Monday, September 3, 2007

31 More Plants Today

We went to Rosso and picked up 31 more plants today, about the same number that we got yesterday at Steamboat. Most are for filling in crevices in the rock wall.

Here's what we got today:

5 Cryptomeria japonica 'Cristata'
3 Ceanothus 'Vandenberg'
5 Ceanothus 'Point Reyes'
4 hot pink heathers
4 lavender pink heathers
4 or so low-growing sedums
6 or so tall sedums, including Purple Emperor

The Cryptomeria:

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Everything else:

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Of our 60 or so plants from the last two days, everything is in the ground except:

1 smoke bush (Cotinus 'Grace')
2 compact strawberry bushes (Arbutus unedo 'Compacta')
3 corkscrew rush (Juncus effusus 'Unicorn')
3 Ceanothus 'Vandenberg'

Wanna see?

OK, here's a view from inside the house. Until a few weeks ago, we couldn't even see that little white house. Then the neighbor decided to clearcut his laurel hedge. Anyway, that row of plants going in are the Cryptomeria, a beautiful evergreen that's native to Japan. The row of evergreens at the top of the wall are Ceanothus 'Julia Phelps,' which I planted last year. Yes, I know they are going to get too big for that space.

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And here are some sections of the side of the rock wall, which had no plantings at all a couple weeks ago. But we've learned that having nothing is not an option. Nothing = weeds. Next weekend we're going to put down newspaper and a shitload of barkdust on the neighbor's newly bare backyard to help prevent weeds from taking over. He was just going to leave it alone, but he's letting us take some preventive steps against a weed invasion.

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We also planted a Eucalyptus. It may not survive the cold. It may get too big for our yard. Oh well. I really wanted one, and it was $14.50, so it's OK if it dies and it's OK if I have to kill it.

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Now check out these Cryptomeria.

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The new growth reminds me of coral.

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And gingko.

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And brains.

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I love it.

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And I dig the rock wall too.

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4 comments:

chuck b. said...

I've never seen a young Cryptomeria before--really trippy looking.

Your wall looks really nice.

What kind of Eucalyptus is that?

JvA said...

I think it's just this particular cultivar (Cristata) that's trippy-looking. It should keep its unusual foliage growth patterns through maturity.

I can't remember the type of Eucalyptus -- I will check this week. It has white bark like a birch.

Back in March I admired some other types of Cryptomeria at Wells-Medina nursery:

http://midbeaconhill.blogspot.com/2007/03/wells-medina-nursery-32607.html

Anonymous said...

Wow that is freaky. It reminded me of this Celosia which turned out to be "var. cristata", which means crested, so I guess that makes sense...

arajane said...

if your eucalyptus dies, you can have the one in our yard that we promised you last year. hell, you can have it either way. chris cut it back in the spring and it's looking better now (less sprawl), so i'm sure it would transplant nicely.