FR5h9O0D8a0U-sE32NeN8DId0m8AAp,fTeNorI1rDi5Oa2laNN5,AUdFvRooe8rS.1nt,8Ea/SRtSt4aiYo4noc,7kn-Dt87ioo26en00fg7D/or,7$i3C81v09Ae.1-,51N05S9o4a2r3an1t,t1hD73it4Beh4agelPodilwlCeioAncSatAr9tve2iee1to.,0n,3sRAarlmciaosdtnieaad.CCAA9921006056
productsisintended,noriscriticismimpliedofsimilarproducts SANDIEGOFLORALASSOCIATION,232-5762,CasadelPrado,Rm.105,BalboaPark,SanDiegoCA92101
thatarenotmentioned. WALTERANDERSENNURSERY,224-8271,3642EnterpriseSt.,SanDiegoCA 92110
SendallediCtoarilalifmaoterrinailaandGcaharndgeeonfaddressto: FLOWERSHOWS: mSahgoawzicnheaisromldanatcoynotuarctshCoalwi.forniaGarden,232-5762ifyouwantthe
SanDiegoFloralAssociation
San2D1i2e5gPoaCrkABo9u2l1e0v1a-r4d792 yC9e2Aa1rL0sI1,-F4fO7oRr9e2Ni.IgnA°dGeSlAainRveDDriyEeNagdod(FIl$So6Sr.Na0l00A0ps0se8or-c1iyea1at1ri6,o)ni,bsyp1u9Sb9al2ni.sDhAieledlgBoiri-FgMlhotonsrtarlhelsAyesrsfvooecrdid.aotnPieaortnii,ood2nis1c2aol5fs$PP7ao.rs0kt0aBpgoeeurlpyeaeviadarradot,rS$Saa1n3nD.D0ii0eegfgooorCtCAwA.o
POSTMASTER:SendaddresschangestoCALIFORNIAGARDEN,2125ParkBoulevard,SanDiegoCA92101-4792.
CALIFORNIA GARDEN NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1998 163
Gleanings
CHOOSINGPOINSETTIAS . . . In New Mexico and Arizona, Theleavesdothepurifyingjob
Poinsettias are the nation's swags and wreaths made of large by removing formaldehyde,
number-one-sellingpottedplantand dried chile peppers have been acetone, and other toxins when air
mostofthem arepurchased during popular holiday decorations. They is taken in during the process of
NovemberandDecember. Thepart seem to fit in better than the photosynthesis.Toworkeffectively
one considers the flower is a decorations of greenery sprinkled theleavesmustbekeptclean. They
modified leaf called a bract. The withartificialsnow. canbewashedwithawetcloth—do
real flower is the tiny yellow or Remember, ifyouarehandling notcleanwithoilsorwaxes.Italso
green berry-like structures in the dried chilies for decorations, wash helps to clean the whole plant by
middle ofthebracts. Be sure they your hands. Be careful not to rub removingittothebathtub,sink,or
are tight, brightly colored, and you eyes while working with the outdoorsandhosingitoff.
fresh looking. The foliage should chilies. Capsaicinold, the chemical Isn't itnicethatfor agiftyou
be dark green and dense down to thatmakeschilieshot, isstillthere. can give something that not only
the soil line. Do not purchase a In fact, thousand-year-old chilies beautifies the area but makes it
plant that is in a paper or plastic foundinSouthAmericantombsare healthier? (Low incalories, too.)
sleeve. These sleeves are for stillpeppery. During the Victorian Period
shipping and the leaves and bracts there was a beliefthat during the
will be damaged ifleft in one for HEALTHYAIR . . . night a plant robbed the air of
toolong. You willhavehealthierair in your oxygenanditwasveryunhealthyto
When you bring the plant homeandoffice ifyougrowhouse havealivingplantinabedroomor
home, place it in an area where it plants. This is especially important near an ill person in a hospital
will receivebrightnatural lightfor during thewinter. Research shows room. Surprisingly,this "oldwives
aboutsixhoursaday. Donotplace thatplant-filledroomshavecleaner tale" still exists. It was even
it near a heat source or in a draft. airandatleast50% fewerairborne advisedthatoneclosethewindows
The highesttemperature should be molds and bacteria than rooms atnightifthere weretrees nearby.
