© Project SOUND
Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants Project SOUND – 2011 (our 7th year)
© Project SOUND
The Cuttings Garden
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
April 2 & 5, 2011
Do you like cut-flowers?
© Project SOUND
Cut-flowers make our lives more
colorful and interesting
© Project SOUND
http://decor4you.blogspot.com/2007_09_01_archive.html
http://www.paintingmania.com/young-girl-hat-
decorated-wildflowers-9_6401.html
How do you want to use your cut-
flowers Light use
Occasional arrangements featuring plants that are currently blooming
To supplement non-native flowers
Won’t require as much planning
Heavy use Regular (weekly) arrangements
Special occasions that require lots of flowers
‘flower-laden’ bouquets
Will require you to think about supply requirements
© Project SOUND
http://www.flickr.com/photos/atweed/4406640979/
© Project SOUND
Should you have a cuttings garden?
http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/waterwise/images/03_Allium-unifolium2.jpg http://drystonegarden.com/index.php/2010/05/
Advantages to creating a cuttings
garden
Where flowers are used in large volume in the home, their removal from borders and other landscaped areas may detract from the intended effect.
By providing a special cut-flower garden, the gardener can plan for these needs without diminishing landscape plantings.
The well-planned cutting garden also offers another very practical advantage: annuals and perennials may be conveniently and efficiently grown in rows or raised beds/containers where they are easily gathered and maintained.
© Project SOUND
Cuttings gardens need not be unattractive…
…but it’s sensible to locate them in an area where they are not a focal point when not at their peak.
Old-time gardeners often included cut-flowers in the vegetable garden where they could tend and harvest them easily.
Finer estates would sometimes have a separate area devoted to producing the favorite cut-flowers of the family.
© Project SOUND http://www.french-gardens.com/gardens/chateau-de-bosmelet.php
http://www.sunset.com/travel/outdoor-
adventure/bring-bainbridge-home-00400000016341/
What makes a good cut-flower?
Interesting flowers Nice shape
Large size
Pretty or unusual colors
Other characteristics Scented flower or foliage
Interesting foliage
Good ‘holding power’ Look good for at least 3-4
days if not longer
© Project SOUND
http://druidnetwork.org/ethical/articles/cutflowers
http://thegarden-remodel.blogspot.com/2009/08/wildflower-bouquet.html
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/eschscholzia_californica.shtml
The ‘traditional’ home grown cut-
flowers span the seasons
Winter and early spring Daffodils: October to April
Cymbidium orchids: January to June
Late spring and summer Tulips: May to June
Agapanthus: June to August Lilies: June to August Delphiniums: June to July Roses: June to September Sweet peas: June to August Dahlias: July to September
Autumn Chrysanthemums: Oct. to December
© Project SOUND
Inspiration from the past…
© Project SOUND http://www.righthealth.com/topic/ceanothus_americanus/Images
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1959198/lilac_bouq
uets_the_scientific_method.html
An early spring bouquet
© Project SOUND
Woolyleaf Ceanothus – Ceanothus tomentosus
© 2010 Barry Breckling
Foothills and lower (< 3500 ft) elevations of Sierra Nevada, South Coast, San Bernardino Mountains, Peninsular Ranges
South into Baja
Scattered on dry, shrubby slopes in chaparral
Introduced into cultivation in California by Theodore Payne.
‘"A medium sized shrub 4 to 8 feet high, with rather slender branches and reddish brown bark. “
© Project SOUND
Woolyleaf Ceanothus – Ceanothus tomentosus
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?6586,6589,6649
http://www.flickr.com/photos/codiferous/417993994/
© Project SOUND
Woolyleaf Ceanothus is a large shrub
Size: 6-12 ft tall
6-10 ft wide
Growth form: Dense, woody shrub
Slender branches with reddish bark
Moderate growth rate
Foliage: Leaves medium to gray-
green; shiny above, hairy beneath
Evergreen
© 2009 Thomas Stoughton
© Project SOUND
Flowers: Ceanothus
Blooms: Early spring - usually in
Feb-Mar or Apr in western L.A. Co.
