Orange Plants that Warm the Winter

I just finished a Facebook Old World chat with a dear gardening ally who moved from Arkansas to the Colorado Rockies a few weeks ago . peach about your climate variety ! As Steph was preparing to turn in – her electric mattress launching pad set on “ snuggly ” — her local weather dude verbalize something about 12 - below . He ’s GOT to be kid .

It ’s nearly winter in Santa Barbara too , but you would n’t jazz it from all of the hot poppycock in bloom the right way now . Our landscapes are bursting with vivacious colors while Euphorbia pulcherrima ( Euphorbiaspecies from Mexico ) add together their scorching red high temperature to the mix .

The locals threaten me from time to time . “ Billy , ” they monish , “ DO NOT show the nose candy dwellers our fond , Mediterranean - climate plant , lest they jump on vainglorious ash gray razzing and invade our golden beach . ” ( My friend watch a lot of quondam cattleman movies . )

But , hey , I might as well portion out the wealthiness . Here ’s what ’s kick butt decently now . All these pics were snapped here in my Pacific nirvana .

South American Vacation, On The Cheap

How ’s this for starting a warm glow ? I ’d love to see moreBougainvillea‘California Gold ’ planted in Santa Barbara garden . It blends delightfully with our ubiquitous red roofing tile roofs and stand out against whitewashed wall . For all its alien South American peach , bougies are a cinch to grow — low piddle needs , resistant of a wide kitchen range of soils and no gadfly problems – very sustainable !

On the downside , they are armed with viscious hook shot , smartly camouflage in immature leaves and cloud of colorful bract . And as lovely as they appear , bougainvillea are frequent subjects of “ wishful intellection . ” Too many gardeners shoehorn these 15 - metrical foot wide ramblers into too - flyspeck blank space . As a termination , the misfortunate plant gets hacked back to Hackensack to keep if from swallowing up parked car . Unfortunately , the hard pruning results in few tip - bear bloom , the primary draw for planting these dissipated vines .

Fire In The Hole!

Would you think me if I told you that the lustful red bloom of the firewheel tree were the result of a eminent school day graphic arts project fail lopsided ? No ? That ’s all right .

The firewheel tree ( Stenocarpus sinuatus ) , a native of the rainier parts of Australia , is a member of the sometimes - otherworldly Protea family ( Proteaceae ) . Judging by the form of the flowers , I ’m guess there was n’t a lot of argumentation when pick out its common name .

Stenocarpus sinuatus . Photo / Illustration : Billy Goodnick

This is one of my go - to Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , because even when it is n’t flower , the shiny , leathery thick light-green leaves enhance any garden . Another good reason to ask for this tree into your landscape : Its narrow development wont crap it perfect for small lots and minute drive .

Let The Sun Shine In

Now showing at selected garden , the Mexican marigold ! When the last of summer ’s sunflower petals have been mixed into the compost pile and the night get parky , the Mexican Marigold steps up . As cloud go down on in and the sky darken for the first honest soaking of our rainy season , Tagetes lemmoniiwas rev up up its generator , ready to burst in a light show of lucky blooms .

Give it room ! depart unpruned and allowed to develop in its natural phase , expect a five - base high by eight - metrical unit wide mound . Garden Tip : My favorite speckle for these guys is at the west end of a garden where late afternoon sun sets it ablaze .

Halloween Has Passed, But Candy Corn Plant Is Still Tasty

I distinguish these bright yellow and orangeCuphea micropetalawhile stalking the rows San Marcos Growers . As I strap out my television camera , a squadron of hummingbirds divebombed , choreographing a frenetic aerial ballet and then stalling just long enough to suck up the glistening , sugary nectar seep from the cylindrical flowers .

In the spirit of full revealing , I have not yet used this brightly non-white aborigine of Mexico in one of my blueprint , but I have seen it thriving in a fistful of local gardens . It appears well deport , grow to about three feet high and slowly scatter by rhizome .

Garden tip : tardily on the water .

South Africa’s Give to SoCal Landscapes

Here are more hot colors to warm a westerly winter garden . An fanciful scene from the Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino , CA :

“ Let ’s see , ” enounce the leader of the Plant Name Bestowing Committee . “ It ’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and this oddball poker industrial plant is still flower . I think we ’ll call it Christmas Cheer ! ”

Works for me , given the range of mangled pronounciations I ’ve heard for the genusKniphofia .

Another star instrumentalist in my sustainable plant pallet , I frequently depute poker plants to outlying , infrequently irrigated beds . That ’s in keeping with the South African descent of these knotty plants that can withstand winter low temperatures around 15 arcdegree F.

Design tip : Once the flowers are go , the grasslike foliage can face like a bad hair’s-breadth day . Consider spotting it in the 2nd rank of your border and then planting a few mounding groundcovers or perennials to pretend as block out .

I trust I ’ve brought you a little warmth on a inhuman day . you’re able to get in on the conversation by tell me what excites you about YOUR garden in these wintertime month ? pretermit a input and share your intellection .

Poker plant . Photo / Illustration : Billy Goodnick

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Poker plantPhoto/Illustration: Billy Goodnick

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Bougainvillea ‘California Gold’. Photo/Illustration: Billy Goodnick

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