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Cup Of Gold Vine

‘Variegata’ is a bit less aggressive.

Trellises, arbors and pergolas for this vine should be strong. Cup of gold vine, Solandra maxima, can grow quite large, and it can do so quite fast. It easily reaches forty feet high and wide. Within ideal situations, vines can grow a hundred fifty feet long! Fortunately, it is conducive to frequent pruning. It can grow as free standing shrubbery without support.

Flowers of cup of gold vine compensate for their lack of abundance with size. Individual flowers may be six to eight inches long and three to six inches wide! Bloom is not overly profuse, though. It occurs mostly between January and May, with a few sporadic flowers during summer. Bloom begins pastel yellow and darkens to richer gold as it progresses.

The simple foliage is nicely glossy. Individual leaves are alternate and two to six inches long. ‘Variegata’ produces delightfully variegated foliage, and is relatively docile. Cup of gold vine needs shelter from frost though, so may not be suitable where winters are cool. It grows almost too easily from cuttings or layers. Stems might root where they touch the ground. All parts of it are toxic.

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Trellises And Arbors Provide Support

Boston ivy climbs without a trellis.

Vines are very diverse. A few are annuals. A few are perennials. Many are woody vines. Some climb by twining their stems, leaves or tendrils. Some cling onto their support with aerial roots or suction discs. Within home gardens, some need the support of trellises or arbors. Most vines are naturally aggressive, so should get all the support that they need.

Vines that cling onto their supports with roots or suction discs need no trellises or arbors. They climb regardless. English ivy clings with aerial roots. Boston ivy clings with suction discs. Both can be destructive to their support. They ruin paint and promote rot in wood. Therefore, they should only climb surfaces that they can not damage, such as concrete.

Vines that climb by twining their stems, leaves or tendrils are the sorts that need support. On trellises, some can cover otherwise bare walls or fences, or stand freely like hedges. On arbors, vines frame gateways. On pergolas, they mostly shade patios like small trees. Vines are not low maintenance, though. Actually, they require specialized maintenance.

Vines, by nature, seek the top of their support, where they grow the most. Consequently, vines on trellises tend to get top heavy. Carolina jessamine, lilac vine and mandevilla all need grooming to limit upper growth. Then, their lower growth is fuller and more uniform. Star jasmine is naturally more uniform, but even it may get somewhat overgrown on top.

Upper overgrowth may not be so undesirable on arbors or pergolas. However, pruning is as important. Grapevines need annual dormant pruning during winter. Such pruning is a bit more complicated at the height of a pergola. Wisteria can be spectacular on pergolas. It needs aggressive pruning, though, so that it will not become too overgrown and heavy.

Bougainvillea is one of several vines that does not actively climb. It requires guidance to follow trellises or arbors, or to reach the top of pergolas. Then, it needs frequent pruning to avoid overgrowth. Its various cultivars behave differently, though. Some stay compact enough for small trellises and arbors. Some grow large enough for substantial pergolas.

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Six on Saturday: Arborist’s Report

Both of only two grand valley oaks at work are deteriorating. Sadly, the prognosis for the smaller of the two is not so good.

1. Quercus lobata, valley oak is obviously distressed. It should not start to defoliate until after cool weather later in autumn. Even then, defoliation should be more symmetrical.

2. Upon closer inspection, fluffy and newer interior growth is evidently comprising most of the canopy, while the exterior of the canopy is notably sparse. It is not a new problem.

3. The defoliated portion of the canopy appears to be completely necrotic. No foliage can be seen. If the tree survives, removal of this portion will severely disfigure its symmetry.

4. This significant cavity is developing on the formerly flawless trunk. The interior wood is badly decayed. Sadly, the tree may not live long enough for this to become a concern.

5. Cupressus macrocarpa, Monterey cypress, next to the valley oak, is likely succumbing to cypress bark canker. A few trees have already been removed. It is also a slow process.

6. Meanwhile, in other news, a collared mountain lion was seen on surveillance video in the neighborhood. We all know that they live here, but it is different to actually see one.

Anyone who would like to participate in this meme should peruse this participant guide for Six on Saturday.

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Yellow African Iris

Yellow African iris is commendably tough.

Common African iris is perhaps too common. That is likely because it is so resilient and easy to propagate. Once it inhabits the garden, it will likely stay there. Yellow African iris, Dietes bicolor, is about as tough and prolific, but it is considerably less common. Though similar to common African iris, it is distinct. It has a softer foliar texture and yellow bloom.

Bloom continues from spring through summer, as long as the weather is warm. The pale yellow flowers are only about two to two and a half inches wide. They hover on slim but tough stems just above their foliage. Several flowers bloom in succession on each stem. Without deadheading, seed pods can disperse seed. Seedlings can become numerous.

Yellow African iris grows with foliar fans that form dense basal clumps. Collectively, they grow four feet tall and three feet wide. However, they can grow substantially broader with age. Large clumps are tough, but otherwise easy to divide. Foliage is somewhat grassy. Without grooming, it can become cluttered with old foliage and deteriorating floral stems. Overgrown clumps can be cut back after winter.

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Sustainable Plants Need No Introduction

Lemon bottlebrush is resilient and sustainable.

Neglected gardens demonstrate sustainability more effectively than maintained gardens. They display that which survives with minimal intervention. Also, that which requires too much intervention does not survive. Weeds are obviously too sustainable. They seem to survive anything. Desirable annuals are the opposite extreme, so do not survive for long.

