Oceanside Garden

Gardener’s Log – November 2022

November is an interesting transition month. The last remaining plants of the year continue to put out a few blooms, although they certainly fade from their former glory, but taking over from them are the early harbingers of spring. Already, the first snowdrops are blooming and the Mahonia flower buds are coloring up, letting you know that they are ready to take on winter. In my garden, there is another layer that adds color through the winter. Many of the South African and Australian plants bloom during winter, and the Grevillea ‘Coastal Gem’ has been covered in a mass of red buds for over a month now. It is just waiting for the right moment to burst open. Other Grevillea are also blooming, but not with the same kind of flower density.

A new beginning

This is also the month when seeds and bulbs come pouring in, creating a temporary frenzy of activity. Many of the bulbs already had their location picked out when they were ordered, but each year I try out a few new things and I like to keep those in pots for the first year so that I can see them up close and under more controlled conditions.

Seeds are more difficult to obtain these days due to restrictions or conditions that were put in place during Covid. South Africa remains in a state that can only be described as close to collapse. Their mail system is no longer trustworthy and seeds from there have to wait for a courier to take them out of the country to somewhere like England, and then they are mailed form there. That is a tough journey for some of these seeds. Australia has put in place a lot more restrictions and many of the companies I used in the past no longer entertain international orders. But still – I have lot of things to try and germinate. With many of them, it will be years before I really see the fruits of my efforts.

Garden Progress

Little progress has been made this month, primarily due to a continuing medical condition. But there has been progress on the stream bed and waterfall. It starts in what will be Nature Island and ends up in the Fairy garden. The bottom part of it was nearing completion, but the upper stream bed was non-existent. The ground has now been cleared. That meat getting up a number of mature Sword Ferns and moving those along to the property border. My experience has been that these ferns are tough as nails when it comes to this kind of relocation.

The land has been contoured, and most of the underground pipework is in. Now it is a matter of working out where I can put in some small margin and bog areas, building the sides and then mortaring everything in place and sealing all the joints. The mortar is necessary based on my experience with raccoons. Once they damage a butyl rubber liner, there is almost no hope of every fully sealing it again, especially if it is in an area that is not totally flat.

What’s in Bloom

Out with the old

These are a few of the plants that continue to bloom. Fuchsia and Salvia hang on with fewer flowers than they used to have. Plus, it is easy to forget some of them, like the Rosemary, that are almost always in bloom.

Rosemarinus officinalis 'Huntington's Carpet' — Rosemarinus officinalis ‘Huntington’s Carpet’

Toad lilies (tricyrtis hirta) come in some amazing colors and patterns. This is one I grew from seed.

And the Hesperanthus just refuse to give up.

Hesperanthus coccinea 'Oregon Sunset' — Hesperanthus coccinea ‘Oregon Sunset’

In with the new

These are the first harbingers of spring. This was the first snowdrop of the year.

And the Mahonia media ‘Charity’ getting ready to bloom

Not blooms, but great anyways

There are many plants that have insignificant flowers, but have other ways to put on a wonderful display. Here is a Leucadendron ‘Hawaii Magic’ that has colorful bracts.

Weather Summary

To look at the averages for this year, you would think that it was very similar to last year. This year, the high was 64.6, low 34.7 and average 46.1. Last year the high was 63.6, low 38.1 and an average of 50.4. Rainfall this year was 17.71″ versus 19.68″. But behind the numbers is a very big difference. This year we went two weeks with no rain! It didn’t feel like November at all, with the sun shining. The clear nights meant that it was a little colder and that is what accounted for most of the lower average temperature. Last year saw some rain almost every day. I would certainly take this year over last year, even though at one point I had to go out and water some plants!

Calendar

Gardener’s Log – October 2022

What a month of extremes. The first two thirds of the month thought it was July. Almost no rain and for two days we almost hit 90F. Then the weather broke. We very rapidly descended into the type of weather that is more typical for this time of year. Rain and much cooler temps. While there was no hope that we would finish with anything like average rain for the month, it is certainly tried to make up for lost time!

