Our first Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon) arrived in the garden today. We’ve had Western Tiger Swallowtails flit through from time to time, but the Anise Swallowtail is here to start a family, not just pass by. This species feeds on plants in the carrot family, and is one of the reasons that we planted fennelContinue reading “Swallowtails!”
Category Archives: Plants
California Native Plant Society garden
The California Native Plant Society (CNPS) hosted a fun, informal event in the native garden of the Historic City Cemetery in Sacramento (on Broadway). They’ve been working on this garden since 1997, so many of the plants are getting mature. Many dedicated volunteers work regularly to maintain the existing plants and add new ones.
Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis) update
Those feathery, delicate flowers floating over the feather reed grasses are now artistic, pencil-thin spikes that sway in the slightest breeze. The plants’ appearance is now a lot more architectural, but with a loss of lushness and spring softness. This is what the grasses looked like on June ninth, only two short weeks ago. TheContinue reading “Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis) update”
Where roots go
The old adage is that most roots are in the top three feet of soil. This cutaway image, showing roots exposed by the removal of a wall, seems to bear this out. It also shows what happens when roots don’t have as much room to roam as they would like. Still, there are few rootsContinue reading “Where roots go”
Fastest flowers in the West
Remember watching those nature movies when you were small? Where spring comes to someplace, and the flowers all open with time lapse photography? Well, this flower looks just like that, except that no time lapse photography is required. The sepals were moving so fast that they’re blurred once the first flower starts to open! ThisContinue reading “Fastest flowers in the West”
Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora)
Tall, feathery pinkish flowers appeared a couple of weeks ago on our Feather Reed Grasses. Early morning or late afternoon, this grass is stunning. The flowers glow in diffuse light and sway even in the slightest breeze. Yes, grasses have flowers and are considered flowering plants. It’s just that since they’re wind pollinated they don’tContinue reading “Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora)”
A tale of two sages
Deschampsia. Muhlenbergia. Calamagrostis. Grasses have really long names!
Two of these grasses, the Deer Grass and the Tufted Hair Grass, are California natives. The other, Karl Foerster Grass, is a hybrid that does very well here. Tufted Hair Grass has been proposed as a lawn substitute, but that would mean mowing off the flower stalks, since at about three feet high they makeContinue reading “Deschampsia. Muhlenbergia. Calamagrostis. Grasses have really long names!”
Cloning for Dummies: cuttings
Unlike sheep, plants are easy to clone. You don’t even need a fancy laboratory with lots of bubbling liquids and mysterious equipment. Many plants root very easily from cuttings, allowing you to quickly clone one plant into many identical copies. It’s also a good way to grow herbs like sage and rosemary from stems youContinue reading “Cloning for Dummies: cuttings”
Penstemon!
Our penstemons are swinging into full bloom, and providing a nice bit of color to fill in for the departing blue-eyed grass. Native bees visit the flowers, as do hummingbirds. The plants don’t need much, if any, water – depending on the species they’re bred from. Penstemon spectabilis should thrive with no additional water; MargueritaContinue reading “Penstemon!”