Photos of a low, rock-garden-like border

28 Apr '07 10:55 pm

This is a fairly small border growing beside the path to the right of the path leading up to the corner deck. It is about 6 feet deep and I'm kind of thinking of it as a rock garden. Drainage is above average for my clay soil because I"ve worked in a lot of sand and the ground slopes away steeply on the other side of the fence. I'm trying to keep it low so I can tuck in a lot of little treasures and see them all. I'm thinking about colors dominated by purples, yellow and chartreuse - so pretty contrasty. I also want the plants contrast with bits of stone. I'm trying out a lot of new plants here.

The photo of Sophie beside gazebo is just to share the 'Royal Sunset' rose in full bloom. This one has strong scent.

28 Apr '07 10:56 pm

Yes, that center photo is turned sideways. (Drat.)

29 Apr '07 4:06 am

Mark, what a pretty little garden to greet you whenever you go up or down the deck stairs. This is the perfect location for a small scale garden with lots of detail. The 'Royal Sunset' rose is luscious and it looks like Sophie is taking a whiff of the fragrant perfume. I'll bet that rose perfume permeates the whole area when the temperatures are warm.

29 Apr '07 6:35 am

I am droolimg over the sunset rose too -it's gorgeous !
Your colour scheme is an interesting combination of colours .
Dixie

29 Apr '07 7:36 am

I thought the 'Royal Sunset' was peaking last week but maybe not until now. Here are some more roses that are beginning to take off.

29 Apr '07 8:29 am

Oh my Goodness Mark! Like Dixie, I am taken by that Royal Sunset! hehe, even leaned forward to sniff it Very Happy

In the second pix it reminds me of Crepescule sp? with that colouring and floppy petal look , absolutely gorgeous!

Th other favorite of mine is Sally Holmes, she looks fabulous mixed up with the variegated leaves. Sally Holmes was the first rose I planted my current garden and the second year she out performed all expectations. I have added a pix cos I was so proud of her Wink

29 Apr '07 8:38 am

I love the lush way you combine dry-climate plants into a cottage garden richness, Mark! Is your style very personal or would you say it is being done often in California?

Here too often such gardening is either on a very small scale - say in a large pot on a hot terrace - or it is stuck in and forgotten and becomes overrun with grasses and weeds (sounds like parts of my garden Mad

) What is the plant with the amazing flowers in deep red and orange? TELL US MORE! Flutterbye (lovely name!) must be descended from Mutabilis. I'll look around for your pink rose; in fact there is an excellent website that helps with identifying roses. I shall look around for it on my school computer and let you know. It's quite fun to use, especially when you really are trying to identify a rose

29 Apr '07 9:53 am

Our big garden and studio party is coming up in just a few weeks so it is reassuring to hear. Now if the roses will just keep it up a while.

Faith you were right about the scent. I was sweeping up prunings when I caught a whiff, and wow! I didn't know my nose could do that. It is a warm day for us, in the 70s (F).

Pumpkin, 'Royal Sunset' is the one that is very popular up at the Berkeley Rose Garden. It isn't more highly rated or widely grown because it wilts in heat, which we rarely get due to our bayside airconditioning. I don't recognize the 'Crepescule' name but it's been several years so who knows if I would.

Jack the red and orange plant in the low bed is Linaria reticulata 'Flamenco', with flowers proclaimed as being Maroon and gold. I got these from Annies Annuals this past winter. A couple weeks ago I got another cultivar, L.r. 'Red Velvet' with the same look but with red instead of maroon with the contrasting color being a light, pumpkin orange. I've put it in a more shaded area so I'll watch to see who is happier in the long run. I appreciate the kind words.

To answer your question about the combining dry with cottage look, I think everyone in California is very concerned about conserving water. This year promises to be our worst drought year in quite some time and watering promises to get expensive. As a result we have to zone plants by water needs alot. I think this is done a lot. As far as going for lush I think it varies with some liking a more austere drought tolerant look and plenty more like me liking to include some cottagy lushness. Having large areas devoid of plants altogether for paths and gathering areas is very economical as far as water use goes and I think sets off the planted areas more than they would be if the background were more plants. Oh, and thanks for your offer to look for that rose. It stands about four feet high and grows fairly sparcely after a severe pruning last winter.

This is the website for Annies if you want to read about the Linarias yourself.
http://www.anniesannuals.com/info/ohouse/default.asp

29 Apr '07 11:17 am

It's nice to see a rose whch has gone global - like Sally Holmes. Like Pumpkin I love my two Sally Holmes roses. When I was younger and greener (?) I was told she was a great country garden rose. I know that mine like to spread out, yet I've seen others growing up pillars being awfully well behaved, and almost conical in shape. She obviously doesn't mind a bit of training. Mark, thanks so much for showing the photos.

29 Apr '07 3:51 pm

if there is one thing your karma has earned you, it is as many garden photos as you can stand to look at from anywhere in the world. I have had so much enjoyment here at your global villiage these past few monthes. I've enjoyed taking the tour of your garden and reading your journals too. I'm glad you liked them.

You know several years ago (maybe 10?), both Sally Holmes and her partner on the other side of this arch, 'Graham Thomas', were in the middle of my Island Bed (on Graham's side) where I use a lot of water. Both sprawled in a huge fountain, always taking more space than they were allotted. When I got the first wire arch I moved them to either side and have been pretty happy with them.

I have a hard time cutting out older canes enough to encourage new basal shoots. I just can't bare the thought of going through a season with a sparcely covered arch. As a result I have trouble with black spot on Graham. Sally on the other hand is a wonder, one of the most disease free roses ever. I do prune back her efforts to fill more air space than I want her to, but I'm no more disciplined about encouraging new basal shoots with her. Yet she almost never gets black spot or any other disease -and she's on the Dry Island bed side of the arch, though I do give her extra water. What's more, she is growing around and through a variegated pelargonum which is at least as vigorous as she is. Her side of the arch is always more fully filled out and of greater girth than Graham who has only to contend with a smallish, blue version of Black Eyed Susan vine on his side of the arch.

One of the things I appreciate about Graham over Sally is his abiliity to drop his petals on his own with out help. Sallly would hang on to every petal of every spray until all were the color of coffee grounds if I didn't go up and cut them out. Neither has any scent, or so says my nose at least.

Jack, I may not have mentioned that the pink mystery rose does have a strong, spicey sweet scent.

Photos of a low, rock-garden-like border

Photos of a low, rock-garden-like border

Oops!

Pretty little garden

Sunset rose

Dixie, here are some more roses coming on now.

Lovely plants

Thanks for the encouraging words everyone.

Sally Holmes Goes Global!

Moosey,