about 72°F. and the lowest about withoutplants. Today people can be heard
60°F. Itisrecommendedthatatleast justifyingtheuseofdustyartificial
New plants are being onegrowingplantbeplaced within ordriedflowerstodecoratearoom
developed; everyone has remarked six feet of one's head to improve by saying that living plants are
upon the lasting period of many the air one breathes. A six-foot unhealthy. Numerous experiments
plants purchased in 1997. The cubearound an individual is called have shown that living plants in a
bracts and the leaves remained on a "personal breathing area", and room make it a healthier
the plant well into early summer. the closer the plant, the healthier environment.
Noone is sure whether it isa new the air. It is suggested that a plant Research was begun over
varietyorbecauseofEl Nino. be placed on the desk, on a table twenty years ago by NASA in
beside the TV viewing chair, and experiments to find ways to purify
CHILIES . . . beside the head of the bed. airforspacetravel.
During the holiday season we are Recommended plantsarebamboos,
seeing more decorations using rubber plants, dracaenas, peace TOMATOUPDATE
. . .
gorgeous dried red chile peppers. lilies, pothos, and Boston ferns. About95%ofthenation'sand45%
They do seem more appropriate Shorttermfloweringplantsthatare oftheworld'ssupplyofprocessing
here than cranberries. It is known effective in purifying include tomatoes are grown in California.
thatduringthe 1800s southwestern chrysanthemums, azaleas, gerbera Theusual price isabout$50aton.
residentsusedtinydriedred chilies daisies, and cyclamens. All green GuessCaliforniacantakecreditfor
interspersed with popcorn for plantscansurviveonlesslightthan most of the pizza and spaghetti
chainsusedtodecoratetrees. floweringplants. eaten inthecountry.
164 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1998 CALIFORNIA GARDEN
AN URBAN FOREST
ADVENTURE: THE STORY
OF SPRECKELS PARK IN
CORONADO, part
I
BY SUZANNER. HEAP
CORONADO,CALIFORNIARESIDENTSAREproud
of their trees. One needs only to drive over the San
Diego-CoronadoBayBridgetoseethegreencanopythat
isthe "crown" oftheCrown CityofCoronado.
Coronado was not always the green "island." In
fact, before 1884 it was a desolate and deserted
wasteland inhabited by jack rabbits and coyotes. It is
herethattheurbanforeststorybegins.
A jack rabbit hunting expedition brought two
vacationers across San Diego Bay to this island
peninsula. Much more happened that day thanjust the
huntingofjackrabbits. HamptonL. Storey, co-founder
oftheStoreyandClarkPianoManufacturersofChicago
andhisfriend and fellowentrepreneurfrom Evansville,
Indiana, Elisha S. Babcock, Jr. (who at thirty-five
already sat on the boards of both a railroad and a
telephonecompany) wereboth looking for apromising
investmentforsomeoftheircapital. Theybelieved that
morningthattheyfound itthereinthewastelandofsand
and scrub.
With a few other investors, Storey and Babcock
formedtheCoronadoBeachCompanyandpurchasedthe ATORREY PINE IS INCLUDED AMONG THESE
island peninsula and North Island for $110,000. Their TREES. Photographby Betty Newton.
idea was to provide facilities first and then attract a
population. Leaving North Island to the jack rabbits, Money from the lot sales was used to begin
they set about sub-dividing the island-like end of the constructionoftheHotel del Coronado in Novemberof
peninsulaintolotsthatcouldbeauctionedforsale. 1887. In mid-1887 land values plunged as word came
They made sure fresh water would be available. thattheSantaFeRailroadhad changedtheendingpoint
Three thousand feet ofpipe were run underthe bay to oftheirnewlinefromSanDiegotoLosAngeles. Itwas
bring infresh water. This water made itpossibleto go at this time that Claus Spreckels, the "Sugar King,"
about the business of growing trees and plants. When decidedtoinvestinCoronado.Hedidsobyfirstlending
two blocks on either side of Orange Avenue between money to Mr. Babcock so thathe could finishbuilding
Sixth and Seventh Streets were set aside for lawns and the hotel. Then in 1889, for a cost of $500,000,
trees, thecentral PlazaPark—nowSpreckelsPark—was Spreckels purchased the holdings of Babcock, Storey,
established. The Coronado Beach Company Botanical andtheotherinvestorsintheCoronadoBeachCompany.
