Beautiful bowls 2017f

1/8/2017
© Project SOUND
Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with California Native Plants in Western L.A. County
Project SOUND – 2017 (our 13th year)
© Project SOUND
Beautiful Bowls:
containers for color through
the year
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH (emeritus) & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
January 7 & 12, 2017
2017 Season – Small is Beautiful: Native
Habitats in Smaller Gardens
© Project SOUND
Designing an attractive small garden requires more
discipline…
© Project SOUND
http://mgc-old.zurka.com/blog/topics/container-gardening

1/8/2017
Because space is limited, plants must be
chosen both for their attractiveness and their
other useful attributes
© Project SOUND
California huckleberry – Vaccinia ovata
Artemisia species – for cooking or potpourri
But your small container garden should
please the eye & other senses
© Project SOUNDhttp://www.singinggardens.com/container-garden-design/
And that means you need to think and
plan – perhaps even more than if you had
lots of space to work with
© Project SOUND
Let’s take an example: 8’ by 15’ patio
© Project SOUND
Sliding door
Part sun
Pretty shady
window

1/8/2017
Available space for planting: 8’ x 15’ patio
© Project SOUND
Sliding door window
Part sun
Pretty shady
Here is a possible layout: 8’ by 15’ patio
© Project SOUND
Sliding door window
Summary: plant/pot diameters
Part-shade Area
Grouping 1 – N=5
 1 large plant (3 ft)
 2 medium plants (1 ½ - 2 ft)
 2 smaller pots (1 ft or less)
Grouping 2 – N=3
 2 smaller plants (1 ft or less)
Quite Shady Area
Grouping – N=3
Single plant – N=1
© Project SOUND
Container garden design secrets
1. Group in odd (rather than
even) number of pots
2. Choose a unifying theme, and
stick to it
© Project SOUND

1/8/2017
Since everything is visible from inside, we
need an organized, coherent design…
© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/111534528245313855/
…rather than a
collection of
pots and
plants
https://www.pinterest.com/BucketGardeners/container-garden/
The trick is to pick a theme and stick to it
© Project SOUND
Choose a theme to unify your container garden
 Most difficult options
 Range of flower/fruit color
unified by lots of green or white
(either flowers or foliage)
 Differences in foliage texture
© Project SOUND
http://www.ufseeds.com/Container-Gardening-Urban-Farmers-Guide.html
http://home4lifenow.com/garden/container-gardening-designs-ideas-we-can-
choose-for-our-flower-trees/attachment/container-gardening-designs-pictures-
2/
http://www.nyfilmfinance.net/4f6e0bac461a97de-container-flower-garden-ideas.html
Choosing a unifying theme: container gardens
 Slightly easier options
 Choose a color scheme based on
the flower colors (color wheel)
 Choose evergreen plants with
contrasting foliage colors
 Use plants from a single genus
or family
© Project SOUND
http://www.hamptons.com/Lifestyle/Gardenscapes/17279/Parrish-Art-
Museums-Landscape-Pleasures-Tour.html#.WG_GJGcU-Uk
http://www.gardenlandscapeideas.org/ideas/preview/5947/greatcontainerideas.html

1/8/2017
Choosing a unifying theme: container gardens
 Easiest options – choose:
 Variations on the same
container
 Containers with the same
color or shape
 Flowers with the same/
similar hue
© Project SOUND
http://www.container-gardening-for-you.com/flower-picture.html
http://gardenclub.homedepot.com/plan-a-container-garden/
http://www.gardenguides.com/container-gardening-tips/
Coordinated pots give plenty of options but
still unify the design
© Project SOUND
Sliding door window
http://stewart-garden.co.uk/products/dark-brown/40cm/varese-tall-planter/
Treat yourself to some nice, attractive
containers
© Project SOUND
http://www.potterybarn.com/products/concrete-
fluted-planters/?cm_src=AutoCSLPIP
http://blog.palmpons.com/2016/06/30/ideas-for-summerizing-your-deck-or-patio/
There are a wide
range of options
Choose ones
you like that look
good with your
architecture
We’ve chosen coordinating pots; now let’s
focus on other aspects of design
© Project SOUND

1/8/2017
Mother Nature often relies on darker
evergreen plants to provide the backdrop
© Project SOUND
Inspiration for the shady area of our patio
© Project SOUND
https://gardeninacity.wordpress.com/2016/07/24/july-fruitnfoliage/
Note the important role of green foliage in this garden
stick to it
3. Design your background(s)
carefully, to provide contrast
4. Provide enough green foliage,
year-round
© Project SOUND
Ferns are a great source of shady green foliage
© Project SOUND
http://www.baumschule-
newgarden.de/product_info.php?info=p6315_Athyrium-filix-femina--
Lady-in-Red----Rotstieliger-Frauenfarn.html
And there are more CA
native ferns than you might
think