Flowers: Color ranges from very light
blue to bright blue – see it in bloom before purchasing
Typical small Ceanothus flowers in dense clusters – make a wonderful bouquet
Sweet scent
Attracts bees
Seeds: in sticky capsule that opens, releasing seeds
© 2009 Thomas Stoughton
© 2001 Michelle Cloud-Hughes http://www.sdnhm.org/fieldguide/plants/cean-tom.html
© Project SOUND
Woolyleaf Ceanothus:
Chaparral species Soils:
Texture: well-drained, rocky
pH: any local
Light: Full sun
Water: Winter: needs good winter
rains; supplement if needed
Summer: best with occasional water (Zone 1-2; maybe 2 in very well-drained soils)
Fertilizer: use an organic mulch to supply additional nutrients
Other: prune after blooming period if needed/desired; can be trained to tree or hedge-sheared
© 2008 Chris Winchell
http://www.worldbotanical.com/ceanothus.htm
© Project SOUND
Many ways to use
As a large evergreen accent shrub
Trained as a small tree
Espaliered along a wall
In a hedge or hedgerow
Etc.
© 2010 Barry Breckling
© 2001 George W. Hartwell http://www.theodorepayne.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Ceanothus_tomentosus_var._olivaceus
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/nSqhmSsqrKnvy1WCu96HnQ
Ceanothus is striking with other spring
bloomers
© Project SOUND
http://mostlymedicinals.blogspot.com/
http://flowerbrained.com/2009/12
/05/man-flowers/
http://www.westernhort.org/plant_notes200804%20.html
The same color tricks we learned in
garden design also apply to
floral arrangements
© Project SOUND
http://decor4you.blogspot.com/2007_09_01_archive.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dballentine/3655531259/
http://iometro.blogspot.com/2010/11/color-spotlight.html
Purples theme
– late spring
Eriogonum fasciculatum (or any white-flowered buckwheat)
Eriogonum grande rubescens
Salvia clevelandii (or any Salvia)
© Project SOUND
http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/tag/cut-flowers/
Common perennials have long been
popular as cut flowers
Achillea millefolia
Aster species
Allium species
Aquilegia
Ascepias species
Coreopsis species
Dryopteris & other ferns
Helianthus species
Iris species
Lilium species
Penstemon species
Spring bulbs
© Project SOUND
Bluedicks – Dichelostemma capitatum ssp. capitatum
http://biology.csusb.edu/PlantGuideFolder/DichelostemmaCap/DichelostemmaCapPlant800.jpg
© Project SOUND
* Wild Hyacinth – Dichelostemma multiflorum
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
NW California, n Sierra Nevada, uncommon in San Francisco Bay Area
Open woodlands, foothill grasslands, scrublands
Formerly Brodiaea multiflora ; AKA Wildtooth Snakelily
© Project SOUND
* Wild Hyacinth – Dichelostemma multiflorum
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1
&taxon_id=242101566
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?8349,8535,8541 http://www.csuchico.edu/biol/Herb/curator/bidwell_park_04-02-05/Maidu_Trail_4-2-05.htm
© Project SOUND
Wild Hyacinth is a typical Dichelostema
Size: 1-2 ft tall
< 1 ft wide
Growth form: Perennial from a corm
Dies back to corn kin dry summers; re-sprouts with the fall/winter rains
Foliage: Strap-like leaves
Leaves start to die back before spring flowering
Corm: can bed baked & eaten like new potatoes
Mark W. Skinner @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
http://www.theodorepayne.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Image:Dichelostemma_multiflorum2.jpg
Dichelostema are easy & reliable from corms
Plant bigger corms 3-4 inches deep and smaller corms 1-2 inches deep
Plant in well-drained soil; garden or pot in full sun (plants can tolerate
afternoon sun) in the autumn – just before the
rains
Space the corms 1-6 inches apart.
If gophers are a problem, dig a hole and line it with chicken wire mesh or make a cage for corms.
Water the plants (wet, not soggy) and then wait for the winter rains.
© Project SOUND
© 2002 Christina Raving
http://www.serg.sdsu.edu/SERG/restorationproj/woodlandgrassland/pen
can/penasquitos_final.htm
© Project SOUND
Flowers: showier than
Blue Dicks
Blooms: in spring - usually Mar-April (but may be as early as Feb & late as May)
Flowers: Typical small, trumpet-shaped
flowers of Dichelostema
Flowers in ball-like clusters at ends of long stalks
Color: lavender or purple; may be more pink
Loved by Skipper butterflies
Light sweet scent
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/dichelostemma
Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences
Dichelostema are very easy to grow from seed
Use seed collected from local sources
Best planted in fall – stratify (cold exposure) if other
Scatter seeds and rake them lightly into well-drained soil ; full or partial sunlight.
Water the seeds after planting and water again when the surface is dry to the touch. Water the seeds gently so you don’t exhume the seed.
Protect the seeds from animals and cold, dry winds, and from weed competition
http://hazmac.biz/080421/080421DichelostemmaMultiflorum.html
Dichelostema (and other bulbs) can be started in pots
Plant as usual; cover lightly
Water seedlings through the spring.
At the beginning of hot weather, when leaves start to yellow, cease watering
During summer: Move pots to a darker area, such as a
carport, garage or dry shady spot outdoors
Keep a screen on pots to keep out foraging animals.
When the weather cools down again, move the pots back outside and go through a full rain or watering cycle once again.
Will take several years (usually 3) to reach flowering size
© Project SOUND
Summer dry - required Soils:
Texture: any well-drained
pH: any local
Light: Full sun & warm; thrives on hot,
sunny conditions, can plant near rocks, rock mulch
Water: Winter/spring: needs adequate
water through blooming period; taper off watering as blooms wane
After blooming: Zone 1; must have summer dry for corm health & good seed set
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: thin corms every 3 years (or when become crowded) in fall
© 2008 Steve Matson
© Project SOUND
Dichelostema brighten
the spring garden
As an attractive pot plant
Tucked around summer-dry shrubs
In prairie/grassland planting
Be sure to include in spring bouquets
© 2004 Carol W. Witham
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clairewoods/3552292585/
CA native bulbs are perfect
for those difficult to water
areas of the garden
© Project SOUND
CA native bulb
calendar Feb-Mar
Blue Dicks/Wild Hyacinth Local Oniona (Allium) Sisyrinchium begins Early Calochortus
Mar-April Sisyrinchium N. Coastal Onions
Meadow Onion Coastal Onion
Goldenstars Calochortus
May-June Calochortus Lilies
http://www.flickr.com/photos/atweed/4406640979/
© Project SOUND Unfortunately, our local Allium haematochiton is not one of them
Some onions make good cut flowers
© Project SOUND
The Wild Onions – genus Allium
Over fifty species of Alliums growing in CA.
Most are easy to grow & multiply rapidly in the garden.
Species that are native to the mountains or moist meadows, such as Allium unifolium, prefer full sun and regular watering all season.
The majority of wild onions are from dry, rocky habitats and need good drainage with summer drought.
Most Alliums are well-suited to rock gardens, where they can be planted in colonies among short-growing Brodiaeas.
Their lovely pompom blooms can also be displayed to advantage when planted in groups towards the front of the mixed, dry perennial border.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22744855@N08/fa
vorites/page12/
Two types of Alliums
Allium species can be lumped into two types, those that have true bulbs, and those that grow from rhizomes with less-developed vestigial bulbs attached to them.
The bulbous alliums tend to grow and flower early, then go completely dormant afterwards.
The "rhizomatous" alliums tend to be season-long growers and flower much later in summer.
© Project SOUND
© Project SOUND
Meadow Onion – Allium unifolium
http://www.calfloranursery.com/images/pics/a_b/allium_unifolium.jpg
© Project SOUND
Meadow Onion – Allium unifolium
Native to NW and western central CA (down to Santa Barbara co.) – lower elevations
Grassy stream banks in pine or mixed evergreen forest in the coastal ranges
Sometimes on cliffs near the ocean
Usually in moist clay or serpentine soils
http://www.efloras.org/object_page.aspx?object_id=8237&flora_id=1
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?8349,8354,8422
© Project SOUND
Meadow Onion: looks like an ornamental
onion Size:
1-2 ft tall; may need to stake
< 2 ft wide
Growth form: herbaceous perennial from a bulb
Foliage: Medium to gray-green
Leaves strap-like; remain green through flowering (tips may yellow)
Bulbs: not what you usually think of as an onion; small & rounded – at ends of short rhizomes
Plant bulbs 2” deep in fall
http://drystonegarden.com/index.php/category/plants/california-natives-plants/bulbs/
© Project SOUND
Flowers: ooh-la-la!!
