TRICHOSTEMA LENATUM - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Trichostema lenatum - Woolly Blue Curls is a great evergreen shrub that works well in most garden situations.  It is also mildly fragrant with a sweet scent.  Below are some details...

• 3-4' height
• 4-5' wide
• Full sun
• Minimal water once established 
• Purple/blue flowers in the spring and fall
• You can cut the flowers to put in a vase
• Mildly sweet scented 

SISYRINCHIUM BELLUM - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Sisyrinchium bellum - Blue Eyed Grass is an ornamental grass that has a long blooming season.  It also  reseeds and spreads nicely.  Below are some details...

• 1' height
• 1' wide
• Full sun to partial shade
• Blue/purple flowers in the spring
• Minimal water once established

SATUREJA CHANDLERI - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Satureja chandleri - San Miguel Savory is a minty scented edible California native plant that will work in any garden situation.  Below are some details...

• Less than 1' height
• 3' wide
• Filtered sun to full shade
• Small white flowers in the summer
• Minty scent
• Edible leaves
• Works well in containers

SALVIA SPATHACEA - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Salvia spathacea - Hummingbird Sage is a great shade loving low growing shrub for any garden.  As the common name suggests, it will attract hummingbirds and is stunning to the eye.   Below are some details...

• 2' height 
• 3' wide
• Full shade to filtered sun
• Little to no water once established
• Fuchsia/red flowers in the spring and summer 
• Attracts hummingbirds
• Works well in containers

SALVIA CLEVELANDII 'JAPATUL' - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Salvia clevelandii 'Japatul' - Japatul Cleveland Sage is very similar to the standard Cleveland Sage only it get half as tall and wide.  It is a great plant for any garden.  Below are some details...

• 3' height
• 4' wide
• Full sun to partial shade
• Lavender flowers in the spring and summer
• Minimal to little water once established
• Can be planted on slopes
• Works well in containers 

SALVIA 'BEE'S BLISS' - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Salvia 'Bee's Bliss' - Bees Bliss Sage is a low growing fragrant groundcover.  A great addition to any size garden.  Below are some details...

• 2' height
• 3' wide
• Full sun to partial shade
• Lavender/pink flowers in the spring
• Gray green leaves
• Mounding habit
• Nicely fragrant 

PENSTEMON HETEROPHYLLUS 'MARGARITA' - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Penstemon heterophyllus 'Margarita' - Foothill Penstemon is a low growing perennial that has really pretty purple flowers and the hummingbirds love to eat off of.  Below are some details...

• 1' height 
• 2' wide
• Full sun
• Moderate water once established
• Profuse purple blooms in the spring
• Great for rock gardens, slopes and edges

MONARDELLA VILLOSA - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Monardella villosa - Coyote Mint is a great low growing shrub that has a really nice minty scent.  This shrub is perfect for any garden.  Below are some details. 

• 2' height
• 2' wide
• Filtered sun to full shade
• Lavender colored flowers in the spring and summer
• Leaves smell like mint
• Native Americans used the leaves to make tea
• Butterflies use this plant as a nectar source 

JUNCUS PATENS - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Juncus patens - California Gray Rush is an ornamental grass that is great for most garden situations.  This plant has blue/gray foliage and can be planted in containers.  The blades are not sharp and are soft to the touch.  Below are some details...

• 2' height 
• 2' wide 
• Flowers in the spring that are not fancy to view
• Full sun to partial shade
• Moist to minimal water
• Can be planted in 6" of standing water 

IRIS 'CANYON SNOW' - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Iris 'Canyon Snow' - Canyon Snow Iris is compact perennial that will work well in any garden.  Especially, ones that are mostly shade with little growing room.  Below are some details...

• 1' height
• 2' wide
• Partial shade
• Minimal water once established
• White flowers in the spring
• Will grow well in small spaces and containers 

HEUCHERA OPAL - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Heuchera opal - Coral Bells is a low growing evergreen shrub that will work well in any size garden.  It mounds, but has slim flowers stalks that are very dainty.  Below are some details...

• 1' height
• 2' wide
• Full shade to dappled sun
• 2' tall flowers stalks in white
• Works well in containers
• Thrives well under oaks

FRAGERIA CALIFORNICA - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Frageria californica - California Woodland Strawberry is a native edible strawberry plant that will work in any size garden.   You can plant this in containers or straight into the ground.  The berries are small about the size of raspberries, but are very tasty.  Below are some details...

• 1' height 
• 3' wide 
• Full sun to partial shade
• White flowers in the spring 
• Small edible berries
• Minimal water once established
• Works great in containers

FESTUCA RUBRA 'PATRICK'S POINT' - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Patrick's Point Fescue is a great low mounding ornamental grass that has really beautiful blue/gray blades.  This is also a great plant to those that have small spaces with little room.  Below are some facts...

• 6-12" height
• Mounding habit
• Full sun to partial shade
• Blue/gray blades
• The flowers go 6-12" higher than the plant
• Minimal water once established

DUDLEYA - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Dudleya's are my favorite succulent because it is very resilient.  It is one of those plants that can thrive in almost any condition.  From high sun gardens to containers, this plant will do nicely.  The bonus is that you will hardly have to water it.  Below are some details...

• 1' height 
• 1' wide
• Full sun to full shade
• Grows nicely in containers and crevices.
• Will grow indoors on a window sill or area where it get sun.
• Bi monthly watering outdoors and weekly watering indoors.
• Flowers in the spring

CEANOTHUS 'YANKEE POINT' - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Ceanothus yankee point is a low mounding shrub that looks nice planted in mass.  It is great for gardens with a lot of sun and will even grow nicely in pots.  Below are some details...

• 3' height
• 6' wide
• Full sun
• Mounding habit
• Cobalt blue flowers in the spring
• Shiny green leaves
• Minimal water once established

CEANOTHUS CONCHA - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

What I love most about this plant is not just the look, but also the flower.  This stunner is perfect as a medium sized shrub in any garden.  This Ceanothus will also work in container gardening.  Below are some details...

1. 6'height 
2. 6' wide
3. Full sun
4. Cobalt blue flowers in the spring
5. Minimal wagering 
6. Will attract bees
7. Good in containers

ARCTOSTAPHYLOS DENSIFLORA 'HOWARD MCMINN' - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Rounding out the first letter of the alphabet is Arctostaphylos densiflora 'Howard McMinn' - McMinn Manzanita.  This medium growing shrub is very similar to the Harmony Manzanita but, is twice as tall.  Much like most Manzanita's, this is also a stunner.  Below are some details.

• Evergreen shrub
• 6' height
• 6' width
• Full sun to partial shade
• Minimal water once established 
• Light pink/white bell shaped flowers in the winter
• Gorgeous red bark 
• Slow growth habit

ARCTOSTAPHYLOS HARMONY - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

This Manzanita is much like the Howard McMinn in that it is drought tolerant, beautiful, hardy and a good choice for all size gardens.  However, this variety if almost half the size in height.  Perfect for the gardens that are too small for large Manzanita's.  Below are some details. 

• 3' height
• 6' wide
• Beautiful red bark
• Full sun to filtered shade
• Minimal water
• White/pink bell shaped flower
• Slow growing
• Will work in containers

MY GARDEN VISITOR

I have a 100 square foot pad of concrete outside my front door that is essentially, my garden.  The only space I have in my 424 square foot condo to do any sort of gardening.  Although at the moment I have no plants in my pots (planning to soon) I still do get some visitors in my garden.  Normally, it's the spiders and such that come to say hello.  But this time it was Arleesha the praying mantis.  I named her Arleesha because the name was in my head and I had to give her a name of some sort. 

She was hanging on the inside of my security door.  I am not sure how she got there since I never leave that door wide open.  But somehow she did.  She was mesmerizing and I just could not stop staring at her.  As far as I am aware this is the first time I had seen one in real life.  She was calm, cool, collected and had a way about her.  As if she did not give two shits about others and how slow or fast they moved.  She was moving to her own beat. 

I knew she was there for a reason.  To remind me to be calm, patient yet introspective.  She slowly move to the outside of the door.  As I closed the door, she jumped on the ground and just sat there.  I had to leave for a client meeting and to run some errands.  When I returned hours later, she was still around.  This time she was hanging off of a decorative metal ornament that have resting on a table.  She was swaying back and forth.  Much like you do when your favorite song is playing and you are moving to it's beat.  Although I never saw her again, she will never be forgotten.  Maybe if I get my ass in gear and finish my garden, then she may return. 

WHERE TO BUY POTTERY IN THE OC

I love adding pottery to most designs.  It adds a touch of something.  A bit of pizzazz.  But where do I go to buy pottery?  Well there are some places that I would recommend if you live in the OC that I would highly suggest you check out. 

My top three favorite places are O.C. Succulents, Plant Depot and West Coast Pottery. These three stores have such a wide selection of pottery that there is bound to be something for everyone.  Their prices are also reasonable for what you get.  

There are also many other stores such as the Potting Shed By Carlisle in Orange.  This store is a cool eclectic store and also sells other garden accessories.  A fun place to roam when you have some time to kill or just want to get out of the house and browse somewhere.  

There are also other places to buy pottery such as Green Thumb, Armstrong Gardens and Village Nurseries.