1/8/2017
In fact, you could limit your patio garden
only to ferns
© Project SOUND
http://frustratedgardener.com/tag/foxgloves/
But we’re more interested in using them
as evergreen background plants
© Project SOUND
http://gardeningandgardens.blogspot.com/2012_05_01_archive.html
© Project SOUND
* Western Sword Fern – Polystichum munitum
http://www.nwplants.com/business/catalog/pol_mun.html
 Western N. America, primarily coastal
states, from AK to Baja
 In CA, almost always below 2500 ft.
 Favored habitat: the understory of moist
coniferous forests at low elevations –
locally, San Gabriel mtns.
 It grows best in a well-drained acidic soil
of rich humus and small stones.
© Project SOUND
* Western Sword Fern – Polystichum munitum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polystichum_munitum
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200004619
http://www.backyardnature.net/n/x/sword-fn.htm

1/8/2017
© Project SOUND
Western Sword Fern – corresponds to
most people’s notion of a fern
 Size:
 3-6 ft tall
 spreading to 3-6 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Upright growth habit
 Height depends on light – taller in
dense shade
 Evergreen leaves in clumps of 100
or so – moderate spread rate
 Long-lived
 Foliage:
 Medium to dark green
 Single pinnate with alternating
pinna
 Fronds unroll, forming fiddleheads
© 2008 Matt Below © Project SOUND
Coastal Wood Fern – Dryopteris arguta
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
 Most commonly near coast & in coastal
ravines from British Columbia to central
CA – tho’ south to Baja, Sierra foothills
 Locally on Catalina & San Clemente Isl,
Santa Monica & San Gabriel Mtns.
 N. slopes/shady creeks: oak woodland,
chaparral, coastal sage scrub up to 5000’
© Project SOUND
Coastal Wood Fern – Dryopteris arguta
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/dryopteris-arguta
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233500589
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?19,27,28
© Project SOUND
Coastal Wood Fern: a medium-size fern
 Size:
 2-3 ft tall (largest in rainforests)
 2-3 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Moderately spreading clump
 Fronds usually upright/fairly straight
 Foliage:
 Medium to dark green; prom. scales
 2 times pinnate - moderately complex
structure
 Foliage soft - not stiff
 Quite variable – some types appear
ruffled or lacy (leaflets turned at an
angle
 Drought-deciduous (S. CA Oak
Woodlands)
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/dryopteris-arguta
http://hardyfernlibrary.com/f
erns/listSpecies.cfm?Auto=
3
http://plants.montara.com/ListPages/FamPages/Dryopterida.html

1/8/2017
© Project SOUND
Sword Ferns: adaptable
 Soils:
 Texture: most
 pH: slightly acidic (4.0-7.0) – under
evergreens/oaks would be fine
 Light:
 Part-shade to full shade
 This is truly a forest under-story
fern; good even under dense
trees
 Water:
 Winter: like plenty
 Summer: quite adaptable
 Zone 2-3 or 3 – will stay green
 Zone 1-2 or 2 – drought
deciduous
 Fertilizer: ½ strength or none
 Other: likes a good leaf mulch layerMark W. Skinner @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© Project SOUND
Wood Ferns
 Ferns always look nice in large
containers
 Great for shady slopes/banks –
even growing in retaining walls
 Young fronds can be cooked;
eaten – also anti-microbial
© 2003 Michael Charters
http://www.globaltwitcher.com/artspec_information.asp?thingid=88976
But wait – we’ve got even more great native ferns
In the Victorian age there was a
veritable fad for fern gardens in
England, & the Lady Fern was one of
the most popular of all. It seems to
have fallen below the top-ten
favorite ferns nowadays, as many
other species of ferns remain tidy
longer. But it has never entirely lost
favor, thanks to its extreme
hardiness in cold & temperate zones.
There are in fact a vast number of
Lady Fern cultivars in the trade.
© Project SOUND
http://www.jparkers.co.uk/3-athyrium-filixfemina-lady-fern-1013434
So what is this ‘Lady Fern’ ?
© Project SOUND
Common (Western) ladyfern – Athyrium filix-femina
©2016 Zoya Akulova