Gardenswerealsoestablishedandrunbyahorticulturist He became sole owner ofCoronado, North Island, the
named F. W. Koeppen. This was also a nursery and Hotel Del, the water system, and the ferry and trolley
provided many ofthe original trees and shrubs to the thathadbeenestablishedtobringguestsfromSanDiego
city. Earlyphotos showmany cypress, palms, peppers, to Coronado and its hotel. It would notbe long before
eucalyptus, star (NorfolkIsland)pines, Montereypines, theplantingofCoronado'sgreencanopywouldbeginin
torreypines, and citrusthere. earnest,o
Coronado Beach Island, as itwasthen called, was Suzanne R. Heap is a landscape and garden consultant, UCCE
readyforitsfirstlandsaleauctioninDecemberof1886. MasterGardener,andapastpresidentofCrownGardenClub.
CALIFORNIA GARDEN NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1998 165
SISTERS OF THE OAKS©
BY PAT PAWLOWSKI
ICALLEDIT "thefairyglen." Itconsistedofastand
ofastoundingoakswithacoupleofwillowsthrownin,
and running through that magical natural wonderland
wasaseasonal streambed.
There was a small clearing in the middle ofthe
glen; and as the sunlight poured into the clearing, it
illuminated a huge beautiful butterfly, lazily gliding
throughasunbeam.
The wings of the butterfly, fully three inches
across, werevelvetybrown-blackwithawhitevertical
bandandanorangepatchborderedbyblacknearthetip
ofeachforewing. Ifbutterfliescanbecalledmajestic, it in the caterpillar, or larval stage. As a caterpillar you
was. Ittookmybreath away. munch outonoakleaves until you reach several inches
Wehadbeenoutlookingforahousetolivein.The in length. Then it's time to turn into a pupa, or
housethatcamewiththestandofoakswasnotright,but chrysalis. In this stage you become stiff, brown and
the fairy glen was perfect. Too bad we couldn'tpluck shriveled—the image ofa dead leaf. You hang around
that magical place up by its roots and transport it to likethis for aweek ortwo. Inside yourleafy sheath, a
whereverwewanted. greatthingishappening: metamorphosis.
Well, I could at least find out the name of that Webster'sDictionarydefines metamorphosisas "A
majesticbutterfly. transformation,asbysupernaturalmeans." Throughthe
AssoonaswegothomeIlookedupthebutterflyin magic of metamorphosis you eventually wiggle out of
The Butterflies of California by Thomas and John your shell and show your new self to the world: A
Emmel.Thatgorgeoushunkofbutterflyturnedouttobe colorful, independent creature of the air. After some
aCaliforniasister,abutterflyofwildplaces,abutterfly pumping up ofyour wings, you are ready to take off,
ofoak-studdedhillsandvalleys. searchingforliquidsustenanceandbutterflylove.
Ever the butterfly gardener, I asked myself: How
do I get the California sister, a.k.a. Adelpha bredowii BUTTERFLYREVELS
californica,tovisitmyyard? TheCaliforniasister,accordingtovariousbutterfly
According to the above-mentioned book by the buffs, is attracted to water. It patrols pathways, and is
Emmels, Ilearnedthat"Adultsoftencometomoisture, oftenseenglidingaroundliveoaks, itslarval-foodplant.
landing on damp sand or mud around lakes or along Asanadult,thesisterreceivesnourishmentfromflower
streams. Langston once observed them swarming on nectarand saltand mineral-ladenfluidsfrom mud.
grapesqueezings...." In addition, it is a native butterfly, unlike some
But how could I get a sister to visit my garden, other species that have been accidentally introduced
short of investing in a winery? On second thought, whenexoticplantswereimported fromothercountries.
