Let Mother Nature Do the Work

Despite our early and prolonged heat, the native hills are not dormant yet!  The non-native grasses are golden, but the native chaparral and sage scrub are still green, and wildflowers, while not abundant, can be found in the right places.  Here is a sampling.

Do you see the famous Laurel Canyon rock dude sticking his tongue out at you?

The Laurel Canyon-Willow Canyon loop in Laguna Coast Wilderness Park is one of my favorite nearby hikes.  This route offers different terrains and plant communities in under five miles, and lots of wildflowers, including Datura as big as my hand.

Datura does drama.  And grows out on exposed ridges and fields.  But cannot compete with invasive grasses and mustards.

On my last trip (a week ago) I saw a number of charming wildflowers that I could grow at home... in principle... but I'll let Mother Nature do the work, and enjoy her handiwork.

Keckiella were looking so lush and lovely in the shady canyon-- they struggle in our yard.  Hummingbird pleaser.

Black Sage was all over, but near the entrance to Laurel Canyon drifts were bigger than your head. Mine is a good garden anchor that is easy to shape once a year and ignore.

Thanks to Lyle Norton for arranging Friday morning hikes, and for using his head for perspective on the monster Black Sage.

Fuchsia-flowering gooseberry is one of the most charming of our locals.  It blooms very early, and now has berries and fall-colored leaves, because it is getting ready to lose its leaves for the summer.  Yes, we do it backwards here in California.  The natives frolic in winter and spring, and lie low in summer.

Another beauty I won't try to grow at home.

Greg Rubin claims Indian Pinks make good garden plants.  I'm curious to try, because they are show-stoppers.

I'm mad about you, little Indian Pink (Silene lanciniata).

California Buckwheat is another beauty that I will leave in Mother Nature's garden.  While its spring green can be elegant and its blooms spectacular, its spent flowers are a deep rusty brown that don't appeal to me at close quarters.  Birds love the seeds though.  If I had acreage...

I love the lacy pink buds of our local buckwheat.

Bulbs are so tempting.  But I think I have a gopher.  Mariposa Lily is perhaps the best known California bulb.  Tomaz actually grew some in pots (which he left dormant in the garage most of the year.)

Elegant Mariposa Lily.  Were dotting a few hillsides.  Ahh.

I am considering trying onions, which I imagine might be a little more resistant to the critters.

A new friend, Goldenstar (Bloomeria crocea), is related to onions.  Also scattered across a field or three.

The dry brown grass you see on many foothills and plains is not native.  Cows and their accompanying weed seeds devastated California grasslands over a century ago.  Steep hills and canyons still shelter long-lived native trees and rugged chaparral plants that could be the foundation of an almost zero-water suburban landscape, if people were willing to change their water habits.  Now is the time.

California Sycamore on the left is a cheery spring green despite the heat.  In cultivation it loses its leaves repeatedly in the spring (because of too much water) and is considered a nuisance; my HOA plants non-native sycamores so they can safely overwater them.  Sigh.

To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To use text or photos from this blog, click here.
To share this post (do share!) click on the appropriate tiny icon below (email, facebook, etc.)