1/8/2017
 Northwestern N. America from
AK to S. CA
 Locally: possibly San Gabriels
 Moist woods, moist meadows,
wetlands and along streams,
from lowlands to mid-elevations
 Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir
Forest, Lodgepole Forest,
Subalpine Forest, wetland-
riparian
 Athyrium filix-femina var.
cyclosorum - Western lady fern
© Project SOUND
California (Western) ladyfern – Athyrium filix-femina
Gerald and Buff Corsi © California Academy of Sciences
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=54990
© Project SOUND
Characteristics of Western ladyfern
 Size:
 2-3+ (even to 5) ft tall
 2-3+ft wide
 Growth form:
 Evergreen, perennial fern
 Many leaves (fronds) unroll from
the center
 Foliage:
 Medium green, compound leaves
 This is an attractive, delicate
looking fern (think Victorian
garden)
 Roots: slowly increases in size via
rhizomes
J.S. Peterson, hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athyrium_filix-femina
© Project SOUND
Woodland understory  Soils:
 Texture: not picky
 pH: any local or acidic
 Light:
 Part- to full shade
 Water:
 Winter: needs adequate
 Summer: moist soils (even
grow next to water); regular
water
 Fertilizer: forest-floor plant;
best with organic mulch or added
humus
 Other: easy care; cut off dead
fronds and divide when necessary
Gerald and Buff Corsi © California Academy of Sciences
Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College
Repotting ferns: very easy
 Remove from pot
 Divide entire plant (roots and
all) using a stout knife or
pruning saw
 Remove some of the old medium
 Repot & enjoy
© Project SOUND
http://smallnotebook.org/2012/08/16/how-to-repot-ferns/

1/8/2017
© Project SOUND
Into the fern grotto…
 Excellent choice for a large pot –
perfect size for shady patio
 In a woodland-themed garden
 Shady spots near a watered lawn
 Any other shady spot that can be
watered
©2008 Matt Below
http://www.nwplants.com/business/catalog/ath_fil.html
Traditional uses
for Lady fern
 Edible
 fiddleheads were boiled, baked (eaten in moderation)
 Medicinal
 Tea of boiled stems to ease labor pains, kill intestinal worms
 Dried powdered root has been applied externally to heal sores
 Useful
 Leaves used for laying out or cover food, scouring pads, decoration
in baskets, and diaper linings
© Project SOUND
©2015 Barry Breckling
Some thoughts on ferns in shady containers
 Many do well in containers
 They are pretty and relaxing – like being
out in a shady forest
 Some are evergreen – a source of green
and design continuity through the year
 Ready available (native or not)
 Easy to grow
 Even if you water them regularly, you’re
not really using that much water – a
‘prudent’ indulgence
© Project SOUND
Look good in
contemporary and
vintage gardens
stick to it
year-round
5. Repeat the same or similar
foliage plants in several places
to tie design together
© Project SOUND

1/8/2017
Ferns can anchor the design of our patio:
we can mix & match because they look similar
© Project SOUND
Sliding door window
© Project SOUND
Great polemonium – Polemonium carneum
©2000 Dianne Fristrom
 N. Coast, Klamath Ranges, North Coast
Ranges, Central Coast, SF Bay to OR, WA
 Northern Coastal Scrub, Coastal Prairie,
Yellow Pine Forest
 Forest floor (understory) plant in the
Phlox family
© Project SOUND
Great polemonium – Polemonium carneum
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_cpn.pl?POCA4
CNPS Rarity: 2B.2 –
threatened due to logging
© Project SOUND
Great polemonium: herbaceous perennial
 Size:
 1-2 ft tall
 1-2 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Upright to mounded form
 Herbaceous; winter dormant
 Looks like a woodland plant
 Foliage:
 Compound leaves – rather like
a fancy fern
 Medium- to blue-green; nice
foliage most of the year.
 Delicate & ‘garden-like’
http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/view/?id=848

1/8/2017
© Project SOUND
Glorious flowers
 Blooms: off and on with water, April
to fall.
 Flowers:
 Shape typical for family: trumpet-
shaped with 5 partly-fused petals
 Flowers to 1 inch across
 Colors: usually pastel pinks, yellows,
oranges – sometimes darker
lavender
 Very pretty blooms – looks like a
flower garden plant
 Bees, other insects & hummingbirds
 Seeds: many small seeds in dry capsule
– may reseed but not aggressive or
weedy
©2009 Vernon Smith
©2014 John Doyen © Project SOUND
Plant Requirements  Soils:
 Texture: not picky
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Part-shade to quite shady
 Water:
 Winter: supplement if needed
 Summer: likes regular water –
Water Zone 2-3 or 3 (let soils
only partially dry out)
 Fertilizer: woodland plant so fine
with yearly dose of ½ strength
fertilizer (pot or ground)
 Other: light organic mulch (leaf
mulch best)
©2014 John Doyen
© Project SOUND
Flower garden delight
 Nice addition to woodland garden
 Herbaeous groundcover under trees
or other moist, shady places
 Around ponds & pools; water swales
 Excellent choice for a container
garden – loves a shady porch
http://www.wnps.org/plants/polemonium_carneum.html
https://www.ballyrobertgardens.com/products/polemonium-carneum-apricot-delight
http://www.pbase.com/rodg/image/79853226
Polemonium carneum
‘Apricot Delight’
 Mound of attractive green
foliage
 Clusters of pink-apricot flowers
appearing on tall stems late
spring through early summer.
 Wonderful addition to the
woodland garden but equally at
home in containers, rock gardens
 Easy to grow
 Trim back lightly after blooming.
Tends to self-seed.
© Project SOUND
http://www.perennials.com/plants/polemonium-carneum-apricot-delight.html
http://westerncascades.com/2014/06/01/searching-for-erythronium-at-hemlock-lake/