maybenotabad ideaanyway—butbacktothesister. Takingalltheaboveintoconsideration,thebutterfly
Incidentally, here is a case where both boys and garden believer will introduce into the garden the
girls can be sisters. And speaking of males and followingelements:Sun,shelter,mud,andnativeplants.
females—here goes another description ofthe butterfly SUN - If you are gardening underneath a patio
life cycle, and how certain stages in the life cycle are cover,yourshadeplantsmaybehavingfunbutbutterfly
madepossibleonlybythecorrectspecies ofplant. attendanceisprobablydown. Createanopenareawhere
Feel free to nod off if you have heard all this thesunbeams and butterfliescanplay.
before. There arefour stages in abutterfly's life: egg, SHELTER - Butterflies like protected areas free
caterpillar, pupa, and adult butterfly. In the case of a from blustery winds. You might provide an enclosure
Californiasister, you startlifeoutas atinyegg laidon hedged in by shrubs (scrub oak perhaps) or trees (live
theleafofacanyonoakorrelated liveoaks. oaks ifyouhavethespace).
The leaves ofcanyon oaks and other liveoaks are MUD-Belovedalikebysmall childrenand cocker
theonlyoneswhosenutritionalmakeup cansustainyou spaniels, mud also provides excellent material for pies
166 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1998 CALIFORNIA GARDEN
andwrestlingmatches. However, itsmainpurposemay Society(619-685-7321)willtakeplaceonNovember 14;
be to provide liquid nutrients to butterflies like the the other sale, sponsored by the Lake Hodges Native
California sister, who require additional salts and PlantClub (760-741-0829) isonNovember7 and 8.
minerals in their diets. Groups of male butterflies of Nativeplantsthatprovidenectar/juices(someserve
many species congregate on mud, perhaps in order to aslarval-foodplants,too)forbutterfliesinclude:Flat-top
commiserate over their hard luck in locating friendly buckwheat {Eriogonum fasciculatum); narrow-leaf
membersoftheoppositesex, astheysiphonupnutrients milkweed {Asclepias fascicularis); monkey flower
(which brings to mind the behavior of certain other {Mimulusspp.); commonyarrow {Achilleamillefolium);
creatures). sunflower{Helianthusspp.);goldenrod{Solidagospp.);
Toprovidemud inthegarden, leaveabarespotof wild lilac {Ceanothus spp.); California buckeye
groundandkeep itmoistbyburyingabigbasinofdirt, {Aesculus californica); cow parsnip {Heracleum
and then watering the dirt luxuriously so that it holds lanatum); anddesertwildgrape{Vitisgirdiand).
moistureforanextendedperiod.
NATIVEPLANTS -Hereis the really runpartof BUTTERFLYREVELATIONS
itall: Plantnativelarval-food plants and nectarplants. Hallelujah! astheysay.
The primary larval-food plant of the sister is Irecentlydiscovered,throughabutterflygardening
canyon oak (Quercus chrysolepis). Other acceptable friend, that California sisters will visit gardens. My
plant species include live oaks such as coast live oak, friend'splace in Escondido is amarvel ofsunnyspaces
also called California live oak {Quercus agrifolia) and and friendly trees, and is replete with moisture and
shruboaks,alsoknownasscruboaks{Quercusdumosa, beautifulbloomingflowers. Shehasoneoaktree, about
Quercusberberidifolia, and several otherspecies). threefeettall (butcuteas abutton).
Don'tworry ifyour yard is too small to handle a Just recently shewas rewarded withthe sightofa
full-sizeoaktree;youcanalwaysgrowascruboak.The sister in the garden. She knows a sister when she sees
sizeofscrub oaks is somewhat variable, depending on one, sinceshehasavacationcabinsurroundedbyoaks,
growing conditions, but at most a scrub oak will only and had seen the species there, too. And now she has
gettobethesizeofalargeshruborsmall tree. seenoneinhergarden inEscondido!
