Delphinium elatum
'True Wild Form'

Have I told you before how much I adore this tough, long-lived and almost ever-blooming Delphinium? It’s the original wild species (mother to all the large-flowered modern varieties) and if you’ve given up on Delphiniums being too much a P-I-T-A you must, must try this extremely hard-to-find, wonderful, tried and true, reliably perennial and long-lived Delphinium. Forming a large, leafy mound about 2’ tall and easily 3’ across, it continuously sends up new sturdy upright bloom spikes to a total height of 4’-5’. Rich deep blue flowers are smaller than modern varieties, but that’s a big part of their charm! It just looks far more comfortable in the garden than those huge-flowered stems that need staking and always fall over anyway. Delphinium ‘True Wild Form’ gets bigger and better every year, too and with 5-8 spikes at a time almost year around here along the coast, it deserves a front-and-center spot in every cottage garden. A good habitat plant and a consistent supply of romantic cut flowers. Delphiniums love rich, loamy soil and regular water. Bait for snails and side-dress with compost 2 or 3 times a year for maximum spikeage.

Sun Avg. water
USDA zones 3-10

Eucalyptus forrestiana
“Fuchsia Gum”

Teased by my co-workers for being “tree crazy” this year, I just can’t help it! There are so many exciting trees out there – perfect for our climate – and hardly anyone is growing them! Look at this one! A highly ornamental small tree, only 12’ to 15’ tall, it’s much prized for its exceptionally showy, pendulous, 2” scarlet-red buds that look so much like Fuchsia flowers. All Summer and Fall, the buds open to reveal short yellow stamens. Smooth grey bark is attractive, too. So easy to grow, “Fuchsia Gum” is drought tolerant, needs no fertilizer and is both wind and clay tolerant. Well-drained soil is always better for quicker growth. An excellent attention-getting specimen tree for a small garden, parking strip or even for sprucing up the trash can area. Hardy to around 25 degrees F.

Sun Avg./Low water Tree
Drought Tolerant
Deer Resistant

Fuchsia glazioviana

What a super-vigourous MITE RESISTANT Fuchsia! This beautiful South American shrub Fuchsia has small shiny leaves, and vibrantly pink flowers with showy stamens that bloom en masse in Spring, and sporadically throughout the rest of the year. Don’t let the scale of the leaves and flowers fool you, though, this plant has serious drama potential! Plant it near a large shrub and let it do what it does best – shoot long flexible branches up through the canopy and let the flowers rain down! Grows 5-6’, more if you plant it near taller things that can support the branches as they shoot up, up and away!! Rich soil, part sun, and regular water for best show.

AM Sun/Part Shade Avg. water
Perennial Shrub
USDA zones 9-11

Iochroma coccinea
(syn. I coccineum)

Oh us fortunate folks of subtropical zones 9-11! For only we can grow this looong blooming evergreen shrub from Central America. Blooming year around here by our frost free coast, Iochroma coccinea displays elegant clusters of pendulant, tubular, rosey-red, 2-3” blooms held up to 20 per bunch. And oh yes, the hummingbirds do love them! The large shiny bright green leaves are an asset, too. Rather lax in habit, it’s most showy tied to a support, espaliered or draped near a fence or wall. Gorgeous cascading over a retaining wall or out of a large urn, too. Or grow it in full sun for a more upright form. You can cut it back, too – from Spring to August. Rich soil and regular water is best. Protect from hard frosts.

Sun/Pt. Shade Avg. water Shrub
USDA zones 9b-11

Marigold
‘Day of the Dead’

Every day, as I was driving home from work last Summer, I would pass this house with the most enormous Marigold plants growing. 3’ to 4’ tall with huge 5” across blooms. And the blooming went on for months. Tall, huge Marigolds – the kind you can’t find in the States anymore in plant or seed form. They were gorgeous with their flower size appropriate to plant size and form. Not those scary, big-headed dwarves you see in gas stations around town. Oh I wanted them – so perfect for ‘Day of the Dead’ altars and celebrations and providing so, so many awesome cut flowers. Well, fortunately, we were able to find some seed so I  could grow them – and now you can grow them, too! And now is the perfect time to plant them, so they’ll be in maximum bloom for your Day of the Dead festivities! Rich soil is best.

Full Sun
Avg. water
Annual