1/8/2017
Ferns & sub-shrubs with fern-like foliage can provide a
nice evergreen backbone for our garden
© Project SOUND
Sliding door window
Alternatively, we can use small, evergreen,
shrubs to provide contrasting foliage
© Project SOUND
Sliding door window
Many good evergreen choices for a small,
shady container garden
 Small Berberis/Mahonia
 Frangula (Rhamnus) californica
(small cultivars)
 Holodiscus discolor
 Spiraea species
 Ribes viburnifolium
 Vaccineum californicum
 Non-native choices
 Azalea
 Fuschia
 Blueberries
 Many others
© Project SOUND
Avoid: large, deep taproot or summer dry
Catalina snapdragon -
Gambelia speciosa
 Does fine in part-shade – even quite
shady places
 Be sure to prune (beginning young) to
get a good shape
© Project SOUND
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/tags/galvezia/interesting/
A good local native
that is quite water-
wise

1/8/2017
Some plants have such nice foliage that we
forgive them their (brief) dormancy
© Project SOUND
Scarlet monkeyflower
Mimulus cardinalis
Shade-loving perennials are another good
source of contrasting foliage
© Project SOUND
Sliding door window
© Project SOUND
California sweet cicely – Osmorhiza brachypoda
 C./S. Sierra Nevada Foothills,
Tehachapi, San Francisco Bay, South
Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges,
Peninsular Ranges
 Locally: Santa Monica, San Gabriel
Mtns
 Moist ravines, coniferous forests,
woodlands
 Leroy Abrams – Flora of Los Angeles
and Vicinity: Washingtonia
brachypoda
© Project SOUND
California sweet cicely – Osmorhiza brachypoda
©2014 Jean Pawek
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_cpn.pl?OSBR

1/8/2017
© Project SOUND
Sweet cicely: winter dormant, but pretty
foliage much of the year
 Size:
 1-3 ft tall
 1-2 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Winter-dormant herbaceous perennial
 Mounded form; basal from thick
taproot
 Foliage:
 Compound leaves have fern-like
appearance
 Licorice-aroma (foliage & roots)
 Roots: taproot; choose deeper pot (20
inch) and don’t disturb roots
http://www.smmflowers.org/mobile/species/Osmorhiza_brachypoda.htm
Only known host plant for the
California endemic Sierra
moth Greya suffusca.
© Project SOUND
Flowers: trés petite
 Blooms: mid-spring - usually Mar-
Apr in S. CA lowlands
 Flowers:
 Typical for Carrot family
 Small, green-yellow to white
flowers in open cluster (umbel)
 You may miss them, but the
pollinators won’t – wonderful for
unusual smaller insects
 Seeds: seeds/pods are interesting
©2014 Steve Matson
© Project SOUND
Cicely likes her shade  Soils:
 Texture: any well-drained; can
be planted on slope
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Part-shade to quite shady;
understory plant
 Water:
 Summer: likes moist soil;
regular water (Water Zone 2-3
or 3) until fall – then taper off
 Fertilizer: fine with low dose – of
use leaf mulch
 Other: organic mulch fine – but
not too thick (will rot)
©2016 John Doyen
© Project SOUND
Great plant for woodland garden
 Perennial or seasonal groundcover under trees
 On shady slopes with strawberries, etc.
 In shady areas near the vegetable garden – or
under trees in orchard
 For herb or medicinal garden
 In a pot on a shady porch
©2011 Jean Pawek
https://auntiedogmasgardenspot.wordpress.com/2013/07/24/sweet-cicely-myrrhis-
odorata-osmorhiza/
http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/plants/Apiaceae/Osmorhiza%20brachypoda.htm

1/8/2017
Added value: this is a medicinal plant
 Root decoction used for coughs, colds.
 Infusion of foliage used as a hair wash
to kill fleas
 Could probably use as a flavoring: dried
seeds or alcohol infusion for a kitchen
extract
© Project SOUND
© Project SOUND
Common Lomatium – Lomatium utriculatum
http://www.swanlake.bc.ca/native-plant-gallery.php
Other choices with similar look/needs
© Project SOUND
Western columbine – Aquilegia formosa
Meadowrue – Thalictrum fendleri
Perennials: good for interest and color
 Many (native and non-native) are
happy growing in containers
 They are a nice size for smaller
gardens
 Many have lovely/unusual foliage
 Some have showy flowers
 Many have other attributes: scent,
habitat value, human uses
 Many can be used in part-shade as
well as shadier areas of the garden
© Project SOUND

1/8/2017
Down side of many S. CA perennials –
need to die back in late summer/fall
© Project SOUND
Strategies for dealing with container
plants that die back
1. Move them around (so they aren’t
so obvious)
2. Swap them out (with something
that is green and/or blooming)
3. Enjoy the natural seasons; look
forward to both the fall & spring
(even in a small garden)
4. Use a decorative mulch that’s
attractive even in the ‘off season’
© Project SOUND
See our November 2015 talk for
more ideas
1. Group in odd (rather than even)
number of pots
sticky to it
year-round
5. Repeat the same or similar
foliage plants in several places to
tie design together
6. Choose perennials both for
foliage and as colorful seasonal
accents
© Project SOUND
Perennials that provide both interesting foliage
and flowers provide important accents
© Project SOUND
Mint Family

1/8/2017
Heucheras in containers
 No special potting soil except for
those that need extra gravel
 Shallow roots – don’t need a deep
container (except H. maxima)
 Elegant alone – or in mixed containers
© Project SOUND
http://awaytogarden.com/the-best-heuchera-and-how-to-grow-them/
Heucheras and moisture-
loving native ferns make a
fetching combination
https://www.hostasdirect.com/blog/useful-advice-for-
planting-heucheras-in-containers/
See our December
2015 talk for more
on Heucheras
Perennial Monkeyflowers: foliage and
flower characteristics make good use of
space
© Project SOUND
A few others we’ve
talked about
© Project SOUND
Yerba santa – Anemospis californica
http://www.glplants.com/plants/2893-Achillea-
millefolium-Pink-Grapefruit
Strawberries – Fragaria speicies
Yarrow – Achillea millefolia
Shade-loving perennials are another good
source of contrasting foliage & flowers
© Project SOUND
Sliding door window

1/8/2017
Now we need some showy, seasonal accents
© Project SOUND
Sliding door window
Smaller seasonal accents for shady and
part-shady pots
 Some Native herbaceous
perennials
 Native perennials from bulbs
 Some annual wildflowers
 Some vegetables (annuals)
 Non-native shade-loving plants
 Begonia
 Brunfelsia
 Clivia
 Coleus
© Project SOUND
Seasonal color pot using double-potted
native plants  Advantages
 Allows you to use attractive pots
that might not be other-wise
suitable (metal)
 Can feature plants at their most
attractive season
 Can be easy to switch plants; don’t
have to move heavy pots around
 Can grow seasonal accents even on
patios, decks, porches
 Can use plants with different
requirements
 Disadvantages
 Take more time, planning
 Need place to store inner pots in
the off season
© Project SOUND
http://coolshire.com/using-planters-for-container-gardening-and-
urban-gardening/
Double potting also helps keep plant
roots cooler
The ‘Cache pot’ solution (double potting)
© Project SOUND
http://www.fabdwell.com/home/mid-century-modern-planters-
addressing-beauty-function/
http://www.calendariodojardim.com.br/anterior
es/Dica0412.html
http://www.canberraorchids.org/tips.html
Pot stand made from a cheap plastic pot
Allows you to
switch out plants for
seasonal color
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/
bronze-26.5-tall-tapered-
planter/s595512?si=2205077&
aff=cj
8” wide/11” deep insert

1/8/2017
A few native wildflowers really prefer a
shadier location
© Project SOUND
Baby blue-eyes – Nemophila menziesii
Chinese houses – Collinsia heterophylla
Fortunately, many CA native accents do
just fine in either sun or part-shade
© Project SOUND
Family Polemoniaceae - The Phlox family
 Aliciella
 Allophyllum
 Collomia
 Eriastrum
 Gilia
 Ipomopsis
 Leptosiphon
 Linanthus
 Navarretia
 Phlox
 Polemonium
 Saltugilia
© Project SOUND
http://www.meemelink.com/prints_pages/13593.Gilia.htm
Bird’s Eye Gilia - Gilia tricolor

1/8/2017
© Project SOUND
Nevin’s Gilia – Gilia nevinii
© Project SOUND
Gilias are all easy-to-grow annual wildflowers
 Soils:
 Texture: any
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Sun; perfectly fine with ½
day of sun
 Water:
 Winter: needs good
winter/spring water –
delicate when young
 Summer: none after
flowering ceases
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
© Project SOUND
Globe Gilia – Gilia capitata ssp. abrotanifolia
http://www.timetotrack.com/jay/giliag4.htm
Blooms later – and can even be serial sown
© Project SOUND
* Large-flower Linanthus – Leptosiphon (Linanthus)
grandiflorus
Blooms in late spring

