Where memories are created
Carefree Black-Eyed-Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) is a North American native species in the sunflower family. They can grow to over 3 feet tall and have daisy-like flowers with sultry dark ‘eyes’ and brightly colored petals which emanate pure joy. Each year I always look forward to where they will pop up. We currently have a bunch growing along a path in the backyard. Oh, what a glorious color they provide to the garden!
Published by Amy on Aug 14, 2018
The name Rhododendron comes from the Greek words “rodon” which means “rose” and “dendron” which means “tree,” hence Rose Tree. Rhododendrons are referred to as the ‘King of Shrubs’ since they are regarded by many as the best flowering evergreen plants for the temperate landscape. These Rhodies pictured are 72 years old and the tree must be at least 9 feet tall. Oh, and what a beaut she is! Go, Rhody! Go, Rhody!
Published by Amy on May 22, 2018
Bacopa (Sutera cordata) has long, cascading stems that smother themselves in tiny, perfect, five-petal flowers from June through October. Flowers are in shades of white, pink, lavender, blue and even coral red. It’s native to the wetter regions of South Africa and likes full to partial shade. The plant must stay moist at all times, as they are originally used to the high humidity.
Bacopa is related to the water hyssop (Bacopa monnieri) or the classic Ayurvedic herb you might be very familiar with. The herb has an age-old reputation for being an effective and powerful antioxidant to reduce stress-induced anxiety and enhance cognitive abilities.
On a side note. Are you a Nintendo fan? The game ‘pikmin’ is named after Bacopa. Who knew?
“We used a variety of innovative and unusual activities to build anticipation for the Nintendo GameCube. Naming a flower after a video game is just one more way Nintendo is ‘seeding’ creative marketing.” – Peter Main, executive vice president, sales and marketing, Nintendo of America.
Wow. “Seeding?” Kind of frightening…
Published by Amy on: Jan 5, 2016
#bacopa #flowers #herb #gardening #nintendo #cottagegarden #whatsgrowingtuesday #lomamar #sfbayarea #wherewaterfalls
Flowering tobacco (Nicotiana). Nicotiana is a member of the tobacco family. And…..yes, it has high concentrations of nicotine but that’s not what it’s grown for. It’s grown for the terrifically fragrant (especially at night) flowers. We have a few by the deck so when sitting out on a summers evening, our guests will get a whiff of the sweet perfume. The flowers begin to appear and bloom in the early summer and will re-bloom all season. It likes full sun. The five pointed florets are trumpet shaped, with red, white, rose, yellow, and lavender colors on slender stems. Different varieties grow from one to ten feet tall. And, you guessed it, when the flowers open up in the late afternoon, the fragrance attracts critters of all sizes into the wee hours.
Published by Amy on: Nov 3, 2015
#tobacco #flowers #fragrance #cottagegarden #plants #whatsgrowingtuesday #lomamar #wherewaterfalls
Salvia (Lamiaceae) is the largest genus of plants in the mint family. The name derives from the Latin salvere (“to feel well and healthy”). Another common name is sage – a relative of the familiar kitchen sage. Flowering salvias produce spikes of small, densely packed flowers atop aromatic foliage. These heat and drought tolerant beauties bloom from early to late summer in shades of blue, violet, red, pink, and white. Plants grow 18 inches to 5 feet tall, depending on the variety. Blooms of most salvia plants are long lasting and attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds which are always good for the garden. Long-blooming, deer resistant and easy to care for. What else could you possibly want? They attract the good guys and discourage the less desirable ones!
This photo was taken before we mulched several weeks back. Next year the plants will pop even more. Another good reason to mulch!
Published By Amy on: Sep 15, 2015
#sage #flowers #garden #whatsgrowingtuesday #lomamar #sfbayarea #wherewaterfalls
Hydrangeas have been cultivated in western gardens since the first American species were brought to England in the 1730’s. These flowers flaunt an old fashioned charm that’s hard to resist. Clear blues, vibrant pinks, frosty whites, lavender, and rose – sometimes all blooming on the same plant! Unrivaled in the shrub world, these elegant ladies are easy to cultivate, tolerate almost any soil, and produce flowers in mid-summer through fall. We have several varieties, even a few in pots on the deck. They also make great cut flowers (fresh & dried) that last and last for our guests. According to folklore, if a witch put a curse on an unlucky man or woman the hydrangea was often used to break the curse. Good to know. Might come in handy one day or just come on over to The Cottage.
