Thursday, September 3, 2020

Project plans: bye-bye ceanothus...

April is when my Ceanothus 'Dark Star'...is at the top of its game. The buds are amazing...

...and the flowers live up their promise.

Here's an image from when both it and the Echium wildpretii were both blooming...

And here's what it looks like now, not very exciting eh?

Ya, not very exciting at all, and it's taking up a lot of space! Space that gets quite a bit of sun, something that's becoming more and more rare in the back garden. Here's an orange outline so you can better see it's size.

Currently under the ceanothus there's a Nolina hibernica 'La Siberica', Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Prostrata', a bit of Ajuga reptans 'Black Scallop' and a small Hebe ochracea 'James Stirling', I'm sure they'd all love a little more sun...and I could definitely cram in a few other things.

And it's not the fact this plant is "boring" when it's out of bloom that has me thinking I'll get rid of it. Actually for years I've loved the foliage. This year it's just not looking its best though.

Dropping a lot of those little brown leaves.



And I won't lie, getting a better view of things like my variegated daphniphyllum wouldn't be a bad thing!

Yep, that's a lot of "nothing space"...

I think I'll get to work tearing it out later this fall, and then let the space settle over the winter. Spring plant buying will give me something to look forward to!

Weather Diary, Sept 2: Hi 91, Low 62/ Precip 0 

All material © 2009-2020 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

17 comments:

  1. I can hardly imagine getting rid of something that's so stunning in the springtime. But I couldn't agree more about shaking things up when it's not serving you anymore. Not sparking joy, as Marie would say. In fact I just posted something similar on my blog. It's all about the process and keeping things interesting. I can't wait to see what you do with this space!

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    1. I've talked with some folks who still haven't gotten over your removal of your stock tank pond—people get attached—but you did what was right for you, you get it.

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  2. I do get the need to refresh a garden corner after a few years. So, if this Ceanothus is doomed, maybe you can try a major pruning, similar to what you did with the Arctostaphylos in the front garden. It may give the underplanting more sun and you wouldn't give up the Ceanothus entirely, as in eat your cake and have it too... and if the pruning turns out horrid, out it goes.

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    1. I should have mentioned it, but I have pruned this puppy, several times. This is the best it's gonna be, and it's best isn't good enough for me (any longer).

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  3. My heart stopped briefly when you said you planned to rip out the Ceanothus rather than cut it back but I do understand. I'm currently contemplating whether it's time to bite the bullet and cut down the mimosa tree instead of just removing more dead segments. As the huge dead toyon also has to go, I'm slowly coming to accept that it might be best to deal with the two traumatic events at the same time and get it over with.

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    1. This shrub doesn't respond to cutting back with new fresh growth...just bare limbs, so...

      As for your mimosa I am sorry to learn it might be going, but as you say, it makes sense to do them at the same time. I wonder how long I will keep my chocolate mimosa. Such a trash dropping beauty!

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  4. You are one tough gardener but... I am having similar thoughts over here about plant removal. Mine are mostly crying for me to put them out of their misery because of a miserable climate. I know how much you love plants to earn their place in the garden and there is a whole world of plants waiting to earn that place. I know you will have fun.

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    1. I am? Hmm... I guess so. When you've only got so much space and want to grow all the plants tough choices must be made.

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  5. I just removed and had removed no fewer that 5 mature -some very mature-in the last week. IT was damn liberating. One was a Lilac that I brought with me in a pot when we moved to Napa from San Diego in 1986. The last few years I kept looking at it and asking myself why I had a Lilac . No reason came to mind, so as of yesterday it's gone. And now there's a big empty spot-what gardener doesn't love that ?

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    1. "damn liberating".... my new battle cry! Have fun with your big empty spot.

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  6. Ah, so satisfying to line up fall projects now. Do it. Bye bye Ceanothus.

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  7. Or maybe just prune it. Limb it up from the bottom? Or not. A new project makes things exciting, doesn't it? Like KS (above), I am removing a lilac. It always begs for water because it's in a really hot spot against the fence. I think my potted eucalyptus might work there instead. Or not. Who knows? It's fun to contemplate.

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    1. I have done that a few times Grace, there isn't anything left to cut off the bottom. Poor lilacs, nobody wants them!

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  8. Best do the deed before it starts to flower in the Spring as those pretty blooms might make you reconsider.

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  9. We just took out four trees: two Scots pines, a clump of buckthorns with beautiful trunks and a Carolina silverbell. All the extra sun and view of plants is wonderful. Plus room to start over. You won't regret it. The fact that you are seriously thinking about it means you are not wedded to seeing it.

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