plants Archives - Where Water Falls

What’s Growing At The Cottage No. 036

Amy Cottage garden June 19, 2018June 19, 2018cottagegarden, gardendesign, lomamar, plants, sfbayarea, shadeloving, whatsgrowingtuesday

Hosta or plantain lilies. These plants originate from Asia and for centuries have been used in Japanese garden architecture for its beauty. Hostas are currently the most popular perennial in the U.S. with literally thousands (I came across 6,000!) of varieties that an entire garden could be devoted to growing this alone! Hostas are shade-tolerant, low maintenance, quite forgiving, incredibly elegant, and quite possibly habit-forming. We love them at The Cottage but they are a magnet for the banana slugs so keep it baited.

Published by Amy on Jun 19, 2018

What’s Growing At The Cottage No. 062

Amy Cottage garden November 17, 2015January 20, 2016annual, colors, cottagegarden, foliage, gardendesign, lomamar, plants, whatsgrowingtuesday, wherewaterfalls

Coleus (Coleus blumei) have some of the most stunningly colored foliage like in your face green, yellow, pink, red, maroon, etc. The variability in patterns is amazing too, with solid colors, splashes, blotches, streaks, flecks, margins and veins. These plants are durable, easy to grow and great for adding color especially in those dark, drab-looking areas. Coleus is a member of the nettle family (with no stingers) but they are also a mint.

I read that Coleus were a must have choice for the Victorian gardens back in the day. A technique called ‘carpet gardening’ which consisted of flower beds laid out in elaborate patterns that were meant to be seen from a high window or balcony were used. This became very popular as competitive aristocrats wanted the most unusual specimens in their own gardens. This plant lust ignited what was to be called ‘The Great Coleus Race’ as hybridizers and hobbyists alike hurried to create new varieties to cash in on the craze. The Boston Public Gardens even got in on it with a profile of George Washington in Coleus! I wonder how long it took them to create that?

Published by Amy on: Nov 17, 2015

#colors #foliage #annual #gardendesign #plants #cottagegarden #whatsgrowingtuesday #lomamar #wherewaterfalls

Coleus growing at Loma Mar, CA vacation cottage

What’s Growing at The Cottage No. 060

Amy Cottage garden November 3, 2015January 19, 2016cottagegarden, flowers, fragrance, lomamar, plants, tobacco, whatsgrowingtuesday, 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