Published by Amy on: Aug 11, 2015
#hydrangea #flowers #cottagegarden #flowerphotography #whatsgrowingtuesday #lomamar #sfbayarea #wherewaterfalls
Update: June 21, 2016 – Hydrangeas. They scream cottage garden! These beauties have immense flower heads in old fashioned-like colors of pink, blue, white and purple. The flowers are vigorous and long-lived, blooming in the summer and sometimes way into fall. The colors of some hydrangeas—especially mophead and lacecap—can change color based on the soil pH. Acidic soils with a pH of less than 5.5 produce blue flowers; soils with a pH greater than 5.5 produce pink flowers. White flowers are not affected by pH. We are trying our first blue flower this year. We have it planted in a pot so it will be easier to keep the soil acidic. But, if it turns pink, that’s okay too, because who can resist the color of any hydrangea?
UPDATE July 11, 2017
Hydrangeas. The quintessential cottage garden flower. We have them in every color and I don’t think you can have too many hydrangeas in your yard. Ours have done exceptionally well this year with all the winter rain and the newly efficient drip system we installed. They love water. In fact, we’ve had to cut a few back as the guests wouldn’t be able to walk down the path! Maybe I should start telling them to pack a machete in their suitcase? They can whack them back for me. It would be fun. The hydrangea jungle adventure awaits at The Cottage. Coming soon. No?
Dahlias or otherwise known as: The Show-Stoppers. Today there are literally thousands (I came across an estimate of 50,000!) of cultivated varieties of dahlias that have been hybridized. The original dahlia originated from a humble Mexican wildflower with eight petals and in a few colors. The dahlia of today has one of the longest bloom seasons of any garden flower and they last a very long time as cut flowers too. With so many to choose from you could literally fill several stadiums up to view them all! I told you they are called ‘The Show-Stoppers!’ Can you hear the prolonged applause coming from the stadiums?
Published by Amy on: Aug 4, 2015
#flowerphotography #cottagegarden #flowers #whatsgrowingtuesday #lomamar #sfbayarea #wherewaterfalls
Matilija poppies (Romneya coulteri). And yes, they belong to the poppy family. This plant came in second as a candidate for our state flower but was beat out by the California poppy.
The showy white flowers are the largest of any plant native to California (the flowers are about the size of your hand), and look like fried eggs! The petals (there are six) are like fine white crinkled tissue and there is a giant cluster of bright yellow stamens in the center – like the yolk of an egg. They also have an apricot scent.
The plants are not easy to start but once established, they are difficult to remove. For it will spread (through underground runners) so, give them room. This plant is not for condos or small yards!
In the wild, they are known as “fire followers” as they can be frequently found in burned areas growing to 8 feet tall. Our Matilija blooms around late March and can continue into early fall if watered. They are also excellent plants to bring bees to your garden. Sunny side up, anyone?
Published by Amy on: Jun 30, 2015
#californianatives #poppies #flowers #whatsgrowingtuesday #cottagegarden #wherewaterfalls #lomamar #sfbayarea
Scabiosa ‘Butterfly Blue’ or also known as pincushion flowers. These easy care, soft lavender-blue flowers have a long bloom period from spring until late fall. The clumps of flower-heads stand above the foliage and they really do look like pincushions surrounded by frilly petals. In the wind, scabiosa flowers gently sway, creating enchanting garden scenes or at least I think so. They have a slight fragrance and beckon the hummingbirds and butterflies but not the deer as we like to keep it that way!
Published by Amy on: Jun 23, 2015
#flowers #cottagegarden #butterflies #hummingbird #whatsgrowingtuesday #wherewaterfalls #lomamar #sfbayarea
Rosa Iceberg shrub roses. They are among the world’s best known and beloved roses. The iceberg puts out an abundant display of flowers from spring through fall. One stem can have as many as 12 flowers – as you can see all the buds coming off this one! They are also a very vigorous variety that is disease resistant making them easy to grow. The Iceberg can build up to 6 feet tall or be lightly pruned to maintain a 4-foot height. We have 37 (yes, I counted them) along a path in the backyard. They attract the bumble bees, butterflies, and Homo sapiens too.
Published by Amy on: Jun 16, 2015
#rose #flowers #cottagegarden #lomamar #sfbayarea #whatsgrowingtuesday #wherewaterfalls
Update: June 7, 2016 –Rosa Iceberg are one of the top ten roses of the world and the best landscape rose around. The flowers have up to 30 to 40 petals with a sweet, mild honey fragrance. It blooms from May through October. We have 37 planted along a pathway in the back of the property that adds a nice pop of pure white. Unfortunately, a few weeks ago some deer broke through the fence and had a feast on them as well as some other things. ;( They’ll have to be cut back but with a little patience they’ll be looking like their old selves again.
