San Francisco Garden Show 2015

GOING WILD! That was the theme of this year’s San Francisco Garden Show – going wild to use environmentally friendly and sustainable gardening, with creative freedom. The show is held annually at the San Mateo Convention Center, and runs from Wednesday through Sunday over the weekend closest to the vernal equinox. My aunt and I have been coming to the show for over 15 years, and have a pretty good system of seeing the gardens, exhibits, and market place before we collapse with overstimulation. Delicious caramels or chocolates usually revive our stamina!

I was drawn to the Mountain Feed and Farm Homestead booth, with its books on organic farming, canning, pickling, and cheese making. The old truck, bee keeping supplies, canning jars (Ball makes jars in green, blue, and purple, as well as classic clear), and starter mixes is so appealing. Could it be a backlash to all the digital gadgets in our lives; a yearning for do-it-yourself, physical labor, and the back-to-the-land movement of the 1960s and 70s?

Bee keeping, herbs, preserving food

We were both drawn to the Living Light garden, which featured a cabin, mushroom house, and raised beds, with edibles mixed in with the ornamental plants. No straight rows of vegetables with proper spacing for this garden. What a pleasure it would be to harvest salad greens from those beautiful beds.

Living Light - raised bed kitchen garden

We attended lectures hosted by GardenTribe. Together, a cooking show on Asian greens, given by Sharon Wang, M. Ed., who hosts the blog Nut Free Wok. We sampled homemade daikon cakes flavored with lap cheong sausage, and learned about 10 important Asian greens, including pea shoots, bok choi, Napa cabbage, Chinese broccoli, and snow peas. Apart, my aunt attended a lecture on making rose petal jam, and I attended the Photo Botanic session on botanical photography, given by Saxon Holt (whose photographs are featured in EBMUD’s Plants and Landscapes for Summer-Dry Climates of the San Francisco Bay Region).

Saxon Holt of Photo Botanic shared tips on photocomposition

I loved the garden Sublimation, with its gabions (gabbione is Italian for “big cage”) filled with round rocks, and its water-wise plantings of fescue grasses and agave. It was designed by Eric Arneson (BFA Landscape Architecture), and Nahal Sohrati (MFA Landscape Architecture) from Academy of Art University. Next door, Room is a Garden – Garden is a Room also used gabions, mixing stones, colored glass, and plants (designed by Iftikhar Ahmed of Treeline Designz).

Sublimation - using gabions in the landscape

Room is a Garden - another take on gabions in the landscape

Meadow Mindcraft, inspired by the video game Mine Craft, provided an appealing combination of beautiful meadow plantings, and bold colored shapes, reminiscent of a game. It was designed by John Greenlee and Chuck Stophard of Greenlee & Associates.

Meadow Mindcraft - video game inspired garden

The Bring Nature Home garden (designed by April Owens, Nancy Bauer, and Charlotte Togovitsky) emphasized creating a garden for wildlife, which includes food, water, cover, and a place for wildlife to raise their young. Learn more about creating a certified wildlife habitat from the National Wildlife Federation web site, and take advantage of their resources.

Bring Nature Home - provide natural habitat in the garden

Finally, we love to shop! I found a vendor that can restore our patio furniture set – Patio Chair Care. I also found beautiful silk and rayon scarves designed by Kavita Singh. My aunt found wonderful salty caramels, which simply melt in your mouth. It was enough to revive us for the drive back to the East Bay!

Plants for Clay Soil: Vines

We’re continuing our quest for interesting ground cover ideas to replace a small lawn area in our East Bay home. This time I'm considering vines, which are typically grown vertically on a structure. But how about growing vines horizontally as ground cover, like we do with some kinds of English ivy? Only using drought-tolerant, California natives (or at least Mediterranean natives)?

I'm using the online tool http://www.waterwonk.us/ (free, with a log on account) to help. My search criteria include North Central Coast, Vine, California Native, and Reduced Summer Water. The tool recommends plants using Bob Perry's Landscape Plants for California Gardens. Here are some of my favorites.

