Archive for the ‘Zone 9b’ category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Lobularia maritima, the Sweet Alyssum

March 20th, 2013

Sweet Alyssum is one of the favorite flowering plants among gardeners and landscape designers. This small plant with its tiny flowers is very useful in gardens and landscapes – it is a good filler plant under larger specimen landscape plants, it makes dense and flowery mats in landscapes, it also makes excellent border plants, Sweet Alyssum is an excellent container plant as well.

Sweet Alyssum, Lobularia maritima

Sweet Alyssum/ Image by Bill Bumgarner

Sweet Alyssum is a remarkable bloomer too; it flowers all through the spring and continues to bloom in summer. Because of its long flowering season and small size, Sweet Alyssum is often grown as a companion plant with other flowering plants.

Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima), once classified in the genus of Alyssum, is now placed in the genus of Lobularia but it is still known by its common name ‘Sweet Alyssum’ – ‘sweet’ is because of the sweet fragrance of its white or purple flowers.

Sweet Alyssum is quite easy to propagate. It is grown from seeds sown in early spring. The plant requires a loamy and well-drained soil under full to partial sun. With moderate watering and good exposure to sun, Sweet Alyssum grows quickly and starts blooming within a few weeks after germination. In its original Mediterranean climate, the plant grows as perennial, however in colder climates it is grown as an annual bloomer.

Besides the common variety, a number of cultivars of Sweet Alyssum are also available for cultivation. These include: ‘Snow Cloth’, ‘Oriental Nights’, ‘Snow Drift’ and the ‘Golf Series’.

No comments »

Posted in Annuals, Companion Plants, Drought Tolerant Plants, Flowers, Perennials, Zone 10a, Zone 10b, Zone 9a, Zone 9b

Tags:

Lovely Landscape Plant: Euphorbia lambii, the Tree Euphorbia

March 13th, 2013

Euphorbia lambii – a lovely landscape tree with evergreen foliage and beautiful yellow blooms in spring. Actually a fast growing shrub, Euphorbia lambii is grown as a landscape specimen for its attractive evergreen foliage of lime-green color. The plant grows up to 6 feet and produces upright, succulent branches. Each branch is usually covered with thick foliage that makes it a nice plant for gardens and landscapes. The plant becomes even more attractive when yellow bracts appear from the center of thick foliage on each branch in spring.

Euphorbia lambii

Euphorbia lambii/ / Image by Brian Pettinger

Euphorbia lambii grows easily in tropical and sub-tropical climates. With low water requirements and ability to grow in almost any soil, it is a good candidate for xericapes. Euphorbia lambii is propagated from stem cuttings and can be grown under full sun. The only challenge is to protect it from long spells of frost and cold.

Because of its trunk and branching habit, Euphorbia lambii is commonly known as Tree Euphorbia.

No comments »

Posted in Drought Tolerant Plants, Evergreen, Foliage Plant, Outdoor, Shrubs and Bushes, Zone 10a, Zone 10b, Zone 11, Zone 9a, Zone 9b

Tags:

Nicotiana mutabilis, the Flowering Tobacco

March 11th, 2013

Nicotiana mutabilis, popularly known as Flowering Tobacco, is a delightful flowering annual that makes an excellent plant for containers as well as garden landscapes. This sun loving plant is an abundant bloomer that is often seen laden with flowers of white, purple and pink colors. The flowers of Nicotiana mutabilis appear as white trumpet-shaped blooms that fade into purple and then pink, thus giving the plant its name mutabilis, i.e., ‘changing’. These colorful and lovely flowers also make showy and delightful arrangements in a vase.

Nicotiana mutabilis, Flowering Tobacco

Nicotiana mutabilis, Flowering Tobacco / Image via flickr (FaroutFlora)

Nicotiana mutabilis is easily grown from seeds sown in spring. The plant prefers fertile and slightly moist but well-drained soil in a spot where it receives bright sunlight. Nicotiana mutabilis usually grows as a self-seeding plant that comes back every spring; deadhead the plant if you do not want it to grow again the next season.

Nicotiana mutabilis is attractive to birds and butterflies thus a good choice if you want to attract birds to your garden.

No comments »

Posted in Annuals, Flowers, Zone 10a, Zone 10b, Zone 8a, Zone 8b, Zone 9a, Zone 9b

Tags:

Little, Lovely Myosotis: Forget-me-not

March 5th, 2013

Myosotis or Forget-me-not, as it is commonly known, is a lovely and easy to grow spring bloomer. The genus comprises of more than one hundred annuals, biennials and perennials that mostly grow as low-growing plants that tend to form large mounds.

Usually growing under shade or partial sunlight, most species of Myosotis prefer damp and rich soil where they can be planted for abundance of small blue flowers in spring. Myosotis or Forget-me-nots are easily propagated from seed or division in late winter. These tender plants need to be protected from frost in winter and scorching heat in summer.

Myosotis, Forget-me-not

Myosotis, Forget-me-not/ Image by Maurizio Albissola

Myosotis can be grown in containers where they would spill out to become delicate and attractive plants or in mass plantation scheme where they will form large mounds. The small and pointed leaves of Forget-me-not somewhat look like ears of a mouse – thus giving them their Greek name Myosotis (mouse’s ears).

The name Forget-me-not also has an interesting story. The legend has it that when God gave names to all the flowers, the little Myosotis cried, “Forget me not, O Lord!” The God replied, “That is your name, forget-me-not”. Besides the myths, Myosotis has been a popular subject in history, folk literature, and modern day fiction because of its lovely flowers and attractive colors.

No comments »

Posted in Annuals, Flowers, Zone 7a, Zone 7b, Zone 8a, Zone 8b, Zone 9a, Zone 9b

Tags:

Linum grandiflorum, the Scarlet Flax

March 3rd, 2013

Finally the spring has almost set in as the early spring bloomers are spreading their colors all around the town – especially the Scarlet Flax. It is blooming wildly and endlessly everywhere to celebrate early spring.

Linum grandiflorum, Scarlet Flax

Linum grandiflorum

Linum grandiflorum or Scarlet Flax as it is commonly known is originally native to North Africa and parts of Europe and Asia where it grows as a drought-tolerant annual. The plant grows under sunny exposure and produces erect branches (up to 18 inches) with waxy-green leaves. The leaves provide a nice background to spectacular scarlet flowers of the plant.

Linum grandiflorum can be grown in almost any soil that provides good drainage. The plant does well in containers as well as in the ground where it tends to form large mounds of elegant branches. The plant starts producing flowers in early spring. At this time, large mounds of the plant produce small scarlet flowers in abundance. The catchy colors of the flowers and dense branches of waxy-green leaves make Linum grandiflorum an excellent choice for garden borders or as nice filler for empty landscape spaces. It can also be mixed with larkspur, cosmos and other spring bloomers to create a dramatic effect.

Linum grandiflorum is easily propagated from seeds and does not require much care. Other names of Linum grandiflorum include Red Flax or Flowering Flax.

No comments »

Posted in Annuals, Drought Tolerant Plants, Flowers, Outdoor, Zone 10a, Zone 10b, Zone 9a, Zone 9b

Tags: