creek dogwood thriving in a wine barrel

Creek dogwood (Cornus sericea) is a large deciduous shrub that can spread aggressively in the wild under favorable conditions. I don't have room for it in my backyard, so I chose to grow it in a large wine barrel with an underplanting or yerba buena (Satureja douglasii). It is highly suitable to container life, where its size can be held in check and its moderate water requirements met with the help of drip irrigation. The creek dogwood is attractive in spring with its fresh green leaves and white/cream flowers. However, this plant truly shines in the winter when it has shed its leaves exposing the attractive red limbs.

December 2014

after a rain

March 2014

Giant Coreopsis or mini Palm tree?

The giant coreopsis (Coreopsis gigantea) in this blue pot has awakened from its summer dormancy and transformed into a pair of mini palms. Large yellow daisy-like flowers will soon make an appearance.

Summerwinds in Fall

Early October is the perfect time for a native gardener to blow into Summerwinds nurseries. Around this time every year, they have their huge 40% of all plants one gallon and up sale. Summerwinds has multiple locations in the South Bay, many boasting a sizable native selection. Though plant quality varies by location, generally speaking the plants are well-maintained and some gems can be found. In particular, great deals can be had on 5 gallon containers of shrubs such as manzanitas, ceanothus, coffeeberries, toyon and others. I'm partial to the Palo Alto location because it is closest to San Mateo and has the largest selection. Additionally, the caretaker of the native section is a sweet lady with a passion for natives.

My Summerwinds haul, eager to be planted and loved

From my experience, you need to go early in the sale for best selection. So, early on Thursday, the first day of the sale, I made the trek southward to three different Summerwinds locations: Cupertino, Mountain View and Palo Alto. I came away with a decent batch of plants including manzanitas, wire grass, ferns, huckleberry and some buckwheats. With the recent closure of Blue Sky Farms, it's nice to know that Summerwinds has my back. Check 'em out.

RIP Blue Sky Farms

Blue Sky Farms, a cafe that sold native plants in Half Moon Bay, has suddenly closed. I drove out from San Mateo this morning only to be rudely greeted by a "business closed" sign. In the last couple years, this place had become my vender of choice for native plants thanks to their very reasonable prices and their impressive selection of  hard-to-find plants.  I liked the concept of cafe/nursery but evidently it was not profitable enough. My own dream - likely never to be realized - involves a combination of beer garden and native plants. Anyway, I must now regroup and find a new native plant nursery close to home. Too bad Yerba Buena Nursery in Half Moon Bay is so expensive.

In Bloom: September '14

   It is mid-September and the garden hasn't received rainfall in several months. Luckily, it has been a mild summer, with temperatures hovering in the high 75-85F range. Morning fog here on the peninsula has also helped provide a bit of moisture. In the front yard I have hand-watered the herbaceous perennials (e.g. golden aster and seaside daisy) once every 10-14 days and the evergreen shrubs (e.g.  ceanothus and manzanitas) once every 4-6 weeks. Established plantings such as white sage, Santa Cruz Island buckwheat, and chaparral currant have not received any supplemental water. In the backyard, most of the plants are on drip irrigation, receiving 5 minutes, twice a week. The backyard looks decidedly lusher than the front, though plants like monkeyflowers and coyote mint have still gone dormant in the backyard even with the extra water.
     Here on September 16, there isn't much in bloom, but many of the evergreen shrubs such as manzanitas, ceanothus and coffeeberries are looking healthy and well...green. In particular, I have been pleased with the progress of the manzanitas, and I hope to add a few more plants this Fall to my growing manzanita collection. A few highlights:

-Dendromecon harfordii (Island Bush Poppy): I killed one of these in the front yard a couple years but decided to give it a whirl again last year in the backyard. It was planted last Fall and so far so good. I think it likes a bit more water, shade, and drainage then I was giving it previously. This is one of my favorite natives, providing beautiful yellow flowers nearly year round.

Dendromecon harfordii

-Epilobium: Fuschias are always the late Summer stars as they provide much needed color and they will bring in hummingbirds.  Currently, 'Hurricane Point' looks the best among my fuchsias.  'Everett's Choice' and 'Cloverdale' are past their prime and have already been cut back to their base. I will likely make changes to the placement of my fuchsias this Fall.

Epilobium 'Hurricane Point'

-Eriogonum (Buckwheats): 'Santa Cruz Island' looks amazing as always, and the 'Red-Flowered' variety is past its prime but still putting out pink blooms.

Eriogonum 'Santa Cruz Island'

-Eriophyllum nevinii (Island snowflake):  'Canyon Silver' cultivar is looking quite impressive currently with new blooms coming up and striking foliage. This is quickly becoming a favorite.

Eriophyllum nevinii 'Canyon Silver'

-Eschscholzia (CA poppy): My volunteer poppies are blooming for the third time this year. When flowers wilt, I cut the plant to the ground and it grows backs within a month, all without supplemental water. Gotta love it.

