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Let me know if you want some seeds. They bloom in Spring and are California natives.
A home for Bob's tree:
I'm happy to say that the Santa Clara Valley chapter of the Native Plant Society kindly agreed to take Bob's buckeye tree, and plant it at their nursery at Hidden Villa. They said the roots were in good shape, and hopefully the deer won't eat it.
Many thanks to them!
Free to good home: a California Buckeye tree!
Our wonderful neighbor Bob, is looking for a home for his small potted California Buckeye tree. He has nowhere to plant it on his property, and wants will give it to someone who will plant it. My husband and I brought this buckeye home after finding it as a sprout in the Los Altos Hills; we potted it and it grew readily. Bob always told us how much he loves these trees (we already have two) so we gave him our buckeye sprout one Christmas a couple of years ago.
A California Buckeye in our front yard in spring (white flower spikes)
Bob is now 92 and would like to see that this tree is cared for, as he is very fond of it. Here it is below, about 6 feet high, dormant for the winter:
If you would like to have this tree and you have a place to plant it, please send me an email: plarenas@comcast.net
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
California Natives in Our Garden
In our garden we are still in the process of bringing more natives in. The flowers are often spectacular, see below (our Matilija poppy shoots flowers skyward ten feet high!) and many of them require very little water or special care, so those attributes are a big incentive.
One of my new favorites we planted last year is a Fremontia bush, from the Los Altos Nursery. Here it is revving up with a profusion of lemon yellow blooms that last into the summer. The bumble and carpenter bees go nuts!
Below is our ceanothus, "Dark Star", from the Yerba Buena Nursery in Woodside (they sell only native California plants). Here it is covered with blue flowers- a favorite of bees of different types.
Our beautiful California poppies are a "must have". They seem to find their way into the garden on their own and they will reseed, but this year I bought some seeds to encourage them to spread.
This photo shows our classic gold poppies from my backyard, but in my front yard I have yellow and red variants coming in, (sown from seed, below) truly lovely in the sunlight! I saw a pink variety in a garden recently for the first time; I'd love to get some of those.
These wonderful reddish types have really taken to our front yard, much to my delight!
We also have two California Buckeye trees, one in the front yard and one in the backyard. Here is our biggest one bursting into flower in the front yard:
The showy white flowers in spikes have a wonderful perfume. These trees bud out in February, and by late April-early May burst with flowers. They lose their leaves early in the fall, and have beautifully graceful silvery branches for fall and winter.
As I mentioned, one of the best sources for California natives is the Yerba Buena Nursery. You can't beat the variety and sheer number of selections, and they have a knowledgeable staff to help. It's a bit of an excursion to get there as they are up on Skyline Blvd. in Woodside, but it makes for a nice outing (for native plants closer to home, check out Common Ground). When we go up we often stop for breakfast or lunch at the cozy and quirky Alice's Restaurant, right up top where Woodside Road meets Skyline:
The nursery is south of the restaurant, so you take Skyline Blvd. south about a mile or more and look for their sign on the right. Then it's a good mile or two down the narrow road to reach the nursery.
Besides the nursery offerings, they have a garden shop with lots of great books, items for the garden and gifts. They also have a tea shop and host "Farmhouse Teas"on selected dates.
Above: Yerba Buena's extensive selection of California native plants.
Another big plus is the extensive demonstration garden- here you can see the natives in action. They have different areas of established plantings that showcase different habitat types. Check out the beautiful large manzinitas on the hillside (I wonder how old they are?). There is also a pretty pond near a patch of irises. We bought a couple of these to put in our front yard. I was surprised at the many colors to choose from. I am often pleasantly surprised that there are perfectly gorgeous alternatives to non-native plants for the garden!
Pacific Coast Hybrid Iris
By gardening with species native to our area we provide much needed habitat and nourishment for local wildlife, and for that we are repaid a thousand-fold by being enriched by their presence around our homes, and by creating balance in the suburban garden ecosystem.