Blooms: Spring-summer; usually May-
June but varies with weather (heat; rains)
Blooms for ~ 3 weeks
Flowers: Super-showy; pink or lavender,
pastel
Typical for onions; small star-shaped flowers in open cluster
Makes a lovely cut flower – sweet fragrance
Seeds: Small, black seeds in papery
capsule
Easy to collect & grow
© 2007 Neal Kramer
http://www.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=6093442
© Project SOUND
Easy even in
conventional gardens Soils:
Texture: well-drained
pH: any local
Light: full sun to light shade; ½ day sun works just fine
Water: Winter: needs good winter rains;
supplement if needed
Summer: takes some summer water (Zone 2 or 2-3; let dry out in late summer/fall); other bulb species for summer water include Allium validum (Pacific/ Swamp Onion) and Triteleia peduncularis (Marsh Triteleia)
Fertilizer: fine with some fertilizer & organic amendments
Other: may need to thin occasionally
© 2007 Mike Ireland
http://drystonegarden.com/index.php/2010/05/
© Project SOUND
For garden or bouquet
As an showy container plant
With non-native bulbs or natives that require a little water
In rain garden, swale or veg. garden
Sunny edges in a woodland garden
Will naturalize – lovely massed http://drystonegarden.com/index.php/2009/04/allium-unifolium/
© Project SOUND
Tricks for maintaining CA native bulbs
Maintenance tip: In early summer, remove the dried stalks for neatness. Be sure to collect the seeds for propagation or for trading with fellow gardeners.
Harvesting & preparing your cut-flowers
Harvest during the coolest time of day when they are crisp and turgid—early morning or late evening.
Remove lower foliage that would remain underwater in the storage container.
Cut stems with a sharp instrument, making the cuts underwater if possible. This prevents air bubbles from 'clogging' the stems.
Place the materials in clean containers of lukewarm water with preservative added (room temperature up to 100 degrees F.).
© Project SOUND
http://www.finegardening.com/plants/articles/allur
e-of-lavender.aspx
Keys to Keeping Cut Flowers Fresh
Give them water.
Give them food.
Protect them from decay or infection.
Keep them cool and out of direct sunlight.
© Project SOUND http://www.fancypantsweddings.com/diy-wedding-flower-diaster-judy-hates-
it/wilted-flowers/
Cut-flower preservatives
Contain nutrients, preservatives & disinfectants
Can be purchased (probably better) or made at home (cheaper & probably OK)
Mix the floral preservative using warm water (100-110°F or 38-40°C) because it will move into the stems more effectively than cold water. Chlorine in tap water is fine, since it acts as a natural disinfectant.
© Project SOUND
http://www.hk94.com/B002SVJP5U.shtml
Making your own floral preservative –
experiment to see what works with
different species
Cut Flower Preservative Recipe #1 2 cups lemon-lime carbonated beverage (e.g., Sprite™ or 7-Up™)
1/2 teaspoon household chlorine bleach
2 cups warm water
Cut Flower Preservative Recipe #2 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or white vinegar
1 to 2 tablespoon sugar (use 2 with vinegar)
1/2 teaspoon household chlorine bleach
1 quart warm water
© Project SOUND
Managing your cut-flowers: cleanliness
Always keep cut material in water while designing. This will prevent wilt due to the loss of water through transpiration.
Always design in clean containers that have been filled with preservative water.
After each use, clean storage containers, vases, liners, and needle point holders with a soapy Clorox solution, to kill all bacteria.
Use a floral preservative to provide nutrients and to prevent bacterial growth.
© Project SOUND
http://www.sunset.com/garden/flowers-plants/how-to-
design-hot-color-flower-garden-
00400000041320/page2.html
Designing flower arrangement is a
course in itself
© Project SOUND Good on-line resources, books and courses
http://onecharmingparty.com/2009/12/02/what-im-reading-jane-packers-guide-to-
flower-arranging/
http://treefalldesign.typepad.com/tree_fall/2006/04/flower_arrangin.html
A few simple tips from the pros
A standard, mixed floral arrangement will
have four main components:
Focal flowers : usually tall, large or unique flowers to grab your attention. Generally use only a few of these – one to five, depending on the size of your container.
