Ditto Melissa! Glad you've got something to hope for again, Ingrid.

Trish.

I'm glad you're finding some positive signs in your garden, Ingrid! I'm finding ways to adopt my gardening obsession to less water hungry ways. Lord knows it needs to be satisfied somehow! Replacing potted fuchsias, begonias, sarracenia, and others with succulents or other less thirsty plants is well under way. Culling certain roses in favor of more drought tolerant shrubs, perennials, bulbs, and annuals primarily from South Africa, Oceania, and California is quite fun in its own right provided one isn't SPing beloved varieties. There are a bevy of genera I'm beginning to get a lot of enjoyment out that really are ideal for this area and can't succeed many other places.

I don't grow varieties of all of these, but Correa, Leucadendron, Grevillea, Phyllica, Lessertia, Psoralea, Salvia, Agave, Aloe, Lewisia, Echeveria, Stapelia, Ceanothus, Moraea, Ixia, plus many others are growing on me. And that's without grasses, sedges, trees, and many types of bulbs I'm forgetting. That said, focusing on and consolidating resources towards a lesser number of roses could definitely result in better performance among those remaining varieties. I did some culling for my mom this weekend (a few Austins and HTs weren't making the cut on the water schedule enacted this summer) and was able to start on some very vibrant, low water replacement plantings featuring several of the genera I mentioned above. The link is a picture of a muti-tiered hanging basket holder full of succulents I put together for her. Things aren't quite as green as they were a few years ago, but a lot of plants are looking better as fall temps settle in.

Jay

Here is a link that might be useful: Succulent Hanging Basket

This post was edited by ArbutusOmnedo on Tue, Oct 21, 14 at 3:37

I'm so glad you feel better Ingrid. I do too. So do our roses. We'll see another beautiful spring.

I had to smile at your comment, Melissa. For sure I was obsessed before but this year so far my obsession was in abeyance. It's good to have it back again.

Not being a fan of caci and succulents of most types, it's going to be a bit of a challenge to fill in the empty spots where the roses have gone on to greener pastures. I'm going to have to find some tough perennials to put there. Having said that, Jay, your three-tier arrangement is very charming. It looks perfect in that location.

Pam, I believe you're right. We're going to have some good months and I'm going to take scads of pictures. It's been a real comfort to look at the hundreds of pictures in the My Garden file which I've taken over the years. Looking at them it's difficult to believe it's the same garden, but it motivates me to have it look that way again.

Ingrid

As recently as a year ago I would have said the same thing about not being a fan of succulents, Ingrid! I'm still not really a fan of cacti, but just giving some succulents a shot, seeing the astounding variety available, and appreciating how low maintenance they are got me to a point where I am quite interested in succulents on the whole.

Succulents can be incorporated rather wonderfully into mixed borders if spaced correctly with attention to drainage, fertilizer, and exposure needs. I'm certainly not abandoning roses any time soon, but I am more captivated than ever by plants I dismissed as boring not too long ago both due to my ever-shifting tastes and desire to lower the water bill a bit. I still get bit by the rose envy bug when I see a beautiful variety previously unknown to me, but I'm getting better at tempering the "need" to have every rose I enjoy.

Jay

It seems like the garden is waking up after a dry summer rest here.

Belinda's Dream and Janet are having big flushes. They are in shadier spots so they are first. Sweet Chariot is in a warmer area but is very happy and loaded with sweet scented blooms

I took my 15 month old grandson with me great grandmas today to pot up some 1g's to 2g. Starting him early as a gardener. He helped put some potting soil on other plants and water them with a watering can. We also put in 5 roses and he helped pat down the soil. Very cute to watch him and I hope he learns to enjoy gardening as he grows.

Jesse Hildreth has an open bud. Could not help my self. So does Anna Jung.

Baby Mel's Heritage has one too.

Kippy, don't hesitate to post pictures. Would love to see Jesse Hildreth when she has more open blooms. Janet is another rose I'd really like to see; not many people grow this rose. I'll forever regret discarding her rather than moving her to a better place. I would know better now. Anna Jung and Sweet Chariot would be lovely to see too. You seem to have a very nice assortment of roses.

Jay, I may have to change my mind about succulents. I have a very dry sunny area where some roses failed to thrive, and it would be nice to have low-care, low water plants there that can be more or less ignored but will still be decorative. It's worth exploring.

Ingrid

If you want a shrubbier, less succulent look, there are a bevy of wonderful low water shrubs, sub-shrubs, and perennials that can handle a LOT of sun I have come across. I wouldn't want a whole garden full of only succulents, but spots here or there can add easy year round color and interesting textures. I've mostly been using them in containers, but I've been putting them towards the front of some mixed borders. The bigger issue with a lot of these plants is tenderness. Many will just die when it reaches the twenties and are set back by temps in the thirties so they are primarily promoted near the coast. I'm not sure what the winter lows are in your area, Ingrid, but I'd be happy to come up with some interesting, high heat/sun tolerance plants that may work well for your vacant area.

Aloe tomentosa, Aeonium urbicum, Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder', Leucadendron discolor 'Pom Pom, Lessertia montana, and Phyllica pubescens were some I utilized this past weekend. They all have lower water needs and have various points of interest. Phylica in particular works well here if it has excellent drainage because it's indigenous to fairly alkaline conditions.

Jay

Jay, it hasn't gotten lower than the forties in the last few years so I don't think too much winter chill is an issue. I'd love to have suggestions from you about water-thrifty plants that don't get too large.

Ingrid

Jay, I just wanted to say I really like your tiered succulents. They look fantastic :)

My succulents do quite well in the cold and we will get down near the teens at least once each winter. We also get in the mid 20's for several weeks which always has the citrus farmers up all night. I have covered my citrus trees but have done nothing with my succulents and they have done very well. Roger's Gardens in Corona Del Mar has a lot of them and they can be quite beautiful. So if you are ever up that way a stroll through their beautiful gardens is certainly worth the trip.

Glad to hear that you are enjoying the cooler weather. My roses continue to put out a very nice fall bloom especially Munstead, Lady Alexandra and Pretty Jessica.

Does anyone has Lessertia montana seeds for trade? I'd love to grow this beautiful plant.