• Clematis lasiantha (Pipestem or Chaparral clematis) – deciduous vine with stems 12-18 feet long. Many small white flowers with yellow stamens in early spring; seed heads with long feathery tails mature in summer. Native to the dry foothills of California and Baja California; grows in oak woodland and chaparral communities, often using other plants for support. Grown as a habitat plant, and on fences in ornamental gardens. Low water use. Ranunculaceae family. 
• Hardenbergia comptoniana (Western Australia coral pea) – deep green leaves divided into 3 leaflets, each 2-3 inches long, on vines 8-10 feet long. Small violet-blue, pea-shaped flowers with white tips crowded together in 3-inch long hanging racemes. Moderate to slow growth. Prefers slightly acid, well-drained soil, with regular winter moisture and drier summer conditions. Native to coastal plains and eucalyptus groves in Western Australia. Moderate water use. Fabaceae family.
• Hardenbergia violaceae (Lilac vine) – a shrubby vine with deep-green, lanceolate leaves, and twining, woody stems 10-15 feet long. Prefers slightly acid, well-drained soil, with regular winter moisture and drier summer conditions. Moderate water use. Native to eastern and southern Australia, but commonly planted in California for its mid-winter to early-spring flowering cycle. H.v. 'Alba' has white flowers, and H.v. 'Happy Wanderer' has purple flowers and is the most robust. Fabaceae family.
• Lonicera hispidula (Pink chaparral honeysuckle) – a deciduous vining shrub that sprawls 3-4 feet high, and 8-10 feet wide, or climbs on a trellis to 8-10 feet high. Pale green leaves in opposite pairs on reddish stems that fuse at the base. Fragrant flowers in clusters of cream to pink in spring, then red berry-like fruit. California native from foothill habitats, usually in canyons or along streams in the understory. Tolerates heat and cold, full sun to partial shade, and moist to dry soils. Low water use. Use on banks to control erosion, or as a ground cover plant, or a vine. Provides nectar and berries for birds.  Caprifoliaceae family. 

Lonicera hispidula - uploaded to public domain by Stickpin

• Lonicera subspicata (Chaparral honeysuckle) – a deciduous vining shrub that sprawls 3-4 feet high, and 8-12 feet wide, or climbs on a trellis to 8-12 feet high. Small dark green leaves, maroon stems, creamy white flowers, and red berries. California native from central and southern coastal foothills, within the chaparral plant community (also northern parts of the Sierra Nevada mountains). Low water use. Can be used as a ground cover. Provides nectar and berries. Caprifoliaceae family.
• Sollya heterophylla (Vining bluebell) – a vigorous vining evergreen plant that sprawls 3-4 feet high, and 5-6 feet across, or climbs on a trellis to 5-7 feet high. Shiny, bright green, linear leaves from 1-2 inches long, on twisting stems. Purple-blue flowers in clusters at the end of branches late spring through summer. Native of the coastal and inland regions of Western Australia, and adapts well to coastal, inland, and valley zones in California. Prefers light shade, regular winter moisture through spring, and less water in summer. Low water use. Use as an understory plant on banks, and below trees. Vines that lay on the ground often root in moist soils. Pittosporaceae family.

Good sources:

• Annie’s Annuals and Perennials: http://www.anniesannuals.com/
• Bay Natives: http://www.baynatives.com/
• California Flora Nursery (no mail order, but located 63 miles north of Oakland/Berkeley): http://www.calfloranursery.com/
• Las Pilitas Nursery (Santa Margarita): http://www.laspilitas.com/

 

Plants for Clay Soil: Grasses

We’re on a quest for interesting ground cover ideas to replace our East Bay lawn, and today I am looking at grasses. It may sound counter intuitive to replace a lawn with grass, but hear me out. I'm not looking to swap out one kind of grass for another, rather looking for drought-tolerant, California native grasses, and a whole new approach. Envision some combination of bark mulch, stone or gravel paths, and low creeping plants, punctuated with swaying grasses that shimmer in the sunlight.

I'm using an online tool to help me search: http://www.waterwonk.us/ (free, with a log on account). My search criteria include North Central Coast, Grass, California Native, and Reduced Summer Water. The tool recommends plants using Bob Perry's Landscape Plants for California Gardens. Here are some of my favorite results for our East Bay landscape in the Oakland Hills.