1/8/2017
Linanthus 'Stardust‘, ‘Confetti’,‘French
Hybrids’
 Annual; available from Seedhunt,
Annies Annuals and other on-line
sources
 Full sun to part-shade
 Cultivar - probably from a CA native
 Short (less than 1 ft.) filler plant
 Very pretty – array of pastel colors
with long bloom season
 Good choice for pots or foreground
plant
© Project SOUND
http://www.nadjadiedrich.com/newplantside/annu
als/stardust.html
Family Polemoniaceae - The Phlox family
 Originally organized in 1959, based on the best available
information at that time, which included morphological
characteristics, habitat, range and early genetic information
(Grant 1998).
 As more is learned, reorganization in the family is ongoing.
 The Gilia and Saltugilia genera (members of the Gilieae tribe)
share in common morphological and chromosomal characteristics,
and have a native range in arid or semi-arid North America
© Project SOUND
© Project SOUND
*Splendid gilia – Saltugilia (Gilia) splendens
©2008 Thomas Stoughton
 Monterrey Co. to S. CA n. of San Diego Co.
 California’s South Coast Ranges,
Transverse Ranges (Santa Monica and San
Gabriel Mtns) and the San Jacinto
Mountains.
 Openings in brush or woods, chaparral,
foothill woodland, yellow pine forest
 Has also been called Gilia splendens and
Saltugilia grinnellii (Grand) L.A. Johnson.
© Project SOUND
*Splendid gilia – Saltugilia (Gilia) splendens

1/8/2017
© Project SOUND
Splendid gilia: a splendid annual wildflower
 Size:
 1-3 ft tall
 1-3 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Annual wildflower
 Erect and much-branched;
slender, irregular appearance
 Foliage:
 Leaves medium to pale blue-
green
 Compound leaves – fern-like, in
basal rosette
 Foliage may be hairy, glandular
http://www.americansouthwest.net/plants/wildflowers/saltugilia-splendens.html
© Project SOUND
Splendid gilia: a splendid
annual wildflower
http://www.americansouthwest.net/plants/wildflowers/saltugilia-splendens.html
http://www.smmflowers.org/mobile/species/Saltugilia_splendens_splendens.htm
© Project SOUND
Flowers: dainty delights
 Blooms: usually late spring –
April to June or July in S. CA
 Flowers:
 Inflorescence open; slender
stalk well above foliage
 Flowers typical trumpet shape
of the Family
 Colors: usually medium to pale
pink/lavender with yellow and
white on throat.
 Anthers blue
 Attract many pollinators
 Seeds: many small seed in dry
capsule. Mary re-seed.
http://www.seedhunt.com/DtoK.htm
http://claritaplants.blogspot.com/2015/06/171-splendid-gilia-saltugilia-
splendens.html#!/
© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements  Soils:
 Texture: any
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Adaptable: full sun the part-
shade
 Water:
 Winter: adequate
winter/spring moisture until
flowering ceases
 Summer: with hold water to
insure good seed production
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
 Other: no mulch or thin
inorganic mulch
http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/80181-Saltugilia-splendens-splendens

1/8/2017
© Project SOUND
Clouds of pink
 Great as filler in native woodland or
chaparral garden.
 Lovely massed for late spring color
 Nice container choice: sun or part-
shade, porches, patios
https://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/view/?id=4303
http://biology.csusb.edu/PlantGuideFolder/GiliaSplendens/GiliaSplendensPage.htm
https://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/3588860394
Native perennials from bulbs are another
good source of seasonal color
© Project SOUND
© Project SOUND
* Coastal Onion – Allium dichlamydeum
© 2009 Vernon Smith
© Project SOUND
* Coastal Onion – Allium dichlamydeum
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Allium+dichlamydeum
 Endemic to CA north and central
coast
 On or near sea cliffs above the coast
to about 300 ft. elevation.
 Seasonally dry clay soil; N. coastal
prairie or cliff communities
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/MendocinoSonomaCoastTwo

