Garden Plants Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Summer-Dry | Celebrate Plants in Summer-Dry Gardens

3 02, 2022

Cultivated Varieties of Narcissus

Cultivated Varieties of Narcissus

Nora Harlow2025-01-25T10:21:21-08:00Categories: Blog, Newsletters, Garden Plants, Nora Harlow, bulbs|Tags: bulbs, nora harlow|

Almost everyone has a childhood memory of daffodils, that universal symbol of the end of winter and the arrival, once again, of spring. Fewer likely know that the plant with which most of us are familiar is one among dozens of species and thousands of registered cultivars of the genus Narcissus, hundreds of which are currently in commercial production. Narcissus ‘Grower’s Pride’ All narcissus are bulbs, all produce linear, strap-shaped, or sometimes rushlike basal leaves, and all bear flowers singly or in clusters of a few to many atop upright stems from six inches to two feet tall.

5 01, 2022

Aloe arborescens

Aloe arborescens

Nora Harlow2025-01-25T10:21:21-08:00Categories: Blog, Garden Plants, shrubs, succulents, Nora Harlow|Tags: shrubs, nora harlow, great plants|

There is nothing timid about Aloe arborescens. At six to eight feet tall and at least that wide, with multiple, densely packed rosettes of thick, succulent, bluish gray-green leaves, this adaptable, shrubby aloe takes the stage wherever it is planted. Native to summer-rainfall southeastern Africa, the torch aloe, as it is often called, also thrives in mild-winter, summer-dry climates. Aloe arborescens Not content to dominate by size alone, in winter this aloe sends forth upright spikes of intensely red or red-orange, tubular flowers that rise two feet above the leaves. A mature plant with dozens of flowering spikes

14 12, 2021

Jerusalem Sage

Jerusalem Sage

Nora Harlow2025-02-17T13:11:28-08:00Categories: Blog, Garden Plants, perennials, subshrubs|Tags: subshrubs, perennials, shrubs, nora harlow|

Although each species has a common name of its own, plants of the genus Phlomis are often called Jerusalem sage whether they hail from Portugal, Morocco, Turkey, or Israel. These are summer-flowering shrubs, subshrubs, or perennials with felted or woolly, sagelike leaves, many with serrated margins and silvery undersides. Whorled clusters of small, usually downward curving, two-lipped flowers are displayed at intervals along upright stems. Flowers are followed by ornamental seedheads that persist through the winter. Phlomis fruticosa (Jerusalem sage) In the garden Jerusalem sages blend well with many other low-water, sun-loving plants, especially the salvias and other

1 12, 2021

Evergreen Euphorbias

Evergreen Euphorbias

Nora Harlow2025-02-17T13:11:29-08:00Categories: Blog, Garden Plants, perennials, Nora Harlow, subshrubs|Tags: subshrubs, great plants, nora harlow|

It may seem surprising that evergreen euphorbias aren't used more often in commercial and public landscapes, where year-round good looks and ease of maintenance are so highly valued. Euphorbia characias (Mediterranean spurge) All of these evergreen subshrubs have fairly predictable shapes and sizes, a neat, almost architectural habit, and extraordinary color combinations that both offset and complement many other plants. Although the floral show is a spring and summertime event, the sculptural quality of the leaves and stems makes evergreen euphorbias especially effective in the winter garden. Perhaps the failure to include the shrubby euphorbias in commercially maintained

21 10, 2021

Sasanqua Camellias

Sasanqua Camellias

Nora Harlow2025-01-25T10:21:15-08:00Categories: Blog, Garden Plants, shrubs|Tags: great plants, nora harlow, shrubs|

There was a time, not that long ago, when sasanqua camellias were less well known to most gardeners and less often grown in gardens than japonicas, but that time has surely passed. Of the dozens of sasanquas available from specialty nurseries and online, a few can even be found in the gardening sections of big-box stores. 'Yuletide' on a frosty winter morning There are many reasons for the popularity of Camellia sasanqua and its abundant offspring, especially in summer-dry climates. Most camellias do best in mild, humid climates with regular summer water, but established sasanquas, with afternoon shade

8 10, 2021

Parrotia persica

Parrotia persica

Nora Harlow2025-01-25T10:21:15-08:00Categories: Blog, Garden Plants, trees, shrubs|Tags: great plants, nora harlow, trees, shrubs|

A connoisseur's tree, Parrotia persica or Persian parrotia offers a virtual kaleidoscope of colors and textures from one season to another and over the years. Through the seasons the deeply veined, serrated, broadly oval leaves of this deciduous, multitrunk or low-branching tree turn from spring's bronzy purple to summer's rich green to a sometimes astonishing fall combination of reds, oranges, yellows, and even pinks. Individual trees can vary widely in their fall display, and not every year brings the exact same colors at the same times on the same tree. Parrotia persica leaves in fall color Adding to

21 09, 2021

Wild Buckwheats

Wild Buckwheats

Nora Harlow2025-01-25T10:21:14-08:00Categories: Blog, Garden Plants, groundcovers, shrubs, perennials, California Native|Tags: california native, nora harlow, shrubs, perennials|

What could be more emblematic of the summer-dry/winter wet, semi-arid, and arid climates of western North America than the wild buckwheats? Annuals, perennials, and low to medium or tall shrubs, one or more species of Eriogonum is native from western Canada to Baja California and throughout much of the intermountain west. More than 100 species are native to California, from seaside cliffs to rocky alpine outcrops. Eriogonum grande var. rubescens Most of the buckwheats commonly available to gardeners are shrubs or shrubby perennials with green to gray-green or silvery gray leaves and masses of tiny flowers in small,

Cultivated Varieties of Narcissus

Aloe arborescens

Jerusalem Sage

Evergreen Euphorbias

Sasanqua Camellias

Parrotia persica

Wild Buckwheats

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