The Spring Garden Show at South Coast Plaza was a furniture show this year. Home decor was more prominent that landscape design in the demonstration "gardens." Many gardeners were sad about this. This is the Room and Board/Back to Natives display. (Photo used by permission from www.peaceloveandgardening.com)
It may be possible, in my experience, to execute your carefully crafted landscape design for the first season or two. Then, living things doing what they do, the improvisation inevitably starts.
The grasses in this San Diego CNPS Garden Tour yard are so symmetrical! They were obviously installed and watered very evenly. And they're only two years old. I wonder what they'll look like in another year or two. Left: 'Canyon Prince' Giant Wild Rye (Elymus condensatus) Right: Deer Grass (Muhlenbergia rigens.) In my experience, Deer Grass, while a wonderful native, is very unpredictable in its growth habits.
The non-native plants in common use by commercial landscapers are about as close to furniture as you can find. With no genetic diversity, these cultivars (clones, actually) behave one like another. Most of them have been selected for their predictable growth and durability in a wide variety of conditions (except dry California summers without copious supplemental water).
Most native plants can't pretend to be furniture. They do not do well planted full size. They take a while to get established. They grow slowly, or in fits and starts as water is available. And their size is variable with water and growing conditions.
Some of the most interesting natives are perennials. Like most perennials, they may look radically different at different times of year, and they may grow large, or small, or drop dead. I have yet to figure out why one grows large, and another drops dead. Or grows large and then drops dead, as in the case of the Snapdragon above.
All this is part of working with living entities. They will surprise you. They may allow the plan to be executed, or they may subvert the plan. They may take things in an entirely different direction. They may demand your care at certain times of the year. They may glory for a few weeks or months, then fade away. Living things do that. They are far more interesting than a yard full of furniture.
The darker ferny plant on the left is supposed to be a tree: Fernleaf Catalina Ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. asplenifolius). The tall bush on the right was trying to be a tree: Island Bush Snapdragon (Gambelia speciosa).
Some of the most interesting natives are perennials. Like most perennials, they may look radically different at different times of year, and they may grow large, or small, or drop dead. I have yet to figure out why one grows large, and another drops dead. Or grows large and then drops dead, as in the case of the Snapdragon above.
This pint-size White Sage (Salvia apiana) in Tomaz' garden looks like a ground cover, overshadowed by the succulent Dudleya above it.
While this White Sage 50 feet away sent up flower stalks that towered over the garden.
All this is part of working with living entities. They will surprise you. They may allow the plan to be executed, or they may subvert the plan. They may take things in an entirely different direction. They may demand your care at certain times of the year. They may glory for a few weeks or months, then fade away. Living things do that. They are far more interesting than a yard full of furniture.
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| Bush Anemone (Carpenteria californica) can be an awkward and scruffy evergreen shrub, so best not to put it in the front of the yard. But oh, when it blooms... |
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Once again you echo my thoughts which means you must be right! I try to think of the unpredictability (size, shape, life span) of natives as one of their charms/strengths-but when one of my plants dies before its "time" i still don't like it. Knowing which ones do well in your soil and your yard helps. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteDan
Dan, I am relieved to hear agreement from somebody with many years of experience!
DeleteThanks for the timely and insightful piece . . . lots to think about . . . keep up the good work of sharing the peculiar beauty of our California native flora!
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