Our Garden

Our Garden: May

Garden: May dry shade

Garden: May wet sun

Garden: May wet shade

 

Plants for in, or around, a shady pond in California.

Here is a picture of Carpenteria californica in our native garden Carpenteria californica, Bush Anemone has survived here for 20 years. It will survive in full sun(it does in Bakersfield), but needs the tree canopy to keep from freezing. In the open the bark peels on bad years and the plant dies to the ground, sometimes coming back.

Here is a picture of the California strawberry in our native garden Fragaria californica(vesca), California Strawberry, has made the edges of a couple of the watered areas its home. One of the plants is now 50 ft. by 20 ft. wide.

Here's a picture of California geranium, of course, in our garden!Geranium californicum, California Geranium, that was planted 15 years ago seems to be happy here in full shade with regular water.

Western Azalea is a wonderful plant if you live in its range.Rhododendron occidentale, Western Azalea, planted this spring, grows along our 'creek' in the shade of a Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii), mixed in with Spiraea douglasii, Western Spiraea.

Thimbleberry gives a great flower and a fair berry in a native shade garden.Rubus parviflorus, Thimble Berry, 10 years old, grows underneath a Spitzenberg apple tree between two greenhouses in full shade and resembles a 6 foot high bush. In another area, a second specimen, of about the same vintage, is growing at the edge of an old Quercus agrifolia, receives only morning sun, with Fragaria californica (vesca), and Clematis ligusticifolia, Virgin's Bower, as companions. In both places it receives regular water.

California stachys grows in wet spots in sun or shade. Stachys chamissonis

Ninebark is native in the creek in central California, along creek in northern california Physocarpus capitatus, Ninebark, was planted ten years ago, surviving the dry summer conditions, but has been growing more happily now that it is near a bird bath.

California mountain elderberry is native in California Sambucus caerulea(mexicana), Mountain Elderberry, likes regular water and shade at our site. At higher elevations it lives in full sun.