A very old New Zealand Tree fern struggles to regrow after the fire.
I regularly visit my burned parcel in Bonny Doon to monitor progress of the redwoods and understory plants. It will take 30-50 years for the forest to regenerate but it’s trying.
Yerba Santa in full bloom on burn scars
Amazing how Mother Nature takes advantage of a void. Succession plants like native Yerba Santa are everywhere. I don’t mean just a few. I mean hundreds of thousands all blooming and attracting butterflies and bees. Also Bicolor lupine are flowering in huge numbers along with California poppies all over Bonny Doon. Lupine roots or rather nitrogen-fixing bacteria on the roots take nitrogen from the air and so are useful to restore the soil. Birds eat the seed and butterflies and bees are attracted to lupine. The Arrowhead Blue butterfly uses this plant as a host.
Bicolor lupine blooming over burn scars
On my property, ceanothus thrysiflorus (Blueblossom ceanothus) has sprouted in huge numbers. They used to regularly self seed but this crop is all from seed. None of the original plants survived the fire. They are everywhere. Bluewitch nightshade has appeared in large numbers also. I had never seen this plant on my property before the fire. Insects love it including bees, butterflies and moths.
California fuchsia on the author’s property.
There are other plants that are growing up there on their own since the fire. Without irrigation for over a year and a half, Hummingbird sage (salvia spathacea) is blooming and spreading again. Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies are attracted to this plant. California fuchsia (epilobium canam) never skipped a beat after the fire and has self seeded and spread also. Hummingbirds, butterflies and moths frequent these plants also.
Cultivated plants that have come back include smoke bush (cotinus coggygria) Bear’s breeches (acanthus mollis and a very old New Zealand tree fern.
Of the burned plants that I brought back in melted pots many of them are staging a comeback. I had to cut off all of the burned woody trunks of Pink Flowering current but it has sprouted from the roots and regrowing. Hellebore, bleeding heart, calla lily, liriope, Japanese forest grass, a couple flowering maple, bletilla and cymbidium orchids are making a valiant effort.
Foxglove have sown in pots totally burned in the fire.
My favorite comeback story is the foxglove that sprouted last year in a couple of my pots. The seed must have come from one plant up on the hillside above my burn property. They are the perfect flower for hummingbirds. Each flower produces a large amount of nectar and they offer the supply that hummingbirds need to support their high energy needs.
All Gardners are optimists. We just need to be very, very patient with Mother Nature.
Every year the garden is different. Some plants bloom early and some later depending on the weather. But you know that. This spring my yellow, fragrant primroses have been spectacular as always. FYI – it’s only some of the yellow ones that have a scent. That reminds me I’ll have to get some dark purple petunias later this spring. They smell like vanilla. I just picked up a heliotrope to scent my deck with licorice and vanilla. Their vivid dark violet flowers are intensely fragrant and spectacular. Butterflies can’t resist them Some say they smell like cherry pie. I’ll leave that for you to decide.
Heliotrope arborescens ‘Fragrant Delight’
My pink jasmine is doing its thing, too. This common vine can easily overgrow it’s spot. Prune periodically to keep your vine in bounds. Fragrant Carolina jessamine has finished blooming so now is a good time to prune them back.
The word fragrance comes from the 17th century French word fragrantia, meaning sweet smell. A garden’s fragrance can be as unforgettable as its appearance. The scent of a particular flower can make you remember past times and places. Plant them along a garden path to enjoy as you stroll, in containers to scent a deck or patio or locate them beneath a window and let their aroma drift indoors.
Old fashion lilacs are still blooming in some gardens. Nothing ways “spring” like the legendary scent of these shrubs. Give them a spot in full sun with enough room for them to spread 6 feet wide. While most plants accept slightly acidic soils, lilacs are an exception. Dig lime into your soil at planting and side dress yearly if your soil is acidic.
Clematis armandii (Evergreen clematis) flower.
Another vanilla scented vine is Evergreen clematis. They make a great screen with 6 inch long, glossy leaves and creamy white, saucer-shaped, vanilla scented flower clusters. Provide study support for them to climb on. They are slow to start but race once established.
Citrus blossoms really scent the air. Plant lemons oranges, mandarins, kumquats, grapefruit and limes in full sun areas. Established trees need a good soak every other week during the warmer months so keep them on a separate watering system from your other edibles.
Sweet Alyssum attract pollinators and smell sweet- just like theirname.
Inside the veggie garden, include scented plants that attract beneficial insects. Fragrant lavender and sweet alyssum are good choices. For sheer enjoyment, plant perennial carnation and dianthus for their intense clove fragrance. Cinnamon Red Hots grow to 15 inches, are deer resistant, bloom all spring and summer and don’t need deadheading. Velvet and White border carnations are among the least demanding and most satisfying perennials in the garden. As cut flowers they are long lasting and highly fragrant in bouquets.