Foroveroneyear, Ihavehad ascruboakgrowing So itgoes to show: Provide the proper conditions
inan 18-inchcontainer.Itisdoingfine—andiscurrently and the right plants, and the butterflies will come.
sportingextremely cuteacorns. Therefore, brothers and sisters, it'stimetohavealittle
There are lots of reasons to grow oaks besides faith inwhatevergoodthingyoubelievein, andgetout
providinglarval-foodforsistercaterpillars. Allkindsof thereandgarden.°
oaks arewonderful to behold; ifyou are lucky enough
to have an old oak on your property, you are truly CaliforniasisterphotographbyRobertParks.
blessed. Text copyright by Pat Pawlowski, who is a
Oaks are invaluable inthe xeriscapegarden; scrub writer/lecturer and the wildlife garden designer for
oaks provide erosion control. Birds roost and nest in AnimatedGardens.
oaks. Acorns,thefruitoftheoak,providefoodforbirds
suchaswoodpeckers,chickadees,plaintitmice,towhees,
and the ever-popular California quail. Acorns also
nourish squirrels, deer, and other wildlife. And in the
past, acornswereanimportantpartofthedietofNative
Americans. Last but not least, oaks—like trees in
general—help to counteract some ofthe negative stuff
thathumanbeingsmay inflictonthe environment.
If you are interested, there is much information
aboutgrowingnew oaksortakingcareofoldones, and
notenough spacehereto go into all that. You can visit
apubliclibrary,consultaknowledgeablenurseryperson,
drop into the San Diego Floral Association library or
Natural HistoryMuseum bookstore. Coastliveoakattop,Engelmannoakatbottom.
In addition, there are two native plant sales in PhotographbyBettyNewton.
November: onesponsoredbytheCaliforniaNativePlant
CALIFORNIA GARDEN NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1998 167
WELCOME TO
MY
GARDEN!
BY MARIANNETRUBY
Atanotherhome, alargegarden inan
olderneighborhoodwithbeautiful mature
trees displayedaloveofallthings—birds,
orchids, roses, bonsai, natives, vegetables, a
shadegarden, and apond. Weweregreeted
withabeautiful macadamia treeinfull
bloom.
Throughoutthearea, prideofMadeira
was infullbloomwith itsmagnificent
massesofheavenlyblue. This isoneofthe
many largeshrubsand/orfloweringtrees
thataredoingaremarkablejob inthese
FOR MANYYEARS, FLOWERSHOWShavebeen areas, wheretheirlargesize is anasset. Insteadof
oneofthemainwayswehaveusedtoupdateand fencingorhighwalls, theuseofshrubs andtreesto
informthepublicof"what'snew" inthegardening maintainorto suggestboundaries isused forprivacy
world. Whilenotexactly anewcomer intheareaof as well asbeauty. Alltheplantmaterials displayed
informingthewould-beand interestedgardener, the exceptional sizeandbeautythanks inparttoour
ideaofusingprivategardens asfund-raisershas winterrains. Thecleanlinessoftheplantssparkled in
showngreatmeritand isan additiontoourlearning thesunlighteach showingofftheirnotablebloomsand
experiences. foliage.
Inthespringof1998, I attendedoneofthese, a Anotherhomewas acompositeofall facetsof
fund-raisersponsoredbytheLakeHodges Native gardening. Thegardenwouldhavebeencalled English
PlantClubfortheNativeLandscapesBotanical gardenbysome, butto me itwas ratheratrue
GardenattheSanDiegoWild Animal Park. Tickets exampleofSouthernCaliforniagardening, ayear-
arepurchased inadvanceand atthattimeyou are aroundgardenplantedwithshrubsandplantsspecial
givenamap showingthelocationofeach gardenwith to California, thoughthey may haveoriginated
abriefhistoryofthegardenandthehours itisopen. elsewhere. Plants commonlyfound inournurseries
Youarefreetofollowyourown itinerary and werewell displayed inthisgarden. Theopportunityto
timetable. Opengardens Ihavevisited inthepastwere evaluatethesegrowingplantsandto considerhowthey
usuallyprimarilydevotedtoroses, andtheopportunity couldbeused inyourowngardenwas atreat. The
to seeareasthatincluded manygreatvarieties and superbrosegarden collectionwas interspersedwith
specimensofmatureplants inestablishedgrowingsites perennials, all identified and showingaselectionof
isanexperienceIrecommend! classicvarietiesgrownand known in California. A
Oneofparticularinterestwasofarecently chicken coopprovidedrich material forthewell-
completedhomethathadbeen landscaped with an hiddenbutvery efficient compostarea, avegetable
"instant"garden. Matureplants incans and instant gardenwas fenced offfrompatioview and enclosed
growinglawnmaterial had beenlaid inplace. The byascreenofbeautifultrees and shrubs. Offtoone
matureplantsofdrought-tolerantand nativeoriginhad sidewas abeautifullylandscaped pondarea. A loveof
beenusedtotakeadvantageofthenaturalterrain. nature, gardens, andtheoutdoorswerereflected
Usingthenatural stoneoftheareato enhancethe throughoutthishome. Thiswastrulyaflowershowat
beautyoftheCalifornialandscapewas emphasized and itsbest. Weeach couldjudgethegrowingspecimens
theriparian-likelandscapesuggestedwaterways even intheirown environmentinsettings impossibleto
thoughtheyweredrybeds. achieveby any showcommittee.