Garden Progress

Marginal construction progress this month. There were a few areas that got finished off, or tidied up. One example is the pathway to the compost bins. Sand can be very messy when the ground is wet and there was a short area between the emergency supply dump and the compost bin that was unpaved. Wet sand sticks to your shoes and then gets tracked into the house, so this area was finished off. That also means that the very top portion of the staircase down on this side of the house was started.

While many people see this as being the end of the gardening year, it is also a beginning. It is when all of the bulbs arrive. While parts of the garden are being put to bed, others become part of the great anticipation of spring, making the garden the bridge between the past and the future. We garden for the anticipation of the future and the glory of today. This can be on many time scales. When we plant a tree, we are anticipating what it will look like 10 years, 20 years or more down the road. When we plant a bulb, we are anticipating what it will look like in a few months.

Bulb Planting Time

This year, one of the new garden area was clamoring for bulbs – the winter garden. For this area, I wanted all of the earliest of bloomers I could find. In went daffodils that are normally considered for indoor forcing, such as paperwhites, along with what I think are the harbingers of early spring – Iris reticulata and histrioides. I bought several new varieties for this year – half of which were planted in pots to be displayed by the front door as they start blooming in January and February, and the other half in the Winter Garden.

Iris reticulata 'Harmony' — Iris reticulata ‘Harmony’

Gardening Values

I am often asked about my gardening philosophy. Am I an organic gardener – well sort of but not quite. How about a naturalistic gardener – nope, environmental gardener – yes, but with reservations. I try and be a responsible gardener, but I am not resolute about any of them. Let me explain.

Organic is perhaps the easiest. I do not use chemicals in the garden where there is a suitable alternative. I have never used insecticides, apart from natural ones when I have an infestation that I cannot control in the greenhouse. Same with herbicides and fungicides. Fertilizer becomes a little more difficult. Proteas require a very specific fertilizer regime which is absent of phosphorous. That eliminates most natural fertilizers with the exception of kelp fertilizer – which I use a lot, but the analysis on this is 0.3 – 0 – 0.6. It is a tonic and useful for seedlings but not really a fertilizer for mature plants. I find a need a slow-release chemical fertilizer suited for this purpose.

I love to attract wildlife to my garden, so long as they don’t do too much damage. That means I attempt to exclude deer, but do everything I can to attract birds, bees, butterflies- even when they eat the plants. Do I only plant native plants – no, although I do have an area of the garden that is reserved for natives. Even then, I may go for a cultivar rather than the species, meaning that I am restricting the DNA distribution of the plant. Many of the plants I do grow are the opposite of native and in many cases are endangered plants in their natural habitats. I do try and make sure that there are critters here that can enjoy them and given the choice between two similar plants – I will generally pick the one that provides the most value to wildlife.

Being a Good Citizen

I want to be a good citizen of the planet and to me that means first and foremost – doing as little harm as I can while enjoying the little piece of it that I can influence and derive pleasure from. My attitude on this has changed over time. I would never plant something as bad for the planet as a lawn today – which I did in the past. But I perceive the planet has many needs, and it is my choice how I choose to respect those needs – I hope she agrees that I do try and show respect.

Visits

One thing I do enjoy at this time of year are the clearance sales at the nurseries. Who doesn’t love a bargain? That meant a few Mangaves at great prices, as well as some more shade loving plants, such as ferns, Pulmonaria, hellebore and more.

What’s in Bloom

The shimmery, silky pink of Hesperanthus ‘Sunrise’ has been a delight this year. This is another South African plant, but it does require a little more moisture than is available in Gondwana. The plants I tried there have fizzled, but those in pots that get more summer water have done really well this year.

The autumnal bulbs have been putting on a grand display. Autumn Crocus, Colchicums and Cyclamen have been adding pops of color all around the garden.

One plant I picked up in the nursery sales is a new one to me – Lisianthus. The blossoms look something like a rose although it is on a succulent type of growth. These are apparently somewhat difficult to grow, so I may be treating it like an annual, but it sure has put on a marvelous display for 3 weeks now and is still going strong.

In addition to plants that are in bloom, many of the Grevillea are packed with buds that are bursting to open. ‘Coastal Gem’ is one such example that is becoming a beautiful carpet in the corner of Gondwana. It is difficult at times to believe that this plant is only 2 years old. I am sure it will look even better as it cascades down over the rock wall.