Fragrant shrubs that are easy to grow are Mexican Orange (choisya ternata) which blooms most of the year. Pittosporum eugenoides, tenuifolium and tobira all have tiny blossoms that also smell like oranges. The tiny flower cluster of Fragrant Olive (osmanthus fragrans) have a delicate apricot fragrance. Other fragrant shrubs include California native Philadelphus lewisii (Wild Mock Orange) and Calycanthus occidentals (Spice Bush) another native to our Central and Northern California mountains. Their fragrant burgundy flowers smell like red wine. Ribes viburnifolium, carpenteria californica and rosa californica are mildly scented, too.
Plant for fragrance. It’s your reward for all the care and tending you give your garden.
This deer resistant garden created by Robby Frank is low maintenance and stunning.
If you’ve been missing the annual garden tour sponsored by Valley Churches United like I have, you’re in luck. This year you have the opportunity to visit six unique and inspiring garden in and near Scotts Valley. Who wouldn’t be mesmerized by strolling through a beautiful local garden? Plus the proceeds from this fund raiser stay here to provide food and other services to our neighbors in need. This year’s tour is Saturday May 21, 10:00-5:00. Tickets are $30 and available at Valley Churches United in Ben Lomond as well as several nurseries and Zinnia’s. A limited number of tickets is available. For more information call 831.336.8258 ext 229.
Blue Agave Syrup is made from the nectar of the flowers. Generally plants take 20 to 30 years to bloom
Robby’s Agave Central and Zen Garden is a garden I’ve had the pleasure to visit often. This talented gardener is eager to share his vision and techniques to keep it mole and gopher free. His latest water saving technique involving adobe is something you might want to try in your own garden. As a deer resistant, low maintenance gardener, Robby has created a soothing space complete with a hand made Japanese garden arch called a Tori. His shade garden is filled with tree ferns and the sitting area under the oaks beckons you to stop and enjoy the birds. There is a fire pit area plus a tree swing to enjoy before you head up to the rock garden and the cactus garden. This year round garden features tough but beautiful plants and there is something to admire everywhere you turn. The immense array of drought tolerant plantings throughout the vast wandering garden beds are very purposely planted to provide focal points. The 40 year old Blue Agave has begun growing the long awaited flower stem just in time for this garden tour. This eclectic garden curated over 28 years is a plant collector’s delight as well as a true bird sanctuary. It is complete with a specially created bird feeding site where more than 30 varieties of birds have migrated through this garden haven. Located off Glenwood Drive and just past the Iris Farm.
So many bearded iris and vintage collectables-
Nearby is Jim and Irene Cummins Iris Farm. It’s one of those places you could spend all day and never see everything. I’ve spent a bit of time painting in this garden. Beside the stunning bearded iris the Cummins grow and propagate, this couple have collected an impressive collection of farm implements and tools. The property was originally a turkey farm owned by Irene’s family back in 1949 but the old barn dates back to the late 1800’s when it was a stop for the stagecoaches to change horses. Filled with hundreds of bird houses collected by Irene, everywhere you turn there are blooming irises among vintage collectibles. Wagon wheels, vintage watering cans, unusual tools, even an antique bed frame filled with bearded iris are just some of the delights to discover. The iris farm includes 1000 blooming bearded iris many being hybridized on-site.
The Wright Residence Corbett and Sheri, over the past 28 years, have transformed their property into a plant lovers dream. They are truly plant connoisseurs including an impressive Japanese maple collection such as Shishigashira and Full Moon Japanese maples that are trained to show off their exquisite foliage and shape. Among the other beautiful trees that are featured among the different garden rooms are Chinese Fringe tree and the unusual Dove tree which is also called the Hankerchief tree. This garden is filled with color from exbury azaleas, smoke bush, roses and Plum Delight loropetaum as well as a generous serving of white flowering shrubs like doublefile viburnum. Sitting areas, patios and water features abound amidst the veggie garden and the vineyard. Wander through the many garden rooms, enjoy the vineyard, the bocce ball court, the hidden fire pit, the restful water features, the vegetable garden complete with legacy family herbs and the formal rose garden room where music may be heard.
Prepare to be inspired at Big Tree Manor, a sprawling 10 acre Tudor estate beautifully tended over the past 22 years. You’ll be greeted by the formal front gardens full of gorgeous foliage in both full shade and sun as you wander to the expansive back gardens. Discover the beautiful pathways that also serve as water diversions as this valley receives copious inches of rain in the wet season. The classic gazebo sets the mood for the mixed perennial flowerbeds along the back of the home. A carefully curated orchard of 71 trees thrives while surrounded by the forest. View the vegetable and potting shed areas as you find your way to the dog training arena and then a short stroll to the 2000 year old Big Tree, a sight to behold. Barry’s Garden is also called the Forest Garden although the redwoods are just a part of this lovely garden.