• Aristida purpurea (Purple three-awn) – clumping perennial grass. Finely rolled foliage grows 18-24 high, purple flowers and seed inflorescence grows to 30 inches. Remains evergreen throughout the year in mild winter zones; otherwise foliage and flowers fade and decline in fall, turning deciduous and sparse. Does best in a sunny location with little supplemental irrigation from spring through fall. California native; low water use – can withstand low summer and fall water, and regrows with winter rains. Does well in containers, borders, and in mass plantings to provide color and texture. Poaceae family.
• Bouteloua curtipendula (Sideoats grama) – grows in clumps to three feet high, with pale green, upright foliage and purple tinged inflorescence. Commonly planted in repetitive rows for mass effect, along boarders for contrast, and is stunning when backlit by the sun. Used for habitat improvement, and low-water lawns. California native, found all over North and South America. Does well with low water. Cut back in the fall to renew. Poaceae family.
• Bouteloua gracilis, cvs. (blue grama, mosquito grass) – clumping perennial that grows to 2 feet high, and half as wide. Inflorescences are set at a 45 degree angle from thin stems throughout summer and fall. Used for habitat plantings, natural meadow, and low-water lawn in warm areas. Withstands some foot traffic when cut to 2-3 inches high. Also does well uncut, and mixed with perennials. California native, found all over North and South America. Requires low amounts of supplemental water. Poaceae family.
• Festuca californica, cvs. (California fescue) – clumping species with pale green to gray-green foliage that forms 1-2 feet mounds. Flower inflorescences grow to 3 feet high. Grows in dry climate areas within chaparral and pine forest plant communities. The best stands grow in partial shade with reduced heat and moisture stress. Offers ornamental and restoration value in gardens and landscape. Plant in large drifts, casual masses, among trees, on slopes for erosion control, and for habitat. It is a good understory plant to California oaks, with low summer water needs. Poaceae family.

California fescue – grows under oak trees
Photo posted by Daderot (Creative Commons)

• Leymus condensatus, a.k.a. Elymus condensatus, cvs. (Giant wild rye) – large, wild rye species with coarse medium green foliage, clumping habit, and flower spikes 6-8 feet high. Spreads by underground rhizomes. Valued for landscape restoration projects. California native. Cool season grasses that are adapted to heat. Low water use, but does better with some water. L. c. 'Canyon Prince' has blue green foliage that grows 4-5 feet tall. Poaceae family.
• Muhlenbergia rigens (Deer grass) – robust species with mounding habit to 2-3 feet high. Foliage is narrow pale green, with long arching flower panicles to 4-5 feet tall, cream color in spring, then fading to straw by the end of summer. Found in gravelly or sandy washes, but is very adaptable. Grows in coastal, inland, valley and desert regions. Tolerates heat, aridity, and low amounts of supplemental water. California native; low water use. Cut back in the fall to renew, and divide periodically in fall or winter. Plant in large masses, mixed among boulders, or in containers. Poaceae family.
• Nassella cernua, a.k.a., Stipa cernua (Nodding needle grass) – robust, clumping grass grows to 3 feet high. Open habit with large inflorescences that produce nodding action when mature. Leaves are sparse and fine in texture. California native commonly grows in scattered locations through the coastal sage, chaparral and foothill woodland plant communities. Very low water required. Used for grassland restoration projects, and as an accent plant. Poaceae family.
• Nassella lepida, a.k.a., Stipa lepida (Foothills needle grass) – clumping grass grows 12-24 inches high, and inflorescence that reaches 30 inches. Often used in mass plantings, and in restoration projects around oaks. California native that grows within the coastal sage, chaparral, and other foothill plant communities. Uses very low water. Poaceae family.
• Nassella pulchra, a.k.a., Stipa pulchra (Purple needle grass) – clumping grass grows to 18-24 inches, with fine textured foliage that grows to 3 feet. Awns have a purple hue in early spring, turning to a light wheat color. California native that once covered much of the California grasslands (the state grass of California). Used in restoration projects. Very low water required. Survives winter rain, but should not be watered during its dormancy in summer. Poaceae family.
• Sporobolus airoides (Alkalai sacaton) – robust, warm-season grass, with foliage mounding to 12 inches high and inflorescence to 3-4 feet high. Flower panicles are branched and produce a delicate, transparent look in mid-summer. Commonly found in alkaline soils in dry areas affected by seasonal flooding. This species can endure drought, and tolerate heat, sun, and aridity. With its deep roots, this grass is planted for soil stabilization, as well as its ornamental value. Plant among boulders with southwestern plants. California native; low water use. Poaceae family.

Good sources:

• Annie’s Annuals and Perennials: http://www.anniesannuals.com/
• Bay Natives: http://www.baynatives.com/
• Berkeley Horticultural Nursery: http://berkeleyhort.com/index.html
• California Flora Nursery (no mail order, but located 63 miles north of Oakland/Berkeley): http://www.calfloranursery.com/
• Desert Mountain Conservation & Development Council (no mail order, but pick up in designated location, and on designated date and time): http://desertmountainrcandd.org/
• Las Pilitas Nursery (Santa Margarita): http://www.laspilitas.com/
• The Watershed Nursery : http://www.watershednursery.com/

Plants for Clay Soil: Ground Covers

Our mission is to replace our thirsty lawns with some kind of a ground cover. But what do we mean by "ground cover?" Ground cover can include plants, mulch, semi-permeable granite, vines grown horizontally, and even native grasses (or, more likely, some combination of the above). In fact, some of the low shrubs that I reported on last year qualify as ground covers (see Plants for Clay Soil: Low Shrubs).