1/8/2017
© Project SOUND
Another spring-appearing native bulb
 Size:
 to 1 ft tall
 to 1 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Herbaceous perennial from true
bulb
 Foliage:
 3-6 narrow strap-like leaves
radiate from bulb
 Leaves somewhat fleshy, green
to blue-green; sometimes
tinged with purple or red.
 Onion-scented – but not edible
http://bodegahead.blogspot.com/2012/07/coast-onion.html
© Project SOUND
Bright pink flowers
 Blooms: mid- to late spring - usually
between Apr. and June in S. CA
 Flowers:
 Bell-shaped flowers with 6 petals
 In rounded, open umbel on stout
stalk
 Color medium pink to magenta
 Attract pollinators flies and
others
 Seeds: hard, dark and wrinkled
 Vegetative reproduction: offsets;
Note: leaves & bulbs not edible
http://plants.montara.com/ListPages/FamPages/Lilia1.html
http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/allium,geophytes/Interesting
Raising native onions from seed is often easy
 Start in fall/winter in pots
 Sprinkle seed on moistened
potting soil (can add a little
pumice for those from rocky
places
 Cover with thin layer of potting
soil and ¼ inch layer of gravel.
 Water in and keep soil moist;
place pots in bright shady place
 Taper off water in early summer
(leaves will start browning)
 Place pot in cool dry place ‘til fall
 Bulbs ready to plant out in garden
after 2-3 years
© Project SOUND
http://www.hazmac.biz/021118/AlliumPraecox.jpg
Managing your native onions
 Plant bulbs at depth 3x
their height
 Let them multiply naturally
– don’t need to do anything
 Do best in an un-mulched
area of the garden
 Harvesting; dig up and
replant in fall every 2-4
years

1/8/2017
Succeeding with native onions - easy
 Many do well in clay soils
 Need water when actively
growing (winter/spring)
 Summer water:
 Taper off water when leaves
start to wither and flowering
ceases
 Many onions are fine with just
a little summer water –
monthly or less
 Need no added nutrients
© Project SOUND
Pretty as a picture
 In natural prairie and rock
garden plantings
 Along walkways; lining dry
beds
 Massed for their color
 As an attractive pot plant
© 2009 Vernon Smith
http://picssr.com/tags/alliumdichlamydeum
http://www.telosrarebulbs.com/Alliums.html
Other bulbs/corms for part-shade
 Alliums
 Many of the Brodiaeas
 Bloomerias
 Dichelostema
 Douglas iris (Iris douglasii)
 Sisyrichium
 Blue-eyed grass
 Yellow-eyed grass
 Tritellia
© Project SOUND
Common Golden Stars – Bloomeria crocea var. crocea

1/8/2017
Goldenstars in
the garden
 In cultivated beds
 In dry gardens – very drought
tolerant
 In pots
 Looks nice massed with other
yellow and blue/purple
flowers
 In grasslands, grassy areas of
garden – even in shade
 On dry hillsides
 In a rain garden/vernal swale
© Project SOUND
*White brodiaea – Tritelia hyacinthina
 Southern British Columbia to
northern two-thirds of
California and east to
northern NV and ID.
 Closed-cone Pine Forest,
Foothill Woodland, Valley
Grassland, wetland-riparian;
sea level to 7000 ft.
© Project SOUND
*White brodiaea – Tritelia hyacinthina
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=47356
©2012 Jean Pawek
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_i
d=1&taxon_id=242102030
© 1992, Clayton J. Antieau © Project SOUND
White brodiaea: typical native ‘bulb’
 Size:
 1-2 ft tall (may be shorter)
 1-2 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Perennial from an
underground corm
 Summer/fall dormant
 Foliage:
 2-3 narrow, strap-like leaves
from base
 Usually die back after
flowering (with water)
 Roots: short roots from the
corm – 12” pot depth is fine
©2008 Steve Matson
© 2004, Ben Legler

1/8/2017
© Project SOUND
Flowers are sweet (literally)
 Blooms: late spring; usually
May/June in S. CA, but may be
earlier.
 Flowers:
 Clusters of white, star-like
flowers with green veins
 Flowers are small, but color
and shape are attractive
 Very sweet scent – carries
well (makes a good cut flower)
 Seeds: in dry capsule; easy to re-
seed
 Vegetative reproduction:
offsets; increases yearly
Steve Hurst, hosted by the USDA-NRCS
PLANTS Database
This is an easy one from corms
© Project SOUND
© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements
 Soils:
 Texture: not particular – sandy
to clay
 pH: any local
 Light: full sun to part-shade; fine
in bright shade under trees
 Water:
 Summer: let dry out after
blooming; best with no summer
water, but can take occasional
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils;
in containers, replenish some of
the medium each year (or light
fertilizer)
 Other: light organic or inorganic
mulch
© Project SOUND
Must-have bulb
 In the scented garden – wonderful!
 In pollinator garden – for butterflies &
small insect pollinators
 Fantastic in containers or rock garden;
alone or with annual wildflowers
 White accent; lovely massed

