Volunteers in Catherine’s Garden

Self-sown beauty

We ’re visiting Catherine ’s Dickerson ’s garden today in San Diego . We ’ve gossip before ( A Little Slice of Heaven in San Diego ) , and it is always a pleasance to see what is develop there .

This is our year of unpaid worker ! They have added a terrific richness to the garden . The forget - me - nots are ubiquitous every year , but this year they ’ve been joined by the rich purpleness - bluelobelia . Poppies andlunariaare doing their expert to keep up . These are not plants that simply reseed , but ones that are coming up in places as aloof from the original plant as you’re able to get in a little 1/4 - acre garden .

My husband spreadsmulchtwice a year , and the resultingsoilis delicious . The rain this year help as well .

The only plants named in the picture below that I really set are the Shasta daisies , the alstroemeria , the pink geranium , and the pinkish cosmos , together in one picture . Almost everything else named come up as happy surprises . Our response : “ Welcome ! Please make yourself at home base ! ” And boy , have they .

Johnny jump - ups(Violatricolor , annual ) living up to their name in our frontpath

A honest geranium(Geraniumsanguineum , Zones 3–9 ) , lots of lobelia(Lobelia erinus , Zones 10–11 or as an one-year ) , a peak of pink cosmos(Cosmos bipinnatus , annual ) , and a beautiful yellow snapdragon(Antirrhinummajus , Zones 7–10 or as an annual ) that volunteer right in front ! The before long - to - be white Shasta daisies(Leucanthemum× superbum , Zones 5–9 ) in the lower left are from Luther Burbank ’s base in Santa Rosa — a lovely place to shoot the breeze !

Nemesiafrom the backyard , now in front with . . . lobelia ! The pinkish isAlstroemeria .

Red valerian(Centranthusruber , Zones 4–9 ) was take flight or blown over from a neighbor ’s yard , along with annual poppies(Papaversomniferum , annual ) . These volunteer poppies have popped up around the back and front thousand and are the best I ’ve ever grown — though I ca n’t actually say that I grew them !

More lobelia , immingle with lily-white alyssum(Lobularia maritima , Zones 9–11 or as an annual )

Cineraria(Pericallus × hybrida , Zones 9–11 ) ! The glasshouse here in San Diego only transport the brusk versions ; these grandiloquent ones ( 30 inches or more ) arise from Annie ’s Annuals in northern California . A little pink polka - loony toons plant(Hypoestes phyllostachya , Zones 10–11 or as an yearly ) offer nearby . Lush leaves fromBergenia(Zones 3–8 ) planted years ago are in the lower right .

Strawberries ! They were being devour by slugs on the ground , so I stuffed them into thispot . Snow pea are growing behind them .

A combination of pink eve primrose(Oenothera speciosa , Zones 4–9 ) and purple toadflax(Linaria purpurea , Zones 5–9 ) , of unknown beginning , both of which will seek to take over the garden . I ’ve already pull out tons of them .

give thanks you for letting me share these surprisal enthrall . horticulture is absolutely the most rewarding activeness I know .

Have photograph to share ? We ’d love to see your garden , a particular collection of plant you love , or a wonderful garden you had the chance to chat !

To give in , send 5 - 10 photograph to[email protected]along with some information about the plant in the pictures and where you deal the photos . We ’d love to hear where you are locate , how long you ’ve been garden , successes you are proud of , failures you learned from , Bob Hope for the future , best-loved plants , or funny stories from your garden .

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