Intermediate flowers: one-third shorter than the focal flowers or have smaller flowers that fit the chosen color scheme. Use approximately two times the number of these flowers in the arrangement.
© Project SOUND http://www.mauidriedflowers.com/silk_bamboo.html
http://www.hnfflorist.com/howtomakelargeflowerarrangements.html
A few simple tips from the pros
Four main components:
Filler flowers: used to edge the container or fill in any gaps in the arrangement. These flowers solidify the color scheme and hide unattractive stems. Use as many as necessary to complete the desired shape and balance.
Filler plant materials: attractive foliage pieces, grasses or even feather and bark pieces are used to fill in any gaps and provide balance to the arrangement.
© Project SOUND
http://wildsuburbia.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html
http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/2009/05/11/interpreting-history-through-plants/
What does this arrangement lack?
© Project SOUND
White Fairy-lantern – Calochortus albus
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CAAL2
© Project SOUND
*Diogenes' lantern (Yellow globelily) – Calochortus amabilis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Calochortus_amabilis_2.jpg
Native to mountains north of the San Francisco Bay Area - < 3000 ft. elevation
Isolated pocket of survivors on Vulcan Peak in San Diego County.
Common, grassy hillsides and in open oak woodlands
© Project SOUND
*Diogenes' lantern (Yellow globelily) – Calochortus amabilis
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora
_id=1&taxon_id=242101453
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?8349,8461,8463 http://calochortus.blogspot.com/
© Project SOUND
Diogenes' lantern: typical globelily
Size: 1-2 ft tall – usually ~ 1 ft
< 1 ft wide
Growth form: Herbaceous perennial from a bulb
Dies back to bulb after flowering
Leaves grow back with winter rains
Foliage: A few strap-like leaves
Leaves persist through flowering
Bulbs: Elongated to teardrop shape
Can be baked or boiled and eaten
© 2002 George Jackson
© Project SOUND
Flowers are super
Blooms: in spring: April-June in our area
Flowers: Bright, clear yellow with
orange-red markings
Shaped like a globelily; globe with wings (looks like a lantern, hence the common name) - ~ 1 inch
In loose clusters – very unique, showy
Seeds: in 4-chambered pod; more oval than most calochtus
Jo-Ann Ordano © California Academy of Sciences
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/CalochortusSpeciesOne
© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements Soils: Texture: well-drained (most
local)
pH: any local except > 8.0
Light: Part-shade best; morning sun
or dappled shade ideal
Water: Winter: needs adequate for
growth
Summer: needs summer dry after flowering – taper to Zone 1
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils. Organic mulches are fine.
http://www.summitpost.org/diogenes-lantern-calochortus-amabilis/516123
© Project SOUND
Let Diogenes’ Lantern spread a little light..
