“California Dreamin'”

I never thought I would be so excited to just see green grass. After the brutal winter we have all just endured that is exactly what helped sooth my soul as I touched down in California on a recent vacation. Looking at snow covered landscapes for nearly 7 weeks; landing in San Luis Obispo’s airport was refreshing to say the least. Gorgeous mountains, palm trees and cyclamen in front foundations were all breathtaking, but simply seeing green blades of grass reassured me that spring will eventually come.

Having San Luis Obispo as our home base my family and I ventured off in nearly equal, opposite directions. The first day of our trip took us to San Simeon and the famous Hearst Castle. The gardens were an integral part of the “Enchanted Hill”. William Randolph Hearst and his architect Julia Morgan worked together to create the garden designs. Fountains, statuary, plants and buildings, most of which is priceless, painted the picture high atop a mountain overlooking the pacific. Strolling through the gardens, familiar plants like boxwood, daphne and roses were all represented. However, what leapt out at me were the citrus trees covered with fruit, Camellias in full bloom, yellow Mimosa in flower and of course the Italian Cypress used as strong vertical accents. A successful groundcover used in mass was Ice Plant (Delosperma), a South African succulent whose rubbery foliage and brightly colored flowers has always captivated me.

Our second day took us to wine country in Paso Robles. The highlight of the day, from a horticultural standpoint, was our stop to Linne Calodo. Known for their Zinfandel and Rhone blends, this boutique winery has a plethora of Ginkgo trees surrounding their sign as well as lining their driveway all the way to the tasting facility.

The following day we ventured north and stopped first in Harmony, California. A population of less than 20 people, Harmony has some quaint shops and an impressive Eucalyptus tree towering some 60-80 feet. Still traveling north on coastal route 1 we stopped and admired the Elephant Seals. Colonizing the mainland beach of Piedras Blancas in the southern range of Big Sur, near San Simeon, these huge, blubbery beasts were as cute as they were loud. Continuing on we passed the Point Sur Naval Facility that at first glance reminded me of Mont Saint-Michel, a tidal island in Normandy, France. Pressing on we traveled through Big Sur and imbibed the intoxicating aroma of some monstrous Eucalyptus trees. Nearly all Eucalyptus are evergreen, are members of the myrtle family and have leaves covered with oil glands. Appreciative of their bark and fruit, I was particularly enamored with the White Ironbark (Eucalyptus leucoxylon) and Argyle Apple, (Eucalyptus cinerea) trees. Finally, we reached our northern most point for this trip… Monterey. Every view seemed to be punctuated with Monterey Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa), a species that is endemic to the Central Coast of California. A medium-sized evergreen tree, Monterey Cypress often becomes irregular and flat-topped or windswept in appearance because of the strong winds typical of this area. Artistic examples of this cypress were evident along coastal route 1 coming into Big Sur, Carmel and eventually Monterey.

The fourth day, heading south, we traveled through Los Olivos and into Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara’s architecture had wonderful examples of Spanish Mission and Spanish Colonial revival. Mediterranean landscape designs depicting clean lines and a relaxing feel all the while being functional and beautiful. Simple stucco and adobe exteriors, elegant arches, clearly defined geometric patterns and coastal Mediterranean vegetation all left me in awe. Again, another highlight for me was the tall Eucalyptus and the wafts of aroma they provided were just too much. Dwala Aloe (Aloe chabaudii) was evident at most turns. Their bright orange-red flowers and broad, pale blue leaves edged with small teeth were stunning. Traveling down State Street in Santa Barbara, planters in front of shop stores were filled with Bird of Paradise and Mondo grass.

The last day, well really morning, was spent touring my nephew’s school, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. A university with a “learn by doing” philosophy had an enormous collection of plant material to look at. Two highlights for me include a huge wave of yellow heather embedded under towering palm trees outside the football stadium and a collection of Chinese Elm (Ulmus parvifolia) in the middle of campus.

California is a state known for its plant diversity. This was a welcome sight amidst this treacherous winter as I was beginning to lose hope that spring would never get here.

Do You See What I See?