1/8/2017
number of pots
2. Choose a unifying theme, and stick
to it
4. Provide enough green foliage, year-
round
5. Repeat the same or similar foliage
plants in several places to tie design
together
6. Choose perennials both for foliage
and as colorful seasonal accents
7. Use seasonal color plants to add
interest and contrast
© Project SOUND
One more: a larger evergreen for the sunniest spot
© Project SOUND
Sliding door window
Evergreen (or nearly so) sub-shrubs/small
shrubs for part-sun
 Some of the ones we’ve already
discussed
 Currants and gooseberries (Ribes)
 Many native vines
 Some garden vegetables
 Some garden herbs
 Dwarf lemon trees
 Some you may not have considered
© Project SOUND
Avoid: large, deep taproot or summer dry
Ericamerias – smaller
shrubs for fall gold
 Shorter and more shrub-like than
Goldenbushes
 Like occasional summer water
 Glorious color – fantastic habitat
© Project SOUND
Ericameria linearifolia
Ericameria ericoides
Ericameria nauseosa

1/8/2017
© Project SOUND
The Gutierrezias (Matchweeds)
 In a rock or desert-themed garden
 As a low-growing fall color plant
 As an attractive pot plant – even in
part-shade
 Important medicinal plants: respiratory
ailments, headacheshttp://www.naturesongs.com/vvplants/broomsnakeweed6.jpg
http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/Yellow%20Enlarged%20Photos/8gusa2.jpg
© Project SOUND
Prickly phlox – Linanthus californicus
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College
© Project SOUND
Prickly phlox – Linanthus californicus
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?ti
d=80359
http://claritaplants.blogspot.com/2015/02/february-in-
review.html#!/2015/02/february-in-review.html
 CA coast and Coast Ranges, Transverse Range and
Peninsular Range from San Luis Obispo County to
Orange and Riverside Counties.
 Dry slopes and banks from sea level to 6,500 feet
 Chaparral, coastal sage scrub and foothill woodland
http://www.laspilitas.com/images/grid24_24/6486/s/images/plant
s/383/Leptodactylon_californicum-3.jpg
© Project SOUND
Prickly sub-shrub
 Size:
 1-3 ft tall
 1-3 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Evergreen (with summer water) half-
woody sub-shrub
 Upright to irregularly mounded shape
 Foliage:
 Bright to medium green, dense
 Needle-like leaves in bunches – sharp
 Looks somewhat like Mock Heather
 Roots: taproot makes it water-wise;
needs taller container if grow in pot

1/8/2017
© Project SOUND
Glorious flowers
 Blooms: over a long period –
often Feb-June.
 Flowers:
 Usually medium pink; may be
pale pink or more lavender
 Look superficially like Vinca;
actually have typical phlox shape
 Narrow, tubular calyx with
white throat; 5 rounded petals
 Flowers open in day; attract
insect pollinators
 Very pretty bloomer!
 Seeds: lots of small seeds; may re-
seed if happy
©2011 Chris Winchell
© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements:
Prickly phlox
 Soils:
 Texture: well-drained, incl. sandy;
if not, plant on slope or berm
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Full sun to part-shade
 Part-shade in hot gardens,
containers
 Water:
 Winter: adequate
 Summer: looks best with water 1-
2 times a month (Water Zone 2)
 Fertilizer: none in ground; likes poor
soils. One dose/ ½ strength in pot
 Other: thin organic mulch OK;
inorganic or none
©2005 Steven Perkins
Note: this plant may need
replacing every 3-5 years
© Project SOUND
Glorious bloomer
 In natural plantings, with other local
natives (away from foot traffic)
 As a container plant; very dramatic
– choose pot color to accent the
flowers
©2011 Chris Winchell
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linanthus_californicus
http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/plants/Polemoniaceae/Linanthus%20californicus.htm
Summary: Container garden design secrets
number of pots
2. Choose a unifying theme; stick to it
3. Design your background(s) carefully,
to provide contrast
4. Provide enough green foliage, year-
round
5. Repeat the same or similar foliage
plants to tie design together
6. Choose perennials both for foliage
and as colorful seasonal accents
7. Use seasonal color plants to add
interest and contrast
8. Select plants with added value:
habitat, scent, useful
© Project SOUND

1/8/2017
Advantages of gardening
in containers
Allow you to prudently indulge in
some plants that need regular water
© Project SOUND
Allow you to grow in small
spaces – even on concrete
Why grow in containers? Here are a just few
reasons 1) I rent – I need portable plants
2) If a plant isn’t happy, I can move it
easily to someplace where it can do
better
3) I can customize the container and
soil to the plant’s requirements
4) I like the look of plants in
containers; they are decorative
5) I like the challenge of growing
things in containers
6) I have limited space
7) I love this plant, but don’t want it
to take over!
© Project SOUND
For more, look back at our previous talks
on container gardening
 November, 2015
 March, 2016
© Project SOUND
Next month: Foreground, Mid-ground and
Background
© Project SOUND

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