In native prairie with summer-dry grasses, annual wildflowers
Under oaks and other summer-dry trees
Lovely massed or naturalized
As an attractive pot plant; may need support
Useful accent or filler flower
Frithjof Holmboe © California Academy of Sciences © 2009 Barry Rice
http://www.flickr.com/photos/xerantheum/3533104440/
Let’s create a spring/ early summer
bouquet to celebrate our CA heritage
Suncups
Penstemons
Clarkias
Globe Gilia
Monardellas
© Project SOUND
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dballentine/3656336782/
© Project SOUND
*Willow Mint – Monardella linoides ssp. viminea
© 2005 Jasmine J. Watts
© Project SOUND
Mountain Monardella – Monardella odoratissima
J. E.(Jed) and Bonnie McClellan © California Academy of Sciences
Foothills and mountains of northern and central CA, incl. Klamath, N. Coast, Sierra, White and Inyo Mountains
? San Gabriels
Wet or dry, rocky, forest openings from 3500-11,000 ft. in Sagebrush scrub, montane forests
© Project SOUND
Mountain Monardella – Monardella odoratissima
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Monardella+odoratissima
© Project SOUND
The name (odoratissima) say it all
Size: 1-2 (sometimes 3) ft tall
2-3 ft wide
Growth form: Herbaceous perennial from
stout woody taproot
Many upright stems
Foliage: Color: green to gray-green
(hairy)
Simple leaves
Strong minty scent – great tea (medicinal or ‘sipping tea’)
© 2009 Terry Dye
Al Schneider @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© Project SOUND
A showy Monardella
Blooms: Summer in the wilds
Likely June-July in our area
Flowers: Pale pink to light magenta –
good colors for garden
Flowers small – typical for Monardellas
Flowers in ball-like clusters at ends of flowering stems
Really showy
Attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, many others
Seeds: small, typical for Mint family
© 2009 Terry Dye © 2011 Wynn Anderson
© Project SOUND
Likes a little shade Soils:
Texture: well-drained; sandy or rocky are fine
pH: any local
Light: Part-shade (morning sun)
works well
Dappled shade under trees is ideal
Water: Winter: good soakings
Summer: happy with occasional summer water (Zone 2, even 2-3 in well-drained soils)
Fertilizer: fine with organic amendments, mulches
© 2010 Julie Kierstead Nelson
Happiest at higher elevations,
but worth a try
© Project SOUND
Mountain Monardella:
lovely filler flower
Under trees, as a groundcover
Along partly shady walkways
Shady edges of the vegetable garden
As an accent in large containers
In a rock or butterfly garden
© 2010 Steven Thorsted
Ssp. pallida
http://www.theodorepayne.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Monardella_odoratissim
a_ssp._pallida&redirect=no
A spring/summer native bouquet
celebrating our CA heritage
Camissonia - Suncups
Penstemons
Clarkias
Monardellas
© Project SOUND
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dballentine/3656336782/
Now, how about some bright
colors to jazz up our
arrangement?
Annual spring
bounty: Clarkias
© Project SOUND
Godetia/Farewell to Spring
Clarkia amoena
© Project SOUND http://www.rampantscotland.com/colour/supplement070818.htm
Clarkias – your choice for a showy
bouquet
http://www.buyflowersonline.com/Buy+Pink-
Persuasion-Bouquet.html
Who says cutting’s
garden have to be
boring?
Use bright colored annuals in swaths to provide cut-flowers – and at a cheap price, too!
Plant with perennials and grasses to provide year-round interest
© Project SOUND
http://www.yerbabuenanursery.com/wildflower_watch_wk13.htm http://plantsandgardening.com/v-gardening/seeds/09.html
Some choices for tall accent flowers
© Project SOUND http://www.gifttree.com/p3/7306/Pink_Paradise_Bouquet-1.html
Clarkias
Sidalceas – ‘Dwarf Hollyhocks’
Penstemons
Lilies
http://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/perennials/sidalcea.html
© Project SOUND
The Checkerblooms –
the genus Sidalcea
~ 25 Western U. S. mallow species
Most species 2-4 ft tall
Perennials
Showy spikes of 2-inch-wide blooms in shades from pale pink to bright rosy purple.
Great cottage-garden plant that has the look Hollyhocks, but not the dominating height or aggressive self-seeding.
Most Checkerblooms grown in today’s gardens are hybrids
http://www.swsbm.com/homepage/NameIndexAC.htmll
© Project SOUND
Dwarf Checkerbloom – Sidalcea malviflora ssp. malviflora
© 2007 Neal Kramer http://baynatives.com/plants/Sidalcea-malvaeflora/
© Project SOUND
*Oregon Checkerbloom – Sidalcea oregana
Northern & Central Ranges, Great Basin Province, to WA, WY, UT
Meadows, marshes, stream sides & other wet places
Also in ponderosa pine forests and sagebrush
Low to high elevations – to 10,000 ft
© Project SOUND
*Oregon Checkerbloom – Sidalcea oregana
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?5042,5095,5122
© 1991, Clayton J. Antieau
© Project SOUND
Oregon Checkerbloom: often called
‘miniature hollyhock’ in the trade
Size: 2-4 ft tall
~ 2 ft wide
Growth form: Herbaceous perennial wildflower
Upright stems from stout woody taproot
Foliage: Primarily at base
Leaves usually medium green, deeply-lobed – may be hairy
Roots: stout taproot; no rhizomes
Gary A. Monroe @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© Project SOUND
Flowers are fantastic!
