Yerba Mansa (Anemopsis californica)
A low maintenance native of the American southwest and northern Mexico, Yerba Mansa is an attractive trailing plant that grows along creeks and in shallow water
25
07, 2023
24
04, 2023
Lacy Phacelia (Phalcelia tanacetifolia)
Lacy Phacelia (Phacelia tanacentifolia) is a southwestern U.S. native that attracts pollinators & beneficial insects with showy blue flowers in spring & summer
8
11, 2020
Video: A Fallen Agave
The first real rains of the season blew down this 20 foot tall agave flower the woodpeckers had stuffed with acorns.
20
05, 2020
Giant Agave Flowers
The American Agave produces giant flower stalks that can shoot 30 feet in the air. The dried stalks are a favorite nesting site for acorn woodpeckers.
16
04, 2020
Cleveland Sage Blooming in April
Ahh... April and the native sages are all blooming profusely following last week's rain. This one is a Cleveland Sage (Salvia Clevelandii), which both looks amazing and smells incredible. Check out the snake-like whoop-de-do the flower stem on the right is doing for no particular reason. Nature's funny that way.
12
03, 2020
Lavender Rose Texas Sage
One of the many Texas sage (Savlia coccinea) varieties I have planted in random spots around the Acre. I can't remember the name of this one, but I really like it because it's a lavender-rose color (instead of the usual red or pink) and has these unusually long, tendrils that grow at the end of the flowers like a big curved horn. Makes it seem more dramatic for some reason.
29
02, 2020
Bee’s Bliss Sage in Bloom
Late last spring I got a Salvia Bee's Bliss from my friend @linsaycrazyplantlady's nursery. I planted it near the rocks by the fish pond and left it do its thing. Turns out there were a couple of giant white squill bulbs lurking below the surface in that location that I had forgotten. In November the squill erupted from the ground, leafed out, and completely covered the Bee's Bliss. And so I forgot about the little sage. Yesterday while doing some [keep reading...]
23
04, 2017
Lazy Garden Tip: Golden Poppies are Super Easy to Grow
Golden poppies that blew in and made themselves comfortable Its pretty hard to find a plant that's easier to grow than one that turn up at random and proceed to takeover. Bonus points when it's not an invasive weed but a native flower you actually. Last year we had a few golden poppies blow in here from who knows where and put on a nice early spring display before disappearing again. This past rainy season (basically November to [keep reading...]
23
05, 2015
Trailing Blackberries
This is a native trailing blackberry. Usually you find it down along the creeks. I transplanted a few along my lower fence line 20 years ago and the blackberries have never looked back. Tis year the ground squirrels and I are in a battle to see who will get to eat more of them. So far the squirrels are winning.
12
05, 2015
Cleveland Sage in Bloom
One of my favorite native plants, Cleveland Sage (salvia clevelandii), which gets its name from the nearby Cleveland National Forest. Looks great, smells great and requires close to zero water and maintenance.