Sustainable horticulture, excluding weeds, has become a fad. Unlike most fads, though, it is actually quite practical and sensible. In theory, it is horticulture that requires minimal intervention. It excludes what requires impractically intensive cultivation. Native species that grow wild, for example, are sustainable. Overly demanding tropical species are not.

A common problem with such fads is their marketability. They are too easy to exploit. Any commodity might be marketed as sustainable, whether or not it actually is. Sustainability sells. Realistically, in lucrative marketing, sustainability is unsustainable. It compromises any later needs for subsequent sales. Planned obsolescence is actually more lucrative.

Modern cultivars are not necessarily more sustainable than old cultivars. Simple species are generally more sustainable than their hybrids. Extensive breeding can cause genetic deficiencies. Variegation compromises vigor, and can revert. For example, New Zealand flax is generally sustainable. However, some of its variegated cultivars commonly revert.

Again, native species are technically sustainable. They can survive without irrigation or intervention. However, in gardens that receive generous irrigation, some are susceptible to rot. Therefore, they are less sustainable for such situations. Also, some native species are not good options if combustibility is a concern. Sustainability involves many factors.

Many of the most common and passe plants happen to be the most sustainable. That is why they are common and passe. Lily of the Nile, African iris and many yuccas are some of the most sustainable perennials. Juniper, oleander and lemon bottlebrush are among the most sustainable woody shrubs. Realistically, there are far too many examples to list.

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Six on Saturday: Just Some Random Flowers

Some of these might be redundant to earlier posts. I am still somewhat disheveled from last week. I should recover next week.

1. Pelargonium X hortorum, zonal geranium makes another appearance, but in another color. At least I think that this is a new color here. I can not be certain. We have several.

2. Salvia guaranitica ‘Amistad’ friendship sage is a bit new and trendy for my taste, but it sure is pretty, and popular with hummingbirds. Incidentally, someone else selected it.

3. Lagerstroemia indica ‘Twilight’ crape myrtle is another species that I would not be so keen on if it were not so pretty. It has many attributes, which is why it is overly popular.

4. Osteospermum ecklonis, African daisy blooms in several colors here. All of the others have single flowers. This is the only one that blooms with these odd semidouble flowers.

5. Lathyrus latifolius, perennial pea is a naturalized roadside weed. It certainly is pretty, though. I think that it usually dies back by now, but is doing so a bit slowly this summer.

6. Hydrangea macrophylla, bigleaf hydrangea is blooming with exceptionally big floral trusses. I should have put something else in the picture with it to demonstrate its scale.

Anyone who would like to participate in this meme should peruse this participant guide for Six on Saturday.

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Morning Glory

Morning glory can bloom until winter.

Popular garden varieties of morning glory are descendants of various species of Ipomea. Too many species are involved to classify such varieties briefly. Perennial morning glory, particularly the blue dawn flower, can be invasive. Most others perform as annuals, so do not grow long enough to be invasive. However, they can self sow to become numerous.

Although it might self sow and grow in any soil, morning glory prefers rich and loose soil. It also prefers regular irrigation, and will wilt if its soil gets too dry. Roots disperse deeply, so dislike pots. Morning glory in pots typically stays smaller than the same in the ground. Morning glory grows best from seed, which should go into its garden at the end of winter.

Some annual varieties of morning glory can climb ten feet high. Some grow only four feet high. They are delightful on picket fences. Their cordate or lobed leaves are about two or three inches wide. Their simple circular flowers are about the same width. They bloom in rich hues of blue, purple, red, pink and white. Some types have stripes, streaks or spots. Several exhibit central star patterns.

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Flowers For Late Summer Bloom

There are plenty of late flowers.

Most flowers bloom within their particular seasons. Many bloom for spring. Fewer bloom for winter. Only a few bloom randomly throughout the year, generally while the weather is warm. Several bloom specifically for late summer or into autumn. All have their particular reasons for blooming when they do. It is all about pollination and dispersal of their seed.

Most flowers bloom in spring to maximize the time for their seed to develop before winter. Some of these may begin to bloom even before early spring, in late winter. Many rely on wind for pollination, so are unconcerned about pollinators. Those that attract pollinators are bigger, more colorful, or perhaps fragrant. They wait for pollinators to become active.

Many flowers that bloom randomly throughout the year are actually from milder climates. Some are from tropical climates. Within their native ecosystems, they can disperse seed at any time. Also, their pollinators are as perpetually active as they are. Angel’s trumpet, for example, only stops blooming for cool winter weather. it is presently blooming nicely.

Canna similarly begins to bloom for late spring, and continues to bloom until autumn. It is from a tropical climate, so is more responsive to weather than to seasons. It could bloom as long as the weather is warm enough for it to do so. Like angel’s trumpet, it is presently blooming nicely. Several popular sages are likewise naturally native to tropical climates.

Several late summer flowers happen to be of the ‘Compositae’ Family. Their flowers are actually composite blooms of many tiny flowers. These include confelower, zinnia, aster, cosmos, blanket flower and black eyed Susan. Coreopsis, sneezeweed, cosmos, dahlia and sunflower are more examples. Chrysanthemum will become more seasonable later.

To be enjoying these flowers now, it would have been better to plant them earlier. Some are still available in bloom from nurseries. Potted dahlias are particularly nice. However, most perform best if they can grow into their situations prior to blooming. Sunflower grow best from seed sown immediately after winter. Those with big flowers need time to grow.