-Arctostaphylos (manzanitas): All the manzanitas are looking healthy and robust right now. 'Louis Edmonds' has displayed tremendous growth here in its second year and is quickly becoming a nice specimen in the front yard.

Arctostaphylos 'Louis Edmonds'

In Bloom: July 2013

A Channel Islands themed bed, with blooming Santa Cruz Island buckwheat and Rosy Buckwheat (in front)

The summer months are a period of dormancy for most native plants. Spring flowers have come and gone, foliage is browning, and the general appearance of the native garden is less than optimal. This calendar year we have received virtually no rainfall here in the Bay Area, which has accelerated the summer browning process.

Over the past year, the front yard has gone through many changes. Many plants have died or been replaced after outgrowing a particular site. This unexpected turnover is directly related to poor choices on my part, simply not knowing about specific plant needs and not being able to visualize how they will fill in and grow together. It's disappointing, but expected given my lack of experience. In 2013, I had to say goodbye to the Cleveland sages, two manzanitas, Ceanothus 'Centennial' (of purple reign fame), and others. Welcomed in were a California buckwheat, more fuchsias and a new manzanita (Arctostaphylos bakeri 'Louis Edmonds') that I hope will serve as an evergreen anchor for the front yard. The Fall will likely bring more change. What a difference a year makes:

July 2012

July 2013

Despite the comparatively underwhelming summer show here in 2013, there are still a few plants to highlight:

An Anise Swallowtail rests here on the Coyote mint (Monardella villosa)

An upright fuchsia (Epilobium 'Carman's Gray')

'Cloverdale' fuchsia, a very nice compact selection that looks nice spilling over a wall

'Schieffelin's Choice' fuchsia, a very low ground-hugger and probably my favorite native fuchsia

Santa Cruz Island buckwheat (Eriogonum arborescens), a year-round beauty

Rosy buckwheat (Eriogonum grande var. rubescens), a wonderful source of summer color 

Left: Carman's Gray fuchsia; Right California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum)

Hiking McNee Ranch State Park in Montara

Vista of Pacifica framed by blooming ceanothus and manzanita

When the weather cooperates, it's always pleasant to head west and explore the San Mateo County coastline. Summers can be very foggy, but occasionally you get clear days that afford majestic views of the ocean and beautiful rugged coastline. Recently I hiked a couple of the trails in McNee Ranch State Park in Montara, a small coastal town situated between Half Moon Bay and Pacifica. The park includes Montara Mountain,  one of the taller peaks on the Peninsula. I love the mix of coastal scrub and sea cliff dwelling plants that thrive in cool foggy summers.  One of the goals of these hikes was to get ideas for the front yard, which currently includes a mixture of local and non-local native plants.  This Fall I hope to create a landscape featuring only plants that can be found on San Bruno and Montara mountains. Finding these local plants is easier than you may think. Local nurseries that feature plants sourced from the Peninsula include: Mission Blue in Brisbane; Bay Natives in San Francisco; Watershed in Richmond; and Native Here in Berkeley.

Gray Whale Cove Trail is a flat, pleasant stroll that begins at the trailhead across from Montara State Beach and ends at a parking lot across from Gray Whale Cove beach. The hike covers about a mile each way and has panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean from the bluff above Highway One. On a recent hike, I was treated to the vistas seen below as well as an impressive array of flowers from coyote mint, yarrow, iris, monkeyflower, coastal gumplant, wooly sunflower, and checkerbloom to name a few. Spring and early Summer are really ideal times to explore this area.

View south towards Montara Beach

Looking North towards Devil's Slide

Not a bad place to stop and enjoy a beautiful day

The aptly titled Montara Mountain Trail departs from the same trailhead and is a much more strenuous ascent to the 1900 ft summit. The trek begins with a gradual climb up a windy paved road surrounded by overgrown vegetation. After a couple miles, the road transitions into a wide dirt path that steepens considerably and contains little shelter from the elements. I had to stop several times to catch my breath during this stretch. Luckily, when you do stop, you are treated to gorgeous views that only get better as you climb in elevation.  The vegetation also gets more interesting the closer you get to the summit. The lower growing elements of coastal sage scrub are replaced by tree-like ceanothus, coffeeberry, and my favorite, the Montara manzanita (Arctostaphylos montarensis), which can only be found on this mountain.

The mighty Montara manzanita

Views from the ascent:

Shortcut up the headlands to the Montara mountain trail

Looking south on a flatter portion of trail

An eastward view towards the Bay

Once reaching the summit, the hiker is treated to panoramic views, fields of wildflowers, and, well, abandoned vehicles. All in all, a hike not to be missed if the skies are clear along the coast. Word of advice: get an early start to avoid the beating sun on a clear day.