Blooms: mid- to late Spring; usually April-June in Western L.A. Co.
Flowers: Typical Checkermallow flowers
– mallow-like but almost translucent
Size: ~ 1 inch
Colors: dark to light pink; sometimes more lilac/ magenta
Clustered along blooming stalk like a hollyhock – super showy
Seeds: small; can buy & grow from seed
Gary A. Monroe @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© Project SOUND
Garden-friendly Soils:
Texture: likes well-drained
pH: any local
Light: Full sun to part-shade; dappled
sun
Does not like high temperatures, winds
Water: Winter: plenty
Summer: probably best with regular water (Zone 2-3 or 3) but can take Zone 2 (will die back)
Fertilizer: fine with organic amendments, mulches
Other: prune back to basal foliage in late fall
© 2005 Christopher L. Christie
© Project SOUND
Loved by gardeners
for many years
In natural meadow gardens w/native grasses, annuals, etc.
In cottage gardens; lovely with other flowering an annuals & perennials, giving some height
In pink/purple-themed gardens w/ Heuchera, Woodmints, etc.
In woodland gardens, with pines, ferns, etc.
As a lovely accent flower in floral arrangements
© 2007 Dianne Fristrom
Sidalcea oregana: parent of many garden
hybrids, cultivars
© Project SOUND
http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene1065.html
‘Party Girl’
http://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/perennials/sidalcea.html
Some of these are called ‘Sidalcea
malvaflora’ in the horticulture trade
– almost all are actually S. oregana
‘Elsie Heugh’ hybrid
Old hybrid cultivar – around at least 30 years
Lovely pastel pinks
Hybrids – especially the bright-colored ones -may revert over time (become more pale)
© Project SOUND http://www.malvaceae.info/Genera/Sidalcea/gallery.html
http://www.garden-
superstore.co.uk/product/2/WB84395/Sidalcea-Elsie-Heugh-
6-Bareroot-Plants.html
‘Brilliant’ hybrid
Aka: S. hybrida ‘Brilliant’
Bright reds & pinks
© Project SOUND http://www.malvaceae.info/Genera/Sidalcea/gallery.html
http://www.vanbloem.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_ID=1152
‘Party Girl’ hybrid
© Project SOUND
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/image.asp?image=I850-1028092wg.jpg
http://www.premiumplantplugs.com/Sidalcea-Party-Girl-p772.html
http://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/perennials/sidalcea.html
‘Rosanna’ hybrid
© Project SOUND
http://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/perennials/sidalcea.html
http://www.greenscenelandscape.com/PlantsQRS.htm
Deadheading keeps Sidalceas (and other
flower plants) blooming
Deadheading: cutting off spent blooms before they go to seed
Effect: plants keep producing more blooms, increasing the bloom season
Why? – plants will keep trying to produce seeds – you’re tricking the plant
Consequences: may decrease life of plant
© Project SOUND
Simple arrangements - with careful choice
of shapes, colors - can be very effective
© Project SOUND
http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/easter-and-spring-centerpieces
© Project SOUND
http://www.thegardener.btinternet.co.uk/sogetsuikebana2.html
http://wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=1382
Ikebana – a Japanese tradition well suited
to CA native flowers
Ikebana, or “the way of flowers,” dates back more than 500 years and first blossomed among male artisans and aristocrats.
Aimed at creating harmony between man and nature as well as heightening the appreciation of the rhythms of the universe
Arrangements are conducted in silence using only organic elements put together in a minimalist style.
© Project SOUND
http://ikebana.culturalnews.net/niseiweek2007.html
A vase full of lilies…how sublime!
© Project SOUND
© Project SOUND
Leopard (Tiger) Lily – Lilium pardalinum
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/NorthAmericanLiliumTwo
California Floristic Province – though some ssp. are limited to N. CA & S. OR
Ssp. pardalinium on Mt. Pinos & Laguna Mtns of San Diego Co.