Grevillea lanigera 'Coastal Gem' — Grevillea lanigera ‘Coastal Gem’

Weather Summary

As I said in the opening paragraph, it has been a month of two extremes. The high this year was a lofty 89.8, compared to 67.8 last year. The lows and averages were comparable. We did manage to get 6.55″ of rain this year in a little over a week. That compares top a much more even rainfall last year that totally 12.5″

Weather - October 2022 — Weather – October 2022

General

Water: My Precious

Growing up in England, water was not metered, but it was treated as a precious resource. We used it sparingly and often used grey water for the garden because it was thought to be a waste to use drinking water for that purpose. When I moved to the California, which was already having some difficulties with water shortages, nobody really seemed to respect it. Sprinklers running everywhere, swimming pools, large gold courses…

Cost and value, especially when applied to water are not the same thing. I have often seen it said that the next major war will be about water. Even on a more local level, every summer there seem to be a growing number of disputes about water rights, pitting farming communities against urban populations.

Drought in Oceanside

Here is Oceanside, Oregon, we receive approximately 100″ of rain a year. In the first couple of years of gardening, I felt that I didn’t have to worry about water. I very quickly learned how wrong that was. I now consider that I live in a fairly extreme drought biome and that the first thing I have to consider with any new planting is the amount of water they require and when.

The drought comes from two primary factors. The first is that almost all of that rain comes between October and May with very little in the other months. This year has been one of extremes and we went from June through to the middle of October with only a few small rain events. The second is that when you have soil that is so free draining, in my case almost pure sand, very little water is retained by the soil. The first reaction may be to add organic matter, but that is not sustainable long term. I could never add enough to really make a difference. Instead, I started to think about plants differently and to evaluate if their water needs were worth it or not.

Another problem with sand is that when it becomes dry, it become hydrophobic. This means that water will run off rather than into it. That calls for some different watering requirements and methods.

Irrigation considerations

Some types of irrigation, like overhead sprinklers waste a large amount of the water through drift and evaporation. Plus, water applied at a surface level can actually damage plants over time. It encourages surface roots and then if exposed to any kind of drought will die because they do not have a good root system that would enable them to find water at much greater depths of the soil.

Drip irrigation works better but is still something I consider to be a luxury for my plants. There is only one area of the garden where I do this. That makes it possible for me to grow a few plants with lush green, large foliage which I would otherwise have to do without. The goal is that for the vast majority of plants, they will receive regular hand watering during their first year but after that they are on their own. The possible exception is a deep watering if they are really showing real signs of distress. Plants that make a habit of this are unlikely to tolerated for too long. This is why I increasingly use Mediterranean plants, including those from Australia and South Africa. While many of them are difficult to find here, the hunt is worth it.

Planning for the future

Allowing water to go to waste in any manner is not sustainable. That includes water which is taken off the property and into storm drains. It is much better to find a way to keep that water on premises. Storage allows water to be applied later. Or just to let it drain into the soil in-situ where it may be held underground and potentially where some roots can get to it. Water is part of the ecosystem and some studies have shown that it can also help to control soil temperature.

While I do have a couple of rain barrels, it is nowhere close to enough. Next year I will likely be putting in a new staircase down the other side of the property. One thought is to place tanks all the way down under the stairs. This would make use of the dead space, and capturing more of the water from the roof of the house. It will certainly make construction more difficult, but will allow more of the water put on the garden not to come from a tap. If anyone has any other thoughts on ways to save water, I would love to hear them.

Calendar

Gardener’s Log September 2022

With the end of September, autumn is upon us. The evenings have more of a nip to them. My first signal is the blooming of the cyclamen and happened about 10 days ago.

Garden Progress

At this time of year, attention is focused on preparing for winter rather than new construction. That means not a lot of progress to report this month. Lots of propagation been going on – especially for plants that are a little tender. This ensures that in the event of another hard freeze like we had in February, not all will be lost again.

A significant improvement has been added to the website. There is now an overall garden plan, that is clickable. It may not be the prettiest drawing, but it does allow you to see each of the areas of the garden. There is a brief description of some and more in-depth description and progress report on others. Each of those pages has a list of the plants currently in that area.