My good friend and horticultural demigod, John Stella, inspired the title of this article. Several months ago we were talking about characteristics of plants and how a trained eye can see them so clearly. Just as a doctor can look at an X-ray, a mechanic can listen to engine or a chef can taste the individual ingredients of a dish, so too can a plant person look into the depths of a landscape and pull apart all of it’s inner beauty with ease. Asked years ago to list all of my favorite plants, I believe I gave up somewhere around 400 or 500. There are simply too many plants that do too many wonderful things to have a list any smaller. While most are happy just being enamored with the leaves and flowers of plants, there are those of us who appreciate the bark and twigs as well. Many trees and shrubs devoid of their foliage offer outstanding characteristics, in the dead of winter, and in many cases builds the argument for their main appeal in the first place.

Coral Bark Maple, Acer palmatum ‘Sango Kaku’ has to be the grand champion for winter interest. An upright, deciduous tree that many, when they first learn it, deem to be the most shocking because of its electric red bark in the coldest months of the year. Here’s another though, Pacific Fire Vine Maple, Acer circinatum ‘Pacific Fire’ also has similar markings. This one, however, has more of an orange-red hue on its bark with a waxy sheen that leaps out at you in the winter. Paperbark Maple, Acer griseum has classic cinnamon or red-brown exfoliating bark. “Snow acts as a perfect foil for the bark and accentuates its qualities” Michael Dirr. Persian Parrotia, Parrotia persica, a tree native to Iran has exfoliating gray, green, white and brown patches on older specimens and is a personal favorite. Quaking Aspen, Populus tremuloides is the most widely distributed tree of North America! Younger trees express smooth, greenish-white to cream colored bark and landscape designers like the strong vertical white lines they offer as they come through mass plantings beneath them. Japanese Zelkova, Zelkova serrata is heavily lenticelled and usually depicted with a strong central trunk supporting a huge vase-like head. The bark, on older specimens, has gray-brown markings, often exfoliating, reminiscent of Chinese Elm, Ulmus parvifolia.

Perhaps my favorite, smaller deciduous shrub, for winter interest, is Japanese Kerria, Kerria japonica. Distinct yellowish green, and in many cases, bright neon- green stems in the winter are a beacon for many. Kerria, incidentally, looks infinitely better when mass planted. Common Winterberry, Ilex verticillata has bright red, sticky fruit, often in pairs, looking as though they are holding on for dear life through February. Tatarian Dogwood, Cornus alba is a deciduous dogwood shrub of medium stature, reaching heights of 6-10 feet. And while there are many with interesting foliage, the winter months punctuate the bark, often showing crimson reds or bright yellows. And who could forget Highbush Blueberries, Vaccinium corymbosum; whose stem color in the winter is yellowish-green to red. Another superb deciduous plant for mass plantings!

Finally to the conifers! Albeit, the following plants are not deprived of their foliage in the winter, on the contrary, they maintain their winter coats and also have distinguishable marking that amplify their external jackets. A Lodgepole Pine drawing considerable attention is Pinus contorta ‘Chief Joseph’. A deep, rich, golden-yellow pine pulls itself away from the drab colors of winter and beckons to be touched to see if it’s real. Found in the Wallowa Mountains of northeastern Oregon by Doug Will, this tree transforms itself from green in the warmer months to extreme yellow in the colder months. A Canadian hemlock to note is Tsuga Canadensis ‘Albospica’. Cultivated since 1866, this hemlock has snowy-white tips that contrast dramatically against its interior dark-green needles. A dusting of fresh snow held over this shade garden plant will make you a believer that there is a God. Finally, a Himalayan Pine with incredible winter interest is Pinus wallichiana ‘Zebrina’. A variegated selection that has long, thin needles and bands of yellow held in and around powder blues. Formerly listed as Pinus griffithi, Himalayan pines are native to the high mountains of Afghanistan to Nepal.

Many plants devoid of their foliage offer outstanding attributes. My hope is that this article has you looking at landscapes this winter in a new light. While flowers, leaves and needles are nice to look at; it’s not the whole picture. Great gardens inspire us throughout the seasons and winter is where it all begins.