Allofthesehomes werelocated inornearthe A Del Mar walkingtour, plantand craftsalewas
Poway, Rancho Bernardo area and wereonabove- afew weeks laterand anew experienceofadifferent
average-sizegrounds. sort. All homesviewed werewithinsightofthe
168 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1998 CALIFORNIA GARDEN
FALL-WINTER COLOR
FROM NATIVES IN THE
LANDSCAPE
BY BETTY NEWTON
INYOURLANDSCAPEorgarden, you maywant
colorthroughouttheyear. Color-wise, Aprilthrough
Junetakecareofthemselves, butafterthat, colorin
thegardenbecomes averydeliberatematter. The
gardenerwillthinkofaplantthatbloomsatanother
timeoftheyear, find itandplantit. Ifcontinuous
coloristhegoal, thenplantsthatbloomanytime
betweenlateJuneandFebruaryaredesirable.
Obviously, beautifulgardens canbemadeusing
thevarietyofcolorscomingfromplantfoliagealone:
Pacific Ocean atlevelsand inlocationsyoumightfind yellow-green and mediumgreen, darkgreenandblue-
confined aftertheearliershow. Hereyouparked your green, andblue-gray andgray. Several plantshave
car, payingcloseattentiontothesuggestedparking brownandbronzeleaves, which canbepartofa
problems and walkedusingamap oftheopengardens subtlercolorscheme, and wecanincludethecolorsof
Thelocationswereonthehillsidesandthewell earth, boulders, andpavingstones.
preparedworesuitablewalkingshoes. Justas apaintercomesto seecloudsmoreclearly
Allofthesegardenswerewell established throughhisorhereffortsto capturethemoncanvas,
andbreathtakingintheirbeauty—notonly gardeners expand whattheyseeastheystretchtosee
werethegardensbreathtaking, buttheviews all thecolorsavailableinplants. Thenwestriveto
ofthePacific onthisperfectdaywerea combinethem artistically.
crowningglory. Alongthealleyways,each You canstartyoureducationwith asmall
beautiful in itsownway, themorningglory notebookand awalkthrough anursery. Thereyou
plantsofheavenlyblueabounded. Theseback
wayswereas interestingandbeautiful as
thegardens. Manyofthesehomesbelongedto
well-knowngardenwritersandgrowers. Itwas an
exceptionalopportunityto visittheirgardens.
Whilemuch smallerthanthoseseen inthePoway
area, every nookand cranny isusedtobest
advantageandflowerspredominate.
Visitingtheseopengardenswill inspireany
visitorwiththewondersoftheplantmaterials
availabletous inSouthernCalifornia, and it
shouldbenotedthatgardening isayear-around
affairhere, andthatincludes MAINTENANCE.
Fundscollected areused forgardenprojects
oftheDel Mar Garden Club, such astheDel Mar
PostOffice andtheDel Mar CityHall.n
Photographsbytheauthor.
Marianne Trubyhaslivedandgardened
atherhomein Chula Vistasince 1955.
