Garden Plants Archives - Page 13 of 13 - Summer-Dry | Celebrate Plants in Summer-Dry Gardens

3 03, 2015

What’s in a Name ?

What’s in a Name ?

Nora Harlow2024-06-27T19:25:17-07:00Categories: grasses|Tags: grasses, nora harlow|

Berkeley Sedge got its name from an unlabeled, neglected plant in a Berkeley nursery It is oddly disconcerting when a singular plant, long believed to be a California native, turns out to hail from some other part of the world. One such plant is Berkeley sedge. This bright green grasslike plant was formerly known and grown as Carex tumulicola, a sedge native to California and other parts of the Pacific Coast. Some years ago Berkeley sedge was discovered to be a form of Carex divulsa, which is native to Europe and western Asia.

23 02, 2015

Dwarf Coyote Brush

Dwarf Coyote Brush

Nora Harlow2024-06-27T19:23:53-07:00Categories: Blog, groundcovers, shrubs|Tags: california native, nora harlow, shrubs, ground covers|

In the world of living plants and landscapes there is no equivalent of the little black dress – the absolutely carefree plant that goes anywhere with the right accessories – but this has never stopped us from looking for one. Nor has it stopped us from believing we’ve found such a plant, from embracing it with too much enthusiasm and then rejecting it outright when it fails to live up to impossible expectations, moving on to the next high fashion. Nowhere is this trend more obvious than in our vain attempts to completely cover the ground. In the 1960s we

17 02, 2015

California Native Redbud Tree

California Native Redbud Tree

Nora Harlow2024-06-27T19:23:52-07:00Categories: trees|Tags: california native, nora harlow, trees|

I hear from long-time residents of Amador County, California, that our native redbud (Cercis occidentalis syn C. orbiculata ) is not found anywhere in that county except where planted. To me, this is a fascinating mystery, as it is commonly reported by reliable sources as occurring in the wild in that part of the state. Some have suggested it may be the soils, that redbud requires “ultramafic” (basic) soils, even serpentine, that are not common in Amador County. If you live in that part of the world, please let us know if you have seen this special plant in the

10 02, 2015

Coast Live Oak

Coast Live Oak

Nora Harlow2024-06-27T19:23:51-07:00Categories: Garden Plants, trees|Tags: california native, trees|

Where did the notion come from that coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) is slow-growing? If you have this evergreen native oak in or near your garden, you know that the small army of seedlings that crop up soon grow tall and wide enough to obscure your views or those of your neighbors.

15 09, 2014

Cover Photo

Cover Photo

summerdry2024-06-27T19:23:21-07:00Categories: grasses|Tags: grasses|

The cover of the book was cropped from this wonderful photo from Matanzas Creek Winery. The billowing grass is Calamagrostis acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'.