Work has started on clearing the dense growth of Holodiscus in that area that will become Nature Island. While it is a native, the Holodiscus completely dominates that area. While it blooms in summer with puffs of white, it is fleeting, quickly goes brown and the seeds everywhere. Birds do like to eat the seeds, so not all of it will be removed. In addition, this plant readily regrows from the base.

The main trees that will take their place are Vine Maples. These are not only native but a variety with different leaf colors have been chosen. Being deciduous, it will allow for more underplanting than would have been possible with the Holodiscus (almost nothing survived under that – not even Salal!)

A lot more to go yet, but it has certainly changed the character of the area as it was an impenetrable visual barrier before.

Visits

Had a wonderful visit to Dancing Oaks nursery in Monmouth. You can read all about it here and we did come home with quite a few plants. In addition to everything that was on my list, two plants that were grown from seed that Fred, one of the owners, collected and imported from Tasmania. These will both become large trees, which we don’t really have room for, so I hope they do well in pots. They were Leptospermum glaucescens, the blue-green tea tree, and Notelaea ligustrina, the silkwood.

HPSO Plant Sale

The next day, we had fun at the Salem Hardy Plant Societies fall plant sale located at Sebright Gardens. We picked up a whole bunch of interesting plants, including a number of natives that are destined to go into Nature Island.

We got there at the crack of opening time. I did a very quick first walk around all of the exhibitors. I know that there will be some plants that disappear immediately and that was certainly the case with Carex pyllocephala ‘Sparkler’. After acquiring one of only three available, the number of people who came up and asked what is that, and where did you get it? It is easy to understand why – it certainly does grab your attention.

Carex pyllocephala 'Sparkler' — Carex pyllocephala ‘Sparkler’

Another plant we did manage to get was one we first saw at San Francisco Golden Gate Park. It was Alstromeria psittacine ‘Vareigata’. We had been captivated by the flowers on this when we saw it – quite unlike most Alstromeria. When we got home and I started to investigate, it can get to be a pest because it spreads by rhizomes and event he smallest piece can resprout. Then I spotted this variegated form of it. I hope that this will weaken it a bit such that it doesn’t become so problematic – plus the variegated leaves are very attractive. I will keep it in a pot for a while to see how it does.

Alstromeria psittacina 'Variegata' — Alstromeria psittacina ‘Variegata’

We did not have time after the plant show to tour Sebright Garden. This is certainly on the list for the next time we are in the area.

Leach Botanical Garden

Later in the month we visited Leach Botanical Garden along Johnson Creek in Portland. The Leaches were plant explorers and part of the garden contains some of their discoveries. Originally called Sleepy Hollow, it has been over 20 years since I was last here. It has undergone a number of changes. Back then, the gardens were being preserved by volunteers until the city took interest in it and started to invest in it.

It now has a much larger parking area, display garden and amazing elevated woodland walk which were not present in previous visits. Many of the paths have been significantly upgraded. Unfortunately, although the bridge to the South Bank got washed away in some winter floods and has yet to be rebuilt.

In my mind, it is not a true botanical garden because it is poorly labeled, and is more just a collection of plants.

What’s in Bloom

The big excitement for this month has to be the blooming for Protea venusta. While it is not perhaps the most remarkable of all the Proteas, it is the first one that I grew from seed, imported from South Africa. It took just over 3 years to get to this stage and I am very happy.

While a little early, the first of the plants for the Winter garden – Calluna vulgaris ‘Verenka’ – has come into bloom and hopefully will continue throughout the next few months.

The late season bulbs are also blooming including Colchicum and Cyclamen.

Weather Summary

Most of September has been very dry and the garden has become quite crispy. We only had 1.51″ of rain this month as compared to 5.13″ last year. Thankfully, in the last week we had a reasonable front come through that gave us about 1″ of rain. But now we are forecast to become warm and dry again. It does look like we will really get an Autumn this year – something we were cheated out of last year.

The maximum temperature this month was a high 94.6F – perhaps the hottest day of the year. This compares to 84.7F last year. Low temperatures were similar at 58F. The average this year was a couple of degrees warmer at 59.4F compared to 57.6F