Habitat tends to be stream banks, forming large colonies in bogs, woodlands, and sunny edges
© Project SOUND
Leopard (Tiger) Lily – Lilium pardalinum
ssp. pardalinium
http://ucjepstest.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?8349,8592,8602,8603
http://www.efloras.org/object_page.aspx?obj
ect_id=8396&flora_id=1
© Project SOUND
Leopard Lily is tall & stately….
Size: 3-6 ft tall
1-2 ft wide; spreading clumps
Growth form: Herbaceous perennial from a
bulb
Very tall & upright
Foliage: Medium green
Whorls of large leaves spaced along the stem; very woodsy looking
Roots: short rhizomes; bulbs develop along rhizomes
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/NorthAmericanLiliumTwo
Gary A. Monroe @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© Project SOUND
Flowers are glorious
Blooms: in late spring/summer; usually June & July
Flowers: Drooping ‘Turk’s cap’ type
lily flowers; up to 15 per stalk
Nice size: 2-4 in. across
Lovely colors: mostly reds, oranges or yellows with maroon spots
As pretty as any Asian lily
humming birds, butterflies love it
Seeds: flat seeds in tough, oblong pod (typical for lilies)
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/NorthAmericanLiliumTwo
© Project SOUND
A wetland lily Soils: Texture: well-drained
pH: any local incl. slightly acidic
Light: Best in filtered sun, light shade
or afternoon shade
Water: Winter: plenty of water
Summer: likes soil moist – best Zone 2-3 but could use Zone 2
Fertilizer: fine with organic amendments and mulches – ‘forest floor’ soils
Other: easy to grow; divide occasionally in fall.
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College
© Project SOUND
Wetland lilies for a
woodsy garden
In dappled shade with ferns, Mimulus
For bog gardens, rain gardens
As an attractive pot plant
Shady moist areas around patios and sitting areas, arbors, etc.
http://www.calfloranursery.com/pages_plants/pages_l/lilpar.html
© 2009 Barry Rice
‘Giant Red’
Parentage unclear; may be a hybrid
Large – 5-7 ft tall
Red flowers
Available from bulb companies
© Project SOUND
Lilies from
bulbs
Plant mature bulbs 4–5 inches deep in cool loose loamy soil.
The scales also sprout and grow easily, so when transplanting if any scales break off, plant them 1” deep and you'll have lots of baby lilies
Grow well in pots & like to be crowded. When planting in containers cover the bulbs with only 2 inches of soil.
© Project SOUND
http://www.infiniteitsolutions.net/
But perhaps something a little more
delicate…
© Project SOUND
http://www.shastawildflowers.com/pages/ShastaLilyTop2241.htm
© Project SOUND
*Washington Lily – Lilium washingtonianum
© 2008 Vernon Smith
© Project SOUND
*Washington Lily – Lilium washingtonianum
ssp purpurascens
ssp. washingtonia
Northern ranges – Sierras & Cascade Range into OR
Grows in dry woods, often through shrubs, at mid- to high elevations (1,300 to 7,200 feet)
Named for Martha Washington – not the state
http://www.nwplants.com/business/catalog/lil_was.html
© Project SOUND
Fantastic Flowers
Blooms: late spring to summer
Flowers: White (fading to pink), often
with maroon spots
Very fragrant
1-25 flowers per stalk
Good for wedding bouquet!
http://lilyseed.com/washingtonianum_9200.html
http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/2010/07/lilium_washingtonianum.php
© Project SOUND
Dryland Lilies: more
like local bulbs
Soils: Texture: well-drained
pH: any local
Light: Full sun to very light shade
Water: Winter: plenty; even flooding
Summer: quite drought- tolerant once established; Zone 2 or 2-3 during flowering then taper off
Fertilizer: OK with organic mulches and soil amendments – fine in garden beds
Other: leave them in place in the garden – don’t like being moved
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College
Hopefully we’ve convinced you that CA
natives make interesting cut-flowers
© Project SOUND
Get out and see flowering natives
© Project SOUND
Come to the Garden Party next Saturday
© Project SOUND http://www.goingnativegardentour.org/pressroom/wildflowerShowVisitors.jpg
Now is a good time for flower shows
Now is a good time for flower shows
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden sometimes has flower shows
© Project SOUND
http://wildsuburbia.blogspot.com/2010/04/wildflowers-near-gorman.html
Would you like to have a flower show?
© Project SOUND