This year I'm expanding my search for ground cover plants that thrive in the conditions of our San Francisco Bay Area home - with its clay soil (compacted with lots of tree roots), mixed areas of sun and shade, sloping aspect, and magnificent oak tree. Our small lawn has converted to moss, which I love, but it looks dead most of the year due to our perpetual drought. Low maintenance is desirable.

In my quest, I'm using several sources, including a tool new to me, available at http://www.waterwonk.us/ (free, with a log on account). The tool enables you to search for plants by city or California area, and by categories such as California Native, plant type, and water requirement. One category is California Summer-dry Climate, which uses information in Bob Perry's Landscape Plants for California Gardens. You can download the search results in PDF, or cvs format for use in a spreadsheet. Here are some of my favorite results for our East Bay landscape in the Oakland Hills.

• Achillea millefolium (Common yarrow) – clumping species that forms a dense mat, grown from rhizomes. Can be mown into a law that can withstand some foot traffic, or grown on a slope to control erosion. Grows 18-30 inches high. Foliage is formed of finely divided medium leaves; white flowers in spring. Adapts to various soil types, including clay; prefers full sun. California native species have been introduced as cultivars - A. m. 'Cameo' (salmon flowers), A. m. 'Island Pink' (magenta flowers), and A. m. 'Paprika' (red flowers with yellow centers). Requires low water (does best with regular moisture through late spring, but adjusts to less summer irrigation). Asteraceae family.

• Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Bearberry or Bayberry, Manzanita) – prostrate, mat-forming, woody perennial vine, 6-12 inches high, spreading 10-12 feet. Dense foliage is formed of small dark glossy green leaves attached to dark red-brown branches. Pink or white inverted urn shaped flowers in late winter, with red berries. Requires full sun to light shade, well-drained, slightly acid sandy soil. Plants are sensitive to foot traffic. California native cultivars include A. u. 'Point Reyes' and A. u. 'Green Supreme'. Requires very low water. Ericaceae family.
  
  
  

  

  Bearberry – ground cover
  Photo posted by Daderot (Creative Commons).

   Artemisia californica (California sagebrush, Artemisia) – low rounded form, 3-5 feet high, with 5-7 feet spread, comprised of herbaceous stems and foliage. Silver-gray, fine textured foliage with pungent aroma, and insignificant flowers. Coastal sage plant community that performs well in sun, heat, and drought (may become partially deciduous in extreme drought). Often used in restoration projects. California native cultivars with prostrate habits include A. c. 'Canyon Gray' and A. c. 'Montara'. Requires very low water. Asteraceae family.

• Baccharis pilularis (Dwarf coyote brush) – evergreen, coastal shrub. Foliage consists of small green leaves up to 1/2 inches, with undulating to randomly toothed margins. Plants are dioecious. Male shrubs are recommended; female shrubs have insignificant flowers and messy seed pappi, which require maintenance. Often used in revegatation projects. California native cultivars include B. p. 'Pigeon Point' and B.p. 'Twin Peaks'. Both have a prostate form, and are well suited to slopes and sun near the coast. Requires low water. Asteraceae family.

• Ceanothus gloriosus 'Anchor Bay' (Point Reyes ceanothus) – spreading evergreen mounding shrub, native to Pacific coast. Grows 12-24 inches high, with 6 feet spread. Thick, dark green, 1 - 2 inch leaves with heavily toothed margins. Clusters of tiny blue flowers in early to mid-spring. Requires full sun, and well-drained rocky soil. Subject to root rot if too moist. This California native cultivar is excellent for slopes or banks in coastal zones. Requires low water. Rhamnaceae family.

• Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus 'Diamond Heights (Diamond Heights ceanothus) – very unique, prostrate California native cultivar with striking yellow and lime-green foliage; insignificant flowers. Grows to 12 inches high, with 3-5 feet spread. Lacks the vigor and reliability of some cultivars, especially in warmer and drier climate zones. Requires low water. Rhamnaceae family.

• Eriogonum fasciculatum (Common buckwheat) – densely branched shrub grows 2-3 feet high, and as wide. Foliage is prickly, needle-like leaves; flowers are white to light pink in late spring. Grows in the coastal sage scrub plant communities in bluffs. Adaptable to many types of soil in its range, and to heat, and dry conditions. Provides pollen for bees, and seeds for birds. Used to stabilize slopes, and restore natural areas. California native prostrate cultivars include 'Theodore Payne' or 'Warriner Lytle' Requires low water. Polygonaceae family.