Heteromelesarbutifolia,toyon
CALIFORNIA GARDEN NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1998 169
noticeyellow-greenSedumconfusumandthecopper-red fuchsia, which is a low (2 feet), gray-leaved spreader
new growth on Xylosma, Photinia fraseri, and that blooms red-orange each fall. California fuchsia is
Ternstroemia. Ifthesenames mean nothingto you, you aggressivel Blue and gray might provide attractive
canaddthemtoyourvocabularyasyoureadthenursery company. With this native consider using dwarf
labels. plumbago (Ceratostigma), blue fescue grass, and buff
Somenativeplantsshowcolorsotherthangreenin andmaroon, texturedrocks.
winter—someofthemquitenoticeably. Andpeopleare Fourth and last is a yellow flowering plant
usingnativeplantsintheirgardens. Itwilltakeyearsto blooming in the mountains. The one pictured is on a
gather the expertise to use natives to best advantage. slopebeside the road on the east side ofHighway 79,
LenzandDourley'sCaliforniaNative TreesandShrubs betweenDescanso andLakeCuyamaca.
isthebestsourceIknow,tobecombinedwithyourown Thisisautumngoldenbush,Ericameriaarborescens
sleuthing. ssp. parishii. [Ed. note: It is known by some other
Iwillgettothoseplantsinaminute. names, two ofwhich areHaplopappusparishii and E.
Here is what I have seen done wrong in parishii.]Fortunately,whenafriendidentifiedarelative
incorporatingnatives. It seems a mistaketo putnatives ofthegoldenbush inour backyard years ago, itwas in
aroundthehouseandarosegardenoutbythestreet. It the genus Haplopappus. He said it bloomed every
looks incongruous, discordant. With natives, evenwith autumn, but that there was a showier one in the
the excellent drought-resistant shrubs we have been mountains.Inmymind,HaplopappusbecametheHappy
introducedto, wearelearninganewaesthetic. Greek. Thatwas easyto remember.
Roland Hoyt advised in Ornamental Plants for Idonotknowthatthisplant,4feethere, isadapted
SubtropicalRegions that wilder-lookingplants be used to gardens. However, manypeoplearebuildingnow in
farther from the house. That is sensible, still, some Descanso, Jamul, and Ramona, more interiorlocations,
gardenersthesedays arebraveand will turntheirfront and they may find they can use it. I suspect they will
and back yards over to natives. The neighbors will grow itfrom collected seed.
wonder. Theattractivenativesthatcanbringcoloroverthe
From Cynthia Carlson-Brunetti (Quinta Helena coolermonthsareoutthere. Youjusthaveto reach out
Garden in Dulzura) we have learned that natives grow and learnaboutthem, andthentrythem.n
taller than you may have in mind. From Riverside's BettyNewtonteachesgardeningclassesatGrossmontAdultSchools
Landscape Southern California Style demonstration andwritesfortheSundaySanDiego Union-Tribune.
garden, wehavelearned you can throw yourselfintoa Photographsbytheauthor, (below)Handsomeautumngoldenbush.
nativegardenjustasanyother. Youcantrim, openup,
andreplantexperimentallytoyourheart'scontent.Point
Loma's NativePlant Reserve at Collier Park and Lake
Hodge's Native Plant Society's 5-acre Nativescapes at
theWildAnimal Parkaretwootherplacesto learn.
With two native plants sales in November, plus
thoseatnurseries, you may beableto find and usethe
charming and popular winter-blooming manzanita
'Howard McMinn'. In the interior, partial shade is
desirable. This shrub brings little, pink, waxy, urn-
shaped bells in winteron a five-by-five-footplantwith
marvelous red-brown wood. Let it star in soil covered
by its own dropped mulch and an edging ofmedium-
sized rocks.
You know toyon, or California holly. That is
Heteromeles arbutifolia, a big shrub, somewhere
between 7 and 18 feet tall, depending on how much
water itgets. Toyonhas 3V2-inch elliptical leaves with
serrated edges. The red berries ofwinter bring birds.
Thiscanmakeahedgeorascreen. Itmaybewateredin
summeroccasionally, and notdie.
Alreadysellingwellforhomegardens isCalifornia
170 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1998 CALIFORNIA GARDEN