Purple Reign in the Garden

Purple domination in the front yard, mid-March 2013

One of these days I will detail the process of how the front yard native garden came to be, but in the meantime, I'd like to share some images of the early Spring highlights. The manzanitas and chaparral currant have finished flowering and  passed the torch to the wild lilac, verbena, and wildly blooming CA scorpionweed (Phacelia californica). Dark blues and shades of purple rule here in late March, but help is on the way. The monkeyflowers (Mimulus) should soon provide shades of orange, and golden aster (Heterotheca 'San Bruno Mountain'), sulfur buckwheat (Eriogonum 'Shasta Sulphur'), golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum), and spreading gum plant (Grindelia stricta) should pitch in with plenty of yellows. Most everything is looking healthy, with the exception of the hybrid sage (Salvia 'Winifred Gillman') which has fallen prey to insect infestation and may need to be removed. Now showing in the front yard:

Ceanothus 'Centennial' cascading over the rock wall

The ever-popular Lilac Verbena 'De La Mina' (Verbena lilacina) grows in the parkway strip

Aptly named California scorpionweed (Phacelia californica) is a bee magnet

At home nestled amongst rocks is this stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium purpureum)

Fragrant Pitcher Sage (Lepechinia fragrans)