• Iva hayesiana (Hayes iva, poverty weed) – low growing evergreen shrub grows 2-3 feet high, and 4-5 feet across. Foliage is comprised of pale green aromatic leaves 2-3 inches across; flowers and fruit are inconspicuous. Tolerates sun and various soil types, including clay and alkaline, with very little care. Used on slopes for erosion control. In the landscape, may look better if trimmed to 12-18 high in the fall to look more uniform as a ground cover. California native; requires very low water. Asteraceae family.

• Salvia sonomensis (Creeping sage) – prostrate perennial herb grows 8-12 inches high with 3-4 feet spread. Leaves are pungent, olive green, and rough textured; flowers are lavender blue on 4-6 inch high spikes above the foliage in spring to early summer. Commonly grows in the chaparral, and yellow pine forest plant communities in the understory. In the landscape it grows best in sunny locations, on well-drained soils with little extra water. Grows well on slopes and banks. California native; requires low water. Lamiaceae family.

• Salvia spathacoa cvs. (Hummingbird sage, Pitcher sage) – small clumping perennial grows 12-18 inches high, and as wide from below-ground rhizomes. Large deep green leaves 4-6 inches long; spikes with deep magenta-red flowers in early spring. Grows as an understory plant to native oaks, and on grassy slopes in the southern oak woodland plant community. Attracts hummingbirds. California native; requires low water (leaves and stems may die back under drought stress). Lamiaceae family.

Good sources:

• Annie’s Annuals and Perennials: http://www.anniesannuals.com/
• Bay Natives: http://www.baynatives.com/
• Berkeley Horticultural Nursery: http://berkeleyhort.com/index.html
• California Flora Nursery (no mail order, but located 63 miles north of Oakland/Berkeley): http://www.calfloranursery.com/
• Desert Mountain Conservation & Development Council (no mail order, but pick up in designated location, and on designated date and time): http://desertmountainrcandd.org/
• Las Pilitas Nursery (Santa Margarita): http://www.laspilitas.com/
• The Watershed Nursery : http://www.watershednursery.com/

  

Replacing Lawns

This year our big theme at Eden By The Bay is “living with drought.” I’m on a quest for ideas that the home gardener can implement to help save water, not just for a dry season, but for decades to come. We don’t want to get rid of our landscapes, because they are beautiful and beneficial. But what fundamental practices and attitudes can we change to meet the water shortage challenge? Today I’m looking at lawns.

Lawns are green and beckoning and peaceful, but they require substantial water, fertilizer, and labor. We often install a lawn without considering the cost in water, or the alternatives. In California, the residential sector uses 5.6 million acre feet (MAF) of water, with 2.3 MAF going to our landscapes and lawns. In Alameda County, we use 173.9 gallons of water per person per day. The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) reports that 25% of external residential water usage goes to landscapes and lawns. That’s a lot of water!

Time to rethink our lawns!

Water saving alternatives include substantially reducing lawn size (if you have kids or pets, a small patch of lawn might be desirable), or replacing the lawn entirely with a low-water, low-maintenance landscape solution. Rebates may even be available, depending on where you live. Currently EBMUD is offering residential rebates up to $2,500 in the Bay Area to replace lawns and wasteful sprinkler systems with drip irrigation. The EBMUD web site provides the requirements, ideas, and access to some excellent planning tools: https://ebmud.com/water-and-wastewater/water-conservation/lawn-conversion-irrigation-upgrade-rebates

National Geographic: When the Snows Fail

To learn more about the California drought, I turned to the National Geographic, the October 2014 issue (Vol. 226, No. 4). Nat Geo has been covering water issues in the American West (and the world), for some time now. I like their pictorial style of reporting, and creative use of charts and graphs to convey complex information. This article is by science writer Michelle Nijhuis, and photographer Peter Essick.

 

The article describes how most of the water in California comes from snow melt. Snow collects high in California’s mountain ranges. A state-wide system of dams collects snow melt, and a complex series of waterways, canals, and pipes redirects water to where it is needed. This water supplements surface water from rivers (such as the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers), ground water, and aquifers. In California and the West, more of our water comes from snowpack than rain. The snowpack has declined significantly in the past several decades. The article provides sobering graphics showing snowpack change over the past 60 years; drought conditions in the West; freshwater use in the West; wild fire trends over the last 30 years; and snowpack report for California.

The article also describes how Australia, when faced with a similar situation after a decade of drought, reduced urban water use, reformed the water allocation system, and provided incentives for farmers to use water more efficiently. Water use dropped, and water is now allocated equitably to the environment, farmers, and urban areas. In contrast, California has continued current practices, and taken no steps to ensure water availability for the future. Take a look: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/west-snow-fail/