The Casa Aldana – Casa Aldana is a beautifully terraced garden retreat created over the course of 25 years. Now an oasis of magnificent outdoor living spaces surrounded by colorful and mature drought tolerant plantings that attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and many other birds. See how a terraced setting creates separate spaces to enjoy, including a fire pit room, a covered patio BBQ area off the kitchen, an amazing upper pool pavilion complete with a family room retreat, a children’s play area and room for growing vegetables. All these garden areas have been thoughtfully connected by drought tolerant plantings bursting with vibrant colors that attract wildlife habitat.
Some interesting facts about this garden include how the existing rock was jack hammered out for the pool and patio area. Heavy equipment scarred the rock and the rock that remains, which serves as a retaining wall, looks like it came straight from the Sierra. Filled with lavender, lantana, red hot poker, Monica’s grandmother’s bearded iris and other hummingbird attractors this garden beckons you to stop by the pool under the vine covered pergola and enjoy a cold beverage.
Shaffer Park Rare opportunity to explore this private 24 acre park complete with whimsical and personal touches developed over 25 years to bring joy, reflection and peace in the natural surroundings. Stroll the grounds and discover the redwood ring chapel, the challenging disc golf course, the bocce ball courts, the Stations of the Cross walking loop, strongman, archery, discus, shot put, hammer and weightlifting areas. Don’t miss the vintage Santa’s Village mushroom, amazing paintings with the artist on site, and the huge picnic table and chair that brings out the kid in everyone!
This is just a snippet of inspiration and ideas you’ll glean from these gardens on the tour. If you’re looking for fresh landscaping ideas, a new tree variety, gardening tips and fresh inspiration, don’t miss the gardens on this tour.
Rhododendrons are one of spring’s show stoppers. Huge, rounded clusters of stunning blossoms in lavender, red, purple, white, pink and even yellow and gold clothe these shrubs with color. You can have flowers from February to late May by choosing different varieties. And rhododendrons are easy to grow if you give them what they need.
Rhododendrons like air in the root zone so amend your soil liberally with organic matter. 50-60% is not too much. If you garden in clay, just plant them in raised beds or berms 1-2 ft above the original soil level. Rhododendrons like moist soil so top dress around your plants with several inches of mulch over the root zone, making sure the stem is not get buried. Pine needles, oak leaves or wood chips are good choices. Never cultivate around the plants as this would injure the surface roots. Finally, most rhodies thrive in partial shade or morning sun. The hot afternoon sun that we get during the summer would burn even those varieties that tolerate some sun. Since their leaves remain on the plant for several years you’d have to live with burnt leaf centers and edges for a long time if they get too much sun.
Because rhododendrons contain toxic resins that are more concentrated in the foliage, weevils have developed a resistance to pesticides along with a tolerance for the toxins in the leaves. Organic or even chemical sprays have little effect anymore according to a study funded by the Rhododendron Society of America and end up killing hundreds more predatory beetles and other beneficial insects in the process.
Applying parasitic nematodes to your soil is one way to control weevils. Other tactics include placing a shallow pan of water under the plant or a soup can filled with soapy water buried up to the top to attract and drown the adults . You can also try banding the trunks with tape or waterproof paper and smearing the bands with a sticky barrier like Tanglefoot. Spreading some coffee grounds under the plants also helps to discourage them from crawling up the trunk after they spend the night at the base of the plant. And if you’re really determined you can hand pick them after dark- effective but not much fun.
Our native rhododendron occidentale
There are thousands of rhododendron varieties. By planting early, mid-season and late blooming types you can enjoy those huge, gorgeous flowers for months.
Cheer is one of the showy early bloomers. Large, pink flower trusses cover the 5×5 ft plant. It can take some sun and would be a good candidate if you have one of those gardens that receives and hour or so of afternoon sun.
For April blooms consider Edith Bosley. Similar to Purple Splendor it grows upright to 6 ft.tall but only 4 ft wide. Perfect for narrow spaces. Other mid-season bloomers that would make a splash in the garden include Golden Gate, a 3 ft compact orange hybrid and easy-to-grow, red-flowering Jean Marie de Montegue.
To extend your season add some late season varieties like Lee’s Dark Purple. Growing with a spreading habit to 4 x 5 ft wide, you’ll love its blue-purple trusses. Anah Kruschke also blooms late in spring with lavender pink flowers on a dense 5 x 5 ft shrub. A tough undemanding larger variety is English Roseum. This one grows 6 ft tall with lavender pink flower trusses and blooms in May.
Rhododendrons really contribute to the woodland or shade garden. They are long-lived and deer resistant. I’ve only heard two gardeners tell me that deer ate some of their flower buds last fall for the moisture content. Most likely those deer couldn’t read well enough to read the deer resistant list!
